KSKansas

Real estate exam prep

At a glance

The exam, in numbers.

Questions: 110 multiple-choice (80 national + 30 state)
Time: 240 minutes (4 hours)
Passing score: 70% scaled
Pre-license education: 60 hours total (30 hours Real Estate Principles + 30 hours Real Estate Practice, sequenced)
License type: Salesperson (entry-level; brokers and broker-associates take separate exams)
Administered by: Pearson VUE on behalf of KREC
Format: computer-based testing at Pearson VUE centers across Kansas
Result: issued at the testing center; pass/fail with scaled score
Exam fee: $82 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE at scheduling
Retake wait: none; reschedule with Pearson VUE as soon as a slot is available
Score validity: a passed section stays valid for 6 months while you retake the other
Sponsorship: a Kansas-licensed broker (Supervising Broker) must employ the salesperson before the license issues

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

In Kansas, when a licensee meets a buyer or seller without first having a written agency agreement in hand, the default representation isn't single agency. It's transaction brokerage. Kansas BRRETA (the state's Brokerage Relationships in Real Estate Transactions Act, K.S.A. 58-30,101 et seq.) flips the default that most state real estate exams assume. Where generic national study materials default candidates' mental model to "the licensee represents one party as a fiduciary unless otherwise specified," Kansas defaults to "the licensee facilitates the transaction without representing either party unless otherwise specified." The exam tests this default repeatedly in scenario form, and candidates who studied from generic materials often answer the wrong default and lose recoverable points across the agency section. Pair the default with one of the smallest state portions in the country (30 scored items, where most PSI states use 40), and the per-item weight on Kansas-specific content is unusually high.

The exam is administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Kansas Real Estate Commission (KREC). The format is 110 multiple-choice questions over 240 minutes, scored as 80 national + 30 state. The passing standard is 70% scaled. Both sections must be cleared in the same exam attempt for the salesperson license to issue.

This guide walks through the KREC content outline, how to study for the transaction-brokerage default and the small state portion, and what exam day looks like at a Pearson VUE center.

Written by

Chris Reese

May 9, 2026

§ 01 What's tested

Kansas runs the exam in two scored sections, with the national portion (80 items) covering general real estate principles and the state portion (30 items) covering Kansas-specific licensing law and regulations. The state portion is anchored on Kansas Statutes Annotated Chapter 58 Article 30 (Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons) and the KREC regulations at Kansas Administrative Regulations Article 86.

National portion (80 scored items)

The national portion follows the Pearson VUE 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. Kansas candidates should know the state operates under a title-theory model with mortgages as the standard instrument, and the Kansas Brokerage Relationships in Real Estate Transactions Act (BRRETA, K.S.A. 58-30,101 et seq.) layers on top of national agency content in many scenario questions.

State portion (30 scored items)

The state portion is anchored on K.S.A. Chapter 58 Article 30 and KAR Article 86. The major topic areas:

License Law and KREC. K.S.A. Chapter 58 Article 30, KREC's structure and powers, the Salesperson / Broker / Broker-Associate tier structure, license issuance and renewal cycles, continuing education requirements, and the standards for license suspension and revocation.
Kansas BRRETA and brokerage relationships. Kansas codified its brokerage representation rules in BRRETA (K.S.A. 58-30,101 et seq., not to be confused with Georgia's separately-named BRRETA at O.C.G.A. § 10-6A-1). Kansas BRRETA defines seller agency, buyer agency, transaction brokerage (the default for Kansas licensees absent a written agency agreement), and dual agency. The Kansas BRRETA Brokerage Relationships disclosure must be presented to a buyer or seller before specific real estate services are performed.
Kansas Seller's Disclosure Statement. Required under K.S.A. 58-30,142 for most residential transfers. Statutory exemptions apply (estate transfers, foreclosures, certain trustee transfers). The exam tests when delivery is required and the buyer's recourse for late or omitted delivery.
Trust accounts under KREC supervision. Kansas's escrow account rules require the broker to maintain a separate trust account at a Kansas-chartered or federally chartered insured institution, with specific deposit-timing requirements under KAR Article 86.
Kansas fair housing. Federal Fair Housing layered with the Kansas Act Against Discrimination (K.S.A. 44-1011 et seq.).

Standout state-specific content

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

The Kansas BRRETA naming collision with Georgia BRRETA. Both states named their brokerage representation statutes BRRETA, but the statutes are unrelated and the rules differ. Kansas BRRETA defaults to transaction brokerage absent a written agency agreement (similar to Colorado and Oklahoma's defaults); Georgia BRRETA is a five-relationship statute (single, dual, designated, transaction, no-relationship) without the same default. Candidates studying from materials that conflate the two miss the Kansas-specific scenario questions.
The 30-item state portion's per-item weight. 30 items at 70% scaled means roughly 21 correct is the threshold, and any 9 missed items risks the section. Skimming any single Kansas-specific topic costs proportionally more than in a 40-item state portion.

§ 03 How to study

Kansas's 60-hour pre-license course (split into Real Estate Principles and Real Estate Practice) covers the national and state outlines, but the test grades on integration. A typical Kansas exam scenario will ask the candidate to identify the brokerage relationship, name the controlling K.S.A. provision, and choose the licensee's correct disclosure obligation in the same fact pattern. Studying the Principles and Practice course materials in isolation isn't enough; the integration is the gate.

What works in Kansas is volume on practice questions tied to both the national and state outlines, with extra reps on the BRRETA transaction-brokerage default, the Brokerage Relationships disclosure timing, and the Seller's Disclosure Statement mechanics. Most who pass have worked through somewhere in the low thousands of practice questions before sitting.

Passd's Kansas question bank is organized by both national and state content areas, with per-area accuracy tracked so you know whether your weak spot is BRRETA, agency disclosure, the Seller's 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 Kansas:

Read the Kansas BRRETA Brokerage Relationships disclosure form. KREC publishes it. The before-specific-services timing rule is testable in scenario form.
Drill the transaction-brokerage default mechanics. Kansas defaults to transaction brokerage absent a written agency agreement. Generic national materials often default to single agency. The exam asks scenario questions where the absent-agreement default kicks in.
Don't confuse Kansas BRRETA with Georgia BRRETA. The acronyms are identical but the statutes and rules differ. If you encountered Georgia BRRETA in study materials, set those rules aside when studying Kansas.

§ 04 What to expect on exam day

The Kansas salesperson exam is administered at Pearson VUE testing centers across Kansas (Topeka, Wichita, Kansas City, Overland Park, and additional locations). You schedule directly through Pearson VUE after KREC has approved your sequenced 30+30 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 KREC 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: KREC application, Supervising Broker employment confirmation, fingerprinting, and the license fee. Candidates who fail can register for a retake, paying the per-attempt fee.

§ 05 Common mistakes

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

Confusing Kansas BRRETA with Georgia BRRETA. The statutes share an acronym but not the substance. Kansas BRRETA defaults to transaction brokerage; Georgia BRRETA is a five-relationship statute with different consent rules. Candidates who studied generic BRRETA materials without distinguishing the two miss the Kansas-specific scenario questions.
Defaulting to single agency on scenario questions. Kansas's default is transaction brokerage absent a written agency agreement. Candidates who imported a single-agency mental model from generic national materials miss the transaction-brokerage scenario questions.
Underestimating the 30-item state portion's per-item weight. The small state portion at 70% scaled threshold leaves little margin. Skimming any topic loses recoverable points fast.
Skipping the Brokerage Relationships disclosure timing. The form must be presented before specific real estate services are performed. Late delivery is testable misconduct.
Taking the Practice course before Principles. The 30+30 sequence is mandatory; KREC will reject the application if the courses were taken out of order. Candidates who tried to expedite by taking Practice first have to retake Principles.
Showing up without an unexpired ID or with a name mismatch. Pearson VUE turns candidates away for ID problems.

§ 02 Frequently asked questions

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

110 multiple-choice questions: 80 on the national portion and 30 on the Kansas state portion.

How is the exam scored?

70% scaled. Pearson VUE applies the scaling per KREC's published methodology.

How long is the exam?

240 minutes (4 hours) total.

What's the difference between Real Estate Principles and Real Estate Practice in Kansas?

Real Estate Principles (30 hours) covers real property characteristics, ownership, contracts, and agency. Real Estate Practice (30 hours) covers the licensee's role in a Kansas transaction, KREC rules, and Kansas disclosure obligations. The two courses cannot be taken concurrently; Principles must be completed before Practice can begin.

Where do I take the exam?

At a Pearson VUE testing center in Kansas (Topeka, Wichita, Kansas City, Overland Park, and additional locations).

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

60 hours total: 30 hours of Real Estate Principles followed by 30 hours of Real Estate Practice, both KREC-approved and taken in sequence at an approved Kansas real estate school.

Is Kansas BRRETA the same as Georgia BRRETA?

No. Both states named their brokerage representation statutes BRRETA, but the statutes are unrelated. Kansas BRRETA defaults to transaction brokerage absent a written agency agreement; Georgia BRRETA is a five-relationship statute with different consent rules.

Can I retake just the section I failed?

Yes. Pearson VUE allows retakes of the failed section only, with a per-section fee.

How much is the Kansas exam fee?

$82 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE when you schedule. Each retake is the same amount.

How long must I wait between retakes?

There's no statutory waiting period in Kansas. You can reschedule with Pearson VUE as soon as a slot is available.

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.

Ready to see how prepared you are?

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

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