What Topics Are on the Texas Real Estate Exam? (2026 Guide)

The Texas Real Estate Sales Agent exam covers two separate portions: a national portion with 85 questions on general real estate principles, and a state portion with 50 questions focused on Texas-specific law, TREC rules, and promulgated forms. Both portions must be passed independently to receive a license.

Understanding the exam structure before you start studying is not optional. It is the foundation of an efficient study plan. This guide breaks down every major content area on both portions, explains what the passing thresholds mean in practice, and shows you how to prioritize your preparation using practice questions that mirror the actual exam format.

How the Texas Real Estate Exam Is Structured

The exam is administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC). Candidates can schedule both portions in a single combined appointment or take them separately. Here is a clear breakdown of the format:

• National portion: 85 questions, 150 minutes
• State portion: 50 questions, 90 minutes
• Combined appointment: 125 questions, 240 minutes total
• Exam fee: $58 per examination appointment, whether scheduling one portion or both together
• Passing score: 56 correct out of 80 scored questions on the national portion, and 28 correct out of 40 scored questions on the state portion (each portion contains additional unscored pretest questions not identified to candidates)

If you pass one portion and fail the other, you only need to retake the failed portion, subject to TREC's examination and application requirements. If you fail either portion three times, TREC requires additional qualifying education before you can attempt that portion again: 30 additional hours per failed portion, or 60 hours if both are failed.

National Portion: What Topics Are Covered

The national portion tests concepts that apply across all U.S. real estate markets. These topics are not Texas-specific, but a strong command of them is essential for passing. The content falls into several major categories.

Property Ownership and Land Use

This area covers the fundamental legal nature of real property, types of ownership, and how land use is controlled. Expect questions on:

• Real versus personal property and how property is classified
• Forms of ownership: joint tenancy, tenancy in common, community property, and others
• Encumbrances including liens, easements, and deed restrictions
• Government powers over land: taxation, eminent domain, escheat, and police power
• Zoning and land use regulations

Contracts

Contract law is heavily tested on the national portion. You need to understand the elements that make a contract valid, how contracts are performed or terminated, and the legal effect of various contract provisions. Key topics include:

• Essential elements of a valid contract: offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity, and lawful purpose
• Contract types: bilateral, unilateral, executory, executed, express, and implied
• Breach of contract and remedies including specific performance and liquidated damages
• Options, listing agreements, and purchase agreements at a conceptual level

Finance

Real estate finance questions test your understanding of mortgage instruments, loan types, and federal lending regulations. Topics include:

• Mortgage and deed of trust concepts, including lien theory versus title theory
• Loan types: conventional, FHA, VA, and adjustable-rate mortgages
• Amortization, loan-to-value ratios, and qualifying ratios
• Federal laws: RESPA, TILA, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act
• Foreclosure processes

Appraisal and Market Analysis

This section covers how property value is estimated. The three primary appraisal approaches are the sales comparison approach, cost approach, and income approach. You should also understand the difference between an appraisal and a broker price opinion, and know terms like depreciation, capitalization rate, and gross rent multiplier.

Transfer of Title and Ownership

Questions in this area address how property legally changes hands. Topics include types of deeds, title insurance, title searches, and closing procedures. Understanding the difference between a general warranty deed, special warranty deed, and quitclaim deed is frequently tested.

Fair Housing

The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on seven protected classes: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and familial status. The national portion tests your knowledge of prohibited practices such as steering, blockbusting, redlining, and the advertising restrictions that apply to licensees. The Texas Fair Housing Act, found in Texas Property Code Chapter 301, covers these same protected classes and prohibited practices under Texas law.

Agency Principles (National Level)

At the national level, agency questions focus on the general fiduciary duties owed by an agent to a client, including loyalty, obedience, disclosure, confidentiality, accounting, and reasonable care. The national portion does not test Texas-specific agency rules; those appear on the state portion.

State Portion: What Topics Are Covered

The state portion is entirely focused on Texas law and TREC regulations. Candidates who have completed the required 180 hours of pre-license education across six courses will recognize these topics, but the exam tests application, not just memorization. Content is drawn from the Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1101 and TREC's administrative rules.

Texas Agency Law

This is one of the most tested areas on the state portion. Under Texas law, effective January 1, 2026, Texas law now recognizes four representation statuses: seller representation, buyer representation, intermediary, and non-representation. A written agreement is required before acting in a representation capacity.

Key concepts include:

• Intermediary status: a broker who represents both parties in the same transaction with the written consent of both
• The Information About Brokerage Services (IABS) form, which was revised effective January 1, 2026, must be provided at the first substantive communication concerning specific real property, subject to applicable exceptions
• Duties owed to clients versus customers
• Termination of agency relationships

TREC Promulgated Contract Forms

Texas license holders must use TREC-promulgated forms when required by TREC rules and may use appropriate TREC forms for other transactions when applicable. The One to Four Family Residential Contract is the standard form for residential sales. Exam questions on this topic test your ability to identify when a form must be used, what provisions it contains, and how to handle common situations like earnest money, contingencies, and option periods. Brokers who receive trust money must handle and deposit it in accordance with TREC's trust-account requirements.

Texas License Law and TREC Rules

This area covers the requirements to obtain and maintain a Texas real estate license. Important topics include:

• Pre-license education: 180 hours across six required qualifying courses, each 30 hours, from a TREC-approved provider
• Eligibility requirements: at least 18 years old, U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien, background check, and fingerprinting through a TREC-approved vendor
• License activation: a newly issued license is in inactive status until sponsored by a licensed Texas broker; no real estate services may be performed while inactive
• First renewal: 90 additional hours of Sales Apprentice Education (SAE), including Legal Update I (4 hours) and Legal Update II (4 hours)
• Ongoing CE after SAE: 18 hours per two-year renewal cycle, including Legal Update I (4 hours), Legal Update II (4 hours), contract-related coursework (3 hours), and elective CE (7 hours)

Seller's Disclosure and Property Condition

Texas law generally requires sellers of residential property to provide the Seller's Disclosure Notice. The TREC SDN form was updated in May 2026, effective May 28, 2026. Exam questions test when the disclosure is required, which transactions are exempt, and the licensee's obligations when a seller provides incomplete or inaccurate information. Statutory exceptions apply, so avoid treating the timing or applicability as absolute rules.

Texas Property Code and Fair Housing

In addition to fair housing concepts covered on the national portion, the state portion tests the Texas Fair Housing Act under Texas Property Code Chapter 301. Candidates should know the prohibited discriminatory practices under both federal and Texas law.

How to Allocate Your Study Time

Study allocation should be driven by your own practice results, not a fixed rule about which portion is harder. After working through a set of practice questions, identify where your accuracy is weakest and direct more time there. AhaPrep recommends reaching at least 65% accuracy on practice sets before scheduling your exam appointment, and completing at least three consecutive passing practice simulations as a readiness benchmark. These are AhaPrep recommendations, not official TREC or Pearson VUE standards.

A practical approach to building your study plan:

• Complete all six pre-license courses before beginning focused exam prep, since the courses introduce the vocabulary and concepts the exam assumes you know
• Use topic-by-topic practice to diagnose weak areas rather than drilling random questions without tracking results
• Study Texas agency law and TREC promulgated forms with particular attention to the September 2026 and May 2026 updates, since these are likely to appear on current exam administrations
• Review fair housing rules under both federal and Texas law, since violations are a common source of errors
• For finance and appraisal topics, practice calculation-based questions separately from conceptual questions, since both types appear on the national portion

For additional context on licensing timelines, fees, and exam procedures, the Texas exam blog covers each stage of the process in detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

AhaPrep offers Texas-specific practice questions organized by topic for both the national and state portions, so candidates can target weak areas as they work through the content above. The platform is built around the actual exam subject areas, making it a practical tool for anyone in the final preparation stage before scheduling with Pearson VUE.