Alabama Real Estate Broker State Portion

Alabama Real Estate Broker State Portion Exam: Complete 2026 Study Guide

Passing the Alabama Real Estate Broker State Portion exam is the final hurdle standing between you and your broker's license. This 40-question, state-specific exam tests your knowledge of Alabama real estate law, agency relationships, trust fund handling, and more — and you need to answer at least 28 of those questions correctly to pass. Whether you're deep into your Alabama real estate broker prep or just getting started, this guide walks you through exactly what to expect and how to prepare.

Alabama Real Estate Broker State Portion Exam Overview

The state portion of the Alabama broker exam is administered by Pearson VUE. Here are the key facts:

• Scored questions: 40
• Time limit: 60 minutes
• Passing score: 70% (28 correct out of 40 scored questions)
• Exam format: Multiple choice
• Content outline effective: February 1, 2026

One thing worth knowing: the exam also includes 5 to 10 pretest (pilot) items that are not identified and will not affect your score. They're mixed in with the scored questions, so you won't know which ones they are — just answer every question as if it counts.

You can register through the exam registration page and review the full official exam bulletin for logistics, ID requirements, and testing center policies. The state licensing website is also worth bookmarking for Alabama-specific rules and updates.

Topics Covered on the Alabama Broker State Portion Exam

The exam is built around nine topic areas. Here's what each covers and how heavily it's weighted:

• Violations Which May Result in Disciplinary Actions — 12 questions (the largest topic by far). Covers misrepresentation, inducing contract breaches, advertising rules, listing agreements, and disclosure failures.
• Licensing Requirements — 6 questions. Activities requiring a license, qualifications, renewals, continuing education, and post-license education requirements.
• Broker Licenses, Company Licenses, and Place of Business — 6 questions. Company and branch office licensing, qualifying broker rules, and termination of QB status.
• RECAD — 5 questions. Alabama's Real Estate Consumers Agency and Disclosure Act, covering agency relationships, disclosure requirements, brokerage agreements, and licensee duties.
• Trust Funds — 3 questions. Account requirements, record-keeping, disbursements, earnest money handling, and violations.
• Disciplinary Actions and Process — 3 questions. Complaints, hearings, disciplinary actions, rehearings, and appeals.
• Estimated Closing Statement — 2 questions. Required elements, timing, client vs. customer distinctions, and records retention.
• License Status — 2 questions. Transfers, inactive status, and reactivation.
• Recovery Fund — 1 question. Payments into and out of the fund.

When deciding where to focus your time, follow the exam weights above — Violations alone makes up 30% of the scored questions, and Licensing Requirements plus Broker Licenses together add another 30%.

Sample Real Estate Exam Questions

Here are five sample questions drawn from the actual topic areas on the exam. Read through them carefully — and don't just guess. See how well you can reason through them before checking your instincts on our free practice exam.

Question 1 — Disciplinary Actions and Process (Easy)

You are an approved real estate school administrator in Alabama. The Commission has audited your school and identified problems with outdated teaching materials. You take no action to correct the issues. Under Rule 790-X-1-.17, which ground for disciplinary action applies?

• A) Failing to utilize a variety of teaching methods
• B) Taking no action to correct problems as identified in Commission audits
• C) Engaging in unprofessional behavior in the classroom
• D) Failing to identify course objectives

This question tests whether you know the specific grounds listed under Commission audit rules — not just general professional conduct.

Question 2 — RECAD (Medium)

You are a selling agent preparing an offer to purchase for your buyer client on a property listed by another brokerage. The listing company is representing the seller only. On the agency disclosure clause, what should your company be identified as?

• A) An agent of the seller
• B) An agent of both the seller and buyer acting as a limited consensual dual agent
• C) An agent of the buyer
• D) A transaction broker assisting the seller

This one requires you to understand RECAD agency relationships and how they're disclosed in a co-brokerage scenario.

Question 3 — Licensing Requirements (Medium)

A temporary salesperson license holder must complete the 30-hour post-license course within ______ of issuance to maintain active status and have the original license issued.

• A) 30 days
• B) 3 months
• C) 6 months
• D) 12 months

Know your post-license deadlines cold — they come up on this exam.

Question 4 — RECAD (Medium)

What is the first disclosure required under RECAD?

• A) The Real Estate Brokerage Services Disclosure form
• B) The agency disclosure office policy
• C) The agency agreement form
• D) The dual agency consent form

RECAD has a specific sequence of required disclosures. This tests whether you know which comes first.

Question 5 — Broker Licenses, Company Licenses, and Place of Business (Easy)

Under Alabama law, a qualifying broker's principal business must be that of a ______.

• A) Property manager
• B) Real estate broker
• C) Real estate appraiser
• D) Licensed contractor

Straightforward if you've studied qualifying broker requirements — but easy to second-guess under pressure.

Not sure how you did? Start with our free practice exam to get a real feel for the format and timing.

What Types of Questions to Expect

Our full practice exam bank covers all nine topic areas with 258 questions total. Here's a breakdown of what each topic tests and how many practice questions we've built for it:

• Licensing Requirements (36 practice questions): Questions on which activities require a license, co-brokering rules, license qualifications, renewal timelines, continuing education hours, and post-license completion deadlines.
• License Status (14 practice questions): Scenarios involving license transfers between brokerages, what triggers inactive status, and the steps to reactivate a license.
• Broker Licenses, Company Licenses, and Place of Business (36 practice questions): Questions on how company and branch office licenses are issued, who qualifies as a qualifying broker, QB responsibilities, and what happens when QB status ends.
• Recovery Fund (6 practice questions): How and when payments are made into the Recovery Fund, and under what circumstances a consumer can receive payment from it.
• Disciplinary Actions and Process (20 practice questions): The complaint and hearing process, types of disciplinary actions the Commission can take, the rehearing process, and how appeals work.
• Estimated Closing Statement (24 practice questions): What elements must appear on a closing statement, when it must be provided, the difference between how it's handled for clients versus customers, and how long records must be kept.
• Trust Funds (18 practice questions): Trust account setup, deposit deadlines, record-keeping requirements, how earnest money is disbursed, security deposit rules for rentals, and the consequences of trust fund violations.
• RECAD (30 practice questions): Agency relationship types, required disclosure timing and content, brokerage agreement requirements, office policy disclosures, and the duties owed to clients versus customers.
• Violations Which May Result in Disciplinary Actions (74 practice questions): The broadest category — covering misrepresentation, steering, advertising violations, improper listing agreement practices, and failures to disclose material facts.

Study Materials

For the Alabama Broker State Portion, you're working directly from Alabama law and administrative code. There are no required textbooks published by Pearson VUE — your primary references are the actual statutes and rules.

Required Reading:

• Alabama Real Estate Title 34 Chapter 27 — This is the foundational Alabama real estate license law. Read it. Bookmark it. Know it. The exam is testing your understanding of what this statute actually says.
• Alabama Chapter 790 — The administrative rules of the Alabama Real Estate Commission. Chapter 790 fills in the operational details that Title 34 doesn't spell out — qualifying broker responsibilities, school approval rules, trust account procedures, and more.

Both documents are free and publicly available. Print the relevant sections and annotate them as you study.

Recommended Supplies:

Highlighting as you read through statutes and rules is one of the most effective study methods for law-heavy exams. These Sharpie Tank Highlighters hold up through heavy use — the wide barrel means more ink, the chisel tip is great for underlining key terms, and the fluorescent colors make it easy to color-code by topic. The 12-pack includes multiple yellows, pinks, greens, oranges, and blues.

Study Tips for the Alabama Broker State Portion

Start with the content outline. The official exam bulletin maps out every topic and subtopic tested. Use it as your checklist — if something isn't on it, don't spend time on it.

Give yourself three to six weeks. Don't cram this one. Work through Title 34 and Chapter 790 methodically, then reinforce with practice exams.

Practice under real conditions. Our full practice exam matches the real test — 40 questions, 60 minutes, same topic breakdown. Unlike a static Alabama real estate prep PDF, you're simulating the actual timed experience. No two attempts are the same, so you're never just memorizing a question set.

Set your practice target above 70%. Aim for three clean runs at 80% or higher before your test date. That margin matters when nerves kick in on exam day.

Skim answer choices first. Before committing to an answer, scan all four options for the key term or rule name that fits. The more practice questions you've worked through, the faster the right language will stand out.

Prioritize by exam weight. Violations is 30% of the exam. Spend proportionally more time there. Recovery Fund is one question — don't ignore it, but don't over-study it either.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many scored questions are on the Alabama Real Estate Broker State Portion exam?
The exam contains 40 scored items. It also includes 5 to 10 pretest items that are not identified — you won't be able to tell them apart from scored questions, but they have no effect on your score.

Do the pretest items count toward my score?
No. The pretest items on the Alabama Broker State Portion exam are unidentified and will not affect your score in any way. Just treat every question the same and move on.

What topics are covered on the Alabama Real Estate Broker State Portion exam?
The exam covers nine topic areas: Licensing Requirements, License Status, Broker Licenses and Company Licenses, Recovery Fund, Disciplinary Actions and Process, Estimated Closing Statements, Trust Funds, RECAD, and Violations Which May Result in Disciplinary Actions.

How many questions cover violations that may result in disciplinary actions?
Twelve — making it the largest topic on the exam by a wide margin, at 30% of your total scored questions.

How many questions cover RECAD?
Five questions on the exam cover RECAD, Alabama's agency and disclosure law.

How many questions cover Broker Licenses, Company Licenses, and Place of Business?
Six questions cover this area, including qualifying broker qualifications, responsibilities, and what happens when QB status is terminated.

How many questions cover Licensing Requirements?
Six questions cover Licensing Requirements, including which activities require a license, qualifications for licensure, renewal procedures, continuing education, and post-license education.

When does the current Alabama Broker State Portion content outline take effect?
The Alabama state-specific content outline for broker candidates is effective February 1, 2026.

How do I get a real estate license in Alabama?
For broker-level licensure, you must meet Alabama's education and experience requirements, pass both portions of the broker exam, and apply through the state licensing website. The Pearson VUE exam registration page is where you schedule your test once you're eligible.

Start Practicing Today

The Alabama Real Estate Broker State Portion exam is straightforward if you know the material. Study Title 34, Chapter 790, and the RECAD rules — and practice under real test conditions. Our free practice exam gives you 10 questions right now, no account required. When you're ready for serious prep, upgrade to the full exam for all 40 questions, a 60-minute timer, and a topic-by-topic score breakdown that tells you exactly where to focus. You've put in the work to get to the broker level — let's get you across the finish line.