Florida Real Estate State Exam: Content, Cost, and Retakes
Passing the pre-license course only makes you eligible to sit Florida's state real estate exam; it does not substitute for it. This page covers what the exam tests, who administers it, what it costs, and how retakes work.
Who Administers the Florida Real Estate State Exam?
Pearson VUE administers the Florida real estate state exam under contract to DBPR, seating candidates only after DBPR issues an exam eligibility notice based on a completed FREC-approved pre-license course.
Pearson VUE is a separate company from any pre-license school; no school administers the actual state exam itself, only its own end-of-course final exam. See How It Works for where the state exam sits in the full licensing sequence.
What Does the Florida Real Estate State Exam Cover?
The sales associate exam covers Florida real estate law, principles, FREC rules, and math drawn from Chapter 475 and Course I; the broker exam instead tests brokerage management, advanced law, and Course II topics.
Both exams are 100 multiple-choice questions, run 3.5 hours, and require a score of 75 out of 100 points to pass. FREC sets the content blueprint for both; the pre-license course a candidate completed is meant to have already covered the material the corresponding exam tests, which is why skipping ahead to exam prep without finishing the full course is not a viable shortcut.
How Much Does the Florida Real Estate State Exam Cost?
A Pearson VUE exam fee of $36.75 per sitting applies to both the sales associate and the broker exam, per DBPR's own computer-based-testing fee schedule, plus a $35 review fee if you fail and want to review your incorrect answers.
See Cost for how this fits into the full cost picture alongside the pre-license course price and DBPR's own fees.
Is the Exam Proctored, Even for an Online Pre-License Course?
Yes - the state exam requires an in-person, proctored sitting at a Pearson VUE test center regardless of whether the pre-license course itself was completed online, livestream, or in a classroom.
Online delivery is permitted for the 63-hour (or 72-hour) course itself, but Florida draws a firm line at the state exam: DBPR's own candidate information booklets do not list a remote-proctored or take-home option for this exam.
How Many Times Can You Retake the Florida Real Estate Exam?
Florida does not publish a specific numeric retake limit; the practical constraint is instead the 2-year completion validity window on the underlying Course I or Course II, after which the pre-license course itself must be repeated.
A candidate who fails the state exam repeatedly is racing that 2-year clock, not a retake-count clock; each retake requires a new exam reservation and DBPR's fee schedule lists the same $36.75 administration fee for every sitting, so a retake costs the same as the first attempt.
What Happens Between Passing the Exam and Getting Your License?
Passing the state exam does not itself issue a license; DBPR still reviews and approves the license application, required under Fla. Stat. Section 475.17, before a sales associate or broker license becomes active.
Chapter 475 in full is indexed at flsenate.gov. DBPR does not publish a processing timeline between a passed exam and an active license. See How It Works for the full sequence from enrollment through an active license, and Post-License for the 45-/60-hour requirement that follows shortly after.
See the Florida Real Estate Pre-License Course hub for the full page index.
Sources
| Fact | Value | Authority | URL | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam administrator, format, and pass score | Pearson VUE under contract to DBPR; 100 questions, 3.5 hours, 75/100 to pass | DBPR, Bureau of Education and Testing (Sales Associate CIB) | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/RE_sales_cibs.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| Sales associate exam content | Florida law, principles, FREC rules, math from Chapter 475 and Course I | DBPR, Bureau of Education and Testing (Sales Associate CIB) | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/RE_sales_cibs.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| Broker exam content | Real estate law, rules and regulations, brokerage-related practice topics from Course II | DBPR, Bureau of Education and Testing (Broker CIB) | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/RE_broker_cib.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| Exam fee (sales associate and broker) | $36.75 per sitting; $35.00 review fee | DBPR, Bureau of Education and Testing | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/CBT_exam_admin_Fee_2016.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| Proctoring requirement | In-person, all delivery modes | DBPR, Bureau of Education and Testing (Sales Associate CIB) | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/RE_sales_cibs.pdf | 2026-09-19 |
| Governing statute | Fla. Stat. Section 475.17 | Florida Legislature | http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0475/Sections/0475.17.html | 2026-09-19 |
| Retake limit, license-issuance timeline | Not stated on any current regulator page | n/a | https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/real-estate-commission/ | 2026-09-19 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I take the Florida real estate state exam without finishing the pre-license course?
No. DBPR issues the exam eligibility notice only after a completed FREC-approved course certificate is on file.
Is the state exam the same for sales associates and brokers?
No. Each has its own content blueprint - see the section above on what each exam covers - though both are administered by Pearson VUE under the same testing agreement with DBPR.
Can I schedule the state exam from another state before moving to Florida?
Pearson VUE does not publish scheduling rules for out-of-state candidates on this exam; confirm directly with Pearson VUE or DBPR.
Does the exam fee change if I need to retake it?
No. DBPR's fee schedule lists a flat $36.75 exam administration fee regardless of attempt number, plus a separate $35 review fee only if you request a review of a failed attempt.
What identification do I need on state exam day?
Pearson VUE's specific identification requirements for this exam are not listed in the sources on this page; confirm directly with Pearson VUE before your scheduled test date.