Texas Real Estate License Proctored Exam Requirements

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) doesn’t make it overly easy to get a real estate license in the Lone Star State. On top of a hefty number of pre-license education hours, you also need to take and pass a real estate exam.

You can’t take your exam just anywhere, either. In fact, the TREC has specifications that it needs to be a proctored exam overseen by a TREC-approved provider. And while other states have loosened requirements like this through the pandemic, Texas real estate license hopefuls are still subject to these proctor requirements.

At AYPORealEstate, our support team gets a lot of calls from people asking about the proctoring requirements for their Texas real estate license exam. We’re always happy to take your calls and walk you through the process, but we also want to make it as easy as possible for you to get the information you need. With that in mind, let’s look at the requirements for Texas real estate proctored exams — and the easiest way to meet them.

What are the proctor requirements for Texas real estate exams?

Per TREC rule 535.65(h), your real estate exam needs to be closed-book and “given in the manner submitted to and approved by the Commission.” Basically, that means you need to take your exam in the presence of a proctor, who pretty much makes sure you’re not cheating.

The TREC has greenlit some third-party proctors, including:

Employees at official testing or learning/tutoring centers
Librarians at a school, university, or public library
College or university administrators, faculty, or academic advisors
Clergy who are affiliated with a specific temple, synagogue, mosque, or church
Educational officers of a military installation or correctional facility
Members of the Notary Public

So, yes, you have options for taking your proctored exam. But during the pandemic (and anytime, really), you might not want to have to head to some strange office to sit for your exam.

Fortunately, the TREC has approved some education providers to offer Texas real estate proctored exams. And that means you might be able to meet the proctored exam requirements by taking your test with the same organization that provided your pre-license education hours.

What’s more, you can even take your exam through online proctoring.

Can a remote proctored exam count?

Absolutely. The key thing is that if you take a remote proctored exam, the proctor needs to be TREC-approved.

For example, because of the pandemic, we worked with the TREC to get approval for our video proctor service. That means we can offer you an online proctored exam that you take from the comfort of your home and office — and you still get the oversight necessary to comply with the Texas real estate proctored exam requirements.

How do I find a proctored exam that meets TREC requirements?

In order for a proctor to meet TREC requirements, they need to get written approval from the TREC. In the COVID era, this means that even if a provider shifted to providing their courses online, they can’t offer online proctoring until they have a letter giving them the green light from the TREC.

If you’re considering taking an online proctored exam, make sure that the proctor has TREC approval or it won’t count towards your license requirements. (Hint: we’re TREC-approved to offer online proctoring services.)

How do AYPORealEstate's online proctoring services work?

We custom-built our one-of-a-kind online proctored exam service to align precisely with TREC requirements. It was complex on our end, but we’ve designed it to be as simple as possible for you.

Really, all you need is a computer or laptop with a built-in camera or an added webcam. As long as we can see you during the exam via this camera, we can vouch for you with the TREC. This allows you to meet the proctored exam requirement while taking your test virtually.

We accept appointments for our online proctoring services from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST Monday through Friday. We charge just $15 for two exam attempts so you don’t need to be overly stressed on your first try.

Alternatively, if you choose our Texas real estate agent sales course with built-in online proctoring (available at this link here), you get all the pre-license education hours your need plus unlimited exam attempts. With this package, our proctors will continue overseeing you until you get the passing grade you need.

Once you’re scheduled for a test with us, all you need to do is login and click “CHECKPOINT: Request proctoring.” Then, you can live chat with us to let us know that you’re ready to start your exam.

At that point, one of our proctors will guide you to the exam. You’ll be able to take the entire thing from the comfort and convenience of your home or office. All the while, our TREC-approved proctors will be there to ensure that when you pass the exam, you’ve done so in a properly proctored environment.

Can you help me pass my Texas real estate exam?

In order to meet TREC requirements, our proctors cannot assist you at all during the test.

That said, our team does everything we can to set you up for success beforehand. For starters, our pre-license courses result in some of the highest pass rates in the state. Over 82% of our students pass their exams on the first try.

We have a couple more tips for you, too:

Take practice exams. You can brush up on what kinds of questions you’ll be asked by taking practice exams with us and with Pearson VUE, the exam administrator. Pearson VUE also issues:
- A candidate bulletin with sample test questions
- Exam content outlines
- A study guide sheet
Take a deep breath. In Texas, you don’t need to ace the exam to pass it. You only need to get 56 of 85 questions right in the national exam portion and 21 of 40 right in the state portion to pass. Seriously, the bar isn’t super high here, so try not to stress too much.

If you’re ready to get schedule your TREC-compliant online proctoring for your Texas real estate exam, contact us today.