Kentucky Real Estate Exam: Everything You Need to Know

The Kentucky real estate exam is 120 questions, costs $100 per attempt, and requires a 75% score on each portion to pass. Most of what's published online about it is outdated, including the question count.

This guide covers how to schedule the exam, what it costs, what's on it, the real pass rates, and how to study so you only pay that $100 once.

Quick answers

How do you schedule the Kentucky real estate exam?

You schedule the Kentucky real estate exam through PSI after completing your education and background check requirements. PSI is the national testing company Kentucky contracts to administer its real estate licensing exam. Create an account at psiexams.com, pick a date and location, and pay the $100 fee by credit card, debit card, or voucher. According to the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, the fee is non-refundable and your registration expires after one year.

Before you can sit for the exam, the Kentucky Real Estate Commission requires you to:

• Be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED
• Complete 96 hours of approved pre-licensing education, or six semester credit hours in real estate from an accredited college
• Complete a criminal background check, including an FBI or Kentucky State Police criminal history report
• Have your pre-license school code ready when you register

Requirements change, so confirm details on the Kentucky Real Estate Commission's website (krec.ky.gov) before you register.

Where do you take the exam?

PSI runs Kentucky testing centers in Bowling Green, Lexington, Louisville, Maysville, Paducah, and Somerset. If you live near a border, out-of-state PSI centers in Cincinnati, Knoxville, Nashville, and several Indiana cities work too.

Can you take the Kentucky real estate exam online?

No. Kentucky requires the licensing exam to be taken in person at an authorized PSI testing center. There is no remote or online option.

What should you bring on exam day?

Bring two forms of valid, non-expired ID, at least one with a government-issued photo and signature, plus your exam confirmation. A basic non-scientific calculator is allowed for the math questions. Leave phones, smartwatches, and bags in your car. Arrive early, because late arrivals can be turned away and the fee doesn't come back.

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How many questions are on the Kentucky real estate exam?

The Kentucky sales associate exam has 120 scored questions: 80 on the national portion and 40 on the Kentucky portion. According to the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, you get 150 minutes for the national portion and 90 minutes for the state portion, and PSI may include 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions that don't count toward your score.

What's on the national portion?

The 80 national questions break down like this:

• Property ownership: 7 questions
• Land use controls and regulations: 5 questions
• Valuation and market analysis: 8 questions
• Financing: 6 questions
• General principles of agency: 10 questions
• Property condition and disclosures: 8 questions
• Contracts: 11 questions
• Transfer of title: 5 questions
• Practice of real estate: 12 questions
• Real estate calculations: 6 questions
• Specialty areas: 2 questions

What's on the Kentucky portion?

The 40 state questions cover:

• Brokerage activities and requirements: 14 questions
• Real Estate Commission: 7 questions
• Requirements for a license: 7 questions
• License-law requirements for contracts: 5 questions
• Disclosures and agency issues: 4 questions
• Property management: 3 questions

What score do you need to pass?

You need 75% on each portion to pass the Kentucky real estate exam, which means 60 correct out of 80 on the national portion and 30 correct out of 40 on the state portion. PSI scores each portion separately, so a strong national score can't rescue a weak state score.

Is the Kentucky real estate exam hard?

The Kentucky real estate exam is hard enough that roughly 4 in 10 first-time takers fail a portion. According to Kentucky Real Estate Commission meeting minutes, first-time pass rates have run about 62% on the national portion and 57% on the state portion.

The state portion trips people up most. It's specific, it's legal, and it isn't intuited from common sense the way some national questions can be.

How many times can you take the exam?

There's no limit on retakes, but every attempt costs $100. If you fail one portion, you retake only that portion, and you can rebook as soon as the next day. The deadline that matters: according to the PSI bulletin, you must pass both portions within 4 months of passing the first one, or both scores expire and you take the whole exam again.

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How do you pass the Kentucky real estate exam on the first try?

Passing on the first try comes down to structured practice, not raw study hours. Four things work:

Build a study schedule. A consistent routine beats cramming. Study in short daily blocks at the time of day you're least distracted, and put breaks on the calendar so you don't burn out.

Use mnemonics for the memorization-heavy material. For the four characteristics a property needs to have value, try "Don't Utter Silly Things": demand, utility, scarcity, and transferability.

Join a study group. Accountability and a little competition keep you moving. Post in a local Facebook group or ask your pre-license classmates.

Practice with real exam-style questions. The fastest way to find your weak spots is to take mock exams and review what you missed. Our Kentucky exam prep package includes unlimited practice exams, digital flashcards, video explanations, and an eBook study guide in one place. We also break down how to pass the PSI real estate exam specifically, since PSI's question style is its own skill, and our guide to passing the real estate exam on your first try covers study strategy in depth.

The takeaway

The Kentucky exam is 120 questions, $100 a try, and 75% to pass each portion. The people who pass on the first attempt aren't smarter, they've seen more practice questions before test day.

Ready to walk in confident? Join the Kentucky crash course and exam prep program and get unlimited mock exams, flashcards, and 8+ hours of video that covers exactly what you'll see on test day.