How Many Questions Are on the Real Estate Exam (and How Long Is It)?
How many questions are on the real estate exam, and how long does it take? Verified 2026 PSI formats by state, time limits, passing scores and pacing tips.
By PSI Exams Prep Editorial Team 8 min read
How many questions are on the real estate exam? On most PSI real estate licensing exams, expect somewhere between 110 and about 155 scored multiple-choice questions and a time limit of 2½ to 4 hours. The exact count depends on your state and license type, so this guide shows verified 2026 formats for several PSI states, explains the unscored questions you may see, and shows you how to pace yourself.
How many questions are on the real estate exam?
Most states that use PSI split the exam into two parts. The national portion covers real estate principles that apply everywhere: agency, contracts, financing, valuation, property ownership and real estate math. The state portion covers your state's license law and commission rules. Each portion has its own question count and passing score.
Every question is multiple choice with one best answer. Questions appear one at a time on a computer screen, and you can go back to earlier questions and change your answers before your time runs out. If you're new to the format, our PSI exam day guide walks through the testing interface.
How long is the real estate exam?
How long the real estate exam takes depends on your state. In the PSI states we checked, total testing time ranges from 150 minutes (Virginia salesperson) to 4 hours (New Jersey salesperson, and Illinois broker when you take both portions). Most of these states list a separate time limit for each portion.
PSI real estate exam formats by state (2026)
The table below comes straight from each state's current PSI Candidate Information Bulletin. Colorado and Illinois call their entry-level license a “broker” license. It's the license new agents get, equivalent to a salesperson license elsewhere.
| State (license) | National portion | State portion | Passing score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia (salesperson) | 80 questions · 105 min | 40 questions · 45 min | 56 of 80 national; 30 of 40 state |
| Ohio (salesperson) | 80 questions · 120 min | 40 questions · 60 min | 70% on each portion |
| Colorado (broker) | 80 questions · 120 min | 74 questions · 110 min | 60 correct national; 53 correct state |
| Illinois (broker) | 100 questions · 150 min | 40 questions · 90 min | 70% national; 75% state |
| New Jersey (salesperson) | 110 questions · 4 hours (one combined exam) | — | 70% (77 correct) |
Not every state uses PSI
What do the real estate exam questions cover?
Each PSI bulletin includes a content outline that shows what share of the exam comes from each topic. Here's the national portion of Virginia's salesperson exam as an example. Most states' national portions cover the same core areas, though the weights can differ.
| Topic | Share of exam | About how many questions |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts | 19% | 15 |
| Agency | 13% | 10 |
| Practice of real estate | 12% | 10 |
| Property ownership | 10% | 8 |
| Financing | 10% | 8 |
| Valuation | 8% | 6 |
| Property disclosures | 7% | 6 |
| Real estate calculations | 7% | 6 |
| Transfer of title | 6% | 5 |
| Land use controls | 5% | 4 |
| Property management | 3% | 2 |
Contracts and agency alone make up nearly a third of the national portion, so they deserve the most practice time. Math is only about 7%, but those questions are some of the easiest points to lose under time pressure.
Broker exams are a little different
In states where the broker license is a step above salesperson, the broker exam has its own format. Virginia's broker exam, for example, has a 75-question national portion worth 80 points, because some national broker questions are scored up to two points, plus a 50-question state portion, with 160 minutes in total.
Unscored pretest questions
PSI may add a small number of experimental (pretest) questions that are being tested for future exams. The Virginia bulletin describes “one to ten” such items, generally about 10% of the question count, and Ohio's says 5 to 10. They don't affect your score, but they look exactly like scored questions and they count against your exam time. So your exam may show a few more questions than the table above. Answer every question as if it counts.
How much time you get per question
Divide the time limit by the number of questions and you get a target pace:
| Portion | Average time per question |
|---|---|
| Virginia national (80 questions, 105 min) | About 79 seconds |
| Virginia state (40 questions, 45 min) | About 68 seconds |
| Ohio national (80 questions, 120 min) | 90 seconds |
| Colorado state (74 questions, 110 min) | About 89 seconds |
| Illinois national (100 questions, 150 min) | 90 seconds |
| New Jersey (110 questions, 4 hours) | About 2 minutes |
Most definition and rule questions take well under a minute, which banks time for math problems and long scenario questions. A simple pacing check is to look at the on-screen timer after every quarter of the questions. If you're behind, make your best guess on the slowest questions and come back to them later. An unanswered question is always marked wrong.
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Total time to plan on test day
The exam timer isn't the only time you need. Budget for:
- Arriving early: most PSI bulletins ask you to arrive about 30 minutes before your appointment for check-in and ID verification.
- The tutorial: a short on-screen tutorial (up to 15 minutes in the bulletins we checked) runs before the exam and doesn't count against your exam time.
- Breaks: at a test center you can leave the room only for a restroom break, with the proctor's permission, and you don't get extra time. Online-proctored exams don't allow breaks in the states we checked.
For a 3-hour exam, plan on being at the test center or at your desk for close to 4 hours. Read whether you can take the real estate exam online if testing from home appeals to you.
If you retake one portion
Because the portions are scored separately, many PSI states let you retake only the portion you failed. Ohio and Illinois say this in their bulletins. In that case your retake has only that portion's questions and time limit. Retake fees and waiting periods vary by state. Our guide to how much the real estate exam costs lists verified fees.
Wondering how tough those questions will be? Read how hard the real estate exam is and our complete study guide.
Practice with real exam timing
Use timed Exam Mode on PSI Exams Prep to practice your pacing with exam-style questions, then review your mistakes and bookmarked questions.
Start practicing freeFrequently asked questions
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Is the national or state portion longer?
PSI Exams Prep is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by PSI Services LLC. Exam details change and vary by state. Always confirm requirements in the official Candidate Information Bulletin for your exam.
