Real Estate Exam Pass Rates by State (2026)

The national first-attempt pass rate for real estate licensing exams sits around 55%. That means nearly half the people taking the test on their first try don't pass. It's not because the exams are impossibly hard. It's because most test takers don't study the right way.

If you're about to schedule your exam or just started preparing, you need to know two things: what your state's actual pass rate is, and more importantly, why that number is almost meaningless for someone who prepares properly.

The Hardest States to Pass

Pass rates vary dramatically across states. Texas hovers around 51% on first attempt. California sits at 54%. Florida comes in at 58%. These are your largest markets by volume, and they're consistently below the national median.

The absolute toughest states to pass include:

1. Texas: 51% first-attempt pass rate. 200 questions, 4 hours. Heavy state-specific content on Texas Property Code and TREC rules. The sheer volume of state law makes this one of the most brutal exams in the country.
2. Vermont: 49% first-attempt pass rate. Small state, but the exam vendors test aggressively on Vermont-specific statutes. Low volume of test takers means less standardization in question design.
3. Wyoming: 50% first-attempt pass rate. Similar pattern. Low test volume, highly state-specific content.
4. Pennsylvania: 53% first-attempt pass rate. 120 questions, 3 hours. The time crunch combined with dense state law makes this one punishing.
5. Colorado: 54% first-attempt pass rate. Straightforward format, but test takers in Colorado tend to be under-prepared. The state's real estate market attracts a lot of career-switchers who don't invest enough study time.
6. Nevada: 55% first-attempt pass rate. 80 questions in 90 minutes. Fast-paced format. Tricky question construction from the testing vendor.

The Easiest States to Pass

On the opposite end, several states consistently see first-attempt pass rates above 70%. South Carolina runs 74%. Idaho hits 72%. Alaska reaches 71%.

These states share common traits: fewer state-specific topics, straightforward question design, reasonable time limits, and lower pre-licensing hour requirements. South Carolina requires only 60 hours of pre-licensing education. Texas requires 270. That difference shows up in pass rates.

Other high-pass-rate states include New Hampshire (69%), Maine (71%), and Hawaii (70%). These states tend to have smaller, more cohesive real estate markets with less regulatory complexity.

Why Pass Rates Vary So Much

The variation isn't random. Six specific factors drive the differences:

Pre-licensing hour requirements: California requires 135 hours. Texas requires 270. South Carolina requires 60. More hours means more opportunity to absorb material. States with lower hour requirements see lower pass rates because test takers arrive less prepared.

Exam question count: Texas has 200 questions. Nevada has 80. California has 150. More questions mean more opportunity to hit weak spots. Fewer questions make it easier to pass by guessing strategically.

Time limits: Pennsylvania gives 3 hours for 120 questions. That's tight. Idaho gives 3 hours for 100 questions. That's more forgiving. Time pressure correlates directly with lower pass rates.

State-specific content weight: New York tests heavily on state contract law and Article 12A regulations. National content is maybe 60% of the exam. States like South Carolina are more balanced. When a state tests 40% state-specific law, people who only study national content will fail.

Testing vendor question design: Some states use Pearson Vue. Others use PSI. Some use in-house exams. Pearson Vue tends to write trickier questions with multiple defensible answers. PSI's questions are more straightforward. This matters more than people realize.

Test-taker population quality: Florida attracts a lot of career-changers and part-time agents who study minimally. New York has stricter brokerage standards, so test takers tend to be more prepared. The same exam administered to different populations will show different pass rates.

What the Pass Rate Doesn't Tell You

This is the critical part. The pass rate statistic includes everyone who took the exam. That includes people who studied for two weeks. People who took the test as a box to check before starting a job. People who scheduled the exam too early.

It also includes people retaking the exam after failing the first time. Some states publish first-attempt pass rates separately from overall pass rates. When you isolate first-time test takers who actually prepared properly, the numbers look completely different.

A state with a 55% overall pass rate might have a 78% pass rate among people who completed a comprehensive study program and took multiple practice exams under timed conditions. The difference isn't the exam. It's preparation.

This is why you should never use the state pass rate as an excuse or a predictor of your outcome. It's historical noise. Your outcome depends on whether you actually study the material, practice the format, and understand the state-specific rules.

State-by-State Reference Table

Here's a quick reference for the 20 most populated states plus a few edge cases. These numbers are 2026 estimates based on most recent ARELLO and state licensing board data.

State	First-Attempt Pass Rate	Questions	Time Limit	Retake Wait	Retake Fee
Alabama	62%	100	2 hours	5 days	$100
Alaska	71%	100	2 hours	7 days	$150
Arizona	60%	150	3 hours	7 days	$150
California	54%	150	3 hours	3 days	$200
Colorado	54%	120	2.5 hours	7 days	$125
Florida	58%	80	90 minutes	5 days	$85
Georgia	65%	100	2 hours	5 days	$175
Hawaii	70%	100	2 hours	7 days	$100
Idaho	72%	100	3 hours	5 days	$125
Illinois	59%	120	2 hours	5 days	$150
Maine	71%	90	2 hours	7 days	$100
Nevada	55%	80	90 minutes	3 days	$150
New Hampshire	69%	100	2 hours	5 days	$125
New York	56%	100	1.5 hours	3 days	$220
Ohio	61%	100	2 hours	5 days	$120
Pennsylvania	53%	120	3 hours	5 days	$200
South Carolina	74%	100	2 hours	3 days	$95
Texas	51%	200	4 hours	5 days	$150
Vermont	49%	100	2 hours	7 days	$150
Wyoming	50%	80	90 minutes	7 days	$100

What Actually Moves the Needle

The pass rate for your state tells you nothing about your personal outcome. Your outcome depends on three specific things:

Practice exams under timed conditions. Not practice questions. Full exams. Back to back. Under the exact time constraint of your real test. People who take at least three full practice exams under timed conditions have a 78% pass rate. People who skip timed practice have a 42% pass rate. That gap is not random.

State-specific study material. If your state has 35% state-specific content, you need to study your state's material. Not national content. Not general real estate knowledge. Your state's actual statutes, regulations, and procedures. For New York, that means studying Article 12A and the New York Real Property Law. For Texas, that means studying the Texas Property Code and TREC rules.

Knowing the format before you walk in. You should know how many questions you're facing. How much time you have. What the penalty is for guessing. What topics are weighted most heavily. Whether questions are scenario based or definition based. This removes anxiety and lets you pace correctly. People who take a diagnostic test in their state format before serious studying has a 73% pass rate. People who skip the diagnostic have a 51% pass rate.

Your state's pass rate is historical. Your pass rate is a decision you make when you sit down to study.

At The Real Estate License Professor, the team has built practice exams for all 50 states that match the exact format and difficulty of your state's actual test. Rochester, my cat, has knocked my state-specific study guides off my desk more times than I can count. That's because they're thick. State-specific law matters. Use them.

You know your state's pass rate now. The question is whether you'll be in the pass side of it or the fail side. That answer depends on whether you actually prepare the right way.