- National Examination (Broker)
- The portion of the Texas real estate broker licensing exam covering general, non-state-specific real estate principles and practices. A candidate must answer 60 questions correctly on the National examination to pass this section.
- Scored Questions
- The exam items that actually count toward your result, as opposed to unscored pretest items. The Texas broker exam includes 145 scored questions.
- Examination Fee
- The amount paid to the testing vendor each time you sit for the broker exam. The fee is $39.
- Testing Time Limit
- The total allotted seat time to complete the broker examination. Candidates are given 240 minutes.
- Pearson VUE
- The third-party testing vendor that administers the Texas real estate broker examination at its testing centers. Registration, scheduling, and the exam fee are handled through this vendor.
- Broker vs. Sales Agent
- A broker is licensed to operate independently and may sponsor and supervise sales agents, whereas a sales agent must work under a sponsoring broker. The broker exam tests the higher level of responsibility this role carries.
- Fiduciary Duty
- The legal obligation a broker owes a client to act in the client's best interest, including loyalty, confidentiality, disclosure, obedience, and accounting. These duties are a core tested concept on the national portion.
- Agency
- The relationship in which a broker (the agent) is authorized to represent a principal — such as a buyer or seller — in a real estate transaction. Understanding how agency is created, disclosed, and terminated is central to the exam.
- Escrow / Trust Account
- A separate account in which a broker holds money belonging to others, such as earnest money, keeping it apart from the broker's own operating funds. Commingling client funds with personal funds is prohibited.
- Earnest Money
- A good-faith deposit a buyer submits to show serious intent to purchase, typically held in the broker's escrow account until closing or resolution of the contract. It is a frequently tested element of contract and trust-fund topics.
- Encumbrance
- Any claim, lien, or restriction on a property — such as a mortgage, easement, or deed restriction — that may affect its use or transfer of title. Recognizing types of encumbrances is essential for title and ownership questions.
- Passing Standard
- The threshold of correct answers required to pass a section of the exam rather than a raw percentage of the whole test. For the National examination, that standard is 60 correctly answered questions.