Texas requires 180 hours of TREC-approved pre-licensing education – six specific courses, no substitutions. It’s one of the highest hour requirements in the country, and the state exam pass rate of around 56% means many students don’t make it on the first try. The good news: Texas is one of the only states that publishes actual per-school pass rates, so you can make a data-driven decision. This guide covers what Texas requires, what the whole license costs, and where to read TREC’s own pass rate data.
Quick Facts
Required: 180 hours (6 courses x 30 hrs) | State exam pass rate: ~56% | TREC publishes per-school pass rates
Table of Contents
What Texas Requires
You need six specific 30-hour courses from a TREC-approved school:
- Principles of Real Estate I (30 hours) – Property ownership, land use, legal descriptions, and real estate fundamentals.
- Principles of Real Estate II (30 hours) – Contracts, agency relationships, fair housing, and Texas-specific regulations.
- Law of Agency (30 hours) – Agent-client relationships, fiduciary duties, disclosure requirements, and TREC rules.
- Law of Contracts (30 hours) – Contract law, TREC promulgated forms, and transaction procedures.
- Promulgated Contract Forms (30 hours) – Deep dive into TREC-required contract forms and how to fill them out correctly.
- Real Estate Finance (30 hours) – Mortgage types, lending regulations, loan qualification, and financial calculations.
Proctoring Change (Sep 2025)
As of September 2025, TREC no longer requires proctored course final exams. This makes the end-of-course exams significantly more convenient – you take them at home without a proctor. The state licensing exam at Pearson VUE is still proctored in person.
Texas Pre-License Course Providers
Texas is the one state where you can compare schools on outcomes instead of marketing, because TREC publishes pass rates by provider. For price, exam prep and refund terms we keep a single comparison rather than one per state: our comparison of the national online real estate schools reads each figure off the school’s own site and stamps the date it was checked.
How to Choose the Right School
Use the TREC Pass Rate Data
Texas is one of the only states where you don’t have to guess which school produces better results. TREC publishes actual pass rates by school, and the spread between the best and worst approved providers is wide enough to matter. Read the current report yourself rather than trusting a percentage quoted in a school’s own advertising, or in a guide like this one that could be a year out of date.
You can find the latest pass rate reports on the TREC Education Standards page.
Exam Prep Matters Even More in Texas
With 180 hours of material and a 56% pass rate, exam prep isn’t optional – it’s essential. The state exam covers content from all six courses, and you need to recall details from courses you may have taken months ago. Look for packages that include practice exams, simulated tests, and topic-specific review.
Best Value Strategy
Start with the current TREC pass rate report and work backward from it. The most expensive school in Texas is not automatically the one at the top of that table. A mid-tier package with bundled exam prep, from a provider sitting above the state average, is the best combination of proven results and reasonable price.
Format and Flexibility
- Self-paced online – Most popular. Study on your own schedule, 24/7 access. Offered by most TREC-approved providers.
- Live online + classroom – A few Texas providers run live classes at physical locations across the state, and several offer live online sessions.
- Mobile app – A few providers ship a dedicated app. With 180 hours of coursework, being able to study during commutes or downtime makes a real difference.
What It Actually Costs
Education is just one piece of the total cost. You’ll also need to budget for the state exam ($54), license application ($205), fingerprinting ($38.25), and background check. See our complete Texas licensing guide for the full cost breakdown.
How Long Will It Take?
| Study Pace | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Full-time (30+ hrs/week) | 4-6 weeks |
| Moderate (15-20 hrs/week) | 2-3 months |
| Part-time (5-10 hrs/week) | 4-6 months |
180 hours is a lot of material. Most people studying while working finish in 2-3 months. Don’t try to cram six courses into two weeks – the sheer volume means you’ll forget early material by the time you sit for the state exam.
Free Exam Prep Resources
Whether or not your school includes exam prep, these free resources are worth using for extra practice:
- PrepAgent – Free practice questions with Texas-specific content
- Real Estate License Wizard – Free Texas practice exam questions
- Real Estate Exam Ninja – 550+ free questions
- Quizlet – Texas real estate exam flashcards
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Course
- Don’t rush through 180 hours. This isn’t a checkbox exercise. Students who speed through the courses tend to bomb the state exam because they can’t retain six courses’ worth of material at surface level.
- Master the TREC contract forms. Promulgated forms are heavily tested. Know the One to Four Family Residential Contract inside and out – what goes in each blank and why.
- Review earlier courses before the exam. By the time you finish course six, you may have forgotten key details from course one. Budget a week for comprehensive review before scheduling the state exam.
- Focus on Texas-specific content. The national portion is 85 questions and the state portion is 40 questions. Texas law, TREC rules, and promulgated forms make up a significant chunk of both sections.
