What are experience points?

A system that assigns credit to transactions by type and complexity. Four years of licensure is not enough on its own; you must show the transactions to go with it.

Do I need a business entity license?

If a business entity will receive compensation for brokerage activity, yes. It needs its own TREC license with a designated broker, and this catches agents who form an LLC purely for tax reasons.

Is the passing standard really different from the sales agent exam?

Yes. The sales agent needs 70 percent on each portion. The broker needs 60 of 80 on the national portion and 38 of 50 on the Texas portion, which works out to 75 and 76 percent.

Texas broker

The Texas broker license requires four years of active experience, 270 hours of education, and sufficient experience points. The exam is longer and the passing bar rises on both portions.

Questions: 145
Scored: 130
Time: 240 min
To pass: 75%

15 of those questions are unscored pretest items, mixed in without being marked. Answer every question as if it counts.

Two portions, scored separately

You have to pass both. A strong score on one portion does not make up for a weak score on the other, and if you fail only one you retake only that one.

National portion85 questions, 80 scored · 150 minutes · 60 of 80 correct to pass
Texas portion60 questions, 50 scored · 90 minutes · 38 of 50 correct to pass

Who can sit this exam

Four years of active licensure within the preceding five, 270 qualifying hours, and enough experience points to show real transaction activity rather than mere licensure. The points system is what stops someone from holding a dormant license for four years and qualifying.

The exam is 145 items in four hours, with 130 scored. The national portion stays at 85 items but now needs 60 of 80 correct. The Texas portion grows to 60 items with 38 of 50 needed.

Portion	Items	Scored	To pass
National	85	80	60 correct
Texas	60	50	38 correct

What changes when you become a broker

You may operate independently and sponsor sales agents, which brings the Broker Responsibility rules with it. Written policies covering transaction review, record keeping, advertising approval, and complaint handling are how supervision is demonstrated if TREC ever asks.

You may also delegate supervision to a qualified license holder, but delegation never transfers responsibility. The broker still answers.

Where broker candidates lose

Supervision and record keeping account for a large share of TREC discipline, and the exam reflects that. Records must be kept four years from closing or termination, and their absence is treated as a violation in its own right.

Escrow is a second area, and it works differently from other states. TREC issues no disbursement orders. The escrow agent, usually the title company, holds disputed funds until the parties agree or a court decides.

Common questions

What are experience points?: A system that assigns credit to transactions by type and complexity. Four years of licensure is not enough on its own; you must show the transactions to go with it.
Do I need a business entity license?: If a business entity will receive compensation for brokerage activity, yes. It needs its own TREC license with a designated broker, and this catches agents who form an LLC purely for tax reasons.
Is the passing standard really different from the sales agent exam?: Yes. The sales agent needs 70 percent on each portion. The broker needs 60 of 80 on the national portion and 38 of 50 on the Texas portion, which works out to 75 and 76 percent.

Exam structure and requirements change. Confirm current figures with the state authority and the exam vendor before relying on anything here.