Real Estate License Exam: National vs State Portion Explained

Short answer: it’s two tests in one sitting. The national portion covers general real estate principles that apply anywhere. The state portion covers your state’s license law and rules. Each is scored on its own, and you must pass both. In Texas, if you pass one and fail the other, you retake only the part you failed. (Think of it as two exams sharing one parking spot.)

We’ll use Texas as the worked example, from the candidate handbook and content outlines published by Pearson VUE, the testing company the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) uses. Then we’ll compare one other state.

What the national portion covers

The national portion tests principles that don’t change at the state line. For Texas sales agents, the national outline (effective March 1, 2025) has 80 scored questions in eight areas:

• Real Estate Contracts and Agency: 16
• Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use: 11
• Property Value and Appraisal: 11
• Real Estate Practice: 10
• Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title: 9
• Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues: 9
• Financing and Settlement: 7
• Real Estate Math Calculations: 7

It also has 5 unscored pretest questions mixed in. They look exactly like the real ones, so answer everything.

What the Texas state portion covers

The state portion tests Texas law and practice. On the exam, “The Act” means the Texas Real Estate License Act, and “TREC Rules” means the rules TREC writes. The Texas sales agent state outline (effective January 1, 2026) has 40 scored questions:

• Agency/Brokerage: 11 (disclosure, intermediary practice, duties to clients, broker responsibility for sales agents)
• Standards of Conduct: 9 (ethics, discipline, trust accounts, fee splitting, advertising)
• Contracts: 9 (promulgated forms, statute of frauds, seller disclosure)
• Special Topics: 5 (community property, homestead, the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, landlord-tenant, liens, and more)
• Commission Duties and Powers: 3
• Licensing: 3

Plus 10 unscored pretest questions. Yes, the shorter test carries more mystery questions. Nobody said it was fair, just standardized.

Source for both outlines: Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Content Outlines (PDF), as of Oct 27, 2026.

Texas by the numbers

From the Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook (dated September 2026):

• National portion: 85 questions (80 scored + 5 pretest), 150 minutes.
• State portion: 50 questions (40 scored + 10 pretest), 90 minutes.
• Both together: 125 questions, 240 minutes (4 hours).
• To pass: at least 56 correct on national and 28 correct on state. These are raw scores, meaning the number right. (Both work out to 70% of the scored questions, if you like percentages.)
• Fee: $58, paid when you reserve. The handbook lists $58 for national, state, or both. Non-refundable.
• Results: you leave with a pass or fail score report in hand.

Source: Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook (PDF), linked from the Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate page, as of Oct 27, 2026.

Fail one part? Here’s the good news

In Texas, you retake only the portion you failed. The fine print:

• Retake within one year from the date your application was filed with TREC.
• Wait 24 hours before scheduling. You can’t book at the test center.
• A failing report shows your score and how you did in each content area.
• You get three attempts to pass both portions before your application expires. After a third failure, you need more qualifying education: 30 hours if you failed one part, 60 hours if you failed both.

TREC adds that each section’s result stays valid for one year from the date you passed it, so if you reapply within that year, you skip the section you already passed.

Already licensed elsewhere? Texas may waive the national portion if you hold an active license in another state and passed an ARELLO-approved national exam. (ARELLO is the organization whose national-exam accreditation TREC relies on.) You’d still take the Texas state portion.

Sources: Pearson VUE Texas handbook (PDF) and TREC Sales Agent page (FAQ), as of Oct 27, 2026.

Math you bring in your head

The Texas handbook (linked above, as of Oct 27, 2026) says two facts are not provided at the test center: 43,560 square feet per acre and 5,280 feet per mile. Proration questions will tell you whether to use a 360- or 365-day year and who owns the closing day. Your old math teacher would be mildly less disappointed.

Same idea, different numbers: Virginia

Virginia also splits its exam but uses PSI as its testing company. From PSI’s Virginia Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (last revised Feb. 18, 2026):

• National: 80 questions, 105 minutes, passing score 56.
• State: 40 questions, 45 minutes, passing score 30 (Texas is 28).
• Both: 150 minutes. Exam fee $60.
• Up to ten unscored experimental questions may be added, and they count against your time.
• Fail one portion and you retake that portion.

Source: PSI Virginia Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (PDF), from PSI’s Virginia real estate page, as of Oct 27, 2026.

The takeaway: question counts, time, passing scores, fees, and retake rules vary by state, and some states don’t split the exam at all. Your own state’s candidate handbook is the final word.

Try a few practice questions

Original questions written for this post, not from any real exam. Questions 1–3 are national-style; 4–5 are Texas-style.

1. A rectangular lot measures 330 feet by 264 feet. About how many acres is it?

A. 1 acre
B. 2 acres
C. 2.5 acres
D. 3 acres

Answer: B. 330 × 264 = 87,120 square feet, and 87,120 ÷ 43,560 = 2 acres. That’s why 43,560 earns a spot in your memory.

2. A small apartment building has a net operating income (NOI) of $36,000 a year. Similar buildings sell at an 8% capitalization rate. What is its estimated value?

A. $288,000
B. $360,000
C. $450,000
D. $480,000

Answer: C. Value = NOI ÷ cap rate, so $36,000 ÷ 0.08 = $450,000. A multiplies instead of divides. Suspiciously cheap.

3. A tenant bolts commercial ovens to the floor for her bakery business. Under the general rule, the ovens are:

A. Real property that belongs to the landlord once installed
B. Trade fixtures the tenant may generally remove before the lease ends
C. Emblements
D. Easements

Answer: B. Business items a tenant installs are trade fixtures. They generally can be removed before the lease ends, with any removal damage repaired. Emblements are annual crops; easements are rights to use someone else’s land.

4. Maria passes the national portion of the Texas sales agent exam but fails the state portion. What next?

A. Retake both portions
B. Retake only the state portion, within one year from when her application was filed
C. Wait one year, then retake the state portion
D. Complete 60 more education hours first

Answer: B. Per the Texas handbook, she retakes only the failed portion, within one year of filing, after a 24-hour wait. Extra education applies only after a third failure.

5. A candidate with an active license in another state passed an ARELLO-approved national exam there. Which Texas portion may be waived?

A. The state portion
B. The national portion
C. Both
D. Neither

Answer: B. TREC may waive the national portion after reviewing the license history. The state portion covers Texas law, so it still must be passed.

How to study for two exams at once

• Match hours to the outline. In Texas, contracts and agency is the biggest national area (16), and agency/brokerage the biggest state area (11).
• Read your own handbook first. It’s free, and it answers questions that would otherwise cost you a retake fee.

The bottom line

The real estate exam national vs state portion split is simple once you see it: one test on principles that apply everywhere, one on your state’s law, scored separately, both required. In Texas, that’s 80 scored national questions (56 to pass) and 40 scored state questions (28 to pass) in a 4-hour window, and you retake only what you fail. Check your own state’s handbook before you book.

Exam facts checked against the Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook (September 2026) and Content Outlines, the TREC Sales Agent page, and PSI’s Virginia Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (last revised Feb. 18, 2026), as of Oct 27, 2026. Rules can change, so confirm with your state’s real estate commission and its testing company before you test. ebooklessons.com is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with TREC, Pearson VUE, PSI, ARELLO, or any state real estate commission. Not legal advice.