TL;DR (for busy future agents)
The national portion of the exam contains 80 scored questions + 5 unscored pretest items—treat every question as if it counts. Pearson VUE
Verified state pass-rate data show many candidates fail on the first try without a structured plan (e.g., Florida first-time pass rates ~50–56% in 2024). My Florida License+1
Common pre-licensing hour requirements span from 63 hours (FL) to 180 hours (TX), with CA typically totaling 135 hours (three 45-hour courses) and NY at 77 hours. My Florida LicenseTRECCalifornia Department of Real EstateDepartment of State
Use retrieval practice (practice testing) and spaced repetition—two study techniques ranked “high-utility” in peer-reviewed research—to raise your odds of passing. My Florida License+1
Know your federal compliance: Fair Housing Act, RESPA §8 (anti-kickback) with AfBA disclosure, TRIDtimelines, and ECOA (Reg B) protections. HUDConsumer Financial Protection Bureau
What the National Exam Actually TestsThe national/general portion (administered by providers like Pearson VUE) covers the profession’s core: property characteristics & legal descriptions, forms of ownership & title transfer, valuation & appraisal, contracts & agency, practice & disclosures, financing regulations, math, and more. Importantly, 5 pretest items are mixed in and don’t count—but you won’t know which, so answer every item.
Pearson VUE
Key numbers worth memorizing for test day (from the official outline):
80 scored items + 5 unscored pretest items. Topic weighting includes contracts & agency, practice, disclosures, financing regs (TILA/RESPA/TRID/ECOA), and math (commission, prorations, LTV, NOI, cap rate), among others.
Reality Check: The Real Pass Rates = You Need a Plan
Official state reporting shows many candidates don’t pass on attempt one without a systematic approach. For example, Florida DBPR monthly summaries in 2024 show ~50–56% first-time pass rates and ~35–41% for repeaters—numbers that surprise most people.
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Pre-Licensing Hours: How Your State Compares (Examples)
Florida (Sales Associate): 63 hours (FREC Course I + end-of-course exam).
My Florida License
Texas (Sales Agent): 180 hours (six 30-hour qualifying courses).
TREC
**California (Salesperson): Three statutory courses; each minimum 45 hours → ~135 hours total.
California Department of Real Estate
New York (Salesperson): 77 hours pre-licensing education.
Department of State
Why this matters: your study timeline should reflect your state’s hour requirement—don’t cram a 135–180 hour curriculum into two weekends and expect first-time success.
Compliance Nuggets the Exam (and Your Career) Expect You to Know
Fair Housing Act (FHA). Prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Expect questions on advertising, blockbusting, steering, and reasonable accommodations/modifications.
HUD
RESPA §8 (12 U.S.C. §2607). Bans kickbacks, referral fees, and unearned fee splitting in settlement services. However, Affiliated Business Arrangements (AfBAs) can be lawful if strict disclosure and “no required use” conditions are met under Reg X §1024.15.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
TRID (“Know Before You Owe”). Borrowers must receive the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure, with the Closing Disclosure delivered at least three business days before consummation on most closed-end consumer mortgages. You won’t do the lender’s job, but you must understand timing and forms.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
ECOA (Regulation B). Prohibits credit discrimination in any aspect of a credit transaction (consumer or business) on specified bases (e.g., race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, public-assistance income, and exercise of certain consumer rights). Agents must avoid steering or discriminatory practices in the financing process.
These methods come from peer-reviewed cognitive science often taught at top universities.
Weeks 1–2 — Map the test + begin spaced repetition.
Skim the official national content outline; build a deck for key terms (agency, estates, deeds, valuation principles, finance regs).
Start daily short sessions (15–30 min) using spaced repetition (increasing review intervals). High-utility per research.
Weeks 3–5 — Retrieval practice beats rereading.
Do timed quizzes every other day. Immediately review why distractors are wrong.
Use interleaving: mix math (commissions, prorations, NOI/cap rate) with law & practice items. Practice testing is consistently high-yield.
Weeks 6–7 — Full-length mocks + targeted repair. Simulate the national portion (80 scored + 5 unknown pretest items).
Track errors by content outline section and re-study only the weak links.
Week 8 — Light review, sleep, legality focus.
Final pass on FHA, RESPA §8/AfBA, TRID 3-day rule, ECOA, and common math.
Sleep 7–9 hours—memory consolidation matters (don’t doom-cram).
High-Yield Topics Students Underrate (But Examiners Love)
Agency relationships (creation, disclosure, termination, duties).
Deeds and title (valid deed elements; constructive vs. actual notice; chain of title).
Valuation principles (substitution, conformity, contribution; when to use sales comparison, cost, income).
Math with words: net-to-seller, prorations, points/discounts, cap rate vs. GRM/ GIM.
Advertising & Fair Housing pitfalls (avoid “exclusive neighborhood,” “no kids,” etc.).
Settlement services compliance (what counts as a prohibited thing of value; when AfBA disclosures are required). Pearson VUEConsumer Financial Protection BureauConsumer Financial Protection Bureau
Career Outlook (Know Your Why)
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, median pay and job outlook data for real estate brokers and sales agents are published annually—use these numbers to benchmark your early-career targets and local market strategy. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Simple, Compliant Test-Day Checklist
If You Want a Done-For-You Path
PassRE USA was built around the exact outline above with chapter e-books, practice banks, and compliance-first explanations designed to mirror how national exam writers think. If you can explain why each wrong answer is wrong—and tie it to the right law, math step, or principle—you’re exam-ready.
References (Harvard style)
Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents—Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) (n.d.) TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule (Know Before You Owe). Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
CFPB (2024) Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B), 12 CFR Part 1002. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
CFPB (2015) Compliance Bulletin 2015-05: RESPA Compliance and Marketing Services Agreements. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
CFPB (n.d.) Regulation X §1024.15—Affiliated Business Arrangements. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Dunlosky, J. et al. (2013) ‘Improving Students’ Learning with Effective Learning Techniques’, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), pp. 4–58. My Florida License
Florida DBPR (2024) Exam Performance Summary (Sales Associate). My Florida License+1
HUD (n.d.) Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act—Who is Protected. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD
Pearson VUE (2025) National/General Exam Content Outline for Salespersons. (80 scored + 5 pretest items). Pearson VUE
Roediger, H.L. & Karpicke, J.D. (2006) ‘Test-Enhanced Learning’, Psychological Science, 17(3), pp. 249–255. My Florida License
State education requirements (examples):
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