AKAlaska

Real estate exam prep

At a glance

The exam, in numbers.

Questions: 140 multiple-choice (80 national + 60 state)
Time: 240 minutes (4 hours)
Passing score: 75% scaled
Pre-license education: 40 hours, Alaska Real Estate Commission-approved
License type: Real Estate Salesperson (entry-level; brokers and associate brokers take separate exams)
Administered by: PSI Services LLC on behalf of the Alaska Real Estate Commission
Format: computer-based testing at PSI centers in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau
Exam fee: $100 per attempt, paid to PSI at scheduling
Retake wait: none; reschedule with PSI as soon as a slot is available
Score validity: a passed section stays valid for 6 months while you retake the other
Result: issued at the testing center; pass/fail with scaled score
Sponsorship: an Alaska-licensed broker must employ the salesperson before the license issues

Alaska real estate exam: format, score, what to expect in 2026

Alaska's salesperson exam has a 60-item state portion, the largest state portion of any salesperson-tier real estate exam in the United States. The Alaska Real Estate Commission tests the state-specific content at depth because Alaska real estate practice operates against a unique set of structural conditions: the largest state by area in the country, vast tracts of state and federal land, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) which transferred 44 million acres to Alaska Native regional and village corporations creating a distinct title-clearing layer, and frontier-era title issues from the territorial period that still affect parcels in some regions. The 60-item state portion tests license law, agency, the Alaska Property Disclosure regime, ANCSA-related title considerations, and the Alaska Real Estate Commission's specific rules in detail. Combined with a relatively short 40-hour pre-license course, candidates often arrive at the exam with vocabulary but not the depth the 60-item state portion demands.

The exam is administered by PSI Services LLC on behalf of the Alaska Real Estate Commission, which sits within the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. The format is 140 multiple-choice questions over 240 minutes, scored as 80 national + 60 state. The passing standard is 75% scaled.

Written by

Chris Reese

May 9, 2026

§ 01 What's tested

Alaska runs the exam in two scored sections, with the national portion (80 items) covering general real estate principles and the state portion (60 items) covering Alaska-specific licensing law and regulations. The state portion at 60 items is the heaviest salesperson-tier state portion in the country.

National portion (80 scored items)

The national portion follows PSI's standard national real estate outline. Topic areas: real property characteristics, ownership and title, value and appraisal, contracts and agency, real estate practice, disclosures and environmental issues, financing and settlement, and math. Alaska candidates should know the state operates under a deed-of-trust model with non-judicial foreclosure (typical of Western states), and the Alaska Property Disclosure form layers on top of national disclosure content with state-specific entries for permafrost, well water, septic, and the unique environmental conditions of Alaskan property.

State portion (60 scored items)

The state portion is anchored on Alaska Statutes Title 08 Chapter 88 and the Commission rules at 12 AAC 64. The major topic areas:

License Law and the Alaska Real Estate Commission. AS Title 08 Chapter 88, the Commission's structure within the Department of Commerce, the Salesperson / Associate Broker / Broker tier framework, license issuance and renewal cycles, continuing education requirements, and the standards for license suspension and revocation.
Agency in Alaska. Alaska recognizes single agency, dual agency (with informed written consent), and designated agency. The Real Estate Consumer's Guide to Agency Relationships must be presented to a buyer or seller at the first contact substantive enough to elicit confidential information.
Alaska Property Disclosure. Required under AS 34.70 for most residential transfers. State-specific entries for permafrost, well water, septic systems, frozen ground considerations, and access to the property during winter months are testable.
ANCSA-related title considerations. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 transferred 44 million acres to Alaska Native regional and village corporations. Some parcels in Alaska still trace title through ANCSA grants, with restrictions on alienation that don't exist in non-Native land. The exam tests basic awareness of ANCSA's title implications for licensees.
Trust accounts under Commission supervision. Alaska's escrow account rules require the broker to maintain a separate clients' funds account at an Alaska-chartered or federally chartered insured institution.
Alaska fair housing. Federal Fair Housing layered with the Alaska Statutes Title 18 Chapter 80 (Discrimination Prohibited) protections.
Permafrost and frontier-environment property considerations. Properties in Alaska's interior and far north regions sit on permafrost, which affects foundation integrity, septic viability, and structural stability. The exam tests basic licensee awareness of permafrost-related disclosure obligations.

Standout state-specific content

Two Alaska content areas almost always confuse candidates who studied from generic national materials:

The 60-item state portion's breadth and depth. Most state portions are 30-50 items. Alaska's 60 items at a 75% scaled threshold demands substantial state-specific preparation. Candidates studying from generic 40-item-state materials underprepare by a significant margin.
ANCSA title overlay for parcels traced through Native corporation grants. No other state has an equivalent settlement act of comparable scale. The exam tests basic licensee awareness; specialized ANCSA title work is handled by attorneys.

§ 03 How to study

Alaska's 40-hour pre-license course is short relative to the 60-item state portion the exam tests. Candidates often arrive with vocabulary but not depth. The fix is heavy practice question volume tied to the state portion, with extra reps on permafrost-related disclosures, ANCSA-related title issues, and the Real Estate Consumer's Guide timing.

What works in Alaska is treating the 40-hour course as introduction and the practice question bank as the actual study. Most who pass have worked through somewhere in the low thousands of practice questions before sitting, with proportional weighting toward the 60-item state portion.

Passd's Alaska question bank is organized by both national and state content areas, with per-area accuracy tracked so you know whether your weak spot is permafrost disclosures, ANCSA title, agency disclosure, or finance before booking the exam. Your Passd Score updates as you answer and gives a single read on whether the test is in reach yet. Tier details are on the pricing page.

A few specific things help in Alaska:

Read the Real Estate Consumer's Guide to Agency Relationships. The Commission publishes it. The first-substantive-contact timing rule is testable in scenario form.
Drill the 60-item state portion's breadth. Allocate proportionally more study time to the state portion than the question count alone suggests; the depth of state-specific content demands it.
Build basic awareness of ANCSA title issues and permafrost disclosure. Generic national materials don't cover either topic. Specialty Alaska study materials are essential.

§ 04 What to expect on exam day

The Alaska salesperson exam is administered at PSI testing centers in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. Given Alaska's geographic vastness, candidates outside the major cities often travel substantial distances to reach a testing center. You schedule directly through PSI after the Commission has approved your pre-license course completion and authorized you to test.

On exam day:

Arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment. Late arrivals can be turned away.
Bring two forms of valid signature identification, one of them government-issued with photo (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID). Names must match the Commission application.
Personal items go in a locker. Phones, smart watches, study materials, food, and bound notes stay outside the testing room.
Calculators are permitted with restrictions: silent, battery-operated, non-printing, and without an alphabetic keypad.
The exam is closed-book.

Results print at the testing center after the exam, showing pass or fail with a scaled score. Candidates who pass move into the licensure phase: Commission application, broker employment confirmation, and the license fee. Candidates who fail can register for a retake.

§ 05 Common mistakes

Alaska candidates who fail the exam tend to fail in a handful of specific ways:

Underestimating the 60-item state portion. Most candidates split study time as if the state portion were 40 items. Alaska's 60 means substantially more breadth in state-specific content and more chances to lose points.
Skipping ANCSA title content. Generic national materials don't cover the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act's title implications. Candidates who didn't encounter ANCSA in study tend to be surprised by the scenario questions.
Missing permafrost-related disclosure obligations. Alaska's interior and far north have permafrost-related property considerations that show up in the Property Disclosure form. Generic disclosure study materials don't cover these.
Treating the 40-hour course as sufficient preparation. The pre-license course covers vocabulary; the 60-item state portion tests integration. Practice question volume is essentially required.
Missing the Real Estate Consumer's Guide timing. The form must be presented at the first substantive contact. Late delivery is testable misconduct.
Showing up without an unexpired ID or with a name mismatch. PSI turns candidates away for ID problems.

§ 02 Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on the Alaska real estate salesperson exam?

140 multiple-choice questions: 80 on the national portion and 60 on the Alaska state portion.

How is the exam scored?

75% scaled. PSI applies the scaling per the Alaska Real Estate Commission's published methodology.

How long is the exam?

240 minutes (4 hours) total.

Why is Alaska's state portion so large?

Alaska's geographic vastness, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act's title implications, frontier-era title issues, and permafrost-related disclosure obligations create a depth of state-specific content that the Commission tests at 60 items rather than the typical 40.

Where do I take the exam?

At a PSI testing center in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau. Candidates outside the major cities often travel substantial distances to reach a testing center.

What pre-license education do I need before the exam?

40 hours of Alaska Real Estate Commission-approved coursework, completed at an approved school before submitting the salesperson application.

What's ANCSA and why does it affect title?

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 transferred 44 million acres to Alaska Native regional and village corporations. Some Alaska parcels still trace title through ANCSA grants, with restrictions on alienation that don't exist in non-Native land. The exam tests basic licensee awareness; specialized ANCSA title work is handled by attorneys.

Can I retake just the section I failed?

Yes. PSI allows retakes of the failed section only, with a per-section fee. There's no statutory wait; reschedule as soon as PSI has an open slot.

How long is my passing score valid?

A passed section stays valid for 6 months. If you pass national but fail state (or vice versa), you have 6 months to pass the failed section before you have to re-test everything.

How much is the Alaska exam fee?

$100 per attempt, paid to PSI when you schedule. Each retake, whether full exam or a single failed section, is the same amount.

Are there any Alaska-specific considerations for closing?

Yes. Alaska's geographic challenges affect closing logistics in ways most candidates don't anticipate: title insurance for parcels with ANCSA-related history requires specialized title-clearing review, escrow handling for properties with seasonal road access may involve longer closing timelines, and the Alaska Real Estate Commission's escrow rules require specific documentation for any earnest money held during the typically extended due diligence periods Alaska transactions involve.

Ready to see how prepared you are?

The Passd diagnostic is 20 questions across every major topic, and shows your Alaska-specific Passd Score plus which Real Estate Commission content areas need work. Free, no credit card.

Start the Alaska diagnostic