- The Exact Numbers You Need to Pass
- How the Score Is Split Between National and State
- Why 56/80 and 30/40 Aren't Equally Easy
- Domain Weight and the Passing Score Math
- Registration, Fees, and Retake Mechanics
- Building a Study Plan Around the Passing Threshold
- What Happens After You Hit the Number
- Frequently Asked Questions
- You need 56 of 80 scored national questions and 30 of 40 scored Virginia questions to pass.
- That works out to roughly 70% national and 75% state - the state portion has less margin for error.
- PSI may slip in unscored experimental items, so a missed question isn't automatically a lost point.
- Contracts (19%) drives national scoring; Agency Definitions and Relationships (30%) drives state scoring.
The Exact Numbers You Need to Pass
The Virginia Real Estate Salesperson Exam (VARE-S) is scored as two separate tests inside one testing appointment. To pass, you need 56 correct answers out of 80 scored national questions and 30 correct answers out of 40 scored Virginia-specific questions. Both thresholds must be met - there's no averaging the two sections together. Miss the cutoff on either half, even if you crush the other, and you'll need to retake that portion.
PSI, the testing vendor that administers the exam on behalf of the Virginia Real Estate Board (part of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation), builds the exam with 80 scored national items delivered in 105 minutes, followed by 40 scored Virginia items in 45 minutes. PSI's Candidate Information Bulletin, last revised February 18, 2026, is the authoritative source for these numbers, and it's worth reading in full before you schedule a seat.
How the Score Is Split Between National and State
The VARE-S is organized into 17 domains, but they fall into two distinct groups. Domains 1 through 11 make up the national portion - general real estate knowledge tested across most U.S. jurisdictions - while Domains 12 through 17 are Virginia-specific law and practice. If you haven't already mapped out what each of those 17 areas actually covers, the VARE-S Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 17 Content Areas breaks down every one in detail.
Here's how the two portions differ structurally:
| Attribute | National Portion | Virginia Portion |
|---|---|---|
| Scored questions | 80 | 40 |
| Time allowed | 105 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Passing score | 56 correct | 30 correct |
| Passing percentage | 70% | 75% |
| Domains covered | Domains 1-11 | Domains 12-17 |
Both sections are delivered by computer, closed-book, and you're permitted to use an approved nonprogrammable calculator for the math-heavy questions - most notably in Domain 11: Real Estate Calculations. PSI may also insert additional unscored experimental questions anywhere in either section; these are used to test future exam items and don't count toward your score, but you can't tell which questions they are, so treat every item as if it counts.
Why 56/80 and 30/40 Aren't Equally Easy
Do the arithmetic and something interesting shows up: 56/80 is 70%, but 30/40 is 75%. The Virginia-specific portion demands a higher accuracy rate on fewer questions, which means there's less room to guess your way through weak spots. Candidates who assume the "state law" section is the easier, more memorization-friendly half sometimes underestimate how tightly it's scored.
This is one of the reasons the state portion trips up otherwise well-prepared candidates. If you want a broader look at where people commonly lose points, How Hard Is the VARE-S Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 goes deeper into the difficulty curve across both halves of the test.
Key Takeaway
Don't back-burner the Virginia-specific domains because they "feel" like memorization. A 75% bar on only 40 questions leaves fewer wrong answers to spare than the 70% bar on 80 national questions.
Domain Weight and the Passing Score Math
Because the national section is weighted by domain, not every wrong answer is equally likely. Some domains contribute far more questions to your 80-item pool than others, so mastering the heavyweight domains has an outsized effect on whether you clear 56 correct.
Domain 5: Contracts (19%)
The single largest national domain. Expect questions on offer and acceptance, contingencies, contract remedies, and the lifecycle of a purchase agreement.
- Roughly 15 of the 80 national questions live here - get this domain right and you're most of the way to 56.
Domain 6: Agency (13%)
Fiduciary duties, agency relationships, and disclosure obligations to buyers and sellers on the national level.
- Second-largest national domain; pairs conceptually with the Virginia-specific agency material below.
Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Day-to-day licensee conduct, professional standards, and general brokerage practice questions.
- Third-largest national slice - a strong candidate for review sessions closer to test day.
Domain 15: Agency Definitions and Relationships (30%)
The largest domain on the entire exam, national or state. This single Virginia-specific area accounts for nearly a third of your 40 scored state questions.
- Covers Virginia's statutory definitions of agency, dual agency rules, and disclosed brokerage relationships unique to the Commonwealth.
Smaller domains - Property Management (3%), Land Use Controls (5%), and Property Disclosures (7%) among them - still show up on the exam, but missing a couple of questions there is far less damaging to your overall score than missing questions in Contracts or Agency Definitions and Relationships. If you want the full percentage breakdown for every one of the 17 domains, that's laid out completely in the domains guide.
Registration, Fees, and Retake Mechanics
Each attempt at the VARE-S costs $60, paid to PSI when you schedule your seat. Before you're even eligible to register, you need to 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 coursework, and clear a fingerprint-based background check. If you haven't confirmed you meet all of these, the VARE-S Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify article walks through each prerequisite in order.
Because the exam is scored as two independent pass/fail sections, some candidates pass one half and not the other on a given attempt. Understand your state's retake policy and fee structure before you schedule, since repeated $60 attempts add up quickly if you go in underprepared. A full cost breakdown - including education hours, application fees, and exam fees together - is available in VARE-S Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Building a Study Plan Around the Passing Threshold
Once you know the exact numbers - 56/80 and 30/40 - your prep can stop being generic and start being targeted at the domains that move those numbers most. A simple way to sequence a multi-week plan is to front-load the highest-weighted domains first, then use spaced repetition in the final stretch to keep everything fresh rather than cramming new material right before test day.
Contracts and Agency (National)
- Master Domain 5: Contracts (19%) and Domain 6: Agency (13%) - together nearly a third of the national score.
- Work practice questions daily rather than just re-reading notes.
Agency Definitions and Relationships (State)
- Dedicate a full week to Domain 15, the single largest domain on the exam at 30% of the state score.
- Contrast Virginia's agency rules against the national agency concepts from Week 1 to avoid mixing them up.
Remaining National Domains and Calculations
- Cover Financing, Valuation, Property Ownership, and Domain 11: Real Estate Calculations with your approved calculator.
- Practice under timed conditions matching the 105-minute national window.
Virginia-Specific Law and Full Simulation
- Finish Domains 12-14 and 16-17 (Licensing, Escrow Accounts, Disclosure Requirements, Fair Housing, and Specific Acts).
- Run full-length timed practice exams to rehearse the 45-minute state section pace.
For a broader treatment of pacing and preparation strategy across the whole test - not just the score math - the VARE-S Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt is the natural next stop. And if you're doing timed practice runs, ../ offers full-length simulated exams that mirror the national and state split you'll face on test day.
What Happens After You Hit the Number
Clearing 56/80 and 30/40 gets you licensed, but the requirements don't end there. Virginia salesperson licenses are valid for 2 years. New active salespersons must complete 30 hours of post-license education within 1 year of licensure, while experienced salespersons complete 16 hours of continuing education per renewal term going forward. Building these into your calendar early avoids a scramble near your renewal date.
Passing the exam is also just the entry point into the field. If you're curious what licensed salespersons in Virginia actually do day to day and who's hiring, VARE-S Jobs covers the landscape, and VARE-S Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis looks at how compensation structures typically work in the industry. For candidates still weighing whether the licensing path is worth the time and cost, Is the VARE-S Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 lays out the tradeoffs.
Key Takeaway
Passing is a two-part hurdle - national and state - each with its own cutoff. Treat them as two separate exams to prepare for, not one combined score to average out.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need 56 correct out of 80 scored national questions and 30 correct out of 40 scored Virginia-specific questions. Both thresholds must be met independently to pass.
Mathematically, the state portion requires a higher accuracy rate - 75% versus 70% on the national side - even though it has fewer questions, so there's less margin for missed answers.
PSI may include additional unscored experimental questions in either section, but since you can't identify which ones they are, you should answer every question as if it counts toward your 56/80 or 30/40 total.
Each attempt costs $60, paid to PSI when scheduling. See the VARE-S Certification Cost 2026 breakdown for the full picture including education and licensing fees.
On the national side, Contracts (19%) and Agency (13%) carry the most weight. On the state side, Agency Definitions and Relationships (30%) alone accounts for nearly a third of the scored Virginia questions.