Ask a room full of new agents how hard the license exam was and you will get every answer from "easier than I expected" to "I failed it twice." Online, you will see confident claims that "only half of people pass" or "the pass rate is 60%." Most of those numbers have no source.
A few state regulators do publish real numbers. We went through them, and the honest answer is that the exam is a real hurdle, but the numbers measure such different things that you cannot line them up and rank states. This post shows what each published figure actually counts, and what that tells you about how to prepare.
Key takeaways
- Only some regulators publish salesperson pass rates. Of those we track, the published figures range from about 35% to 74%, but they measure different things.
- Some count only first-time takers, some count every attempt, and some report the national and state portions separately.
- The state-law portion is often the harder half where it is reported separately (Colorado, Hawaii).
- Where a state publishes both (Florida), first-time takers pass at a higher rate than candidates overall, which suggests that preparing well for your first sitting matters.
- The exam format (question count, time, passing score) also varies by state. Check your own state's page before you plan your study.
Why there is no single "national pass rate"
The real estate salesperson exam is not one national test. Each state sets its own licensing rules, and most hire a testing vendor (Pearson VUE or PSI in most states) to run the exam. A few states, including California and New York, write and give the exam themselves.
Most states use a two-part exam: a national portion covering general principles and practices, and a state portion covering that state's license law and rules. Some states score the two parts separately, so you can pass one and retake only the other. Others combine them into one score. New Jersey, Michigan and Alabama, for example, use one overall score.
Because the tests differ, and because regulators report results in different ways, a "pass rate" in one state is not the same measurement as a "pass rate" in another.
What the published numbers say
Here is every salesperson pass rate in our licensing dataset that comes from a regulator or regulator-reported figure. Each one comes with its definition, because the definition matters as much as the number.
| State | Published rate | What it counts | Period | |---|---|---|---| | North Carolina | 74.07% | First-attempt takers who tested within 30 days of finishing prelicensing | License year Jul 2025–Jun 2026 | | Colorado | 64.72% national / 56.95% state | First-time examinees, by portion | Calendar year 2024 | | Texas | 55% | First-time takers, sales agent and broker combined | FY2025 | | California | 53% | All salesperson exams given, first-time and repeat | FY2025–26 | | Hawaii | 50.2% national / 35.43% state | Salesperson school summary, by portion | Apr–Jun 2025 | | Florida | 48% first-time / 40% overall | All sales associate candidates, one month | May 2026 | | Virginia | 36.5% national / 43.0% state | All salesperson attempts, by portion, including repeat takers | Calendar year 2024 |
North Carolina: 74.07%
The North Carolina Real Estate Commission reports that 2,085 of 2,815 candidates (74.07%) passed on their first attempt in the July 2025–June 2026 license year (NCREC exam pass rates). This is a narrow group: first-attempt takers who tested within 30 days of finishing their prelicensing course. It is the highest number on the list partly because it leaves out people who waited months to test and everyone on a second or third try.
Colorado: 64.72% national, 56.95% state
The Colorado Division of Real Estate's first-time pass rate report for calendar year 2024 shows 64.72% passing the national portion (2,939 tested) and 56.95% passing the state portion (1,891 tested) (Colorado DRE, 2024 annual first-time pass rates). The state portion was clearly harder. Note that Colorado's entry-level license is a broker license, not a salesperson license, so this is the exam a new agent takes there.
Texas: 55%
A 55% first-time pass rate for FY2025 was reported by Texas Real Estate Commission staff at a November 2025 commission meeting. We found the figure in a news summary of that meeting, not in a TREC report, and it combines sales agent and broker candidates. TREC also publishes pass rates by education provider on its exam passage rates page.
California: 53%
The California Department of Real Estate reports a 53% pass rate on 30,063 salesperson exams given in FY2025–26, July 2025 to June 2026 (DRE exam statistics, RE 149). DRE does not separate first-time takers, so repeat attempts are included. California's exam is a single 150-question, state-run test, and you need 70% to pass.
Hawaii: 50.2% national, 35.43% state
The Hawaii Real Estate Commission publishes PSI school summary reports. For April–June 2025, the salesperson national portion pass rate was 50.20% and the state portion was 35.43% (Hawaii REB, PSI summary Apr–Jun 2025). That covers only one quarter, so treat it as a snapshot. Again, the state-law portion is where more candidates struggled.
Florida: 48% first-time, 40% overall
Florida's DBPR publishes a monthly exam performance summary. For May 2026, the sales associate exam had a 48% first-time pass rate and a 40% overall rate. A year earlier, in May 2025, the rates were 49% and 39% (FREC June 2026 division report). These are single months, not annual totals. Florida's exam is 100 questions, and you need 75 correct.
Virginia: 36.5% national, 43.0% state
Virginia's DPOR school report for calendar year 2024 shows 2,617 of 7,178 salesperson national-portion attempts passing (36.5%) and 4,020 of 9,347 state-portion attempts passing (43.0%) (DPOR 2024 pass rates by school). These count every attempt, including repeat takers, which pulls the numbers down. It would be a mistake to read this as "Virginia is the hardest state."
Why you cannot rank states from these numbers
It is tempting to sort the table and call North Carolina easy and Virginia hard. The data does not support that, for four reasons:
- Different groups of test-takers. North Carolina counts only recent first-attempt takers. Virginia and California count every attempt. Repeat takers, by definition, already failed once, so including them lowers the rate.
- Different units. Some states report by portion, some report the whole exam, and some report people while others report attempts.
- Different time windows. Florida's figure is one month and Hawaii's is one quarter. Colorado's is a full calendar year. Small samples move around.
- Different exams. Passing scores range from 70% to 75% depending on the state, and question counts and time limits vary widely.
What the numbers do tell you
Even with those caveats, a few patterns are worth taking seriously.
Many candidates fail at least once
In every state on this list except North Carolina's narrow first-attempt group, a large share of attempts did not pass. Treat the exam as a real professional test, not a formality after your course.
The state portion deserves its own study plan
In Colorado and Hawaii, where portions are reported separately, the state-law portion had a lower pass rate than the national portion. Many candidates study national principles from widely available material and then underprepare on their own state's license law, which covers things like disclosure forms, trust-account rules, and agency relationships as defined in that state.
Your first attempt is your best shot
Florida publishes both numbers for the same month, and first-time takers passed at a higher rate (48%) than candidates overall (40%). North Carolina's high figure is limited to people who tested within 30 days of their course. The data cannot prove cause and effect, but it fits common advice: schedule the exam soon after your course while the material is fresh, and prepare to pass the first time.
How to use this to plan your study
- Look up your state's exact format. Question count, time limit, passing score and whether portions are scored separately all change how you should prepare. Your state page has the details from the official candidate handbook.
- Split your study time on purpose. If your state scores portions separately, take practice tests for each one and track the scores separately.
- Use timed practice tests. Pacing is a skill. Take full-length timed tests in the week or two before your exam date.
- Learn the vocabulary. Many missed questions come from confusing similar terms. Work through the glossary until definitions are automatic.
- Don't skip the math. Math is usually a modest share of the exam, but it is predictable once you know the formulas.
Bottom line
The real estate exam is passable, and every year many thousands of people pass it. The published data also shows that a large share of attempts fail, and that the state-law portion catches many candidates off guard. You will not learn much by comparing states. You will learn more from your own state's format and from how you score on realistic practice.
To see how your state's exam is built and how it compares, start with the pass rates by state page and your state's guide. Then take a timed practice test to see where you stand today. If you want full-length exams and state-specific question banks, see REEX Prep plans.