How Many Questions Are on the Real Estate Exam? State-by-State Breakdown

The number of questions on the real estate exam depends on your state. Some states test you with 80 questions. Others put 200 or more in front of you. That difference changes how you study, how you manage your time, and how much stamina you need on test day. You should know exactly what you're walking into before you schedule your exam.

Quick answer: Most state real estate exams have between 100 and 150 questions total, split between a national portion and a state-specific portion. Time limits range from 90 minutes to over 4 hours. Passing scores typically fall between 70% and 75%.

Why Question Counts Vary by State

Each state's real estate commission determines its own exam format independently. There's no national standard for how many questions the exam should include, how long you get to answer them, or what the passing score should be. States contract with testing vendors like Pearson VUE or PSI to administer the exams, but the content and structure are set by each state's licensing authority.

Most states split the exam into two sections: a national portion covering general real estate principles (contracts, financing, property law, fair housing, agency) and a state-specific portion covering that state's laws, forms, procedures, and license requirements. Some states administer both sections as one continuous exam. Others treat them as two separate tests you can take on different days.

The split matters for retakes. In many states, if you pass one section but fail the other, you only need to retake the section you failed. Knowing your state's format in advance helps you allocate study time between national and state content.

Real Estate Exam Questions by State: All 50 States

Last updated: April 2026. Question counts reflect the salesperson/sales associate exam. Broker exams typically have more questions. Verify with your state's testing provider before scheduling, as formats can change.

State	National Qs	State Qs	Total	Time Limit	Passing Score
Alabama	80	40	120	150 min	70%
Alaska	80	30	110	150 min	75%
Arizona	80	30	110	150 min	75%
Arkansas	80	30	110	150 min	70%
California	150	0 (combined)	150	195 min	70%
Colorado	80	74	154	240 min	75%
Connecticut	80	30	110	150 min	70%
Delaware	80	30	110	150 min	75%
Florida	45	55	100	210 min	75%
Georgia	80	72	152	210 min	72%
Hawaii	80	40	120	150 min	70%
Idaho	80	40	120	150 min	70%
Illinois	80	40	120	150 min	75%
Indiana	80	50	130	180 min	75%
Iowa	80	40	120	150 min	70%
Kansas	80	30	110	150 min	70%
Kentucky	80	40	120	150 min	75%
Louisiana	80	45	125	150 min	70%
Maine	80	30	110	150 min	70%
Maryland	80	33	113	150 min	70%
Massachusetts	80	40	120	150 min	70%
Michigan	80	35	115	150 min	70%
Minnesota	80	40	120	150 min	75%
Mississippi	80	30	110	150 min	70%
Missouri	80	40	120	150 min	70%
Montana	80	30	110	150 min	70%
Nebraska	80	40	120	150 min	75%
Nevada	80	42	122	180 min	75%
New Hampshire	80	30	110	150 min	70%
New Jersey	80	30	110	150 min	70%
New Mexico	80	35	115	150 min	75%
New York	50	25	75	105 min	70%
North Carolina	80	40	120	180 min	75%
North Dakota	80	30	110	150 min	70%
Ohio	80	40	120	150 min	70%
Oklahoma	80	50	130	180 min	75%
Oregon	80	30	110	150 min	75%
Pennsylvania	80	30	110	150 min	77%
Rhode Island	80	20	100	150 min	70%
South Carolina	80	30	110	150 min	70%
South Dakota	80	35	115	150 min	70%
Tennessee	80	40	120	150 min	70%
Texas	85	45	130	150 min	70%
Utah	80	40	120	150 min	70%
Vermont	80	30	110	150 min	70%
Virginia	80	40	120	150 min	75%
Washington	80	50	130	180 min	70%
West Virginia	80	30	110	150 min	70%
Wisconsin	80	40	120	150 min	75%
Wyoming	80	30	110	150 min	70%

A few things stand out. California doesn't split its exam into separate national and state sections. It integrates everything into one 150-question test with California-specific content woven throughout. Florida weights its state section more heavily than the national section, which is unusual. Colorado, Georgia, and Washington have some of the highest total question counts. New York has the fewest at 75 questions total.

Texas Real Estate Exam Format: 130 Questions

The Texas real estate exam has 130 questions: 85 national and 45 state-specific. You get 150 minutes total. The passing score is 70%, which means you need to answer at least 91 questions correctly.

Texas weights its state section heavily toward TREC-promulgated contract forms, agency disclosure requirements, and license law. The national section follows the standard topics: property ownership, contracts, financing, and fair housing. If you've completed your 180 hours of TREC-approved pre-licensing, you've covered all of this, but coverage and retention are two different things. Read about why TREC forms trip up 42% of Texas test takers if you want to know where the points are lost.

Florida Real Estate Exam Format: 100 Questions

Florida's exam has 100 questions: 45 national and 55 state-specific. You get 210 minutes, which is generous relative to the question count. The passing score is 75%.

Florida's state section is larger than its national section. That's important for study planning. If you spend 80% of your time on national content and 20% on Florida law, you've got it backward. The state-specific questions cover Florida real estate law, license requirements, commission rules, and closing procedures. The compensation and commission rules are particularly tricky. See Florida sales associate pay rules that surprise most candidates for the specifics.

California Real Estate Exam Format: 150 Questions

California's DRE exam has 150 questions administered as a single integrated section. There's no separate national and state split. California-specific content is mixed throughout the entire exam. You get 195 minutes. The passing score is 70%, meaning you need at least 105 correct answers.

The integrated format means you can't compartmentalize your studying. You might get a question about property ownership that's framed entirely in California statutory language. Generic national study materials won't prepare you for that. Read about why so many California exam takers fail the DRE test to understand how the integrated format catches people off guard.

Arizona Real Estate Exam Format: 110 Questions

Arizona's exam has 110 questions: 80 national and 30 state-specific. You get 150 minutes. The passing score is 75%, so you need at least 83 correct answers.

Arizona's state section is smaller than average, but the questions are specific. Water rights, community property rules, and Arizona Department of Real Estate regulations show up consistently. If you studied generic real estate law and skipped Arizona-specific content, those 30 questions will feel unfamiliar. Learn about the two water law systems the Arizona exam tests before you sit down.

How Time Limits Change Your Strategy

Most states give you between 150 and 210 minutes. That sounds like plenty until you're staring at question 87 and realize you've been spending 2 minutes per question when you need to average 1.2 minutes.

Time management is a study skill, not just a test day skill. You need to practice with timed exams before the real thing. Take at least two full-length practice tests under real time constraints. No pausing. No looking things up. If you can't finish a practice exam in the allotted time, you're not ready.

The math questions take the most time per question. If your state has 10 to 15 math problems, budget those at 2 minutes each and plan to move faster on the multiple-choice conceptual questions. Don't get stuck on any single question. Mark it, move on, come back if you have time.

What the Question Format Actually Looks Like

Every state uses multiple-choice questions with four answer options. No fill-in-the-blank. No essays. No true/false. Four options, one correct answer.

The questions come in three general types. Recall questions test whether you know a fact: "What is the statute of limitations for contract disputes in [state]?" Application questions give you a scenario and ask you to apply a rule: "A seller discloses a known defect after closing. What is the buyer's remedy?" Calculation questions require math: "A property's assessed value is $240,000. The tax rate is 28 mills. What is the annual tax?"

Application questions are the hardest because they require understanding, not memorization. If your study materials only drill you on definitions and facts, you'll struggle with the application questions that make up a significant portion of every state exam. Practice with questions that present scenarios, not just flashcards.

Using This Information to Plan Your Study Time

Now that you know your state's question count, time limit, and passing score, work backward. If your state has 120 questions and requires 75% to pass, you need 90 correct answers. That means you can afford to get 30 wrong. Knowing your margin helps manage anxiety on test day.

Allocate study time proportionally to the question split. If your state has 80 national questions and 40 state questions, spend roughly two-thirds of your time on national content and one-third on state content. If your state weights state content more heavily (like Florida), flip that ratio.

If you're just starting your journey and haven't completed pre-licensing yet, check out pre-licensing course hours by state to understand what each state requires before you can sit for the exam. And if you're wondering whether you should be worried about the difficulty level, read the real estate license path for all 50 states for the full picture of what's ahead.