Short answer: between 75 and 180 questions, depending on your state. Most states land between 100 and 150, split across a national portion and a state portion.
The range
The shortest salesperson exam in the country is New York at 75 questions. The longest is Texas at 125 state + 85 national for the sales agent path (total 210 when you count both sections), with Arizona close behind at 180. California comes in at 150 questions with a 3-hour time limit.
Time per question
Time pressure varies more than question count suggests. Texas gives candidates 4 hours for the sales agent exam — generous at roughly 2 minutes per question. California gives 3 hours for 150 questions — tighter, at 72 seconds each. New York allows 90 minutes for 75 questions — the same 72-second pace, but for a shorter overall test.
Passing threshold
Most states require 70% or 75% on each portion independently. A few set the bar higher for one section than the other. The rule to remember: you cannot offset a weak portion with a strong one — each is scored standalone.
What this means for study time
Question count correlates loosely with prep hours. Longer exams spread the same topics across more items, so the marginal prep for a 150-question state isn't much more than a 120-question state. What does change is stamina: finishing a 180-question timed exam is a different test than finishing a 75-question one, and pacing practice matters more as the exam gets longer.
Find your state
Question count, passing score, and pre-license hours for each state are on our pricing page — or jump directly to your state from the homepage. The numbers shown are what the state's real estate commission publishes most recently. Always verify with the commission before scheduling: exam structures do change.