Texas Real Estate Exam - Practice Questions, Locations, & Pass Rates (2024)

If you’re interested in becoming a real estate agent in Texas, the first step is taking a real estate course to prepare you for the Texas real estate exam. While the exam can be challenging, it’s designed to test your knowledge and skills to ensure that you’re prepared to face the challenges and obstacles that come with being a licensed real estate agent.

But just how difficult is the exam? In this blog, we’ll answer that question, along with how many people pass the exam on their first try and tips on how you can do it too!

With an average real estate salary at $61,720 in Texas, it is no wonder why real estate has become such a popular career choice.

To become a real estate agent in Texas and represent buyers and sellers in the real estate transaction process, a candidate must complete the following steps, including passing the Texas Real Estate Exam.

1. Get fingerprinted and pass a background check
2. Complete 180 hours required pre-license courses
3. Pass the Pre-License Course Final Exam
4. Pass the Texas Licensing Exam
5. Apply for a Texas Real Estate License

How to Pass the Texas Real Estate Exam

To prepare for the exam, you’ll first want to take a pre-licensing course. VanEd’s Texas Real Estate Pre-License Course is approved by the Texas Real Estate Commission and is a convenient, affordable option for getting your real estate license online.

Each course package option comes with exam prep, a study guide, and a downloadable eBook, completely free of charge. These resources are provided to you so you can review the course material to ensure you’re prepared and confident to pass the exam.

Real Estate Exam Pass Rates

The overall pass rate for all real estate education providers in the state of Texas is 58.61% as of March 06, 2023. With this number in mind, you could argue the Texas Real Estate Exam is definitely not that easy. VanEd’s overall pass rate, however, sits at 59.26%, which is slightly higher. Our course also boasts a higher overall score than many other real estate schools. These include:

• Champions School of Real Estate, LTD – 54.57%
• Colibri Real Estate, LLC – 55.56%
• Legends Real Estate School – 38.64%
• The Real Estate Business School – 52.67%
• Train Agents, Inc. – 37.53%

As you can see, VanEd’s programs prepare you to successfully pass the Texas real estate exam.

This post provides all the information needed to better understand the Texas Real Estate Salesperson Exam. This article contains our most frequently asked questions including how to register for the exam, where to take the test, what to expect on the exam, and additional practice questions to prepare for your test.

Before Registering for the Exam

Before a candidate can register to take their Texas Real Estate Exam, they must complete 180 hours of pre-licensing education. After they are finished with their Texas real estate pre-licensing education, candidates must file a real estate salesperson application with the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC). After the TREC application needs are met, the candidate will receive an eligibility letter with an ID number that must be used when registering for the test.

How Do You Schedule Your Exam?

Candidates must register at PearsonVue.com to make an online reservation for an examination. Candidates must make an online reservation at least twenty-four (24) hours before the desired examination date.

Before making a reservation, candidates should have the following information:

• Legal name
• Physical mailing address, email address, and daytime telephone number
• TREC-ID# as provided on the eligibility letter received from TREC
• The name of the examination(s)
• The preferred examination date and test center location

How Much Does it Cost to Take the Texas Real Estate Exam?

The candidate must pay a fee of $43 for a salesperson examination at the time of reservation by credit card, debit card, or voucher. It is important to remember that payment will not be accepted at the test center. Examination fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, so candidates should feel 100% prepaired to take the Texas Real Estate Exam before they sign up.

Where Do You Take the Texas Real Estate Exam?

Students must take their exam at a Pearson VUE testing center. The list of test locations can be found below.

Abilene

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Amarillo

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Austin

3-4 days per week, average 8 hours per day

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

3-4 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Bellaire

3-4 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Bryan

2-3 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Corpus Christi

5350 South Staples St, Ste. 327
Corpus Christi TX 78411

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Dallas

3-4 days per week, average 8 hours per day

2-3 days per week, average 8 hours per day

2-3 days per week, average 8 hours per day

3-4 days per week, average 8 hours per day

El Paso

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Harlingen 222 East Van Buren, Ste. 610, Bank of America Bldg.
Harlingen, TX 78550

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Houston

3-4 days per week, average 8 hours per day

3-4 days per week, average 8 hours per day

3-4 days per week, average 8 hours per day

2-3 days per week, average 8 hours per day

5-6 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Hurst

3-4 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Lubbock

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

McAllen

1100 East Jasmine Ave, Ste. 106
McAllen, TX 78501

2-3 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Midland

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

San Antonio

3-4 days per week, average 8 hours per day

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Sugar Land

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Tyler

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

Waco

1-2 days per week, average 8 hours per day

What Topics Are Covered on the Exam?

There are two portions of the exam. A national section and a state section. According to the TREC website, some of the content categories for the Texas Real Estate Salesperson’s national portion include:

• Real property characteristics, legal descriptions, and property use
• Forms of ownership, transfer, and recording of title
• Property value and appraisal
• Real estate contracts and agency
• Real estate practice
• Property disclosures and environmental issues
• Financing and settlement

The state portion of the exam will include topics such as:

• Commission duties and powers
• Licensing
• Standards of conduct
• Agency/Brokerage
• Contracts

Knowing which concepts are commonly tested beforehand can help you prepare for your exam. Understanding them before taking the exam increases your chances of passing on the first attempt and helps you identify areas you need to improve.

What Happens if I Fail the Texas Real Estate Exam?

While failing the Texas real estate exam can be discouraging, this does not mean your dream of becoming a real estate agent is out of reach. You can actually retake the exam up to three times.

If you fail the first time, you must wait 24 hours before rescheduling your exam. This is good because it will give you time to study before retaking it. If you fail your second attempt, you can still take the exam a third time, but failing a third time requires additional real estate education.

Is the Texas Real Estate Exam Multiple Choice?

Yes, the Texas Real Estate Exam is multiple choice for both the national and state portions of the exam. This means there are no fill-in-the-blank questions, short answer questions, or an essay portion for either section.

How Many Questions Are on the Texas Real Estate Exam?

There are a total of 125 questions for the entire Texas real estate exam. The national portion has 85 questions, and the state portion has 40 questions. To pass the exam, you’ll need to answer at least 56 questions correctly on the national portion and at least 21 questions correctly on the state portion.

Exam Outline

Commission Duties and Powers (2 Questions)

1. General Powers
   1. Composition, Duties, and Powers
   2. Real Estate Advisory Committees
2. Handling of Complaints
   1. Investigations
   2. Hearings and Appeals
3. Penalties for Violation
   1. Unlicensed Activity
   2. Authority for Disciplinary Actions
   3. Recovery Trust Account

Licensing (2 Questions)

1. Activities Requiring License
   1. Scope of Practice
   2. Exemptions
   3. Business Entities
   4. Inspectors and Appraisers
2. Licensing Process
   1. General Requirements (fitness sponsor, etc.)
   2. Education
   3. Examination
   4. Grounds to Deny an Application
   5. Appeals of Denial
3. License Maintenance and Renewal
   1. Continuing Education
   2. Change of Sales Agent Sponsorship
   3. Inactive Status
   4. Assumed Names

Standards Of Conduct (7 Questions)

1. Professional Ethics and Conduct
2. Grounds for Discipline
3. Unauthorized Practice of Law
4. Trust Accounts
5. Splitting Fees
6. Rebates
7. Advertising

Agency / Brokerage (8 Questions)

1. Disclosure
2. Intermediary Practice
3. Duties to Client (including Minimum Services)
4. Broker-Sales Agent Relationships
5. Broker’s Responsibility for Acts of Sales Agent
6. Appropriate Use of Unlicensed Assistants

Contracts (7 Questions)

1. Promulgated Contracts, Forms, and Addenda
2. Statute of Frauds
3. Seller Disclosure Requirements

Special Topics (4 Questions)

1. Community Property
2. Homestead Protections and Tax Exemptions
3. Deceptive Trade Practices Act
4. Wills and Estates
5. Landlord-Tenant Issues
6. Foreclosure and Short Sales
7. Recording Statutes
8. Mechanic’s and Materialman’s Liens
9. Veterans Land Board
10. Home Owners Associations
11. Equitable Interest

How Hard Is the Texas Real Estate Exam?

The exam can be challenging, but it isn't something students should be intimated by! We created a Texas real estate exam prep course to help students pass their first time!

Texas Real Estate Exam Practice Questions

1. In order for a tenant to claim relief for constructive eviction

   1. the landlord must have intentionally withheld required repairs or maintenance
   2. any defects must be deemed to present a health hazard to the tenants
   3. the tenant must prove continuous residence in the premises
   4. the defect must be related to either heating or water systems

2. A buyer purchases a furnished condominium apartment as an investment. The document that evidences the buyer’s ownership of the furniture is a:

   1. special warranty deed
   2. homeowner’s insurance policy
   3. bill of sale
   4. buyer’s inventory

3. A broker who enters into a property management contract is considered a:

   1. fiduciary
   2. principal
   3. trustee
   4. trustor

4. A buyer’s interest in real property, acquired at the moment the seller and the buyer enter into a sales contract, is known as:

   1. legal title
   2. equitable interest
   3. fee simple determinable
   4. an option to purchase

5. The appropriate time for a selling broker to explain the agency relationship to a prospective buyer is:

   1. at their initial meeting
   2. after the buyer has viewed a number of properties
   3. when the buyer is prepared to sign a purchase agreement
   4. at closing

6. A broker is asked to lease 1,200 square feet of warehouse space at $6 per square foot per year. If the broker’s commission will be 8 percent of the first year’s rental income, the MAXIMUM amount payable is:

   1. $576
   2. $691
   3. $720
   4. $960

7. A geographic region in which similar properties compete with the subject property for potential buyers is called a:

   1. municipality
   2. political district
   3. market area
   4. demand unit

8. In the absence of a formal appraisal report, which of the following choices is the MOST appropriate for setting a listing price in a new, rapidly selling neighborhood?

   1. The price that willing buyers have recently paid for similar structures
   2. The cost of reproducing the structure plus the original lot value
   3. The price that is an average of the cost of reproducing the structure and the recent sales prices
   4. The price that is an average of the listed prices of the most recently sold similar properties

9. Which of the following factors would be included in the description of replacement cost?

   1. Similar utility and current material
   2. Similar utility and replica of material
   3. Different utility and current material
   4. Different utility and replica of material

10. Under an exclusive right-to-sell listing, a broker has the authority to take which of the following actions on behalf of a seller?

    1. Accept any bona fide offer.
    2. Accept only those offers that meet the seller’s list price.
    3. Pay for any needed repairs to the property and submit
    4. the bills to the seller for reimbursem*nt.
    5. Advertise the property for sale.

Answer Key

1. a
2. c
3. a
4. b
5. a
6. a
7. c
8. a
9. a
10. d

What Should You Expect on the Day of Your Test?

On the day of the exam, candidates should report to the test center thirty (30) minutes before the examination and check in with the test center administrator. The candidate’s identification and other documentation is reviewed and they are photographed for the score report.

Licensee candidates are required to review and sign a Candidate Rules Agreement form. Candidates will then take a tutorial on their exam computer. The examination begins the moment a candidate looks at the first examination question. Candidates will be given four (4) hours to take both the State and National portions of the exam. Each Candidate will leave the test center with their official scores in hand.

Don’t forget these calculations!

These calculations are not available at the test center and should be memorized.

Candidates may use the following information in making mathematical calculations on the national portion of the real estate examinations unless otherwise stated in the text of the question:

• 43,560 square feet/acre
• 5,280 feet/mile
• Round off calculations (where applicable)

More Real Estate Math Review

Pass the Texas Real Estate Exam on Your First Try

Written and Published by: VanEd