Alabama · salesperson exam · checked Oct 24, 2026
The salesperson exam in Alabama is one sitting of 3.5 hours with two parts: 80 general questions, then 40 on Alabama law. You pass or fail on one overall scaled score of 70, not on each part. Several prep sites still say 70% on each part; the current Pearson VUE handbook reports one overall score.
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Not affiliated with any state commission or test provider.
What is the minimum age requirement to obtain a real estate license in Alabama?
Answer and explanations
Incorrect: No rule asks for 25; that number has no basis in the license law.
Incorrect: Twenty-one is not an Alabama requirement for a salesperson license.
Incorrect: Eighteen is not enough; Alabama asks for 19.
Correct: Alabama sets the minimum age at 19, one year above the age most states use.
How many hours of pre-license education must be completed to qualify for a salesperson license in Alabama?
Answer and explanations
Correct: The salesperson prelicense course is 60 clock hours, and it has to be passed before the exam can be scheduled.
Incorrect: Seventy-five hours is more than the Alabama course requires.
Incorrect: Ninety hours is more than Alabama requires; the course is 60.
Incorrect: Forty-five hours is not an Alabama course length.
How many hours of post-license education must a temporary salesperson complete within the first year to qualify for an original (permanent) license?
Answer and explanations
Incorrect: Fifteen hours is the continuing education amount per renewal period, not the post-license course.
Incorrect: Sixty hours is the prelicense course taken before the exam.
Correct: The post-license course is 30 clock hours, and finishing it is what allows the original license to be issued.
Incorrect: Forty-five hours is not an Alabama post-license figure.
When transferring a license in Alabama, when can a salesperson begin working for the new broker?
Answer and explanations
Incorrect: Filing starts the process, but the licensee still waits for the new license to be issued.
Correct: The law bars licensed work after a change of qualifying broker until the Commission issues the new active license.
Incorrect: No waiting period grants authority; only issuance of the new license does.
Incorrect: A handshake with the new broker does not move the license; the Commission has to issue it.
Answer every question to see your score
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test provider | Pearson VUE, for the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) [1] | |
| National portion | General portion: 80 questions, 2.5 hours | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) [1] | |
| State portion | State law portion: 40 questions, 1 hour | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) · Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Content Outlines #093301 (02/2026) [1][2] | |
| Unscored questions | 10–15 pretest questions | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) [1] | |
| Testing time | 3.5 hours (210 minutes) | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) [1] | |
| Passing score | One overall scaled score of 70scaled 0–100, not a percent; numeric scores go only to candidates who fail | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) [1] | |
| Fail one part | No: failing one or both parts means retaking the entire exam | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) [1] | |
| Retake | Unlimited attempts within the 6-month authorization; after that, the prelicense course must be taken again | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) [1] | |
| Validity window | A passing score is good for 90 days: apply to AREC within that window | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) [1] | |
| Exam fee | $73reciprocal state-only exam: $53 | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) [1] | |
| Calculator | Personal calculators not permitted; an on-screen calculator is provided | Pearson VUE: Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (Aug 2024, fees eff. Aug 1, 2025, rev. 02/2026) [1] |
The state part has ten outline areas; this site groups them into three pages. Violations that can lead to discipline is the single largest area: 15 of the 40 state questions, which is why the violations page carries 19. The general areas are the same Pearson VUE outline other states use, and each links to its page on the national portion.
| # | Content area | Questions | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama license law | 15 items | Practice questions |
| 2 | Violations, discipline and the Recovery Fund | 19 items | Practice questions |
| 3 | RECAD, trust funds and closing statements | 6 items | Practice questions |
| 4 | Property ownership | 13 items | National section |
| 5 | Land use controls | 3 items | National section |
| 6 | Transfer of title | 6 items | National section |
| 7 | Valuation and appraisal | 11 items | National section |
| 8 | Contracts | 9 items | National section |
| 9 | Agency | 10 items | National section |
| 10 | Real estate practice | 7 items | National section |
| 11 | Disclosures and environmental issues | 9 items | National section |
| 12 | Financing | 5 items | National section |
| 13 | Real estate math | 7 items | National section |
Three claims that are out of date
HB382 took effect on October 1, 2025. Until a written agency agreement signed by both the licensee and the consumer is in place, the licensee is a transaction facilitator (older material says “transaction broker”; §34-27-82). The brokerage services disclosure now has to come before any brokerage service, including showing a property. The Commission reissued its disclosure form and its team-advertising rule effective February 14, 2026 (ch. 790-X-3), and the state outline in force is the one effective February 1, 2026.
Study material written before October 2025 uses the old term and the old disclosure timing. The RECAD and trust funds page covers the new disclosure rules.
Dates, documents and the lapse rules are on how to get licensed; every fee is on Alabama license cost.
Practice on your phone
Alabama salesperson: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with any state commission or test provider.
The exam fee is $73 as of Oct 2026, paid to Pearson VUE when you book. With the active temporary license the minimum to get licensed is $283 in state and test fees: Alabama license cost.
A scaled 70 on the exam as a whole, not 70 on each part. The scale runs 0–100 and is not a percent; only failing candidates see a number.
The handbook publishes no pass rate by part, so nobody can say from the data. The state part is shorter, at 40 questions, but its rules changed in 2025 and 2026, and violations alone are 15 of its 40 questions (state outline).