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Real Estate License Exam: National vs State Portions (CA + TX)

Answer first: Some states administer separate national and state portions; California’s salesperson exam is a single DRE exam. Always check your board before you build a study map.

SPLIT or UNIFIED?

Mnemonic sticky: If the board says National + State, study two rooms. If the board writes one exam, study one house.

N/S sticky device: Label every practice topic N (general principles shared across many vendors) or S (your state’s statutes, forms, disclosures). Review time should match the real split — or the lack of one.

There is no single federal salesperson license. “National portion” means a general-principles section used by many states’ testing vendors, not a U.S. government license.

California: one DRE exam

California’s salesperson examination is written and administered as one California examination — not a classic National + State pair (CA DRE — Taking the Exam — verified 2026-10-15). Board materials describe a salesperson exam of 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, with a pass threshold of at least 70% correct (same page — verified 2026-10-15).

Topic weights live on the content outline (CA DRE Salesperson Exam Content — verified 2026-10-15). Examination description form RE 425 is also published by DRE (RE 425 PDF — verified 2026-10-15).

Do not confuse the DRE salesperson exam with NMLS / SAFE mortgage loan originator testing. Different license path, different exam.

Texas: national + state portions

Texas sales-agent candidates generally take a national portion and a Texas state portion, scheduled through Pearson VUE under TREC’s licensing path (TREC — Become a Sales Agent — verified 2026-10-15). TREC’s exam rule framework (scores, validity) is reflected in 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 535.57 (Cornell LII regulation text — verified 2026-10-15): candidates must score at least 70% on each portion, and portion results are typically valid for one year from the date each part is passed (confirm live rule text).

Vendor handbook (Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook): 094400.pdf — verified 2026-10-15 (vendor PDF — verified 2026-10-15).

Out-of-state national-portion exemption: Some active licensees from ARELLO-participating national-exam states may seek a national-portion exemption — TREC decides; submit license history (TREC FAQ — national portion exemption — verified 2026-10-15). Context only: ARELLO examination accreditation — verified 2026-10-15.

Exam fees: Check the board’s and vendor’s current fee pages — TREC — Become a Sales Agent (verified 2026-10-15) and the Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook (verified 2026-10-15).

Optional Florida contrast

Florida’s sales-associate path uses state candidate information booklets rather than a classic National/State door pair (FL candidate information booklets index — verified 2026-10-15). Always open your board’s booklet before you label topics N or S.

How to study the split (or the single house)

  1. Print (or sketch) your board’s topic list.
  2. Mark each topic N or S — or ONE if your board writes a unified exam.
  3. Match practice time to the mark. California one-exam candidates still weight topics by the DRE outline, not by a fake “national” room.
  4. Pair with the expand → rule → hypo loop on how to study for the real estate license exam.

Memory hook, cards and quiz

Mnemonic: SPLIT or UNIFIED? — two rooms vs one house. N/S sticky on every topic.

One-line joke: California didn’t get the memo about two doors.

Spaced-rep cards

# Front Back
1 Does every state use National + State portions? No — structure is state-specific
2 CA salesperson exam format (high level)? One DRE-written exam: 150 MCQ, 3 hours (salesperson)
3 CA salesperson pass threshold (board)? At least 70% correct
4 Texas salesperson exam structure? National portion + Texas state portion (Pearson VUE per TREC)
5 TX sales agent passing score (each portion)? At least 70% on each portion
6 How long are TX portion results valid? One year from the date each part is passed (per TREC / § 535.57)
7 Out-of-state skip of TX national portion? Possibly if active license in ARELLO-participating national-exam state — TREC decides

Quick timed quiz

5 minutes.

  1. CA DRE salesperson exam is best described as: (A) National + CA state (B) one California examination (C) NMLS SAFE test only
    A: B (SAFE National/State is MLO territory — different exam)
  2. In Texas, you must pass:
    A: Both national and state portions (unless TREC grants a national waiver).
  3. True/False — Passing TX national alone licenses you to practice.
    A: False — both portions + other TREC requirements.
  4. Trap: “National portion = federal real estate license.”
    A: Wrong. No single federal salesperson license; “national” means general principles portion. (Trap = federal-license myth.)

FAQ

Q: Should I study California as if it had a national portion?
A: No. Treat it as one DRE exam and follow the DRE content outline weights.

Q: If I pass TX national, am I licensed?
A: No. You still need the state portion (unless waived) and the rest of TREC’s licensing requirements.

Q: Where do I get live exam fees?
A: Check the board’s current fee page and the vendor handbook — TREC — Become a Sales Agent and the Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook (both verified 2026-10-15).

Q: Is SAFE the same as the salesperson exam?
A: No. SAFE / NMLS testing relates to mortgage loan originator endorsement paths, not the DRE salesperson exam.

Next lessons

Study method: how to study for the real estate license exam. Agency vocab: OLDCAR fiduciary mnemonics. After license: CE & renewal checklist.

Sources

Last checked: 2026-10-15