October 13, 2026
The Texas real estate exam has 125 total questions: 85 on the National portion and 40 on the State portion. Get the full 2026 breakdown of time limits and passing scores.
Last reviewed: October 2026
The Texas real estate sales agent exam consists of 125 total questions in a combined appointment, split across two separate portions: an 85-question National portion and a 50-question State portion (40 scored + 10 pretest). Both portions must be passed to earn a Texas real estate sales agent license.
Quick Answer
The Texas real estate exam has 125 total questions in a combined appointment: 85 on the National portion and 40 scored on the State portion (the 10 State pretest questions are not administered in a combined appointment). To pass, candidates must answer at least 56 correctly on the National portion (out of 80 scored) and at least 28 correctly on the State portion (out of 40 scored).
Key Numbers
Texas prep is coming. Practice questions built for TREC, both portions.
Join the waitlist →The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) contracts with Pearson VUE to administer the licensing exam for sales agent candidates. Unlike a single unified test, the exam is divided into two legally distinct portions, each with its own question count, time limit, and passing threshold. Candidates may schedule both portions in one combined appointment or take them separately.
Understanding this structure matters for practical reasons. If a candidate passes one portion but fails the other, only the failed portion needs to be retaken within the one-year application period. That means study effort after a partial pass should concentrate on the specific portion that was not yet passed.
The National portion contains 85 questions total (80 scored + 5 pretest) and must be completed within 150 minutes. The content covers real estate principles and practices that apply broadly across the United States, including property ownership, land use controls, valuation, financing, contracts, and federal fair housing law.
The passing threshold for the National portion is 56 correct answers out of 80 scored questions, per the September 2026 Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook. Candidates who fall below 56 do not pass the National portion, regardless of performance on the State portion.
The State portion contains 50 questions total when taken as a standalone appointment (40 scored + 10 pretest) and must be completed within 90 minutes. In a combined appointment, the 10 pretest questions are not administered, so candidates see 40 State questions alongside the full 85 National questions, for 125 total. This portion focuses exclusively on Texas-specific laws, rules, and practices, including TREC regulations, Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1101, agency relationships under Texas law, promulgated contract forms, and the Texas Fair Housing Act.
The passing threshold for the State portion is 28 correct answers out of 40 scored questions, per the same September 2026 Pearson VUE handbook. The State portion is distinct from the National portion in both content and scoring, and each must be passed independently.
Yes. Both portions include unscored pretest items that are being evaluated for future use. The National portion presents 85 questions total (80 scored + 5 pretest). The State portion, when taken as a standalone appointment, presents 50 questions total (40 scored + 10 pretest). In a combined appointment, the 10 State pretest questions are not administered, resulting in 125 total questions. Because pretest items are not identified during the exam, candidates cannot distinguish scored from unscored questions. The correct approach is to treat every question as if it counts.
| Portion | Total Questions | Scored / Pretest | Time Allowed | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | 85 | 80 scored + 5 pretest | 150 minutes | 56 correct |
| State (standalone) | 50 | 40 scored + 10 pretest | 90 minutes | 28 correct |
| Combined Appointment | 125 | 85 national + 40 state scored | 240 minutes | Both portions must meet their individual thresholds |
Candidates schedule their Pearson VUE exam after receiving authorization from TREC. The exam fee is the same whether scheduling one portion or both together.
Pearson VUE charges $58 per examination appointment, per the September 2026 Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook. This fee applies whether a candidate schedules both portions together in a single combined appointment or schedules each portion as a separate appointment. Candidates who are retaking only one failed portion pay $58 for that single appointment.
Beyond the exam fee, candidates must account for the TREC application fee. The TREC Sales Agent original application fee is $206 total, broken down as follows: $150 application fee, $6 Texas Online Fee, $40 Texas A&M Research Center fee, and $10 Real Estate Recovery Fund fee. Fingerprinting through a TREC-approved vendor (currently IDEMIA) is also required and carries its own cost set by the vendor. Pre-license course costs vary by education provider and are separate from these fees.
The National and State portions test entirely different bodies of knowledge, which is why each must be passed independently.
The National portion tests concepts that any real estate professional across the country would be expected to know. Major topic areas include:
The State portion focuses on rules and statutes unique to Texas. Candidates should expect questions drawn from these areas:
Failing one portion does not mean starting over. Understanding the retake rules before exam day removes some of the pressure of an individual attempt.
If a candidate passes one portion and fails the other, only the failed portion needs to be retaken within the one-year application period. Failed portions may be rescheduled subject to TREC's examination and application requirements. There is no requirement to retake a portion that was already passed.
If a candidate fails the same portion three times, TREC requires additional qualifying education before that portion can be attempted again. Failing either portion three times requires 30 additional hours of qualifying education. A candidate who has failed both portions three times must complete 60 additional hours of qualifying education before retaking either portion. This rule is a significant reason to enter exam day as prepared as possible rather than treating the exam as a trial run.
The Texas real estate exam does not test the ability to recite definitions in isolation. Each question presents a scenario, and candidates must read that scenario, identify which rule or principle applies, and then choose the correct answer from four options where at least two will appear plausible at first glance.
Working through practice questions before exam day trains exactly that skill. Repeated exposure to scenario-based questions builds familiarity with how a fact pattern is constructed, where the distractors tend to appear, and how to eliminate wrong answers methodically. For the State portion in particular, practice questions that reflect the current Texas agency rules, updated contract forms, and revised disclosure requirements help candidates apply knowledge rather than merely recall it.
AhaPrep recommends reaching a sustained accuracy of around 65% or higher across several consecutive practice sessions before scheduling the exam appointment, and completing at least three consecutive full-length passing simulations before sitting for the real exam. These are AhaPrep benchmarks, not official TREC or Pearson VUE standards, but they reflect the kind of consistency that signals genuine readiness rather than a lucky streak.
For the math-heavy questions on the National portion, practice is especially important because the format of a calculation question can be unfamiliar even to candidates who understand the underlying concept. Seeing commission split problems, proration calculations, and loan-to-value questions repeatedly in a timed environment removes the surprise factor on exam day.
Before a candidate can sit for the Pearson VUE exam, TREC requires completion of 180 hours of pre-license qualifying education across six separate 30-hour courses, each from a TREC-approved provider. All 180 hours must be completed and all course final exams passed before a candidate can apply to TREC and receive authorization to schedule the Pearson VUE exam. The six required courses are:
After completing the courses, candidates apply to TREC, submit fingerprints through IDEMIA, pass a background check, and receive authorization to schedule the Pearson VUE exam. The TREC application fee is $206 total. Once the exam is passed and a sponsoring licensed Texas broker activates the license, the candidate may begin practicing as a Texas real estate sales agent.
For a broader look at the licensing process and exam preparation strategies, visit the Texas exam blog. You can also access practice questions organized by topic to focus on the areas where your results show the most weakness.
Candidates preparing for the Texas real estate sales agent exam can use AhaPrep to work through practice questions organized by topic, track accuracy across both the National and State portions, and build the scenario-reading skills the exam requires.
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