PassProfessor’s West Virginia program is part of the expanding PassProfessor catalog. The 16,611-question West Virginia practice bank is built to Pearson VUE’s current outlines, and enrollment opens soon. Join the notify list and we will email you when enrollment opens — then use this guide to plan your path to the exam.
This program is part of the expanding PassProfessor catalog — join the notify list and we’ll email you when enrollment opens.
The West Virginia exam, in one paragraph
The West Virginia salesperson licensing exam is a two-part, computer-based test administered by Pearson VUE for the West Virginia Real Estate Commission. The national portion has 80 scored questions in 150 minutes; the West Virginia state portion has 50 scored questions in 60 minutes. Each portion also mixes in unscored pretest questions you cannot identify. The candidate handbook publishes the salesperson passing score as 70%, reported on a scaled score from 0 to 100. You become eligible by completing 90 clock hours of Commission-approved pre-licensing education, completing a national criminal background check, and being approved by the Commission — and West Virginia’s clocks are short: your exam authorization lasts 90 days or two attempts, whichever comes first, and your passing results are good for 90 days.
Who can take the West Virginia salesperson exam?
West Virginia’s front door runs through the Commission, not the testing company. To sit for the salesperson exam, the Commission requires that you:
- Be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Be trustworthy, of good moral character, and competent to transact business — the Commission’s own qualification language.
- Complete 90 clock hours of Commission-approved pre-licensing education. Under the Commission’s course rule (174 CSR 3), the 90 hours are 30 clock hours of Real Estate Principles and Practice, 20 of Real Estate Law, 20 of Real Estate Finance, and 20 of Real Estate Appraisal, and you must score 70% or higher in each subject area to be eligible to sit for the examination. Under W. Va. Code §30-40-14, the course must have been completed during the three-year period preceding your application.
- Complete a national criminal history background check. The Commission directs applicants to schedule it with the service code published on its salesperson page (228Q6K); the check is valid for 90 days.
- Apply to the Commission online and be approved. The Commission no longer accepts paper applications. Your online exam application includes your Official Course Completion Certificate (the certificate that carries your scores — the Commission notes it is not the student affidavit) and a copy of your valid driver’s license. The Commission’s licensing department reviews the application and emails you if it is approved or incomplete.
Once you are approved, Pearson VUE emails you to schedule your exam date. If that email has not arrived within 72 hours of approval, the Commission directs you to contact its licensing department. You do not need a sponsoring broker to take the exam — sponsorship comes later, at the license application stage.
PassProfessor note: our program is exam preparation only. It does not provide any of the 90 hours of pre-licensing education credit — those hours must come from a Commission-approved provider.
The exam, piece by piece
The exam is two separately scheduled portions — the national and state portions are booked separately, though Pearson VUE notes they can be taken back to back. Both portions are built from Pearson VUE’s published content outlines: the national/general outline (effective April 1, 2025) and the West Virginia state outline (effective January 1, 2024), published as document #094905 in the candidate handbook.
| Portion | Scored questions | Pretest questions | Time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | 80 | 5 | 150 minutes | $59 |
| West Virginia state | 50 | 5 | 60 minutes | $59 |
| Total | 130 | 10 | 210 minutes | $118 |
The national portion (80 scored questions, 150 minutes)
| Area | Scored questions | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| I. Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use | 11 | Real vs. personal property and fixtures; economic and physical characteristics; legal descriptions and surveys; public and private land-use controls and encumbrances |
| II. Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title | 9 | Ownership forms, estates, and leaseholds; liens and lien priority; deeds, title transfer, and recording — notice, chain of title, title insurance |
| III. Property Value and Appraisal | 11 | Concepts and principles of value; the appraisal process; sales comparison, cost, and income approaches; gross rent and income multipliers; CMAs and BPOs |
| IV. Real Estate Contracts and Agency | 16 | Contract types, elements, and performance; the sales contract — offers, earnest money, contingencies, options; agency creation, termination, and licensee obligations |
| V. Real Estate Practice | 10 | Broker responsibilities; brokerage agreements — listings, buyer representation, property management; fair housing; risk management, antitrust, and fraud |
| VI. Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues | 9 | Hazardous substances — lead paint, asbestos, radon, mold; contamination, brownfields, and flood risk; CERCLA/SARA and EPA rules; disclosure obligations and liability |
| VII. Financing and Settlement | 7 | Financing methods and loan types; lien vs. title theory; FHA/VA/USDA and conventional requirements; TILA/RESPA/TRID and ECOA; settlement and closing calculations |
| VIII. Real Estate Math Calculations | 7 | Area and valuation calculations; commissions; loan financing costs; settlement costs; investment and property-management calculations |
The West Virginia state portion (50 scored questions, 60 minutes)
| Area | Scored questions | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| I. General Powers & Duties of the Real Estate Commission | 9 | Audits; complaints, investigations, and hearings; penalties for violations and costs of proceedings — fines, suspension, and revocation |
| II. Licensing | 17 | License maintenance — renewal, transfer, license status (active, inactive, canceled, expired), continuing education; activities requiring a license; exemptions from licensure |
| III. Real Estate Practice | 15 | Scope of practice and fees; advertising rules; trust funds |
| IV. Agency Relationships | 4 | The notice of agency form; types of agency |
| V. West Virginia Fair Housing | 5 | The West Virginia Fair Housing Act (W. Va. Code ch. 16B, art. 18), including protected classes West Virginia adds to the federal list, such as ancestry and blindness |
Three structural facts that shape how you should prepare:
- Contracts and agency is the national heavyweight — 16 of 80 questions. No other national area comes close; a weak contracts block cannot be hidden by strength elsewhere if it drags your portion score under the line.
- Licensing is the state heavyweight — 17 of 50 questions, a third of the state portion, on license maintenance, statuses, activities requiring a license, and exemptions. It is pure West Virginia statute and rule, and it rewards direct memorization.
- The state portion is the portion generic prep cannot cover. Pearson VUE’s own $19.95 practice tests cover general topics only, and Pearson VUE states that state-specific practice tests are not available. The 50 state questions — Commission powers, West Virginia licensing, trust funds, advertising rules, the agency notice form, West Virginia fair housing — are where West Virginia candidates are most on their own.
Pretest questions. Each portion mixes in unscored pretest questions — the handbook’s exam table lists 5 per portion, and the state outline’s heading describes the state-specific examinations as containing five to ten pretest items. Either way, they are indistinguishable from scored questions, they do not affect your result, and there is no way to game them: treat every question as scored.
The math conventions are published. The handbook states that two constants are not provided at the test center and should be memorized: 43,560 square feet per acre and 5,280 feet per mile. When a question requires a proration, the question itself specifies whether the calculation uses a 360- or 365-day year and whether the day of closing belongs to the buyer or the seller. The skill being tested is reading the stated assumption, not guessing it.
The passing standard, explained
The candidate handbook’s score explanation publishes the passing scores directly: Salesperson 70%, Broker 75%.
Read that number the way the handbook frames it. Pearson VUE administers multiple forms of each examination; forms differ slightly in difficulty, so a statistical procedure called equating is used to correct for those differences, and raw scores are converted into scaled scores that can range from 0 to 100. The handbook states plainly that the scaled score reported to you is neither the number of questions you answered correctly nor the percentage of questions you answered correctly. Two practical consequences:
- Do not convert practice percentages into a predicted pass. You cannot map “I scored 78% on a practice exam” onto the scaled result with precision. The safe approach is to practice until both portions feel comfortably strong across every outline area — because a scaled result draws on the whole portion.
- Your score report works differently depending on the outcome. Candidates who pass receive a score report marked “pass” and must submit their passing score reports to the Commission as part of the licensure process. Candidates who do not pass receive a numeric score plus diagnostic information on both the national and state sections — to avoid misuse of score information, numeric scores are reported only to failing candidates. That diagnostic breakdown is the starting point for a retake plan.
Fees and registration, step by step
Keep the payments separate in your mind — they go to different places at different stages.
| Payment | Amount | Paid to | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam fee, national portion | $59 | Pearson VUE | When you reserve |
| Exam fee, state portion | $59 | Pearson VUE | When you reserve |
| Background check | The check provider’s fee (the Commission publishes no figure in the materials above) | The background-check provider | Before/with your exam application |
| License application | See the Commission’s current application for the amount in effect | West Virginia Real Estate Commission | After you pass |
Exam fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable, must be paid at reservation by credit or debit card, and are not accepted at the test center. The handbook notes that fees may vary — confirm the figures when you reserve.
The sequence, in order:
- Finish your 90 hours with a Commission-approved provider, scoring 70% or higher in each of the four subject areas, and keep your Official Course Completion Certificate.
- Complete the national criminal background check using the service code on the Commission’s salesperson page. It is valid for 90 days — do not start it so early that it expires before you test.
- Apply to the Commission online to sit for the examination, uploading the course completion certificate and a copy of your valid driver’s license. The Commission reviews the application and emails you if it is approved or incomplete.
- Watch for the Pearson VUE email. After approval, Pearson VUE emails you to schedule. Reservations are made through your Pearson VUE account or by phone at (888) 204-6218, at least 24 hours before the desired exam date; appointments can be made up to 24 hours prior, subject to availability. Your registration name must match your government-issued identification.
- Test at a Pearson VUE test center, or online through OnVUE (see the test-day section for OnVUE’s one-attempt limit). The national and state portions are scheduled separately but can be taken back to back.
- Apply for your license — within 90 days of passing. Submit the online license application to the Commission with proof of passing both portions and a Verification of Sponsoring Broker. Exam results are good for 90 days from the date of passing; miss the window and you risk having to repeat the process.
Retakes and score validity
West Virginia’s retake structure is built around one short authorization, and it is stricter than most states’:
- Your authorization lasts 90 days or two attempts, whichever comes first, counted from Commission approval. Within that authorization you do not need to return to the Commission for retake authorizations, and reexamination reservations cannot be made at the test center — rebook through Pearson VUE.
- Retake only what you failed. The exam is divided into national and state parts; if you pass one and fail the other, you retake only the failed part, within the authorization period. You cannot retake a part you have already passed during the authorization period.
- You have 90 days from passing one part to pass the other.
- If the authorization expires with a part still unpassed, you must resubmit an initial application to the Commission, pay the reexamination fee, and be authorized again — for the part you did not pass.
- Score validity is 90 days. Exam results are good for 90 days from the date of passing, and the license application must be completed inside that window. The Commission’s salesperson page says the same thing from the other direction: each pass certificate is good for 90 days.
- OnVUE has its own limit: one online attempt for life per license level. On a new authorization, retests must be taken in person.
The practical lesson: West Virginia does not give you a long runway to treat a first attempt as a diagnostic. Arrive at attempt one already prepared on both portions.
Test day
- Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Candidates should report to the test center at least 30 minutes before the examination begins; walk-in examinations are not available.
- Bring proper identification. Your registration name must match your government-issued ID — the Commission’s Pearson VUE contact page for discrepancies is on its salesperson page, and a name mismatch is the most preventable way to lose an exam day.
- Nothing goes in with you. Personal items — phones and other electronic devices, watches, wallets, purses, hats, bags, coats, books, notes, pens and pencils — are not allowed in the testing room and must be stored in a secure area, with electronic devices turned off. The administrator provides the materials for notes and calculations; you may not write on them before the exam begins or remove them afterward.
- A tutorial comes first, off the clock. You get an opportunity to take a tutorial on the testing computer, and the time spent on it does not reduce your examination time.
- Breaks run on your clock. To request an unscheduled break, raise your hand for the administrator; the exam clock does not stop, and you must leave the testing room but may not leave the floor or building.
- Testing online with OnVUE requires a quiet, private location, a reliable device with a webcam, and a strong internet connection, and you must remain in the proctor’s view. Remember the limit: one OnVUE attempt per license level in a lifetime, and no unscheduled breaks in the online exam.
- Results: you leave with a document stating that you have taken your exam, plus instructions for obtaining your official score report through your Pearson VUE account. Passing score reports go to the Commission with your license application — start that application promptly, because your 90-day window is already running.
How to study for this exam
The outlines are the syllabus. Pearson VUE publishes exactly what each portion covers, area by area, and the counts above are question counts, not suggestions. A plan built on that structure:
- Start with West Virginia Licensing. At 17 of 50 state questions, it is the single largest block on either portion relative to its size — license maintenance, the four license statuses, activities requiring a license, and exemptions. This is concrete statute-and-rule material, and it is the highest-yield study block on the state portion.
- Give contracts and agency its national weight. Sixteen of 80 national questions cover contract types and performance, the sales contract, and agency creation, termination, and obligations. Learn it through scenarios — offers, counteroffers, contingencies, earnest money — not as a list of definitions.
- Learn the West Virginia practice rules as rules. State area III (15 questions) is scope of practice and fees, advertising rules, and trust funds — the Commission’s own requirements, with specific numbers and procedures attached. Advertising identifiers, trust-account handling, and the notice of agency form (area IV) are exactly the kind of content that appears nowhere in a national textbook.
- Memorize the two math constants and practice the stated assumptions. 43,560 square feet per acre and 5,280 feet per mile are not provided at the test center. For prorations, train yourself to spot which year basis (360 or 365) and which closing-day attribution the question states before you calculate anything.
- Practice at full length, both portions, against the clock. Your real sitting is 80 questions in 150 minutes and 50 in 60, plus pretest questions you cannot identify. Full generated practice exams in the real proportions and timing build the pacing skill that short quizzes do not.
- Schedule inside your windows. Your background check is valid 90 days, your exam authorization is 90 days or two attempts, and your passing results are good for 90 days. Work backward from those clocks: be simulation-ready before the authorization starts, test, and file the license application immediately after passing.
This program’s West Virginia practice bank (16,611 questions) is built area-by-area on this same pair of outlines — including 1,826 questions on West Virginia Licensing and 887 on the Commission’s powers and duties. The West Virginia Real Estate Exam Prep program page shows the full coverage table — and the notify list there will email you when enrollment opens.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the West Virginia real estate exam? The salesperson exam has 130 scored questions — 80 on the national portion and 50 on the West Virginia state portion — plus unscored pretest questions mixed into each portion (the handbook’s exam table lists 5 per portion). The two portions are scheduled separately and can be taken back to back.
What is the passing score for the West Virginia real estate exam? The Pearson VUE candidate handbook publishes the passing score as 70% for salespersons and 75% for brokers. Results are converted to scaled scores from 0 to 100, and the handbook states that a scaled score is neither the number nor the percentage of questions answered correctly.
Does West Virginia require pre-licensing education? Yes — 90 clock hours from a Commission-approved provider: 30 hours of Real Estate Principles and Practice, 20 of Real Estate Law, 20 of Real Estate Finance, and 20 of Real Estate Appraisal. You must score 70% or higher in each subject area, and the course must have been completed within the three years before you apply.
How much does the West Virginia real estate exam cost? The exam fee is $59 per portion, paid to Pearson VUE by credit or debit card when you reserve — $118 for both portions. Fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable, are not accepted at the test center, and the handbook notes that fees may vary.
How do I register for the West Virginia real estate exam? You do not register with Pearson VUE first. You complete your 90 hours and background check, apply to the West Virginia Real Estate Commission online, and — once the Commission approves you — Pearson VUE emails you to schedule your exam date.
Can I take the West Virginia real estate exam online? Yes, through OnVUE online proctoring, but with a strict limit: one OnVUE attempt for life at each license level, and on a new authorization retests must be taken in person. Test centers remain the default route for retakes.
What happens after I pass the West Virginia exam? Apply for your license online with the Commission within 90 days of passing, submitting proof of passing both portions and a Verification of Sponsoring Broker. Exam results are good for only 90 days, so the application should not wait.
How long is my West Virginia exam score valid? Ninety days from the date of passing — the window in which your license application must be completed. You also have 90 days from passing one part of the exam to pass the other part.
If I fail, how soon can I retake the West Virginia exam? Within your authorization — 90 days or two attempts, whichever comes first — you retake only the portion you failed, booking through Pearson VUE (reexamination reservations cannot be made at the test center). If the authorization expires first, you resubmit an application to the Commission, pay the reexamination fee, and are re-authorized for the unpassed portion.
Do I need a sponsoring broker before the exam? No. Sponsorship is part of the license application after you pass: the Verification of Sponsoring Broker is uploaded with that application, not with your exam application.
What math facts do I need to memorize for the West Virginia exam? Two constants are not provided at the test center: 43,560 square feet per acre and 5,280 feet per mile. Proration questions state their own assumptions — a 360- or 365-day year, and whether the day of closing belongs to the buyer or the seller.
What West Virginia-specific topics does the state portion cover? The Commission’s powers and duties (audits, complaints, hearings, penalties), licensing under West Virginia law, West Virginia practice rules (scope of practice and fees, advertising, trust funds), agency relationships and the notice of agency form, and the West Virginia Fair Housing Act — 50 scored questions in all.
Does PassProfessor’s program satisfy the 90-hour education requirement? No. PassProfessor is exam preparation only and provides no pre-licensing education credit. The 90 hours must be completed with a Commission-approved education provider before you apply to sit for the exam.
Disclaimer
PassProfessor is an independent exam-preparation provider and is not affiliated with the West Virginia Real Estate Commission, Pearson VUE, or any state agency or exam vendor. This guide is general information about the West Virginia salesperson licensing exam, current as of October 2026; West Virginia Real Estate Commission and Pearson VUE publications govern if anything here differs from them.