Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Exam Exam Guide
At a glance
- Questions
- 120
- Time limit
- 3h
- Passing score
- 70% scaled on each portion
- Exam fee
- $63
- Governing body
- Ohio Division of Real Estate and…
The Ohio real estate salesperson exam covers both a state and a national portion, and both are required. You must be at least 18 to hold the licence, and prelicense education is prescribed by subject rather than as a single total.
Ohio's education requirement is unusually itemised, and the exam follows the same shape: the material is prescribed by statute rather than left to the school to structure, so what you study maps closely to what you are asked.
Overview
Ohio requires both the state and national portions. The national portion is 80 questions and the state portion is 40, giving 120 questions in a 180-minute session. The passing score is 70.
Prelicense education is prescribed by subject: 40 hours of real estate principles and practices, 40 hours of Ohio real estate law, 10 hours of real estate appraisal and 10 hours of real estate finance — 100 hours across the four. The two 40-hour blocks account for 80 of those 100 and map directly onto the two exam portions, so four fifths of your study time is already allocated for you.
After licensure, 20 hours of post-license education are due within 12 months.
Cost and registration
Ohio charges $66 for the combined exam covering both portions, and an $81 application fee. That is roughly $147 in state charges before education costs, which is at the lower end nationally.
The application carries its own standard: a passing score of 70 applies to the application process as well as the exam. Budget for both amounts at the outset, since passing does not license you.
Exam format
One 180-minute session covering 120 questions — 80 national and 40 state — with a passing score of 70 and both portions required. That works out to 90 seconds per question if you spread the time evenly, which is comfortable for recall and tight for multi-step calculation.
The 40 state questions are the ones your Ohio-specific study maps onto, and they are drawn from the same statutory material as your 40 hours of Ohio real estate law. Candidates who over-invest in national content relative to that ratio are preparing two thirds of the paper with most of their time.
Post-license education of 20 hours follows within 12 months of licensure.
Ways to prepare for the Ohio Real Estate Salesperson
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Frequently asked questions
What is on the Ohio exam and how long do I get?
Both a state and a national portion are required: 80 national questions and 40 state, 120 in total, in a 180-minute session. That is 90 seconds per question spread evenly — comfortable for recall and tight for multi-step calculation.
What prelicense education does Ohio require?
Four prescribed subjects rather than a single total: 40 hours of real estate principles and practices, 40 hours of Ohio real estate law, 10 hours of appraisal and 10 hours of finance — 100 hours across the four. The two 40-hour blocks account for 80 of those 100 and map onto the two exam portions, so four fifths of your study is allocated for you.
What does the Ohio licence cost?
$66 for the combined exam covering both portions, and an $81 application fee — about $147 in state charges before education. That is at the lower end nationally, and the application carries the same passing standard of 70 that applies to the exam.
What score do I need to pass in Ohio?
70, and both portions must be passed. Because the state portion is 40 of the 120 questions, a candidate strong on national material and weak on Ohio statute is risking a third of the paper — and the Ohio law requirement of 40 education hours exists precisely because that portion is testable in detail.
What is required after I am licensed in Ohio?
20 hours of post-license education within 12 months of licensure, and a minimum age of 18 to hold the licence at all. The post-license requirement is a condition of keeping the licence rather than optional development.
Sources
- 1.Ohio Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin — PSI / Ohio Department of Commerce (accessed Jul 23, 2026)
- 2.Salesperson License Examination Application — Ohio Department of Commerce (accessed Jul 23, 2026)
- 3.Ohio Revised Code Section 4735.09 — Ohio General Assembly (accessed Jul 23, 2026)
- 4.Real Estate Regulatory Agencies Directory — ARELLO
- 5.Real Estate Licensing Practice Tests — Pearson VUE
Official sources
Every exam fact on this page traces to a primary document published by the body that administers the exam.
- Ohio Real Estate Candidate Information BulletinPSI / Ohio Department of Commercetest-takers.psiexams.comeffective July 1, 2026
- Ohio Revised Code Section 4735.09Ohio General Assemblycodes.ohio.goveffective September 30, 2025
- Salesperson License Examination ApplicationOhio Department of Commercedam.assets.ohio.goveffective February 1, 2024
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