TX-SAE · Syllabus & Exam Outline 2026
Texas Real Estate Sales Agent
Exam-aligned study paths covering the national real estate core plus Texas state law — TREC rules, intermediary brokerage, promulgated forms, and homestead — in retention-first 15-minute topics.
- Questions
- National portion: 80 scored items and 5 pretest items; State Law portion: 40 scored items and 10 pretest items
- Time limit
- 240 minutes (4 hours)
- Passing score
- 70% (56 of 80 scored items on the National portion, 28 of 40 scored items on the State portion)
- Cost
- $43
- Format
- knowledge items · application items · analysis items
- Delivery
- Computer-based testing at Pearson VUE Testing Centers
- Calculator
- Non-programmable financial calculators that do not contain alpha characters (such as the HP12C) are permitted. Candidates must bring the instruction manual so test center personnel can verify and clear the calculator's memory.
- Prep time
- ~120 hours
Exam overview
The Texas Real Estate Sales Agent exam (TX-SAE), administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC), is a comprehensive two-part assessment designed to ensure you possess the foundational knowledge required to practice real estate safely and effectively in Texas. The examination is divided into a National portion covering general real estate principles, and a State Law portion focusing specifically on Texas statutes, TREC rules, and promulgated contracts. Both sections test your ability to recall facts, apply knowledge to specific scenarios, and analyze complex fact patterns. Preparing for an exam that spans over a dozen broad legal and financial topics can be overwhelming. To help you master the material systematically, Only Ever maps every domain from this official syllabus into highly focused, 15-minute study topics. This approach allows you to efficiently tackle heavily weighted areas like the Practice of Real Estate, Contracts, and Agency Principles, ensuring you are fully prepared for exam day.
Exam domains & weighting
Each domain's share of the exam — study deepest where the weight is highest. Open one for how to study it and its objectives.
How to study this domain
Focus heavily on the distinctions between real and personal property, and how each is conveyed. Pay special attention to Texas-specific elements like community property laws and homestead protections, as these are unique to the state and highly testable.
Key objectives
- Real and Personal Property Conveyances
- Legal Property Descriptions
- Measuring Structures and Land
- Liens, Easements, and Encumbrances
- Surface, Subsurface, Air, and Water Rights
- Basic Types of Ownership and Tenancy
- Common-Interest, Trusts, and Business Ownership
- Texas Community Property & Homestead Protections
Readiness self-check
Tick off everything you can confidently explain. Anything left unchecked is your study list — tap “Review” to jump straight into that domain.
Readiness
0 / 32
Quick reference
Required Real Estate Measurements
According to the official exam outline, these specific numerical conversions are NOT provided at the test center and MUST be memorized prior to the exam.
Square feet per acre
43,560
Required for area and acreage math calculations.
Feet per mile
5,280
Required for linear and distance math calculations.
Frequently asked questions
Good to know
- The examination contains unscored pretest items (5 on the National portion, 10 on the State portion). These look exactly like scored items and are used for future test development.
- Questions are categorized into three cognitive levels: Knowledge (recalling facts), Application (using knowledge in a given situation), and Analysis (examining a fact pattern to draw a conclusion).
- For prorated math calculations, the exam question will explicitly state whether to calculate based on a 360-day or 365-day year.
- Proration math questions will also clearly specify whether the day of closing belongs to the buyer or the seller.
- Calculations should be rounded off using standard rounding rules where applicable.
Reading isn’t remembering.
Texas prep blends national concepts with TREC-specific law, intermediary brokerage rules, and promulgated forms, and most materials muddle the two.
Only Ever teaches the shared national core once, then layers the Texas state law — TREC duties, licensing, standards of conduct, intermediary brokerage, promulgated contracts, and homestead/community property — as focused 15-minute topics.