The real estate exam costs $15 to $210 per attempt in the five states we checked. New York charges the least, at $15, and Washington the most, at $210. In most states, you pay a testing company such as Pearson VUE or PSI when you book your seat.
The exam fee is only one line in your budget, but it is the one you may pay more than once. This guide compares fees, exam length, and question counts across five states. It also covers retakes, scheduling, and what you pay once you pass.
How Much Does the Real Estate Exam Cost in Each State?
There isn’t a national real estate license, so each state sets its own exam and its own fee. Some states run the test themselves, while others hire a vendor. The table below compares five large markets.
Compared
Real Estate Exam Fees in Five States
| State | Who runs the exam | Exam fee | Questions | Time allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Department of Real Estate (DRE) | $100 per attempt | 150 | 3 hours |
| Florida | Pearson VUE | $36.75 per attempt | 100 | 3.5 hours |
| New York | Department of State (DOS) | $15 | Not published by DOS | 1.5 hours |
| Texas | Pearson VUE | $58 per attempt | 125 (85 national, 50 state) | 4 hours |
| Washington | PSI | $210 | 130 (100 national, 30 state) | 4 hours |
Salesperson or broker-level entry exams. Fees and formats published by each state regulator and its exam vendor, checked Oct 6, 2026. Texas: $58 is the fee in Pearson VUE’s September 2026 handbook; TREC’s fee schedule, effective Dec 15, 2025, still lists $43. Question counts include unscored pretest items. Full references in the Sources section.
Outside these five, fees follow the same pattern. Georgia’s exam, run by PSI, costs $175. In California, the fee rises to $150 if you sit the broker exam instead of the salesperson exam.
Pre-Licensing Education
Every state on our list requires a pre-licensing course before you can test. The hours vary widely, from 63 in Florida and 77 in New York to 180 in Texas. Approved schools set their own tuition, so compare formats and support before you enroll.
Fingerprints and Background Checks
Many states, including California, Florida, and Texas, require fingerprints for a background check. California applicants pay a $49 fingerprint processing fee to a live scan provider. In Florida, fingerprinting at the DBPR office in Tallahassee costs $36, and private providers set their own prices.
What Affects the Amount You Pay?
Your state sets the base fee, but a few choices change your final bill. Keep these in mind before you book:
- Your state: fees in our sample range from $15 in New York to $210 in Washington.
- Retakes: most vendors charge the full fee for each attempt, so passing the first time saves money.
- Rescheduling: California charges $40 to move a salesperson exam date.
- Deadlines: in Washington and Georgia, PSI keeps your fee if you don’t test within one year of paying.
How Long Is the Real Estate Exam?
The real estate exam lasts between 1.5 and 4 hours, depending on the state. New York allows 90 minutes, while Texas and Washington each allow four hours across two portions. California gives salesperson candidates three hours, and Florida allows three and a half.
Many states split the test into a national portion and a state portion. In Texas, you get 150 minutes for the national part and 90 minutes for the state part. If you fail one portion, you retake only that part.
How Many Questions Are on the Real Estate Exam?
Most real estate exams have 100 to 150 multiple-choice questions. Florida uses 100, Texas 125, Washington 130, and California 150. Some questions are unscored pretest items, mixed in so you can’t tell them apart.
The national portion run by Pearson VUE covers eight content areas:
- Real property characteristics, legal descriptions, and property use
- Forms of ownership, transfer, and recording of title
- Property value and appraisal
- Real estate contracts and agency
- Real estate practice
- Property disclosures and environmental issues
- Financing and settlement
- Real estate math calculations
How Hard Is the Real Estate Exam?
The exam is demanding, and many candidates need more than one try. California publishes long-term pass rates, which give a useful benchmark.
California salesperson candidates who pass on their first try
average first-time pass rate over four fiscal years, according to the DRE
Retakes are harder still in California, where 19.6% of repeat candidates passed over the same period. In Florida, half of first-time takers passed the sales associate exam in January 2025, according to DBPR.
As a real estate licensee, your value is in the license you have earned, the education you have taken, the skills you have learned, the experience you have gained, and most importantly, the care you take with your clients.
Chika Sunquist, California Real Estate Commissioner
What Happens If You Fail the Exam?
You can retake the real estate exam, but each state sets its own rules. In most cases, you pay the full fee again for every attempt.
- California: you can apply to retake once you receive your results, and each attempt costs $100.
- Florida: you can schedule a retake after 24 hours, for another $36.75.
- Texas: you get three attempts. After a third failure, you need 30 or 60 more hours of coursework.
- Washington: you must pass both portions within six months of each other.
How to Schedule Your Real Estate Exam
The steps are similar in most states, whether a vendor or the state runs the test. Here’s the usual order:
- Complete your state’s pre-licensing education.
- Get approval from your state regulator, if your state requires it before testing.
- Create an account with your state’s exam provider, such as PSI or Pearson VUE.
- Choose your exam, date, and test center.
- Pay the exam fee and save your confirmation.
California and New York schedule their own exams. California’s DRE runs electronic exams in Fresno, La Palma, Oakland, Sacramento, and San Diego. New York candidates book through the state’s eAccessNY system. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID on exam day.
Exam fees are usually non-refundable. Pick a date that leaves time for a few full practice tests, and check your state’s rescheduling rules before you pay.
What Comes After You Pass?
Passing the exam makes you eligible to apply for a license, which carries its own fee. A California salesperson license costs $350, and a Washington broker license costs $233. New York charges $65 for the initial application, and Florida charges $62.75.
Your exam results don’t last forever, so apply promptly. In New York, passed results stay valid for two years.
Sources
- "Fees," California Department of Real Estate. Available at: https://www.dre.ca.gov/licensees/fees.html. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Exam, Licensing and Petition Fees (RE 206)," California Department of Real Estate, 2026. Available at: https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/forms/re206.pdf. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Taking the Exam," California Department of Real Estate. Available at: https://dre.ca.gov/examinees/TakingExam.html. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Real Estate Sunset Review Report 2024," California Department of Real Estate, 2024. Available at: https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/DRE_SunsetReport_2024.pdf. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "From the Desk of the Commissioner," Real Estate Bulletin, California Department of Real Estate, 2026. Available at: https://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/reb/rebspring_26.pdf. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Florida Real Estate & Appraisers: Licensing Exams," Pearson VUE, 2026. Available at: https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/fl/realestate.html. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Candidate Information Booklet: Real Estate Sales Associate Examination," Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, 2025. Available at: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/RE_sales_cibs.pdf. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Exam Performance Summary, January 2025," Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, 2025. Available at: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/FREAB%20Meeting%20Documents/2025/04APR25/0425FREAB_Reports_ExamPerformance.pdf. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Fingerprinting," Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Available at: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/fingerprinting/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Become a Real Estate Salesperson," New York Department of State. Available at: https://dos.ny.gov/real-estate-agent. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook," Pearson VUE, 2026. Available at: https://www.pearsonvue.com/content/dam/VUE/vue/en/documents/publications/094400.pdf. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Become a Real Estate Sales Agent," Texas Real Estate Commission. Available at: https://www.trec.texas.gov/become-licensed/sales-agent. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Fee Schedule Effective December 15, 2025," Texas Real Estate Commission, 2025. Available at: https://www.trec.texas.gov/agency-information/fee-schedule. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "National/General Exam Content Outline for Salespersons," Pearson VUE, 2025. Available at: https://www.pearsonvue.com/content/dam/VUE/vue/en/documents/publications/099913.pdf. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Washington Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin," PSI Services, 2024. Available at: https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/4658. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Fees: Real Estate," Washington State Department of Licensing. Available at: https://dol.wa.gov/professional-licenses/real-estate-brokers/fees-real-estate. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Exam: Real Estate Brokers," Washington State Department of Licensing. Available at: https://dol.wa.gov/professional-licenses/real-estate-brokers/exam-real-estate-brokers. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Georgia Real Estate Commission Candidate Information Bulletin," PSI Services, 2026. Available at: https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/4672. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
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