What Happens If You Fail the Texas Real Estate Exam?

Failing a portion of the Texas real estate exam is common enough that TREC has a specific, well-documented process for it — but the details (what you retake, how soon, and what happens after repeated failures) aren't always explained clearly. Here's exactly how it works, from the candidate handbook itself.

You only retake what you failed

If you fail one portion and pass the other, you don't retake the whole exam — only the portion you failed. Your score report tells you which portion that was and includes diagnostic information by topic area, though the actual questions themselves are never released for review (a standard security measure, not something specific to Texas).

The timing and cost of a retake

• You must wait 24 hours after a failed attempt before you can schedule a retake — reservations can't be made at the test center itself.
• The exam fee applies again for each retake: $43 for the Sales exam, paid by card or voucher when you book (not accepted at the test center).
• You have one year from the date your application was filed with TREC to pass both portions. If that window closes, you'd need to reapply and meet whatever requirements are current at that time.

Three failed attempts triggers mandatory extra education

This is the part most candidates don't find out about until it applies to them. You get three attempts to pass both portions. Fail a third time, and TREC requires additional qualifying real estate education before you can register for a fourth attempt or submit a new application:

• 30 hours of additional education if you failed only one portion (National or State) three times.
• 60 hours if you failed both portions three times.

After completing that education, you submit the course completion document and a copy of your third failed score report to TREC (documents@trec.texas.gov). TREC states it takes 5–7 business days to process the additional education and authorize Pearson VUE to allow rescheduling — worth planning around if you're close to your one-year window.

What passing actually gets you

Passing both portions doesn't issue your license immediately. TREC still has to clear your criminal history background check (submitted through fingerprinting with IDEMIA, run against DPS and FBI records) before a license document is issued — typically 5–10 business days after you pass, assuming your background check is already clear. If you haven't been fingerprinted yet by the time you pass, that step still has to happen first.

What actually helps avoid a retake in the first place

Since the two portions are graded completely separately at a 70% threshold each (see our breakdown of the exam's structure), a retake is very often the result of one specific weak portion rather than being unprepared across the board — which is exactly why practicing both halves specifically, not just generally, matters more here than it would on an exam with one blended score.