Virginia (VA) Real Estate Exam Cheat Sheet 2026
VA: 120 questions, 150 minutes, 56 of 80 and 30 of 40, $60 in exam fees. Below are the 8 rules that decide pass or fail, each with its source.
The 8 rules worth memorising
Not subject knowledge — that comes from practice questions. These are the procedural rules candidates lose the exam to: how the threshold is applied, what a partial fail means, and the deadlines that void a pass.
- 1
The Virginia portion needs 75%, the national only 70%
You need 56 of 80 nationally but 30 of 40 on the Virginia portion. That is 75% — a higher bar on the half with less time per question. Ten misses on the state portion and you are done.
Source: PSI bulletin, Score Reporting
- 2
45 minutes for 40 state questions
The national portion gives you 105 minutes for 80 questions; the Virginia portion gives 45 for 40. Roughly a minute each, against a stricter passing mark.
Source: PSI bulletin, Examination Summary Table
- 3
Fingerprinting happens at the test center
Fingerprinting is mandatory for all Virginia applicants and is offered walk-in at PSI Virginia sites during regular testing hours for $52 — $27 state plus $25 PSI. It takes 4 to 6 weeks to clear, so do it the day you test rather than after.
Source: PSI bulletin, License Application Instructions
- 4
The one-year clock runs from your original exam date
If you pass both portions together, the application must reach the Board within one year of passing. If your completed application is not received within one year of the original examination date, you retake whichever portion has expired.
Source: PSI bulletin, License Application Instructions
- 5
Fail one portion, retake only that one
You repeat just the portion you failed — but the one-year clock above does not restart, so a failed portion late in the year can cost you the portion you already passed.
Source: PSI bulletin, License Application Instructions
- 6
Reciprocal applicants take the state portion only
If you are applying by reciprocity you only need to pass the Virginia portion — the harder-scored half, on its own.
Source: PSI bulletin, License Application Instructions
- 7
No scratch paper on remote proctored exams
Candidates testing remotely are not allowed scratch paper. Virginia tests real estate calculations, so if you work problems on paper, book an in-person seat.
Source: PSI bulletin, Examination Protocol
- 8
No same-day rebooking
Score processing means you cannot book a new appointment on the day you test. Your score shows on screen at the end and the emailed report carries a topic-by-topic diagnostic if you failed.
Source: PSI bulletin, Retaking a Failed Examination and Score Reporting
What the Virginia state portion covers (40 scored items)
Straight from the official outline. Study the top of this list first.
Agency definitions and relationships
12 questionsBroker-salesperson relationships and compensation · Limited service · Disclosure of agency · Document handling — delivery and leaving copies · Standard agent duties · Duties to client vs. customer · Misrepresentation and omissions · Brokerage agreements · Designated and dual agency · Unrepresented parties
Disclosure requirements
10 questionsProperty disclosure including the Chesapeake Bay Act · Aircraft noise/crash disclosure · Septic disclosure · Megan’s Law · Stigmatized properties · HOA/POA disclosures — review and cancellation timing, what constitutes delivery · Advertising rules
Licensing
8 questionsQualifications and requirements · Broker’s supervisory requirements · Disciplinary procedures and sanctions · Improper dealings and improper brokerage · Inspection of records and audits · Record keeping requirements · License types and activities requiring a license · Post-license and continuing education · License transfer and informing the Board of changes
Virginia fair housing law and regulations
4 questionsSpecific acts pertaining to real estate practice
4 questionsCondominium and unit-owner restrictions · Virginia Common Interest Communities Act (broker only)
Escrow accounts
2 questions
If you fail
Reregister with PSI the day after your attempt and repeat only the portion you failed. Watch the one-year window measured from your original exam date — let it lapse and a portion you already passed expires with it.
Where these came from
- PSI Candidate Information Bulletin — Virginia Real Estate (bulletin 466)
- Virginia DPOR — Real Estate Board (60-hour Principles of Real Estate course)
Figures read from the source on 2026-09-18.
Questions
Is there a Virginia real estate exam cheat sheet PDF?
This page is the cheat sheet, and it stays on the web on purpose: every rule below cites the bulletin or commission page it came from, so you can check it against the current source. A printed PDF goes stale the moment PSI revises a figure, and most of the ones being sold do not say where their numbers came from.
What should I memorise for the VA state portion?
The rules that decide pass or fail rather than the ones that are merely interesting: how the 70% threshold is applied, what happens if you fail one portion, and the deadlines that void a pass. Those are the 8 below. Subject knowledge comes from practice questions, not from a list.
How current is this Virginia cheat sheet?
Every figure was read from the source on 2026-09-18, and each rule names its source below. Where VREB has revised something since, the source link is the authority — not this page.