Two Exams in One Chair
The exam is computer-based, administered by Pearson VUE at test centers across Texas. The national portion covers the real estate fundamentals every state tests — agency, contracts, finance, appraisal (it's also the portion actively licensed out-of-state agents can have waived). The state portion is pure Texas: TREC, TRELA, promulgated forms, intermediary representation, the option period.
Fun detail almost nobody mentions: not every question on your screen is scored. Pearson VUE seeds both portions with unscored "pretest" questions — brand-new material being field-tested for future exams. They look identical to real questions and you'll never know which they are. Practical upshot: answer everything like it counts, and if one question seems bizarrely hard, it might literally not count.
70% on Each Portion — No Averaging
To pass, you need 56 of 80 scored national questions and 28 of 40 scored state questions — 70% on each, per the official Pearson VUE handbook. Your score report just says pass or fail; if you fail, you get a numeric score with diagnostics by content area, and you only retake the portion you failed.
The three-strikes rule: fail the same portion three times and TREC requires more classroom before you can test again — 30 extra hours for one failed portion, 60 for both. That's real money and real weeks. The cheapest path through this exam, by a wide margin, is passing early.
Fees, Scheduling, and Retakes
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Exam attempt (both portions or one) | $43 |
| Retake (only the portion you failed) | $43 |
| Extra education after 3 fails — one portion | 30 hours |
| Extra education after 3 fails — both portions | 60 hours |
Per the official Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook (01/2026 edition).
After a fail, there's a 24-hour wait before you can reschedule, and retakes must happen within one year of your TREC application date. Pass, clear your background check, and your license arrives from TREC by email within 5–10 business days.
Prepare for Two Exams — Because It Is Two Exams
The most common Texas mistake is studying national material hard and treating the state portion as an afterthought. The state portion is shorter, but it's dense with Texas-only law that national prep never touches — and it has its own 70% bar. Give TREC's own territory the respect it demands and the format works in your favor.
