Residential License — 2026

Licensed Residential Appraiser — Requirements & Exam Guide

The Licensed Residential Appraiser credential lets you independently appraise non-complex residential properties up to $1,000,000 and complex properties up to $400,000. Requires 150 hours of education and 1,000 hours of supervised experience over at least 6 months.

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Licensed Residential Requirements

150 hrs

Education

AQB-approved courses

1,000 hrs

Experience

Over 6+ months

125 Q · 4h

Exam

Scaled 75 to pass

$1M

Property Scope

Non-complex residential

Your 2026 Exam Breakdown

Licensed Residential · 125 questions · 4 hours · scaled 75 to pass

Sales Comparison Approach

Comparable selection, paired sales analysis, adjustment techniques, units of comparison, and reconciliation of sales data.

25.4%

28 Q

USPAP

Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice — Ethics & Competency Rules, Scope of Work, Standards 1 & 2, valuation bias, and fair housing.

21.8%

24 Q

Real Estate Market

Market analysis, supply and demand, market trends, market area delineation, and economic factors that influence value.

20%

22 Q

Property Description

Site analysis, building construction, property inspection, legal descriptions, zoning, and physical characteristics affecting value.

10%

11 Q

Cost Approach

Reproduction vs replacement cost, depreciation analysis (physical, functional, external), and cost approach reconciliation.

9.1%

10 Q

Land or Site Valuation

Methods for valuing land and sites, including extraction, allocation, sales comparison, and direct techniques.

4.5%

5 Q

Income Approach

Direct and yield capitalization, gross income multipliers, expense reconstruction, lease analysis, and discounted cash flow.

4.5%

5 Q

Appraisal Statistical Methods

Descriptive and inferential statistics, regression analysis, measures of central tendency, and statistical inference for appraisal.

2.7%

3 Q

Reconciliation

Reconciling indications of value across approaches, weighting, and reaching a final defensible value opinion.

1.8%

2 Q

Emerging Appraisal Methods

Alternative inspection techniques, automated valuation models (AVMs), hybrid appraisals, and other modern valuation methods.

0 Q

Source: AQB / Pearson VUE 2026 Content Outline. The exam reports a scaled score; 75 is the passing scaled score and does NOT equal a raw 75% on practice questions. Scaled scoring adjusts for form difficulty.

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150-Hour Education Requirement

Complete these AQB-approved courses to qualify for the Licensed Residential exam

30h

Basic Appraisal Principles

Real property concepts, legal considerations, value influences, and economic principles.

30h

Basic Appraisal Procedures

Appraisal process overview, approaches to value, property description, and data collection.

15h

15-Hour National USPAP Course

Ethics, competency, scope of work, and reporting standards under USPAP.

15h

Residential Market Analysis & Highest/Best Use

Supply/demand analysis, market trends, comparable selection, and highest & best use.

15h

Residential Site Valuation & Cost Approach

Site valuation methods, cost approach mechanics, depreciation analysis.

30h

Residential Sales Comparison & Income Approaches

Paired sales analysis, adjustment techniques, income capitalization for residential.

15h

Residential Report Writing & Case Studies

URAR forms, narrative reports, compliance requirements, and practical case studies.

Compare Appraiser License Levels

See where Licensed Residential fits among all credential levels

Level	Education	Experience	Property Scope
Trainee	75 hrs	0 hrs	As permitted by supervisor
Licensed Residential	150 hrs	1,000 hrs	Non-complex up to $1M, complex up to $400K
Certified Residential	200 hrs	1,500 hrs	All residential, no value limit
Certified General	300 hrs	3,000 hrs	All property types incl. commercial

Frequently Asked Questions

What can a Licensed Residential Appraiser appraise?

A Licensed Residential Appraiser can appraise non-complex 1-4 unit residential properties with a transaction value up to $1,000,000 and complex 1-4 unit residential properties with a transaction value up to $400,000. This covers the majority of single-family home appraisals in most markets.

How long does it take to become a Licensed Residential Appraiser?

After completing the 150 hours of qualifying education, you need 1,000 hours of supervised experience gained over at least 6 months. In total, most candidates take 12-18 months from starting education to obtaining their license, depending on how quickly they accumulate experience hours.

What education is required for a Licensed Residential Appraiser?

You need 150 hours of AQB-approved education including: Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hrs), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hrs), 15-Hour National USPAP Course, Residential Market Analysis and Highest & Best Use (15 hrs), Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach (15 hrs), Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches (30 hrs), and Residential Report Writing (15 hrs).

What is the difference between Licensed and Certified Residential Appraiser?

The main differences are: (1) Licensed Residential has a $1M value limit for non-complex properties, while Certified Residential has no value limit. (2) Licensed requires 150 education hours vs. 200 for Certified. (3) Licensed needs 1,000 experience hours vs. 1,500. (4) Certified Residential requires an associate degree, while Licensed does not have a college degree requirement.

How hard is the Licensed Residential Appraiser exam?

The Licensed Residential exam has 125 questions (110 scored) with a 4-hour time limit and a scaled passing score of 75. Under the 2026 AQB outline it covers 10 content areas — Sales Comparison Approach (~25%) and USPAP (~22%) carry the most weight, followed by Real Estate Market (~20%) and Property Description (~10%). Income Approach is light (~5%) since LR property scope excludes complex commercial work.

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