PrepPass team · Verified against IDFPR — Illinois Real Estate · How we review

How hard is the Illinois Real Estate Broker exam?

Quick answer

The Illinois Real Estate Broker exam is a serious, studiable test — its difficulty comes less from any single hard idea than from the breadth of material across 13 weighted content areas. Expect 140 questions. The passing standard is 70% (national). PrepPass has 477+ free Illinois Real Estate Broker practice questions with explanations, organized by topic, plus a full timed mock exam.

How to make the Illinois Real Estate Broker exam easier

Work through real practice questions until you consistently clear the standard you need. PrepPass has 477+ free Illinois Real Estate Broker practice questions with answer explanations and a full timed mock exam — no signup required.

Studying in order?

In the Illinois Real Estate Broker Exam guide: A Common Traps list and a Check Yourself set with a worked answer key closing each of the 10 national chapters. Practice here stays free.

Get the book — $14.99

The Illinois Real Estate Broker exam at a glance

140
questions
70% (national)
to pass
13
content areas

The 13 content areas on the Illinois Real Estate Broker exam

The exam is built from weighted content areas — focus your study time where the weight is. These weights are how PrepPass has organized the material; check the exam authority’s own outline for its published breakdown.

Property Ownership8%
Land Use Controls and Regulations5%
Valuation and Market Analysis8%
Financing9%
Contracts17%
Agency13%
Property Disclosures8%
Transfer of Title6%
Practice of Real Estate12%
Property Management6%
Real Estate Calculations8%
Illinois Real Estate License Act62%
Illinois Disclosures38%

How the Illinois Real Estate Broker exam is administered

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) oversees licensing. The exam is delivered by PSI. Prelicensing education: 75 hours (60 hours real estate topics + 15 hours applied real estate principles). Confirm the current details with the official authority before you rely on them.

What is the pass rate, and can you retake it?

Wondering about pass rates and what happens if you don't pass the first time?

See Illinois Real Estate Brokerpass rate & retake rules →

Frequently asked questions

What score do you need to pass the Illinois Real Estate Broker exam?+

The passing standard for the Illinois Real Estate Broker exam is 70% (national).

How many questions are on the Illinois Real Estate Broker exam?+

The Illinois Real Estate Broker exam has 140 questions.

How many prelicensing hours does Illinois require to become a real estate agent?+

Illinois requires 75 hours of IDFPR-approved pre-license education: 60 hours of real estate topics plus a 15-hour applied real estate principles (interactive) course.

Who licenses real estate agents in Illinois?+

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) licenses real estate professionals. Note that Illinois' entry-level license is called a 'Broker' license (what most states call a salesperson). IDFPR uses PSI to deliver the exam.

How is the Illinois real estate exam structured?+

The Illinois exam is administered by PSI with a national portion and an Illinois state portion, testing contracts, fair housing, license law, and brokerage operations. Confirm the current scored-question counts and time limit in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin.

How should I study for the Illinois Real Estate Broker exam?+

Focus your time on the heaviest content areas, then drill practice questions by topic until you consistently clear the standard you need. PrepPass has 477+ free Illinois Real Estate Broker practice questions with full explanations and a timed mock exam.

Last updated: August 2026

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