Texas real estate exam FAQ, every common question, answered.
Quick, source-backed answers to what candidates ask most about the Texas sales agent exam, with a link to the full guide on each topic.
The exam has 120 confirmed scored items: 80 national and 40 Texas state. Pearson VUE’s handbook lists 125 displayed items for the combined appointment, while its separate portion rows and the current outlines add to 135 after their pretest items are included. The documents do not reconcile. You get 240 minutes for both portions, take the exam at a Pearson VUE test center, and pass with 56 of 80 national and 28 of 40 state, about 70 percent on each portion, passing both separately. The questions below cover format, scheduling, accommodations, practice, and the licensing steps that follow, with full guides linked.
Exam structure
How many questions are on the Texas real estate exam?
There are 120 scored items: 80 national and 40 Texas state. Pearson VUE's handbook lists 125 items for the combined sales appointment, while the separate content outlines list 5 national and 10 state pretest items, which would total 135 displayed items if both outline counts were added. Pearson's documents do not reconcile. Treat 120 as the confirmed scored total and answer every displayed item because pretest questions are not identified.
How many questions are on the exam →Is the Texas real estate exam multiple choice?
Pearson VUE's current Texas handbook presents its sample questions with four choices labeled a through d, and the live exam is computer delivered. Pearson does not publish a blanket promise that every future live item will always have exactly four choices, so use the computer tutorial and follow the format shown on screen.
Is the exam multiple choice →Is the Texas real estate exam open book?
No. Pearson VUE does not permit dictionaries, books, notes, scratch paper, or reference materials in the examination room. The test administrator provides materials for making notes, and those materials cannot leave the room.
Complete open-book and note rules →Can I take the Texas real estate exam in Spanish?
Pearson VUE's public Texas Real Estate page currently provides an English candidate handbook and does not list a Spanish examination or Spanish handbook. Because the public page does not expressly say that English is the only possible scheduling option, confirm the available exam language in your Pearson account or with Texas Real Estate customer service before paying.
Complete exam-language guide →How long is the Texas real estate exam?
240 minutes total, four hours, when you take both portions in one appointment: 150 minutes for national and 90 minutes for state.
How long the exam is →Is the Texas real estate exam online or in person?
In person at a Pearson VUE test center. You schedule online or by phone, but you take the licensing exam on a center computer, not at home.
Online or in person →Scoring and passing
What is the passing score on the Texas real estate exam?
56 of 80 scored national items and 28 of 40 scored state items, about 70 percent each. You must pass both portions separately.
What the passing score is →How many questions can you miss and still pass?
Up to 24 of the 80 scored national items and up to 12 of the 40 scored state items, since you need 56 and 28 to pass.
How many you can miss →Do you have to pass both portions?
Yes. National and State are scored separately. While the application is active, you retake only the failed portion. TREC also says each passed section remains valid for one year from its passing date. If the application expires, reapply before the passed result reaches its own one-year expiration to keep that section.
Pass both portions →Is the exam scored raw or scaled?
Raw. Your result is the number of questions you answered correctly, set against fixed cut scores. It is not scaled or curved against other candidates.
Raw vs scaled score →What does the Texas real estate exam score report show?
Whether you passed each portion and your numeric raw score, plus diagnostic information by content area for any portion you failed. You leave the test center with it the same day.
Score report guide →Can I review the actual questions after the exam?
No. Pearson VUE says examination questions are not available to candidates for review for security reasons. If you fail a portion, the score report gives a numeric score and diagnostic information by content area so you can target the weakness without seeing protected live items.
How to use the score report →Exam day and logistics
Can you use a calculator on the Texas real estate exam?
Yes, a hand-held financial calculator with no letter keys. It is recommended, not required, and the test center does not provide one.
Calculator rules →What is Texas real estate exam day actually like?
Arrive 30 minutes early, check in with two IDs, get photographed and sign digitally, take a short tutorial, then complete the 240-minute exam and leave with your score report.
What exam day is like →What do I need to bring to the exam?
Bring two current signature IDs whose names exactly match the registration, plus a permitted calculator if you want to use one. One ID must be government-issued, photo-bearing, and signed. The second must contain a valid signature.
Exam day checklist →Can I request extra time or another exam accommodation?
Yes, when you demonstrate a documented need. Pearson VUE considers accommodations individually and lists examples such as extra time, a separate room, or a reader or recorder. Start the accommodation process before scheduling because documentation and the available test center can affect the appointment.
Texas exam accommodation guide →What does Pending Exam mean in the TREC REALM Portal?
Pending Exam means TREC reviewed your submission and determined that you are eligible to sit for the examination. TREC says the portal status can change before the official notice arrives, so allow 24 to 48 hours for the authorization email.
Scheduling sequence →Why have I not received my exam authorization email?
After your REALM status changes to Pending Exam, allow 24 to 48 hours. TREC says the message comes from no-reply@notices.trec.texas.gov and contains the information you need to sit for the exam. Check spam and confirm your TREC email before contacting the agency if that window has passed.
TREC REALM status guidance →How do I reschedule or cancel the exam?
Contact Pearson VUE at least 48 hours ahead to transfer your fee or get a refund. Within 48 hours, or as a no-show, you forfeit the $58 fee.
Reschedule or cancel →Licensing path
How do I get a Texas real estate license?
Complete 180 classroom hours of qualifying education, apply to TREC, get fingerprinted and pass a background check, pass the exam, and get sponsored by an active broker.
Full licensing guide →How much does a Texas real estate license cost?
About $301 in TREC and Pearson VUE fees, plus the cost of your 180-hour pre-license course.
License cost breakdown →How long does it take to get licensed?
There is no official standard completion time. Your timeline depends on the 180-hour education, application review, fingerprints, exam availability, and whether TREC requests more information. TREC gives an applicant one year from filing to complete the requirements.
How long it takes →Do I need a sponsoring broker?
You do not need a sponsoring broker to complete the education, apply, or take the licensing exam. After you meet the requirements, TREC issues an inactive sales agent license. An active Texas broker must sponsor you through the REALM Portal before the license becomes active and you may perform brokerage services.
Finding a sponsoring broker →Can I take the Texas real estate exam without completing the classes?
No. An initial sales agent applicant must complete 180 classroom hours of qualifying education. TREC reviews the education before sending the exam authorization instructions.
Complete exam-eligibility answer →Do Texas real estate course certificates expire?
TREC's current rules do not publish a blanket expiration date for the six completed sales-agent course certificates. Separate deadlines apply to the license application, passed exam portions, and the broker Real Estate Brokerage course, so an older record should be verified before you repeat a class.
Compare every certificate and application deadline →What happens after I pass the Texas real estate exam?
Passing is not the same as being ready to practice. If your background check and other requirements are complete, TREC issues a license document by email. The initial sales agent license is inactive until an active Texas broker sponsors it, and you cannot perform brokerage services while it is inactive.
What to do after passing →What happens if I fail the exam?
While the application remains active, you retake only the failed portion. TREC Rule §535.57 applies after a third consecutive failed examination. Before testing again or filing a new application, complete 30 hours of additional qualifying education if one part was failed on that examination, or 60 hours if both parts were failed.
If you fail the exam →Study and practice
Are Texas real estate practice tests like the real exam?
A good practice test can match the current topics, area weights, reasoning, timing discipline, and scenario style. It cannot reproduce protected live questions or guarantee the form you will receive. Judge similarity by blueprint alignment and explanation quality, not by claims of copied questions.
Practice tests versus the real exam →Where can I take a Texas state-only practice test?
Use the free 40-question Texas state portion practice test. It follows the current six-area 2026 state-law allocation of 3, 3, 9, 11, 9, and 5 scored items and explains every answer after submission.
Take the state-only practice test →What is the best way to prepare for the Texas real estate exam?
Finish the required course material, then use current national and Texas state-law practice separately. Choose resources that follow the latest 8-area national and 6-area state outlines, explain every answer, include math support, and report weak areas instead of only one combined percentage.
How to choose exam prep →Exam math
How much math is on the Texas real estate exam?
A real but limited share. Calculation items cover prorations, loan figures, area, and commission, and they are where many candidates lose time.
Texas real estate math →What math formulas do I need to know?
Proration, loan-to-value, commission, area and acreage, and property tax math. Keep a formula sheet handy while you study.
Math formulas →How do I practice the exam math?
Drill timed calculation sets until the setup is automatic, then let your calculator handle the arithmetic.
Math Coach →