How to Pass the Texas Pre-License Real Estate Exam
If you’re interested in becoming a real estate agent in Texas, the first step is taking and passing your pre-license exam. This assessment tests your knowledge of real estate principles, practices, and Texas real estate laws and regulations.
While the idea of the exam might be intimidating, taking the right course can ensure you pass on the first try, so you can start your journey earlier and save some money while you’re at it. In this blog, we’ll go over what you can expect on the exam to improve your odds of passing the pre-license exam.
How To Get Your Real Estate License in Texas
The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) requires the Texas pre-license exam for those who want to become licensed real estate agents in Texas. To become a licensed real estate sales agent, you must:
- Submit an Application and Fee Online With TREC
- Get Fingerprints Taken and Pass Background Check
- Complete 180 Hours of TREC-approved Pre-license Education
- Take and Pass the License Exam
- Find a Sponsor
Before getting started, you’ll want to be sure you meet all of the qualifications first. In Texas, you must:
- Be a citizen of the US or a lawfully admitted alien
- Be at least 18 or older
- Meet TREC’s qualifications for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity
After you’ve completed the required Texas 180 hours of pre-licensing education, and passed the course final exam, you’ll need to take the licensing exam that PearsonVUE, a testing service company, administers.
How Many Questions Are on the Texas Real Estate Exam?
The licensing exam is made up of 125 total questions broken up into two sections. The National portion consists of 85 questions that must be answered within 150 minutes, while the State portion is made up of 40 questions that must be answered within 90 minutes.
In order to achieve a passing grade, you’ll need to answer at least 56 questions correctly on the National section, and 21 correctly on the State section.
Some of the topics covered in the National section 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
- Real Estate Math Calculations
Concepts covered in the State section include the following:
- Commission Duties and Powers
- Licensing
- Standards of Conduct
- Agency/Brokerage
- Contracts
- Special Topics
Knowing the topics beforehand can provide a clear direction for your studying efforts, giving you a better chance of passing the licensing exam.
Is the Texas Real Estate Exam Multiple Choice
Yes, TREC’s pre-licensing exam is multiple-choice for both the National and State portions of the exam. There will be no fill-in-the-blank questions or an essay portion.
How Hard Is the Real Estate Exam in Texas?
As of March 2023, the overall pass rate for sales agents on their first try was 58%. Considering this is a little over half, it’s safe to say the exam can be challenging, especially if you’re not fully prepared for it.
However, there’s no reason to feel overwhelmed. If you take your pre-licensing education seriously and study for the exam, you’ll have a great chance of passing on your first try. To help students pass their exam, we’ve created the Texas Real Estate Exam Prep Course, which contains condensed study guides, as well as salesperson practice exams you can take as many times as you like.
How Much Is the Texas Real Estate Exam?
TREC allows you to take the pre-licensing exam up to 3 times to pass both the National and State sections of the exam. It costs $54 per attempt, so by passing on your first try, you’ll save over $100 compared to taking it all three times.
How To Pass the Texas Real Estate Exam
Passing the Texas real estate licensing exam takes quite a bit of time and effort on your part. Below are some tips to increase your chances of success.
Focus on the Course Content
While you can take the course at your own pace, you won’t want to go over the material too quickly or skim over the content. Remember, TREC requires you to take 180 hours of real estate education. That’s a lot of information to remember. Try to remove distractions by studying quietly and avoid checking your phone or social media while studying.
That doesn’t mean you should study for hours straight, either. You should take breaks when necessary. Taking regular intervals might help you study better since it gives you a chance to give your brain and body a break, increasing your productivity once you get back to work.
Use Study Materials
You should use any and every resource, as well as study materials, available to you while completing your real estate education. For our course specifically, this includes a downloadable study guide containing material that will be tested on and practice exams. These practice exams will include questions and answers so you can go back and look at the questions you missed, leaving you to focus on areas where you need to study more.
Focus on Tested Concepts
You don’t need to know every single detail about real estate to pass the licensing exam. As mentioned above, the concepts being tested on the exam are no secret. In fact, they’re posted by TREC themselves. You can also see how others did on each individual topic. If the score is on the lower end, you might want to put some more time and effort into that specific concept.
By far, the best way to pass the Texas real estate exam is by choosing a reputable real estate training provider. That’s where Agent Campus by 360training comes in. Our course is TREC-approved and covers all of the state and national topics you’ll need to master to pass your licensing exam on the first try, so you don’t waste your money taking it multiple times.
Get started on your real estate journey by enrolling today!
