The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) establishes clear standards for individuals seeking to become licensed sales agents in the state. Successfully passing the licensing exam is a mandatory step that carries significant weight and specific limitations. Aspiring agents must understand the rules governing the number of times they can attempt the two-part test, as the process is not open-ended. Understanding these regulations is important for managing your time, study plan, and financial investment.
Initial Eligibility Requirements for the Exam
Before scheduling the exam, candidates must satisfy prerequisites established by the Texas Real Estate Commission. The primary requirement is completing 180 hours of qualifying real estate education from a TREC-approved provider. This coursework is divided into six 30-hour courses, including Principles of Real Estate, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, and Promulgated Contracts Forms.
After completing the education, candidates submit a formal license application to TREC to initiate the qualification process. This review includes a background check, requiring fingerprint submission to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). TREC issues an Authorization to Test (ATT) letter only after the application is approved.
The Specific Rules for Exam Retakes and Deadlines
TREC grants candidates a specific window to pass the licensing exam, which consists of National and State Law portions. Candidates have a total of three attempts to pass both sections. This limit is tied to a one-year period beginning on the date the initial license application was filed with TREC.
If a candidate fails, they receive a score report detailing performance on both components. A candidate who fails only one portion is only required to re-take that failed section. However, re-taking even a single section counts as one of the three available attempts within the one-year window.
This three-attempt limit is strictly enforced and is not reset by simply waiting a few months. If the third attempt is unsuccessful, the candidate’s current application file is closed. They must then follow a more involved process to re-enter the testing cycle, as the one-year countdown remains the deadline for passing both parts of the exam.
Step-by-Step Procedure for Re-taking the Exam
A candidate who fails an initial attempt must wait a minimum of 24 hours before rescheduling their next examination date through Pearson VUE. This mandatory waiting period allows the testing system to register the failed result. The initial score report provides a detailed breakdown of performance by content area, which should guide study efforts before the next attempt.
Rescheduling requires the candidate to log in to the Pearson VUE platform and pay the testing fee for the upcoming attempt. Candidates should prioritize timely scheduling, especially if they anticipate needing all three attempts within the one-year application window. Appointments can generally be made up to one calendar day prior to the desired testing day, subject to availability.
The strategic approach involves using the diagnostic information from the score report to focus on specific knowledge domains. If only one portion was failed, the candidate registers and pays only for that specific section. Candidates must remember that each subsequent attempt reduces the available time to pass before the one-year deadline.
Required Actions After Failing All Available Attempts
Failing the exam three times within the one-year application period results in the expiration of the candidate’s authorization to test under that application. TREC mandates a significant remediation step before the candidate can try again: completing an additional 30 hours of qualifying real estate education for each portion of the exam they failed.
For example, a candidate who failed both the National and State parts on their third attempt must complete a total of 60 hours of supplemental coursework. This remedial education must be taken after the date of the third failed exam. The candidate is generally allowed to choose which 30-hour qualifying courses they will retake to fulfill this new educational requirement.
Once the additional course hours are completed, the candidate must submit the new course completion certificates and a copy of the third failed score report to TREC for review. After processing these documents, TREC grants authorization for the candidate to file an entirely new license application. This action resets the entire process, including the one-year window and the three-attempt limit.