The national portion, explained

Both vendors score 80 national-portion items for salespersons; Pearson VUE adds 5 unscored pretest items. The outlines differ in how they group topics - study to yours.

Updated 2026-09-23 · 3 sources · By the RealEstateExamKit team

Pearson VUE national outline (salesperson)

Pearson VUE national/general salesperson outline, effective March 1, 2025 (as printed in the Texas handbook, Sept 2026).
Content areaScored items
Real property characteristics, legal descriptions and property use11
Forms of ownership, transfer and recording of title9
Property value and appraisal11
Real estate contracts and agency16
Real estate practice10
Property disclosures and environmental issues9
Financing and settlement7
Real estate math calculations7

Total

80 (+5 unscored pretest)

PSI national outline (salesperson)

PSI national portion outline as printed in the Georgia candidate bulletin. PSI states typically score 80 national items (e.g., Ohio, Virginia, South Carolina, Minnesota bulletins).
Content areaShare of national portion
Property ownership10%
Land use controls5%
Valuation8%
Financing10%
Contracts19%
Agency13%
Property disclosures7%
Property management3%
Transfer of title6%
Practice of real estate12%
Real estate calculations7%

Scoring basics

  • Pretest items are mixed in and unmarked - answer everything.
  • Cut scores are set per state with the vendor. Texas, for example, requires 56 of 80 national and 28 of 40 state (raw scores); Ohio requires 70% on each portion.
  • Cognitive levels: Pearson VUE classifies every national item as knowledge, application or analysis, so expect scenarios.
  • Single-exam states: California (150 questions), Florida (100) and New Jersey (110 combined) do not split the score the same way - see those pages.

Try 10 national-portion questions

Real estate national-portion practice test (salesperson)

A seller bolted a large flat-screen TV mount into the wall studs and ran the cables inside the wall. The purchase contract is silent about the mount. At closing, the mount is most likely:

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Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on the national real estate exam?

80 scored items at both Pearson VUE and PSI for salespersons; Pearson VUE adds 5 unscored pretest items.

What is a passing score on the national portion?

It is set by each state. Examples: Texas 56 of 80; Virginia 56; Pennsylvania 75%; Ohio 70%.

Sources

  1. Pearson VUE - Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook (national salesperson outline, effective March 1, 2025) (accessed 2026-09-23)
  2. PSI - Georgia Real Estate Commission Candidate Information Bulletin (national portion outline) (accessed 2026-09-23)
  3. PSI - Ohio candidate information bulletin (accessed 2026-09-23)