Alabama Real Estate Practice Test (Free)
The Alabama real estate salesperson exam has 120 questions and a 3 hours 30 minutes limit. Below are the exact numbers the AL exam uses, and a free practice test to see where you stand.
The Alabama exam at a glance
- License
- Real Estate Salesperson
- Administered by
- Pearson VUE, under contract with the Alabama Real Estate Commission
- Total questions
- 120 (80 national and 40 Alabama-specific)
- Time limit
- 3 hours 30 minutes
- Passing score
- A scaled score of at least 70 on a 0 to 100 scale, reported as one overall score for the whole examination. Raw scores are converted into scaled scores through equating, so 70 is not a raw percentage and no count of correct answers is published. Alabama sets one passing standard for the salesperson examination rather than a separate pass line for each portion, and a candidate who fails must retake the entire examination.
- How it is taken
- In person at Pearson VUE test centers in Alabama and across the United States, including select military installation test centers. There is no online or remote proctored option. Report 30 minutes before the appointment.
- If you fail
- No waiting period is published. Candidates are authorized for six months from their prelicense course completion date and get unlimited attempts inside that window without returning to the Commission for a new authorization. A failure on either portion means retaking the entire examination, both the 80-item national/general part and the 40-item Alabama state part, and paying the full $73 fee each time. If the exam is not passed within the six month authorization, the applicant must repeat the 60 clock hour prelicense course and be authorized again. Exam fees are non-refundable and are paid to Pearson VUE, not at the test center.
What Alabama requires before you can sit the exam
- Minimum age
- 19+
- Pre-license education
- 60 hours
- An approved 60 clock hour Alabama salesperson prelicense course, passed with a minimum course grade of 70 percent. The course must be completed within one year of its start date, and no more than eight hours of credit may be earned in a single day. The school reports completion to the Commission, and the license examination must be passed within six months of course completion or the course must be retaken.
- Exam / application fee
- $73
- License term
- 2 years
- Background check
- Fingerprints and a criminal history check are required.
Free Alabama practice questions
10 questions written for the Alabama exam, drawn from 12 in the ApexAgent bank. The correct answer and the reasoning are under each one.
1. What is the minimum age to be issued an Alabama real estate salesperson license?
- A. 18
- B. 19 ✓
- C. 21
- D. 25
Why: Section 34-27-32(a)(4), Code of Alabama 1975, requires an applicant for a broker or salesperson license to be at least 19 years of age. Alabama is one of the states that sets the entry age at 19 rather than the more common 18.
2. How many members serve on the Alabama Real Estate Commission?
- A. Five
- B. Seven
- C. Nine ✓
- D. Eleven
Why: Section 34-27-7(a), Code of Alabama 1975, creates the Alabama Real Estate Commission with nine members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Eight are real estate professionals and one is a consumer member.
3. How long is the term of an Alabama Real Estate Commission member?
- A. Two years
- B. Three years
- C. Four years
- D. Five years ✓
Why: Section 34-27-7(c), Code of Alabama 1975, provides that members of the Commission serve five year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive terms. All appointments expire on September 30 of the final year of a term.
4. How many clock hours of prelicense education must an Alabama salesperson applicant complete before taking the license examination?
- A. 30
- B. 45
- C. 60 ✓
- D. 90
Why: Rule 790-X-1-.06 of the Alabama Administrative Code and Section 34-27-32 require a Commission-approved 60 clock hour salesperson prelicense course, completed before the examination. The course must be finished within one year of its start date and passed with a minimum grade of 70 percent.
5. An Alabama salesperson applicant must earn what score to pass the license examination?
- A. A scaled score of 70 overall ✓
- B. At least 70 percent on the national portion and separately on the state portion
- C. A raw score of 85 out of 120
- D. A scaled score of 75 overall
Why: Rule 790-X-2-.02 of the Alabama Administrative Code sets the passing grade at 70 for both the salesperson and broker examinations, and the Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook reports the result as one overall scaled score. Raw scores are equated onto a 0 to 100 scale, so 70 is not a raw percentage and the Commission does not publish a separate pass line for each portion.
6. After passing the Alabama license examination, how long does an applicant have to submit a complete license application to the Commission?
- A. 30 days
- B. 60 days
- C. 90 days ✓
- D. Six months
Why: Section 34-27-33(b), Code of Alabama 1975, requires the applicant to secure a qualifying broker and meet the other requirements within 90 days after passing the examination. The Commission's BluePrint for Licensing measures the 90 day window from the examination date to receipt or postmark, and a missed deadline voids the exam score.
7. In Alabama, from whom may a salesperson lawfully accept a commission or other compensation for acts requiring a real estate license?
- A. Directly from the buyer or seller
- B. Only the qualifying broker with whom the salesperson is licensed ✓
- C. Any licensed broker in the state
- D. The title company at closing
Why: Section 34-27-36(a)(14), Code of Alabama 1975, makes it a disciplinary violation for a salesperson or associate broker to accept a commission or other valuable consideration for licensed activity from any person except his or her qualifying broker. All compensation flows through the qualifying broker.
8. What fee does an Alabama salesperson applicant pay into the Real Estate Recovery Fund when applying for an original license?
- A. $10
- B. $25
- C. $30 ✓
- D. $50
Why: Section 34-27-31(c)(1), Code of Alabama 1975, requires an applicant for an original broker or salesperson license to pay a $30 fee for deposit into the Recovery Fund, in addition to all other fees. The fee is returned if the Commission does not issue the license.
9. What is the maximum amount the Alabama Real Estate Recovery Fund will pay in the aggregate for claims against any one licensee?
- A. $25,000
- B. $50,000 ✓
- C. $100,000
- D. $250,000
Why: Section 34-27-31(b)(2), Code of Alabama 1975, caps payments for claims based on judgments or settlements against any one person at $50,000 in the aggregate. A separate limit in subsection (b)(3) caps payments arising out of the same transaction at $25,000 regardless of the number of claimants.
10. How many clock hours of continuing education must an Alabama salesperson complete in each license period?
- A. 8
- B. 12
- C. 15 ✓
- D. 21
Why: Section 34-27-35(j), Code of Alabama 1975, requires at least 15 clock hours of approved continuing education each two year license period, and Rule 790-X-1-.11 breaks that into three hours of the Commission-approved Risk Management course plus twelve hours of approved electives for salespersons. Hours beyond 15 do not carry forward.
Want more Alabama-specific questions? Practice the full Alabama state-law set.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Alabama split the real estate exam into a national part and a state part?
- Yes. Unlike single-exam states, Alabama delivers two scored portions at one sitting. The national/general portion has 80 scored items and the Alabama laws, rules and regulations portion has 40 scored items, for 120 scored questions in all. You receive one overall score for the whole examination rather than a pass or fail for each part, so a candidate who fails has to retake both portions.
- What score do you need to pass the Alabama real estate exam?
- A scaled score of 70. Alabama does not report a raw percentage. Raw scores are converted to a 0 to 100 scale through a statistical process called equating, and a score below 70 tells a failing candidate how close they came rather than the exact number of questions they answered correctly. Passing candidates are simply told they passed and do not receive a numeric score.
- How long is the Alabama real estate exam, and how many questions does it have?
- The salesperson examination runs three and a half hours (210 minutes): two and a half hours for the 80-item national/general portion and one hour for the 40-item Alabama state portion. A small number of unscored pretest items, five on the national portion and five to ten on the state portion, may be mixed in, so the number of questions actually delivered can be slightly higher than the 120 that are scored.
- How much does the Alabama real estate exam cost, and how soon can you retake it?
- The Pearson VUE examination fee is $73 per attempt and is paid by card at the time you book. There is no published waiting period and no attempt limit, but all attempts must fall inside a six month authorization window that starts when your 60 hour prelicense course is completed. If you fail, you retake the entire examination, national and state portions together, and pay the $73 fee again. If you do not pass within the six month window, you have to repeat the prelicense course and be authorized again.
- What education and other requirements does Alabama set before you can sit the exam?
- You must be at least 19 years old, be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, show bona fide residency in a U.S. state, show proof of high school graduation or a GED, and have no felony or crime involving moral turpitude conviction, or clear one through an eligibility determination with the Commission first. You must also complete the 60 clock hour prelicense course with a grade of at least 70 percent before scheduling the examination, and you must pre-register with the Commission to obtain an ID number. After passing, you receive a temporary salesperson license and must complete a 30 hour post-license course and apply for the original license, within six months to stay active and within one year or the temporary license lapses.
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- Pearson VUE, Alabama Real Estate Candidate Handbook #093300 (August 2024, fee updates effective August 1, 2025, rev 02/2026: exam is split into a General portion of 80 scored items and a State portion of 40 scored items, 10-15 unscored pretest items, salesperson exam fee $73, 2.5 hours general plus 1 hour state for 3.5 hours total, scaled passing score of 70 with a single overall score, unlimited attempts within a six month authorization, passing results reported only as pass, applicants must be at least 19, 60 clock hour prelicense course with a minimum course grade of 70) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Pearson VUE, Alabama Real Estate State and National Content Outlines #093301 (state-specific examination is 40 scored items plus 5-10 pretest items, effective February 1, 2026; national/general examination is 80 scored items plus 5 pretest items, effective April 1, 2025) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Alabama Real Estate Commission, BluePrint for Licensing Success (2026): process and deadlines for obtaining an Alabama real estate license (60 clock hour salesperson prelicense course; examination must be passed within six months of course completion; complete license application and fees due within 90 days of passing; 30 clock hour post-license course; temporary salesperson license and one year lapse rule; Pearson VUE delivers the exam) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Alabama Real Estate Commission, Application for Real Estate Salesperson's Original License (original license fee $170 for a license issued 10/01/2026 through 09/30/2027 and $85 for 10/01/2025 through 09/30/2026; Recovery Fund fee $30 for a license issued active for the first time) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Alabama Real Estate Commission, License Law Section 34-27-32 (requirements for a license: at least 19 years of age, trustworthy and competent, no rejection or revocation within two years, nonresident jurisdiction affidavit; reciprocal licensees complete at least six hours of approved Alabama coursework and pass a state examination) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Alabama Real Estate Commission, License Law Section 34-27-31 (Recovery Fund: $30 fee paid on application for an original broker or salesperson license; payments for claims against any one person do not exceed $50,000 in the aggregate; payments arising out of the same transaction do not exceed $25,000) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Alabama Real Estate Commission, License Law Section 34-27-35 (fee for a temporary license $150; original salesperson license fee $85 per year, which is $170 for the two year license period; renewal tie to August 31 and September 30; every license expires at midnight on September 30 of the final year of the license period; 15 clock hours of continuing education each two year period) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Alabama Real Estate Commission, Administrative Code Rule 790-X-1-.11, Course Content for Continuing Education (salespersons complete 15 clock hours each license period: 3 hours in the Commission-approved Risk Management course plus 12 hours in Commission-approved courses) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Alabama Administrative Code Rule 790-X-1-.06, Prelicense and Post License School Approval and Requirements (60 clock hour salesperson prelicense course completed within one year of the start date; no more than eight hours of credit per day; minimum course grade of 70 percent; 30 clock hour post-license course required of all temporary salesperson licensees within the first year, and within the first six months to keep the license active) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Alabama Administrative Code Rule 790-X-2-.02, Applications for Examination and Licensure (passing grade for both the salesperson and broker examinations is 70; time limit of three and one half hours; salesperson applicants must show completion of the 60 hour prelicense course in the exam provider's eligibility database before scheduling) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Alabama Real Estate Commission, Renew Your Real Estate License page (online renewal opens June 15, 2026; renewal deadline without the additional $150 penalty is August 31, 2026; all licenses except temporary salesperson and temporary broker licenses expire at midnight on September 30, 2026) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Code of Alabama 1975, Title 34, Chapter 27, Section 34-27-33, Examinations; Temporary and Original Salesperson Licenses; Post License Course Requirements (written examination; license secured within 90 days of passing; temporary license valid one year; 30 hour post-license course within six months to stay active) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Code of Alabama 1975, Title 34, Chapter 27, Section 34-27-36, Disciplinary action, generally (fines from $100 to $2,500, suspension or revocation; grounds including misrepresentation, commingling or failing to keep separate federally insured trust accounts in Alabama, three year record keeping, advertising the qualifying broker's name, accepting compensation only through the qualifying broker, and net listings) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Code of Alabama 1975, Title 34, Chapter 27, Article 4, Real Estate Consumer's Agency and Disclosure Act, Sections 34-27-80 through 34-27-88 (licensee may act as single agent, dual agent, or transaction facilitator; written brokerage services disclosure form before confidential information is disclosed) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Exam details are checked against the Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) and its testing vendor. Always confirm current requirements with the board before your exam.