- The exam costs $60 per attempt and splits into 80 national and 40 Virginia-specific scored questions.
- You need 56/80 correct on the national section and 30/40 on the state section to pass.
- Agency Definitions and Relationships is the largest state domain at 30% of the Virginia portion.
- Contracts is the largest national domain at 19%, so it deserves outsized review time.
Exam Snapshot: Format, Fee, and Timing
If you only have five minutes before a study session, this is the section to read. The Virginia Real Estate Salesperson Exam (VARE-S) is administered by PSI on behalf of the Virginia Real Estate Board, which sits inside the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Every candidate pays a $60 fee per attempt, and the test is delivered as a computer-based, closed-book exam at a PSI test center.
The exam is really two exams stitched together: a national portion and a Virginia-specific portion. You get 105 minutes for 80 scored national multiple-choice questions and 45 minutes for 40 scored Virginia questions. PSI may slip in additional unscored experimental items that look identical to real questions, so don't waste time trying to guess which ones "don't count."
For a deeper breakdown of how these numbers translate into a realistic pass/fail bar, see our dedicated VARE-S Passing Score 2026 guide. And if you want the full pricing picture, including retake costs, check the VARE-S Certification Cost breakdown.
National Domains 1-11 at a Glance
The 80 national questions are pulled from eleven domains that mirror real estate practice across the country. Contracts and Agency together make up nearly a third of the national portion, so they deserve first priority in any review schedule.
Domain 5: Contracts (19%)
The single largest national domain. Expect questions on offer and acceptance, contingencies, contract remedies, and the elements required for a legally enforceable real estate contract.
- Know the difference between void, voidable, and unenforceable contracts
- Understand contingency clauses and how they affect closing timelines
Domain 6: Agency (13%)
Covers the creation and termination of agency relationships, fiduciary duties, and the distinctions between different representation types at a national level.
- Memorize the fiduciary duties owed to a principal
- Distinguish universal, general, and special agency
Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Broad coverage of day-to-day licensee conduct, advertising rules, and professional practice standards tested at the national level.
- Review fair advertising and marketing disclosure basics
- Understand broker-salesperson relationship structures
The remaining national domains - Property Ownership (10%), Financing (10%), Valuation (8%), Property Disclosures (7%), Real Estate Calculations (7%), Transfer of Title (6%), Land Use Controls (5%), and Property Management (3%) - round out the 80-question national section. Calculations questions tend to trip up candidates who skip practice problems, so don't neglect that 7% even though it looks small. For a full walkthrough of every domain with study priorities, our VARE-S Exam Domains 2026 guide is worth bookmarking.
Virginia Domains 12-17 at a Glance
Domains 12 through 17 make up the 40-question Virginia-specific portion, and this is where out-of-state study materials often fall short. These questions test Virginia statutes and Board regulations, not generic national concepts.
Domain 15: Agency Definitions and Relationships
The largest state domain at 30% of the Virginia portion. This is nearly a third of your entire state section, so treat it as the single highest-leverage topic on the whole exam.
- Know Virginia's statutory definitions of client versus customer
- Understand disclosed dual agency and designated representative rules as defined under Virginia law
Domain 16: Virginia Fair Housing Law and Regulations
Covers Virginia's fair housing statutes and how they interact with, and sometimes extend beyond, federal protections.
- Learn Virginia-specific protected classes
- Understand complaint and enforcement procedures within the state
Domain 12: Licensing
Tests your knowledge of the licensing process itself - the same process you're going through right now.
- License categories and renewal cycles
- Board disciplinary authority and grounds for action
Domains 13 (Escrow Accounts), 14 (Disclosure Requirements), and 17 (Specific Acts Pertaining to Real Estate Practice) complete the state section. Escrow rules and required disclosures are frequently tested through scenario-based questions, so practicing applied examples matters more than memorizing definitions in isolation.
Key Takeaway
Because Agency Definitions and Relationships alone accounts for 30% of the state portion, a candidate who masters this one domain has effectively secured a meaningful chunk of the 30-question passing threshold on the state exam.
Eligibility Checklist
Before you can even sit for the VARE-S, you need to clear a short list of prerequisites. Miss one of these and your registration won't go through.
- Be at least 18 years old
- Hold a high school diploma or equivalent
- Complete 60 class or clock hours of Board-approved Principles of Real Estate education
- Satisfy fingerprint-based criminal background check requirements
These are baseline requirements, not suggestions - the Board and PSI cross-check them before issuing exam eligibility. For the complete step-by-step process, including how to submit paperwork and schedule fingerprinting, read our full VARE-S Requirements guide.
The Passing Score Math
Passing the VARE-S isn't a single combined score - you must clear both sections independently.
| Section | Scored Questions | Time Allowed | Passing Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 80 | 105 minutes | 56 correct |
| Virginia State | 40 | 45 minutes | 30 correct |
That works out to needing exactly 70% correct on the national section and 75% correct on the state section. Notice that the state bar is higher relative to question count - another reason not to underestimate the Virginia-specific domains just because they only span 40 questions. For candidates wondering how these numbers compare to broader licensing exam norms, our difficulty guide and pass rate analysis both dig into what these thresholds mean in practice.
A Compressed Final-Week Review Plan
If you're within a week or two of test day, resist the urge to re-read every textbook chapter cover to cover. Instead, sequence your remaining hours around question weight and personal weak spots.
National Heavy Hitters
- Drill Contracts (19%) and Agency (13%) scenario questions
- Run timed practice sets under the 105-minute national time limit
State Priority: Agency Definitions and Relationships
- Rebuild Virginia's client/customer distinctions from memory
- Practice designated representative scenario questions
Remaining Domains and Calculations
- Work Real Estate Calculations problems until formulas are automatic
- Review Escrow Accounts and Disclosure Requirements together, since they overlap in scenario questions
Full Simulation
- Take a full-length timed practice exam split into the 105/45-minute format
- Review missed items by domain, not just by question number
This sequencing works because it front-loads the domains with the biggest point value - Contracts and Agency Definitions and Relationships together represent a disproportionate share of your total scored questions. For a longer-horizon plan that starts weeks or months out, see the VARE-S Study Guide 2026.
Test-Day Mechanics
A few procedural details catch candidates off guard more often than content gaps do.
- The exam is closed-book - no notes, no reference sheets brought from home.
- An approved nonprogrammable calculator is allowed, which matters for Real Estate Calculations questions.
- The national and state sections have separate time limits (105 and 45 minutes), so pacing yourself within each block matters more than pacing across the whole exam.
- PSI's testing rules come from the Candidate Information Bulletin, last revised February 18, 2026 - read it in full before scheduling.
If you haven't locked in a test date yet, our VARE-S Exam Dates guide covers scheduling windows and deadlines in detail. You can also run a full-length simulated exam on our practice test platform to get comfortable with the 105/45-minute split before it counts for real.
What Happens After You Pass
Passing the exam is a milestone, not the finish line. Virginia real estate licenses are valid for 2 years, and the education requirements don't stop at licensure.
- New active salespersons must complete 30 hours of post-license education within 1 year of licensure.
- Experienced salespersons must complete 16 hours of continuing education per renewal term.
These requirements exist because Domains 12 through 17 aren't just exam content - they reflect ongoing obligations you'll carry throughout your career. Understanding escrow rules, disclosure requirements, and fair housing law doesn't end once you pass; it becomes part of daily practice. If you're evaluating whether the licensing path is worth the time and cost, our ROI analysis and salary guide look at the bigger picture, and VARE-S Jobs covers what hiring brokerages typically look for in newly licensed salespersons.
FAQ
The exam fee is $60 per attempt, paid to PSI when you schedule your test.
You need 56 correct out of 80 on the national section and 30 correct out of 40 on the Virginia state section. Both sections must be passed.
Contracts (19%) is the largest national domain, and Agency Definitions and Relationships (30%) is the largest state domain - together they represent the highest-leverage study targets.
Yes, an approved nonprogrammable calculator is allowed, which is especially useful for the Real Estate Calculations domain.
Yes. New active salespersons complete 30 hours of post-license education within 1 year, and experienced salespersons complete 16 hours of continuing education per 2-year renewal term.