Texas Real Estate Broker - State Portion Exam Study Guide
This guide covers what you need for the Texas Real Estate Broker - State Portion exam: the key facts from the official bulletin, the topics it tests, the reference books, sample questions with answers, and a plan to prepare. Pearson VUE gives the exam.
Texas Real Estate Broker - State Portion Exam at a Glance
Here are the exam's key facts from the official bulletin:
| Questions | 50 questions |
| Time limit | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 38 correct answers |
| Books in the exam room | Closed book (no books in the room) |
| Exam fee | $58 |
On exam day
- The Broker state law exam includes 10 case studies made up of narrative cases and contract cases based on TREC-promulgated contracts.
- Candidates should arrive at the test center 30 minutes before the examination.
- No books, dictionaries, papers or reference materials are allowed in the examination room.
- Candidates may bring their own financial calculator without alpha characters; calculators are recommended but not provided by the test center.
- Personal items are prohibited in the testing room and must be stored, while the test administrator supplies note-taking materials that cannot be removed.
Study references listed in the bulletin (not allowed in the exam room)
- Provisions of the Real Estate License Act, Texas Occupational Code, Chapter 1101
- Rules of the Texas Real Estate Commission, 22 Texas Administrative Code, Chapters 531-543
- Texas Real Estate, Charles Jacobus
- Texas Real Estate Law, Charles Jacobus
- Modern Real Estate Practice in Texas, Nance, Cheryl Peat
- Texas Real Estate Agency, Peeples, Donna K. and Minor Peeples III
- Texas Real Estate Contracts, Tamper, Ralph
- Texas Real Estate Contracts, Wiedemer, James, I.
- Texas Agency Law Contracts, Wiedemer, James, I.
- Texas Constitution, Article 16, Section 15, Sections 50-51, Section 52 (Community Property, Homestead)
- Family Code, Section 3.001 et seq. & 3.101 et seq., Section 5.001 et seq. (Community Property, Sale of Homestead Community Property)
- Tax Code, Sections 11.13, 11.41, 11.43, 34.21 (Homestead, Right of Redemption)
- Business and Commerce Code, Section 26.01-26.02, Section 71 et seq., Sections 17.42-17.50 (Statute of Frauds, Assumed Names, Deceptive Trade Practices)
- Estates Code, Section 201 (Descent and Distribution, Intestate Succession)
- Property Code, Sections 41.001-41.005, 5.008, 54.041 et seq., 92.001, 51.002 et seq. 13.001 et seq.
- Natural Resources Code, Sections 33.135, 61.025 (Seller Disclosure Requirements)
- Water Code, Section 49.452 (Seller Disclosure Requirements)
- Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 53 (Consequences of Criminal Conviction)
- Texas Occupational Code, Chapter 1103 (Appraiser Licensing and Certification)
Scheduling, changes and retakes
- Candidates must reserve online or by phone with Pearson VUE at least 24 hours before the desired examination date, and walk-in examinations are not offered.
- Candidates must receive an eligibility letter from TREC before making an exam reservation and have one year from the application filing date to pass the examination.
- A change or cancellation must be made by phone at least 48 hours before the exam to transfer the fee or get a refund; otherwise the fee is forfeited.
- Candidates who are late or absent without proper cancellation are not admitted and forfeit the fee, but may request an excused absence within 14 days for specified reasons.
- Candidates receive a pass/fail score report at the test center, and failing reports include a numeric score plus diagnostic information.
- Failing candidates retake only the failed portion within one year of application filing, must wait 24 hours to reschedule, and have three attempts before extra education is required.
- A passing candidate must be fingerprinted and cleared through the DPS/FBI background check, after which TREC emails the license document within 5-10 business days.
Source: Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook, September 2026 (rev08/2026). Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.
What the Texas Real Estate Broker - State Portion Exam Covers
The official content outline has 7 topics:
| Topic | Questions | Share of the exam |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Commission Duties and Powers | 3 | 6% |
| Texas Licensing | 4 | 8% |
| Texas Standards of Conduct | 9 | 18% |
| Texas Agency and Brokerage | 10 | 20% |
| Texas Contracts | 8 | 16% |
| Texas Special Topics | 6 | 12% |
| Texas Case Studies | 10 | 20% |
Texas Standards of Conduct: Professional Ethics and Conduct; Grounds for Discipline; Unauthorized Practice of Law; Trust Accounts; Splitting Fees; Rebates; Advertising; Discriminatory practices prohibited by the Canons (fair housing).
Texas Special Topics: Community Property; Homestead Protections and Tax Exemptions; Deceptive Trade Practices Act; Wills and Estates; Landlord-Tenant Issues; Foreclosure and Short Sales; Recording Statutes; Mechanics and Materialmans Liens.
How to Prepare for the Texas Real Estate Broker - State Portion Exam
This is a closed-book exam, so what you know walking in is what you have. Study the topics in the outline.
Spend most of your time on the biggest topics. Texas Agency and Brokerage and Texas Case Studies make up 40% of the exam.
Take timed practice exams. The clock trains you to work at the real exam's pace: about 1 minute 48 seconds per question.
Review every miss. Read the explanation and the reference behind each question you get wrong until the rule sticks.
Aim to pass more than once. One passing score can be luck. Several in a row means you're ready.
Reference Books for the Texas Real Estate Broker - State Portion Exam
The handbook lists suggested STATE and OTHER study materials, which are study references only (the handbook notes neither TREC nor Pearson VUE endorses particular materials) and may not be brought into the examination room.
Where to get them:
On Test Day
- Go through the whole exam first. Answer every question you know and bookmark the ones you don't. Every exam lets you come back to bookmarked questions.
- Then go back to your bookmarks and work them out.
- Don't let one question eat your time. You have 90 minutes for 50 questions, which is about 1 minute 48 seconds per question.
- Before you finish, answer anything you skipped. A blank can't earn a point.
Study Tips
The state portion tests YOUR state's statutes, deadlines, and agency rules — which differ from national principles. Don't rely only on a national prep book; study the state-specific material.
Questions on fiduciary duties, agency relationships, and required disclosures run throughout the exam. Be able to apply them to scenarios, not just define them.
Our practice exam is specifically designed to mimic the testing conditions at all exam centers. While untimed PDF study guides might help with studying, they don’t prepare you for the challenge of managing your time during an actual test.
Practicing against a ticking clock is the best way to beat exam-clock anxiety. Use these timed tests to build your pacing, so you learn to move steadily and never burn too long on a single question. By test day, the format feels routine.
Read the explanation for every question — right or wrong. Understanding the underlying rule lets you answer reworded questions you've never seen, instead of memorizing specific answers.
After each practice test, note the topics you miss most and spend your next session there. Re-testing weak areas yields far more score gain than re-reading what you already know.
Sample Texas Real Estate Broker - State Portion Practice Questions
These questions come from our practice question bank, each with its answer and reference.
Sample 1 — Texas Special Topics
Question: A married person dies intestate owning land that is his separate property and is survived by his spouse and two children from a prior marriage. With respect to that separate land, the surviving spouse is entitled to
- A. fee title to one-third of the land
- B. a life estate in one-third of the land
- C. fee title to one-half of the land
- D. a life estate in one-half of the land
Correct Answer: B
Estates Code Sec. 201.002(b) provides that when an intestate leaves a surviving spouse and children (or descendants of children), the surviving spouse takes one-third of the personal estate and a life estate in one-third of the decedent's land, with the remainder descending to the children and their descendants. The one-half interest in land applies only when the decedent leaves no child or descendant of a child under Sec. 201.002(c).
Reference: Texas Real Estate-Related Statutes, Estates Code Sec. 201.002
Sample 2 — Texas Licensing
Question: An applicant for an original certificate of registration as an easement or right-of-way agent must submit evidence of completing at least how many classroom hours of commission-approved coursework in eminent domain law, professional standards, and ethics?
- A. 20 classroom hours
- B. 30 classroom hours
- C. 16 classroom hours
- D. 8 classroom hours
Correct Answer: C
Section 1101.509(b) requires at least 16 classroom hours of approved coursework in the law of eminent domain including property owners' rights, standards of professionalism in negotiating with property owners, and ethical considerations in right-of-way acquisition. Renewal likewise requires 16 hours of approved coursework during the renewal period.
Reference: TRELA, Texas Occupations Code §1101.509(b)
Sample 3 — Texas Commission Duties and Powers
Question: The Texas Real Estate Commission is made up of members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. How many members serve on the commission, and how many of them must have been engaged in the brokerage business as licensed brokers as their major occupation for the five years preceding appointment?
- A. Six members; four brokers
- B. Nine members; five brokers
- C. Twelve members; nine brokers
- D. Nine members; six brokers
Correct Answer: D
Under TRELA §1101.051(a), the commission consists of nine members appointed by the governor with senate consent: six members who have been engaged in the brokerage business as licensed brokers as their major occupation for the five years preceding appointment, and three members who represent the public.
Reference: TRELA, Texas Occupations Code §1101.051
Sample 4 — Texas Agency and Brokerage
Question: An unlicensed person who performed acts of real estate brokerage in Texas sues a broker to collect the compensation she says she was promised. Under TRELA, the action may be maintained only if she alleges and proves that she was a license holder when the act was commenced, or that she was ___.
- A. an attorney licensed in any state
- B. an unlicensed assistant paid by salary
- C. a party to the written listing agreement
- D. acting under a sponsoring broker's supervision
Correct Answer: A
Section 1101.806(b) bars an action to collect compensation for an act as a broker or sales agent performed in Texas unless the person proves that he or she was (1) a license holder at the time the act was commenced, or (2) an attorney licensed in any state. Supervision by a broker, salaried status, or being a party to the listing does not create a right to sue for a brokerage commission.
Reference: TRELA (Occ. Code Ch. 1101), Section 1101.806(b)
Why Practice Online Instead of With a PDF
A PDF shows you questions. It doesn't show you the clock. Our practice exams are timed and on a screen, so you practice finding answers under time pressure, not just reading them. Each attempt draws a new set of questions from our bank, and your results break the score down by outline topic so you know what to study next.
Start Practicing
Take the free Texas Real Estate Broker - State Portion practice exam to see where you stand, then work through the topics that need attention. For the official rules, read the exam bulletin, and see the licensing board's website.