How to Pass the Texas Real Estate Exam: A 4-Week Plan
Know exactly what you're up against
Before you study, understand the target. The Texas sales agent exam has two portions, and you must pass both. Here are the numbers from the January 2026 Pearson VUE candidate handbook.
| Portion | Questions | Time | To pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 85 (80 scored + 5 unscored pretest) | 150 minutes | 56 correct (70%) |
| State | 50 (40 scored + 10 unscored pretest) | 90 minutes | 28 correct (70%) |
Pretest questions look identical to scored ones, so answer everything. You will leave the test center with your official pass or fail score report in hand. Remember that you must first finish TREC's required 180 hours of pre-license education (six 30-hour courses) and file your application before you can even schedule the exam.
The 4-week study plan
Four weeks of consistent daily practice beats a cram weekend every time. Short daily sessions build the recall speed you need to get through 135 questions in 4 hours.
| Week | Focus | Goal by Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | National foundations: property characteristics, legal descriptions, ownership, deeds and title, land use controls | Score 70%+ on ownership and property questions |
| Week 2 | The heavyweights: contracts, agency relationships, and real estate practice | Explain every contract element and agency duty from memory |
| Week 3 | Numbers: finance, appraisal, closing, and math. Memorize 43,560 sq ft per acre and 5,280 ft per mile | Work commission, LTV, and area problems without notes |
| Week 4 | Texas law (TRELA, TREC rules, agency disclosure) plus timed full-length mock exams | Pass two timed mocks at 75%+, then review every miss |
Why 75% on mocks when the real bar is 70%? Test-day nerves cost most people a few points. Build a cushion.
The 5 highest-yield national topics
The national portion is not evenly weighted. Per the official content outline, these five areas cover 57 of the 80 scored questions.
- Real estate contracts and agency: 16 questions. The single biggest block. Know the elements of a valid contract, void vs. voidable, the statute of frauds, and every agency duty.
- Real property characteristics, legal descriptions, and property use: 11 questions. Fixtures, economic and physical characteristics, metes and bounds, and land use controls.
- Property value and appraisal: 11 questions. The three approaches to value, CMAs, and principles of value.
- Real estate practice: 10 questions. Listing agreements, fair housing compliance, and risk management.
- Forms of ownership, transfer, and recording of title: 9 questions. Freehold estates, deeds, and how title moves and gets recorded.
Financing, disclosures, and math still matter (about 23 questions combined), but if you are short on time, weight your reps toward the list above. For the state portion, live in TRELA, TREC's structure and powers, license requirements, and Texas agency disclosure rules.
Try 6 Texas real estate exam questions
These are pulled straight from AgentLingo's question bank, mixing national and Texas topics the way the real exam does. Answer all six before peeking at the explanations.
Exam day: what to bring and what to expect
Pearson VUE runs a strict test center. A surprising number of candidates lose their fee over logistics, not knowledge.
- Arrive 30 minutes early. You will check in, get photographed, and sign a rules agreement.
- Bring two forms of current signature ID. The primary must be government-issued with photo and signature (driver's license, passport). The secondary needs a signature (debit or credit card works). The name must exactly match your registration, and expired IDs are rejected with no grace period.
- Bring your own calculator. The test center does not provide one. Battery or solar financial calculators are allowed, but nothing with alpha keys.
- Leave everything else in a locker. No phones, watches, notes, bags, or scratch paper. The administrator provides note materials.
- Book ahead. Walk-ins are not available, reservations must be made at least 24 hours out, and payment is only taken at the time of reservation.
Pass, and TREC emails your license document within 5 to 10 business days once your fingerprint background check clears (done through IdentoGO by IDEMIA).
If you fail: Texas retake rules
A failed attempt is not the end. You only retake the portion you failed, and your score report shows a topic-by-topic breakdown of where you lost points. Use it to rebuild your study plan.
- Wait at least 24 hours before scheduling a retake, and pay the $43 fee again.
- You get three attempts within one year of the date your application was filed.
- Fail a portion three times, and TREC requires 30 additional qualifying education hours for that portion (60 hours if you failed both) before you can test again. Send your completion certificates and third failed score report to TREC, then allow 5 to 7 business days for authorization.
- If your one-year application window expires, you must reapply and meet current requirements.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions is the Texas real estate exam?
The Texas sales agent exam has 135 questions total: 85 on the national portion (150 minutes) and 50 on the state portion (90 minutes). Only 80 national and 40 state questions are scored. The rest are unscored pretest questions mixed in.
What score do you need to pass the Texas real estate exam?
You need 56 of 80 scored questions correct on the national portion and 28 of 40 scored questions correct on the state portion. That works out to 70 percent on each portion, and you must pass both.
How much does the Texas real estate exam cost?
The sales agent exam fee is $43 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE when you reserve your seat. Payment is not accepted at the test center, and the fee applies again for each retake. Fees can change, so check the current Pearson VUE candidate handbook.
How many times can you retake the Texas real estate exam?
You get three attempts within one year of filing your application, and you only retake the portion you failed. You must wait at least 24 hours before rescheduling. After a third failure, TREC requires 30 additional qualifying education hours for each failed portion (60 hours if you failed both) before you can test again.
Is the Texas real estate exam hard?
It is a 135-question, 240-minute exam covering both national principles and Texas-specific law, and many candidates need more than one attempt. A first-try pass is realistic if you focus on the heavily weighted topics: contracts and agency, property characteristics, valuation, and real estate practice.