WVWest Virginia

Real estate exam prep

At a glance

The exam, in numbers.

Questions: 130 multiple-choice (80 national + 50 state)
Time: 210 minutes (3 hours 30 minutes)
Passing score: 70% national (56/80) AND 76% state (38/50), scored independently. The 76% state threshold is the highest in the country
Pre-license education: 90 hours, West Virginia Real Estate Commission-approved
License type: Real Estate Salesperson (entry-level; brokers take a separate exam)
Administered by: Pearson VUE on behalf of the West Virginia Real Estate Commission
Format: computer-based testing at Pearson VUE centers in West Virginia and the surrounding metro
Result: issued at the testing center; pass/fail per section with numeric score per section
Exam fee: $109 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 12 months while you retake the other
Sponsorship: a WV-licensed broker must employ the salesperson before the license issues

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

West Virginia requires a 76% score on the state portion of the salesperson exam to pass. That's the highest state-portion threshold of any US state real estate licensing exam. Most states use 70% or 75%; a handful use 72.5% or 73%. West Virginia's 76% sits at the top of the range, and the West Virginia Real Estate Commission codifies it directly into the licensing rules. The asymmetric split (70% on the 80-item national portion, 76% on the 50-item state portion) means candidates have to clear 56 of 80 national items AND 38 of 50 state items in the same attempt. The state-portion requirement is unusually tight: missing 13 of 50 fails the section. Candidates who study to a generic "70% across the board" mental model tend to underperform on the state side.

The exam is administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the West Virginia Real Estate Commission. The format is 130 multiple-choice questions over 210 minutes, scored as 80 national + 50 state. Both sections must be cleared in the same exam attempt.

Written by

Chris Reese

May 9, 2026

§ 01 What's tested

West Virginia runs the exam in two scored sections, with the national portion (80 items) covering general real estate principles and the state portion (50 items) covering West Virginia-specific licensing law and regulations. The state portion is anchored on West Virginia Code Chapter 30 Article 40 and the Commission rules at WV CSR 174.

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. West Virginia candidates should know the state operates under a title-theory model with deeds of trust commonly used as the security instrument, and the West Virginia Property Condition Disclosure layers on top of national disclosure content.

State portion (50 scored items)

The state portion is anchored on WV Code Chapter 30 Article 40 and WV CSR 174. The major topic areas:

License Law and the WV Real Estate Commission. Chapter 30 Article 40, the Commission's structure and powers, the salesperson-broker affiliation rules, license issuance and renewal cycles, continuing education requirements, and the standards for license suspension and revocation.
Agency in West Virginia. West Virginia recognizes seller agency, buyer agency, dual agency (with informed written consent), and designated agency. The Real Estate Agency Disclosure form must be presented to a buyer or seller before specific real estate services are performed.
West Virginia Property Condition Disclosure. Required for most residential transfers under WV Code Chapter 30 Article 40-12, with statutory exemptions.
Trust accounts under Commission supervision. West Virginia's escrow account rules require the broker to maintain a separate clients' funds account at a federally insured institution.
West Virginia fair housing and the Human Rights Act. Federal Fair Housing layered with the West Virginia Fair Housing Act (WV Code Chapter 5 Article 11A).
Mineral and surface rights considerations. West Virginia's energy economy means many residential properties have separate mineral rights ownership, and licensees handling those transactions encounter the surface-vs-mineral split, leasehold mineral rights, and existing well or extraction infrastructure.

Standout state-specific content

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

The 76% state-portion passing threshold. Tighter than every other state. Candidates studying to a 70% or 75% mental model leave too little margin on the state side.
Surface-vs-mineral rights considerations. West Virginia's energy industry means many residential parcels have separate mineral rights ownership. Generic national materials don't cover the surface-mineral split at the depth the exam tests.

§ 03 How to study

West Virginia's 90-hour pre-license course covers the national and state outlines, but the exam tests applied judgment in scenario questions that pull from Chapter 30 Article 40, the Real Estate Agency Disclosure rules, the Property Condition Disclosure, and surface-vs-mineral rights considerations simultaneously.

What works in West Virginia is volume on practice questions tied to both the national and state outlines, with extra reps on the state portion specifically because of the 76% threshold. Most who pass have worked through somewhere in the low thousands of practice questions before sitting, with disproportionate study time on the state side.

Passd's West Virginia question bank is organized by both national and state content areas, with per-area accuracy tracked so you know whether your weak spot is the agency disclosure, mineral rights, the Property Condition 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 West Virginia:

Drill the state portion to 80%+ on practice mocks. The 76% threshold leaves no margin for error. Aim for clear distance above the line.
Read the Real Estate Agency Disclosure form. The Commission publishes it. The before-specific-services timing rule is testable.
Study mineral rights basics. Surface-vs-mineral split, leasehold mineral interests, and the licensee's role in disclosing existing extraction infrastructure are testable in scenario form.

§ 04 What to expect on exam day

The West Virginia salesperson exam is administered at Pearson VUE testing centers in West Virginia (Charleston, Morgantown, Huntington) and at additional Pearson VUE centers in nearby Virginia and Pennsylvania. You schedule directly through Pearson VUE after the WV Real Estate 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 per section plus your numeric score on each. Candidates who pass move into the licensure phase: Commission application, broker employment confirmation, fingerprinting, and the license fee. Candidates who fail one section can retake just that section, paying the per-section fee.

§ 05 Common mistakes

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

Studying to a 70% or 75% mental model. West Virginia's 76% state threshold is the highest in the country. Candidates who don't budget extra study time for the state side underperform.
Skipping mineral rights content. West Virginia's energy economy creates a surface-vs-mineral split in many residential transactions. Generic national materials don't cover it at the depth the exam tests.
Missing the Real Estate Agency Disclosure timing. The form must be presented before specific real estate services are performed.
Confusing dual agency with designated agency. West Virginia recognizes both, with different consent rules.
Underestimating the West Virginia Fair Housing Act overlay. State-level protections layer on the federal Fair Housing Act with WV-specific enforcement mechanisms.
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 West Virginia real estate salesperson exam?

130 multiple-choice questions: 80 on the national portion and 50 on the West Virginia state portion.

How is the exam scored?

70% required on the national portion (56/80) AND 76% required on the state portion (38/50), scored independently. The 76% state threshold is the highest in the country.

How long is the exam?

210 minutes (3 hours 30 minutes) total.

Why is West Virginia's state-portion threshold so high?

The West Virginia Real Estate Commission set the 76% threshold by rule under WV CSR 174. The Commission's posture is that the higher state-portion bar reflects the depth of West Virginia-specific content (license law, agency, mineral rights, the Property Condition Disclosure regime) and ensures candidates have substantive command of state-specific material before licensure.

Where do I take the exam?

At a Pearson VUE testing center in West Virginia (Charleston, Morgantown, Huntington) or at additional Pearson VUE centers in nearby Virginia and Pennsylvania.

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

90 hours of West Virginia Real Estate Commission-approved coursework, completed at an approved school before submitting the salesperson application.

Can I retake just the section I failed?

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

How do mineral rights actually work in West Virginia residential transactions?

West Virginia's energy industry has produced a long history of mineral rights severance from surface ownership. A residential parcel may have its surface estate owned by one party and the underlying mineral estate (oil, gas, coal, or other minerals) owned by another. The buyer of the surface estate may not own the right to extract minerals; the mineral owner may have the legal right to access the surface to extract resources. The licensee handling such a transaction needs to disclose the surface-mineral split, identify any active leases on the mineral estate, and flag existing extraction infrastructure (well pads, access roads, pipelines) that affects the surface use. The exam tests basic licensee awareness; specialty mineral-rights work involves attorneys and title specialists.

Why is West Virginia's state-portion threshold the highest in the country?

The West Virginia Real Estate Commission set the 76% state-portion threshold by rule, on the theory that the depth of West Virginia-specific content (license law, the surface-mineral split, the Property Condition Disclosure regime, the Commission's enforcement reputation) warrants a higher bar for state-specific competency. The rule has been in place for years; the Commission hasn't relaxed it.

What's the next step after passing?

Submit the West Virginia Real Estate Commission application, secure broker employment confirmation, complete fingerprinting and background check requirements, and pay the license fee. The license issues after Commission verification. New salespersons practice under their employing broker's supervision and complete continuing education on the renewal cycle.

How much is the West Virginia exam fee?

$109 per attempt, paid to PSI when you schedule. Each retake is the same amount.

How long must I wait between retakes?

There's no statutory waiting period in West Virginia. You can reschedule with PSI as soon as a slot is available.

How long is my passing score valid?

A passed section stays valid for 12 months. If you pass national but fail state (or vice versa), you have 12 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 West Virginia-specific Passd Score plus which Real Estate Commission content areas need work. Free, no credit card.

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