Virginia PSI Real Estate Exam (2026): Questions, Time Limits, Fees and Passing Scores

Virginia's real estate salesperson exam has two parts that are scored and passed separately: a national portion and a Virginia portion. PSI runs it for the Virginia Real Estate Board, and the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) handles your license. Here's what the 2026 bulletin and Virginia law say about each step.

Virginia PSI exam at a glance

Information current as of October 2026. Exam details come from PSI's 2026 Virginia Candidate Information Bulletin and education requirements from the Code of Virginia. Check the current bulletin before you book.

Eligibility

To sit for the exam, the bulletin says you must be at least 18 and have a high school diploma or its equivalent. You also need one of the following:

• Completed prelicense education. Code of Virginia § 54.1-2105 requires a principles of real estate course worth at least four semester hours, or at least 60 hours of classroom, correspondence or distance-learning instruction.
• A real estate license from another state. If you're applying by reciprocity, you take only the Virginia portion.

The bulletin asks you to complete your education hours before you register for the exam.

Exam format and Virginia content

The 80-question national portion follows PSI's standard salesperson outline. Here are the weights and about how many questions each one works out to:

• Contracts: 19% (about 15 questions)
• Agency: 13% (about 10)
• Practice of real estate: 12% (about 10)
• Property ownership and financing: 10% each (about 8 each)
• Valuation: 8%
• Property disclosures and real estate calculations: 7% each
• Transfer of title: 6%
• Land use controls: 5%
• Property management: 3%

The 40-question state portion covers Virginia statutes, Real Estate Board regulations and fair housing law. The salesperson outline includes:

• Agency definitions and relationships (12 items): broker-salesperson relationships, limited service, agency disclosure and duties, brokerage agreements, designated and dual agency, and unrepresented parties.
• Disclosure requirements (10 items): Virginia-specific disclosures such as the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, aircraft noise, septic systems, Megan's Law, stigmatized property, property owners' associations and advertising.
• Licensing (8 items): broker supervision, discipline and sanctions, record keeping, post-license and continuing education, license transfers and reporting changes to the Board.
• Virginia fair housing law and regulations (4 items).
• Specific acts (4 items): the Virginia Condominium Act, the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act and the Property Owners' Association Act.
• Escrow accounts (2 items).

Agency and disclosure together make up more than half of the state portion, so focus on those.

Scoring and passing

You must meet the minimum score on each portion: 56 of 80 national and 30 of 40 state. Doing well on one portion doesn't make up for a miss on the other. Your result appears on screen, and a score report is emailed to you. If you fail, it shows your strengths and weaknesses by topic.

Fees and scheduling

• Exam fee: $60, paid to PSI.
• Book at test-takers.psiexams.com/vare or call PSI at (855) 340-3910. Send license questions to DPOR at (804) 367-8526 or REBoard@dpor.virginia.gov.
• Choose a test center or remote proctored exam. Remote candidates can launch up to 30 minutes before the booked time. If you don't start within 15 minutes after it, you forfeit the fee.

Test day

Arrive at least 30 minutes early at a test center. Bring one valid, unexpired ID with your photo and signature, in the exact name you registered under. A military ID is not accepted for remote exams, and remote sessions don't allow breaks. Our PSI exam day guide covers check-in, prohibited items and pacing.

Retaking a portion

If you fail one portion, you retake only that portion. Depending on seat availability, you may be able to retest within two business days.

The deadline is the catch. Your full license application must reach DPOR within one year of the date you originally took the exam. If it doesn't, you have to retake the expired portion or portions. A slow retake cycle can use up that year quickly.

After you pass

1. Get fingerprinted. It's mandatory for every Virginia applicant. PSI Virginia sites take walk-ins during testing hours for $52 ($27 state processing plus $25 PSI processing), paid by money order, cashier's check, Visa or Mastercard. Processing can take 4 to 6 weeks.
2. Apply to DPOR using the license application on the Real Estate Board's website, with your application fee.
3. Apply quickly. Fingerprint results go straight to the Board and are only valid for 90 days. The Board won't tell you when they arrive.

If you passed both portions at once, your application and fee must arrive within one year of passing.

Study tips for the Virginia exam

• Study for two separate exams. You need 70% on the national portion (56 of 80) and 75% on the state portion (30 of 40). The state portion has the higher bar.
• Learn Virginia's agency and disclosure rules thoroughly. Together they're 22 of the 40 state questions.
• Practice the time split. 105 minutes for 80 questions is about 80 seconds each. The state portion gives you a little over a minute per question.
• Read the primary sources. The bulletin lists the Virginia license law, Board regulations and fair housing law as references. Skim them after your course.

PSI Exams Prep has 400 real estate questions across 6 topics, with Study Mode explanations and a timed Exam Mode for the national portion. Our State Laws topic covers general license-law concepts, not Virginia statutes, so pair it with your course materials. Start free with the National Portion topic (up to 15 questions per test), and see how to pass the PSI real estate exam for a weekly plan.

Sources

• PSI: Virginia Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (2026)
• Code of Virginia § 54.1-2105: prelicense education requirements
• Virginia DPOR: Real Estate Board

Frequently asked questions

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.