New Mexico Real Estate Practice Test (Free)

The New Mexico associate broker exam has 125 questions and a 3 hours limit. Below are the exact numbers the NM exam uses, and a free practice test to see where you stand.

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The New Mexico exam at a glance

License
Associate Broker
Administered by
PSI Services LLC, under contract with the New Mexico Real Estate Commission
Total questions
125 (75 national and 50 New Mexico-specific)
Time limit
3 hours
Passing score
Two separately scored portions, each with its own 75 percent cut score. National portion: 75 questions carrying 80 points (some items are scored up to two points), with 60 points required to pass, in 120 minutes. State portion: 50 questions worth one point each, with 38 correct required to pass, in 60 minutes. You must pass both portions, scored independently, with no averaging between them.
How it is taken
In person at PSI computer testing centers in New Mexico (including Albuquerque, Farmington, Las Cruces, Roswell and Santa Fe) plus selected out-of-state PSI centers.
If you fail
Both portions must be passed with a minimum score of 75 no later than 90 calendar days after the first time you took the examination. If you pass one portion and fail the other, you may resit the failed portion, but if you do not pass both within the 90-day window you must retake and pass both. Each attempt costs the full PSI fee, which by statute is not to exceed $95. There is no published maximum number of attempts.

What New Mexico requires before you can sit the exam

Minimum age
18+
Pre-license education
90 hours
  • Real Estate Principles and Practice, 30 credit hours (Commission-approved)
  • Real Estate Law, 30 credit hours (Commission-approved)
  • Broker Basics, 30 credit hours (Commission-approved)
  • All three courses must have been completed within the three years before you apply to take the examinations. Broker Basics cannot be waived except under a written license recognition agreement, and it must be completed before you take the state portion of the exam.
Exam / application fee
$95
License term
3 years
Background check
Fingerprints and a criminal history check are required.

Free New Mexico practice questions

10 questions written for the New Mexico exam, drawn from 12 in the ApexAgent bank. The correct answer and the reasoning are under each one.

  1. 1. Which New Mexico statute creates the New Mexico Real Estate Commission, and how many members does the commission have?

    • A. Section 61-29-4 NMSA 1978; five members ✓
    • B. Section 61-29-4 NMSA 1978; seven members
    • C. Section 61-29-2 NMSA 1978; five members
    • D. Section 61-27B-1 NMSA 1978; nine members

    Why: Section 61-29-4 NMSA 1978 creates the New Mexico real estate commission and provides that it consists of five members appointed by the governor. Section 61-29-2 is the definitions section, and Chapter 61, Article 27B is the Private Investigations Act, which does not govern real estate brokers.

  2. 2. Of the five members of the New Mexico Real Estate Commission, how many must be licensed associate brokers or qualifying brokers, and how many must be public members?

    • A. Three licensed brokers and two public members
    • B. Four licensed brokers and one public member ✓
    • C. Five licensed brokers and no public members
    • D. Two licensed brokers and three public members

    Why: Section 61-29-4 NMSA 1978 requires four members to be associate brokers or qualifying brokers licensed in New Mexico and one member to be a public member who has never been licensed as an associate broker or qualifying broker. Not more than one member may come from any one county.

  3. 3. How long is the term of a member of the New Mexico Real Estate Commission?

    • A. Two years
    • B. Three years
    • C. Four years
    • D. Five years ✓

    Why: Section 61-29-4 NMSA 1978 provides that members of the commission serve for a period of five years or until their successors are appointed and qualified, though the governor may remove a member for cause. Members must have been residents of New Mexico for three consecutive years before appointment.

  4. 4. New Mexico issues two types of real estate broker licenses. Which two, and which is the entry-level license?

    • A. Salesperson and broker licenses; the salesperson license is entry level
    • B. Associate broker and qualifying broker licenses; the associate broker license is entry level ✓
    • C. Associate broker and broker associate licenses; the broker associate license is entry level
    • D. Qualifying broker and designated broker licenses; the designated broker license is entry level

    Why: 16.61.3.8 NMAC states that the commission issues two types of real estate broker licenses, an associate broker license and a qualifying broker license, and that both are issued only to individuals. There is no salesperson license in New Mexico; the associate broker is the entry tier and works under a qualifying broker, as defined in 16.61.1.7 NMAC.

  5. 5. How many hours of pre-licensing education must a New Mexico associate broker applicant complete, and in what courses?

    • A. 60 hours, in Real Estate Principles and Practice and Real Estate Law
    • B. 90 hours, in three 30-hour courses: Real Estate Principles and Practice, Real Estate Law, and Broker Basics ✓
    • C. 45 hours, in Real Estate Law and Broker Basics
    • D. 120 hours, in four 30-hour courses including Real Estate Finance

    Why: 16.61.3.9 NMAC requires 90 credit hours of commission-approved pre-licensing education, consisting of one 30-hour course each in Real Estate Principles and Practice, Real Estate Law, and Broker Basics. The three courses must have been completed within the three years before the examination application.

  6. 6. What minimum score must a New Mexico associate broker applicant earn on the national and state portions of the broker examination, and within what time frame must both portions be passed?

    • A. 70 on each portion, within 60 calendar days of the first attempt
    • B. 75 on each portion, within 90 calendar days of the first attempt ✓
    • C. 75 as a combined average of both portions, within one year
    • D. 80 on the national portion and 70 on the state portion, within 30 days

    Why: 16.61.3.9 NMAC requires applicants to pass both the state and national portions of the examination with a minimum score of 75 no later than 90 calendar days after the first time they took the examination. Applicants who do not pass both portions within that window must retake and pass both before they can apply for a broker license.

  7. 7. After passing both portions of the New Mexico broker examination, how long does an individual have to apply for the associate broker license?

    • A. 30 days
    • B. Six months ✓
    • C. One year
    • D. There is no deadline

    Why: 16.61.3.9 NMAC provides that upon passing both portions of the New Mexico real estate broker examination, an individual has six months to apply for an associate broker license. An individual who fails to apply within six months must retake and pass both portions of the examination.

  8. 8. How long is a New Mexico real estate license valid, and when does it expire?

    • A. One year, expiring on December 31
    • B. Two years, expiring on the anniversary of issuance
    • C. Three years, expiring on the last day of the month following the licensee's birth month ✓
    • D. Four years, expiring on the last day of the licensee's birth month

    Why: 16.61.11.8 NMAC provides that every real estate license expires every three years on the last day of the month following the broker's birth month unless renewed. This matches NMSA 1978 Section 61-29-11, which requires renewal every three years on or before the last day of the month following the licensee's month of birth and provides that a license not timely renewed expires.

  9. 9. What post-licensing course must a first-time New Mexico associate broker complete, and by when?

    • A. A 30-hour New Broker Business Practices course within the first year of licensure ✓
    • B. A 45-hour brokerage management course within two years
    • C. An 8-hour ethics course within 90 days
    • D. No post-licensing course is required in New Mexico

    Why: 16.61.1.7 NMAC defines the post-licensing course as the commission-approved New Broker Business Practices course, required within the first year of licensure of brokers first licensed in New Mexico as associate brokers on or after January 1, 2009. It is separate from the 90-hour pre-licensing education.

  10. 10. Under New Mexico broker duties rules, when must a broker deliver the written broker duties disclosure and obtain a written acknowledgement?

    • A. Only at closing, and only for clients under an exclusive agency agreement
    • B. Before the broker generates or presents any written document that has the potential to become an express written agreement ✓
    • C. Only after the buyer or seller signs a listing or buyer agreement
    • D. Within 10 days after the first showing of a property

    Why: 16.61.19.8 NMAC requires a broker to disclose the broker duties in writing, and obtain written acknowledgement, before the time the broker generates or presents any written document that has the potential to become an express written agreement. This implements NMSA 1978 Section 61-29-10.2, the licensee's duties and disclosure statute.

Want more New Mexico-specific questions? Practice the full New Mexico state-law set.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the entry-level New Mexico real estate license called an Associate Broker instead of a salesperson license?
New Mexico issues only two kinds of real estate license, an associate broker license and a qualifying broker license, and both are issued only to individuals (16.61.3.8 NMAC). Every active licensee is therefore a broker. The associate broker is the entry tier, functionally equivalent to what other states call a salesperson, but the licensee works under the supervision of a qualifying broker and holds the statutory title of associate broker. There is no separate salesperson or sales associate license in New Mexico.
How many questions are on the New Mexico real estate exam and what score do you need to pass?
The exam has two separately scored portions delivered in one appointment. The national portion has 75 questions carrying 80 points, of which you need 60 points (75 percent) across 120 minutes. The state portion has 50 questions and you need 38 correct (75 percent) across 60 minutes. Because the portions are scored independently, a strong national score cannot offset a weak state score. The passing standard comes from the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin and is echoed in 16.61.3.9 NMAC, which requires a minimum score of 75 on both portions.
How long do you have to pass the New Mexico real estate exam once you start?
You must pass both portions with a minimum score of 75 no later than 90 calendar days after the first time you took the examination (16.61.3.9 NMAC). If you do not pass both within that window, you must retake and pass both portions before you can apply for a broker license. Scheduling early matters because a missed partial pass can reset the whole test.
How long is a New Mexico real estate license good for and when does it expire?
A license is valid for three years. It expires on the last day of the month following the licensee's birth month at the end of the three-year licensing cycle, unless renewed by that date (16.61.11.8 NMAC and NMSA 1978 Section 61-29-11). Renewal is the licensee's own responsibility, and continuing education must be completed and proven before the renewal is certified.
What does New Mexico require before you can even sit the associate broker exam?
You must complete 90 credit hours of Commission-approved pre-licensing education, made up of one 30-hour course each in Real Estate Principles and Practice, Real Estate Law, and Broker Basics, and all three must have been completed within the three years before you apply to test (16.61.3.9 NMAC). There is no age limit to sit the exam, but you must be at least 18 (the age of majority) and a legal resident of the United States to receive the license. Before the license is issued you also submit a passing score report, documentation of having been fingerprinted for state and national background checks, and a current errors and omissions insurance certificate.

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