Passed the National but Failed the State Portion? Here's the Texas Rulebook
It's the most common way to fail in Texas: the National portion passes about two-thirds of first-timers while the Texas State Law portion passes about half — so a large group walks out every day having split the difference. The good news is the rules from here are simple and entirely in your favor.
Updated · Facts cited to TREC and Pearson VUE — sources at the end of this page.
The short answer
Your National pass is safe for one year from the date you passed it. You retake only the Texas State Law portion — 40 questions, 90 minutes, 28 to pass — at $43 per attempt. Pearson requires a 24-hour wait before you can schedule the retake, and both portions must be passed before your one-year application expires.
What carries over and what doesn't
- Your National pass
Valid 1 year from its pass date
TREC: 'Exam results for each section of the exam are valid for one year from the passing date.'
- What you retake
State portion only — 40 questions, 90 min, 28 to pass
Per the Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook (Jan 2026).
- Fee
$43 per attempt
Same fee whether a sitting covers one portion or both.
- Deadline
Application expiry (1 year from filing)
Both portions must be passed before it. If it lapses, reapply ($206) — and keep the National credit if you reapply within a year of passing it.
- Attempt tripwire
3 failures of the state portion
Then 30 additional classroom hours of qualifying education before testing again.
The two-clock math, worked
Say you filed your application on March 1 and passed the National portion on June 10 while failing the State portion. Clock one: your application expires next March 1 — the State portion must be passed by then. Clock two: your National pass is valid until next June 10 — if your application lapses and you reapply before that date, you still don't retake the National.
The trap scenario is dawdling: fail the state portion in June, drift for nine months, fail again in February, and now the application expires with the portion unpassed — new $206 application, June deadline looming on the National credit. The rules are generous exactly once; use the retake while both clocks are long.
What to actually drill for the state retake
The state portion is six categories, and Pearson's quarterly data is unambiguous about where first-timers bleed: Contracts (promulgated forms) and Agency & Brokerage (fiduciary duties, intermediary practice) average about 62% correct — against a 70% bar — while Licensing averages over 90%. If you're re-reading the licensing chapter for comfort, you're studying the category you already pass.
Texas-specific rules are also where generic and out-of-state prep material is thinnest, which is why candidates who relied on national-flavored courses fail this portion specifically. Study material that cites TRELA, TREC rules, and the promulgated forms — and verify claims against the citations.
Measure the state portion before you rebook it
You already know you can pass a Pearson VUE exam — you did it once that day. What you don't know is which of the six state domains cost you the portion. PassDeed's free diagnostic covers all six, reports the evidence behind each measured domain, flags low-confidence estimates, and gives the overall Readiness Score a stated confidence range. Use that evidence to decide what to study before you rebook.
Frequently asked questions
If I passed the national portion but failed the state portion in Texas, do I retake both?
No. You retake only the state portion. TREC's rule: exam results for each section are valid for one year from the passing date, and both sections must be passed before your application expires.
How long is my national exam pass valid in Texas?
One year from the date you passed it. If your application expires and you reapply within that year, you still don't retake the national portion.
How much does it cost to retake just the state portion?
$43 — the examination fee is per sitting, the same whether it covers one portion or both.
How many times can I retake the state portion?
There's no fixed cap, but after three failures of the state portion you must complete 30 additional classroom hours of qualifying education before testing again — and all attempts must fit inside your application's one-year validity.
Find out exactly where you stand
The free diagnostic measures you against every blueprint domain — the same content areas as your exam's score report — in about 15 minutes, and reports a Readiness Score with a stated confidence range. No card required.
Sources
- TREC FAQ — I passed one section of the exam and my application has expired
- TREC — Become a Real Estate Sales Agent
- Pearson VUE — Texas Real Estate licensure exams
- TREC — Exam Topic Reports (portion pass rates)
Fees, rules, and statistics above were verified against these sources on the update date shown at the top of the page. Rules change — always confirm current requirements with TREC and Pearson VUE before acting.
Keep reading: Failed the Texas Exam: What Next · The Hardest Part, by the Numbers · How Many Attempts You Get · Texas exam prep
PassDeed is not affiliated with or endorsed by TREC, FREC, the DBPR, the California DRE, Pearson VUE, or any state regulatory body. Passing standards are set by each state. Verify current requirements at trec.texas.gov (Texas), myfloridalicense.com (Florida), or dre.ca.gov (California).