How to Answer Texas Real Estate Exam Questions: 7 Habits That Save Points

Short answer: answer every question (your score is just the number you get right), give each one under two minutes, and on the State portion ask "what does the Texas rule say?" before "what sounds right?". Those three habits matter more than any memory trick. Here are all seven, with the reasoning behind each.

1. Never leave a question blank

The Pearson VUE handbook says your score is the number of questions answered correctly. Nothing is taken off for a wrong answer, so a blank can only cost you. The handbook also notes that unscored pretest questions look exactly like scored ones and tells candidates to answer every item.

2. Know your pace before you start

The National portion gives you 150 minutes for 85 questions, and the State portion 90 minutes for 50. That is a little under two minutes a question on both. The clock starts at the first question and does not stop for breaks. If a question is eating your time, pick your best answer and move on rather than letting one item cost you three.

3. On the State portion, ask what Texas says

Many State questions offer one answer that is right in most states and one that is right under TREC's rules or the Texas Real Estate License Act. Candidates who studied mostly national material pick the general answer. Before choosing, ask which Texas rule the question is testing: intermediary practice, a promulgated contract form, a TREC disclosure duty or advertising rule. Our guide to Texas-only topics lists the areas where this happens most.

4. Read the last sentence first

Long scenario questions bury the actual question at the end. Read it first, then read the scenario looking for the facts that matter. It stops you from solving the wrong problem, and it saves time.

5. Slow down on EXCEPT, NOT and LEAST

Questions that ask which answer is not true reverse the usual task, and three true statements make an easy trap. Mark each option true or false in your head and choose the odd one out.

6. Eliminate before you choose

Usually one or two options are clearly wrong. Strike them first; choosing between two is easier and more accurate than choosing among four. When two options look equally right, the more specific one, the one that names the exact rule or party, is more often the answer.

7. Set up the math before you calculate

Write the formula on your note materials before touching the calculator, and label each number. The test center does not supply calculators, so bring your own financial calculator if you want one. Two figures are not provided and must be memorised: 43,560 square feet in an acre and 5,280 feet in a mile. Proration questions state whether to use a 360- or 365-day year and who owns the day of closing, so read for that before computing. Our math guide covers the formulas.

Practise the habits, not just the content

Habits only stick under time pressure. Take at least a few timed, full-length practice exams for each portion and, after each one, read the explanation for every question you missed and every question you guessed. The free 10-question sample is a quick way to try the habits out; a paid pass adds timed full-length mock exams (pricing).

State RE PREP™ is an independent practice platform. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) or Pearson VUE, which administer the actual exam. Exam rules change; confirm current details in the Pearson VUE candidate handbook before you book.