- The KY-RESA has 120 scored questions: 80 national (150 minutes) and 40 Kentucky (90 minutes).
- You need 75% on each portion separately - passing the overall average isn't enough.
- Contracts is the largest national domain at 19%; Brokerage Activities and Requirements leads the Kentucky side.
- Fail one portion and you have four months to pass both, or you retake both from scratch.
Exam Format at a Glance
Before you memorize a single domain, lock in the mechanics of the test itself. The KY-RESA is a computer-delivered, multiple-choice exam administered by PSI on behalf of the Kentucky Real Estate Commission. It's split into two independently timed and independently scored portions, and confusing the two is one of the most common ways candidates lose points on test day.
| Element | National Portion | Kentucky Portion |
|---|---|---|
| Scored questions | 80 | 40 |
| Time allotted | 150 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 75% | 75% |
| Content basis | PSI national outline (effective Oct. 1, 2023) | Kentucky license law and commission rules |
On top of those 120 scored items, PSI may seed in 5-10 unscored experimental questions that look identical to real ones. You cannot identify them, so the only sound strategy is to treat every question as if it counts. A silent, nonprogrammable calculator is permitted, which matters for the real estate calculations questions covered later.
National Portion Domains (80 Questions)
The national portion draws from the current PSI outline that took effect October 1, 2023, and it's weighted toward practical transaction knowledge rather than trivia. Here's the exact breakdown you're being tested on:
Domain 5: Contracts (19%) - the heaviest national domain
Expect the largest concentration of questions here. Master offer and acceptance, contingencies, contract remedies, and the lifecycle of a purchase agreement.
- Know the difference between void, voidable, and unenforceable contracts
Domain 6: Agency (13%)
Fiduciary duties, types of agency relationships, and disclosure obligations show up constantly across both the national and Kentucky portions, so treat this as double-duty study time.
- Compare single agency, dual agency, and designated agency scenarios
Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
This covers day-to-day licensee conduct - advertising, escrow handling, and professional standards that overlap heavily with license law.
The remaining national weight is spread across Property Ownership (10%), Financing (10%), Valuation (8%), Real Estate Calculations (7%), Property Disclosures (7%), Transfer of Title (6%), Land Use Controls (5%), and Property Management (3%). Real Estate Calculations deserves extra attention even at 7% because it's the domain most likely to slow you down under time pressure - proration, loan-to-value ratios, and commission splits all require methodical, calculator-assisted work rather than memorization.
Key Takeaway
Spend your heaviest review hours on Contracts, Agency, and Practice of Real Estate - together they account for nearly half the national portion's weight.
Kentucky Portion Domains (40 Questions)
The 40-question Kentucky portion is where out-of-state study materials fail candidates the most, because it tests commission-specific rules rather than universal real estate concepts. The six Kentucky domains are:
- Real Estate Commission - KREC's structure, authority, and disciplinary powers
- Requirements for a License - education hours, age, background check timing
- Brokerage Activities and Requirements - the largest Kentucky domain
- License Law Requirements for Contracts - Kentucky-specific contract language and disclosures
- Disclosures and Agency Issues - Kentucky's agency disclosure rules
- Property Management - trust accounts and management agreement rules under Kentucky law
Because these domains are Kentucky-specific, they can't be studied from a generic national real estate textbook. For a full breakdown of what's tested inside each of the 17 total content areas across both portions, review the KY-RESA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 17 Content Areas.
Registration, Fees & Deadlines
The path to sitting for the KY-RESA involves several sequential steps, and missing the order can cost you time.
- Be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED
- Complete 96 approved classroom hours or 6 real-estate academic credits
- Initiate the FBI background-check process before scheduling your exam - this is a prerequisite, not an afterthought
- Pay $100 per attempt to PSI
- Apply to KREC within 60 days after passing both portions
Missing that 60-day post-pass application window creates unnecessary complications, so treat your pass date as the start of a clock, not the finish line. For the complete eligibility checklist, see KY-RESA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify, and for scheduling logistics and testing windows, check KY-RESA Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Passing Score & Retake Rules
This is the single most misunderstood mechanic of the KY-RESA: you must score 75% on the national portion and 75% on the Kentucky portion. A high score on one side does not offset a low score on the other.
KREC's cumulative 2025 first-time pass rates through December 1 were 62.89% on the national portion and 51.08% on the state portion - a gap that reflects exactly what this cheat sheet is built around: the Kentucky-specific content trips up more candidates than the national content does. For a deeper statistical breakdown, read the KY-RESA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows, and for a plain-language explanation of what 75% actually requires in raw question counts, see KY-RESA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
After You Pass: Post-License & Renewal
Passing the exam is not the end of your compliance obligations - it's the start of a new set of deadlines.
- New sales associates must complete 48 post-license hours within two years of licensure
- Active licensees complete 6 CE hours annually, including 3 law hours
- The Kentucky Core Course is required once every four years
- Licensees must maintain E&O insurance continuously
- Renewal is due by March 31 of even-numbered years
Key Takeaway
Write your renewal date and post-license deadline into a calendar the day you get licensed - these are easy to forget once you're actively working transactions.
If you're still deciding whether the licensing path is worth the time and cost investment, compare the numbers in Is the KY-RESA Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and KY-RESA Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.
A Final-Week Review Plan Built Around the Domains
A cheat sheet works best paired with a short, domain-ordered review sprint rather than generic last-minute cramming. Sequence your final days around domain weight, not alphabetical order.
National Heavyweights
- Contracts (19%) and Agency (13%) - drill scenario-based questions, not flashcards
- Practice of Real Estate (12%) - review advertising and escrow rules
Kentucky Core
- Brokerage Activities and Requirements - the largest Kentucky domain
- Requirements for a License and License Law Requirements for Contracts
Calculations & Remaining Domains
- Real Estate Calculations - practice with your calculator under timed conditions
- Property Disclosures, Transfer of Title, Land Use Controls, Property Management (both portions)
Full Simulation
- Take a full-length timed practice exam mirroring the 150/90-minute split
- Review missed items by domain, not just by right/wrong count
If you want a more detailed week-by-week plan that extends beyond this final sprint, the KY-RESA Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt lays out a full preparation timeline. And if you're still gauging how much effort the exam genuinely demands, How Hard Is the KY-RESA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down the difficulty honestly using the actual pass-rate gap between portions.
Running realistic, timed practice questions on our KY-RESA practice test platform is the fastest way to see which domains still need work before you commit to a scheduling date. Because the exam splits time so differently between portions - 150 minutes for 80 questions versus 90 minutes for 40 - simulating both timing blocks separately on the practice site matters more than doing untimed review.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 120 scored questions total - 80 national questions in 150 minutes and 40 Kentucky questions in 90 minutes - plus possibly 5-10 unscored experimental questions mixed in.
No, but if you pass only one portion, you have four months to pass the other. If that window closes, both portions must be retaken.
Contracts (19%) is the largest national domain, and Brokerage Activities and Requirements is the largest Kentucky domain - prioritize those two first.
A silent, nonprogrammable calculator is permitted, which is especially useful for the Real Estate Calculations domain.
You must apply to the Kentucky Real Estate Commission within 60 days of passing, and once licensed, complete 48 post-license hours within two years.