Build the Texas framework
Learn TREC versus TRELA, licensing authority, representation, and the limits on legal work. These rules give the other topics somewhere to attach.
Verified August 22, 2026
Texas real estate state exam study guide.
All 6 areas, in the right order.
Study the Texas state-law portion from the current Pearson VUE sales-agent outline. See the official item counts, every listed subtopic, the rules that changed in 2026, and the next practice set to take.
Quick answer
The Texas real estate state exam covers six areas and has 40 scored questions. Start with Agency/Brokerage, Standards of Conduct, and Contracts. Those three areas account for 29 scored questions, or 72.5% of the state score. Then cover Special Topics, Commission Duties and Powers, and Licensing. You need 28 correct out of 40 scored state-law questions to pass.
6
official state-law areas
40
scored state items
28
correct answers to pass
29
items in the score core
A practical study order
Five passes that keep the state portion manageable.
A first-time candidate needs a framework before the heavy scenarios. A retaker should begin with the highest-item weak area instead. Both paths finish with fresh, mixed state-law questions.
Win the 29-item score core
Spend most of your time on Agency/Brokerage, Standards of Conduct, and Contracts. Together they account for 72.5% of the scored state portion.
Cover Special Topics deliberately
Study all 11 named subjects. Pearson publishes five items for the area as a whole, but it does not publish a weight for each subtopic.
Practice by decision rule
After every miss, write the fact that changed the answer. The goal is to recognize the rule in a new scenario, not memorize a familiar question.
Finish with mixed state sets
Use mixed practice only after topic repair. Review every guessed answer, including guesses that happened to be correct.
Official 2026 sales-agent outline
All 6 Texas state-law areas.
The counts below are scored-item totals published by Pearson VUE. Pearson names the subtopics but does not publish a separate weight for any Texas subtopic, so no subtopic percentages are invented here.
Area 1 · Foundation
Commission Duties and Powers
3 scored items, or 7.5% of the scored state portion. Know who makes the law, who enforces it, how a complaint moves, and which penalties TREC can impose.
Start here: Draw the process once: Legislature, TREC investigation, SOAH hearing when required, TREC final order, then judicial review.
Official subtopics
- A. General Powers
- B. Handling of Complaints
- C. Penalties for Violation
Common exam traps
- TREC does not write TRELA. The Texas Legislature enacts the statute.
- The six industry seats on TREC are broker seats. Section 1101.051 does not say broker or sales agent.
- Advisory committees recommend or draft within an assigned role. They do not replace the Commission.
Area 2 · Foundation
Licensing
3 scored items, or 7.5% of the scored state portion. Decide whether the activity needs a license, whether an exemption applies, and whether the sales agent currently has authority to act.
Start here: For each scenario, sort five facts: actor, activity, expected payment, exemption, and active authority.
Official subtopics
- A. Activities Requiring License
- B. Licensing Process
- C. License Maintenance and Renewal
Common exam traps
- Passing the exam does not activate a sales-agent license. TREC issues an inactive license, and active brokerage requires sponsorship.
- Broker permission cannot make license-required activity lawful for an unlicensed person.
- Showing includes unlocking, giving access, permitting a viewing, and hosting an open house unless an exemption applies.
Area 3 · Score core
Standards of Conduct
9 scored items, or 22.5% of the scored state portion. Apply Texas conduct rules to ethics, discipline, legal-form boundaries, trust money, compensation, rebates, and advertising.
Start here: Separate similar violations, especially commingling versus conversion and form completion versus legal drafting.
Official subtopics
- A. Professional Ethics and Conduct
- B. Grounds for Discipline
- C. Unauthorized Practice of Law
- D. Trust Accounts
- E. Splitting Fees
- F. Rebates
- G. Advertising
Common exam traps
- Client loyalty never permits dishonesty to another party. Fidelity puts the client first and still requires fair treatment of others.
- Rule 537.11 is broader than the slogan "fill in the blanks." It permits informational items and a narrow written-instruction change, but never legal drafting or legal-effect advice.
- A sales agent delivers trust money to the sponsoring broker immediately. The broker's second-working-day default starts when the broker receives it.
Area 4 · Score core
Agency and Brokerage
11 scored items, or 27.500000000000004% of the scored state portion. Recognize disclosure duties, intermediary practice, minimum services, supervision, broker responsibility, and assistant limits.
Start here: Master intermediary, IABS, written buyer agreements, appointments, and who the broker or sales agent represents.
Official subtopics
- A. Disclosure
- B. Intermediary Practice
- C. Duties to Client (including Minimum Services)
- D. Broker-Sales Agent Relationships
- E. Broker's Responsibility for Acts of Sales Agent
- F. Appropriate Use of Unlicensed Assistants
Common exam traps
- IABS is a notice, not a representation agreement.
- Texas uses intermediary practice with written consent. Do not import another state's dual-agency rule.
- An intermediary can exist without appointments. Without appointments, the intermediary does not give opinions or advice favoring either party.
Area 5 · Score core
Contracts and Promulgated Forms
9 scored items, or 22.5% of the scored state portion. Know which TREC form fits, what a license holder may enter, how the Statute of Frauds applies, and when seller disclosure is required.
Start here: Study the current forms by purpose and trigger, then drill option, financing, disclosure, and amendment scenarios.
Official subtopics
- A. Promulgated Contracts, Forms, and Addenda
- B. Statute of Frauds
- C. Seller Disclosure Requirements
Common exam traps
- The Broker-Lawyer Committee drafts and revises standardizable forms. TREC adopts them by rule.
- A TREC form is not automatically mandatory. Rule 537.1 distinguishes mandatory use from voluntary use.
- Rule 537.11 is broader than the slogan 'fill in the blanks only.' It permits informational items and a narrow conspicuous change made at a principal's specific written instruction, but not license-holder-created legal language or advice.
Area 6 · Breadth
Special Topics
5 scored items, or 12.5% of the scored state portion. Cover 11 smaller Texas-law subjects without treating them as one vague catchall category.
Start here: Make one rule card for each official subtopic, then practice mixed fact patterns that force you to identify the subject first.
Official subtopics
- A. Community Property
- B. Homestead Protections and Tax Exemptions
- C. Deceptive Trade Practices Act
- D. Wills and Estates
- E. Landlord-Tenant Issues
- F. Foreclosure and Short Sales
- G. Recording Statutes
- H. Mechanic's and Materialman's Liens
- I. Veterans Land Board
- J. Home Owners Associations
- K. Equitable Interest
Common exam traps
- A deed name does not settle whether marital property is community or separate.
- Creditor protection, a tax exemption, and an appraisal limitation are three different homestead rules.
- A license holder's DTPA exemption is not blanket immunity for factual misrepresentation, intentional nondisclosure, or unconscionable conduct.
Current as of August 22, 2026
What changed, and what is current.
The outline tells you what can be tested. Current statutes, rules, and forms tell you which version of the rule to apply.
The current state outline began January 1, 2026Pearson VUE publication 094401 lists six Texas Sales Agent State Law areas totaling 40 scored items, plus 10 unscored pretest items.Read the official content outline ↗Residential buyer agreements now have a pre-showing triggerSince January 1, 2026, a license holder performing brokerage for a prospective residential buyer must enter the written agreement required by TRELA Section 1101.563 before showing property, or before presenting an offer if no property will be shown. TREC also explains the separate showing-only, nonrepresentation path.Read TREC's 2026 buyer-agreement guidance ↗Current forms matter more than old course handoutsUse TREC's current contracts and forms page to check the form version and required-use date. Older forms can contain wording that no longer matches the exam's current legal setting.Check current TREC forms ↗No later sales-agent blueprint replaced the January outlineOur review of Pearson VUE's current outline and TREC's posted rule actions through August 22, 2026 found no later Texas sales-agent state-law blueprint. Rule changes can still affect how a listed topic is tested, so this guide links the current TREC sources alongside the outline.Review TREC rules and laws ↗
Two distinctions worth memorizing
State portion versus national portion: Texas law controls the state-law answer. If a generic national rule and a Texas rule differ, keep them in separate mental folders. Also, sales-agent outline versus broker outline: the counts on this page are 3, 3, 9, 11, 9, and 5 for sales agents. Broker candidates have a different state-law blueprint that also includes case studies.
Questions candidates ask
Texas state exam study guide FAQ.
What should I study for the Texas state portion of the real estate exam?+
Study all six official areas: Commission Duties and Powers, Licensing, Standards of Conduct, Agency/Brokerage, Contracts, and Special Topics. Prioritize Agency/Brokerage, Standards, and Contracts because they total 29 of the 40 scored state-law items.
How many questions are on the Texas real estate state exam?+
The current Pearson VUE sales-agent outline lists 40 scored state-law items and 10 unscored pretest items, for 50 state-law items presented. Pretest items are not identified while you test.
What score do I need to pass the Texas state portion?+
The Pearson VUE candidate handbook lists 28 correct out of 40 scored state-law items as the passing raw score. The national and state portions must be passed separately.
Which Texas state-law area has the most questions?+
Agency/Brokerage is the largest at 11 scored items. It covers disclosure, intermediary practice, client duties and minimum services, broker-sales agent relationships, broker responsibility, and proper use of unlicensed assistants.
Are TREC-promulgated forms tested on the Texas exam?+
Yes. Promulgated contracts, forms, and addenda are an official Contracts subtopic. Study what each current form is for, the fact that triggers it, and the boundaries on what a license holder may add or change.
Do I need to memorize statute numbers?+
Usually, the higher-value skill is recognizing the rule and applying it to the facts. Learn a section number when it helps separate commonly confused rules, but do not let number memorization replace scenario practice.
Did the Texas state exam change in 2026?+
Yes. The current Texas Sales Agent State Law outline became effective January 1, 2026. Texas law also added written-agreement requirements for prospective residential buyers. As of August 22, 2026, Pearson VUE had not published a later sales-agent state-law outline.
Does Texas test dual agency?+
Texas tests intermediary practice. When one broker agrees to represent both parties, the broker must act as an intermediary under Texas law. Do not answer a Texas state-law question by importing a generic dual-agency rule from the national portion.
How should a retaker use this guide?+
Start with the weakest high-item area shown on your score report or practice history. Repair one rule cluster at a time, then use a fresh mixed state set to confirm the improvement. Do not restart by rereading every topic equally.
Is this the same as the full Texas real estate exam study guide?+
No. This guide covers only the six Texas state-law areas. The full study guide covers all 14 areas across both the national and state portions.
Use the right companion page
Go deeper without repeating this guide.
Full 14-area study guideUse this when you need the national and Texas portions together.Texas state-law cheat sheetUse this for a compact final review after you understand the rules.Texas versus nationalUse this to separate Texas-specific rules from general exam rules.TREC forms guideUse this to learn the current forms, addenda, triggers, and common traps.
Primary-source review
Official sources used for this guide.
Exam counts come from Pearson VUE. Texas legal and form updates come from TREC and the Texas statutes. Reviewed August 22, 2026.