- You need 75% on both the 75-question national portion and the 50-question Oregon portion - separately.
- Contracts (19%) and Oregon Real Estate Related Statutes (30%) are the two heaviest single domains on the exam.
- The exam fee is $75 per attempt plus a $300 nonrefundable Agency application fee.
- Passing scores are valid for one year, so license paperwork can't drag on indefinitely.
Exam Snapshot: The Numbers You Must Memorize
Before you touch a single practice question, lock these core facts into memory. This is the one-page mental model every candidate should carry into test day. For a deeper walkthrough of how these numbers were set, see the ORPB Study Guide 2026.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Administering body | Oregon Real Estate Agency (test delivery via PSI Services LLC) |
| Total scored items | 125 (75 national + 50 Oregon) |
| Unscored experimental items | 5-10 possible, mixed in |
| National portion time | 150 minutes |
| Oregon portion time | 90 minutes |
| National points available | 80 points (scenario items can earn up to 2 points each) |
| Passing threshold | 75% on each portion, independently |
| Score validity | 1 year |
| Test format | Computer-based, closed-book, PSI center or remote proctoring |
Registration, Fees, and Eligibility Checklist
Money and paperwork trip up more candidates than content does. Here's the exact mechanics you need before you can even sit for the test.
- Exam fee: $75 per attempt (each retake of either portion incurs this fee again).
- Agency application fee: $300, nonrefundable, paid separately from the exam fee.
- Fingerprinting: Current Oregon brokers upgrading to principal broker are exempt. Other new-license applicants may pay a $61.25 PSI fingerprinting fee.
- Age minimum: 18 years old.
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- Experience: Three years of active real-estate-license experience, documented.
- Pre-exam coursework: 40-hour Brokerage Administration and Sales Supervision course. Certain out-of-state or former Oregon brokers must also complete the 150-hour broker pre-license program.
If you're still confirming whether you qualify, cross-check every line against ORPB Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before you pay any fees. A full cost breakdown, including how these numbers compare across scenarios, lives in ORPB Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Pay the $300 Agency application fee only after you've confirmed your three years of documented experience and coursework hours - it is nonrefundable regardless of exam outcome.
National Portion: Domains 1-11 at a Glance
The national portion covers 75 questions worth 80 points across 150 minutes. Percentages below are weighted within the national portion only.
Domain 5: Contracts (19%)
The single largest national domain. Expect scenario-based items covering offer/acceptance, contingencies, addenda, and remedies for breach.
- Know the difference between bilateral and unilateral contract elements
- Understand how contingency removal timelines affect enforceability
Domain 6: Agency (13%)
Agency relationships, fiduciary duties, and disclosure obligations are tested heavily here and reappear again in the Oregon-specific Agency Law and Rules domain.
- Distinguish fiduciary duties owed to clients versus customers
- Recognize dual agency disclosure triggers
Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Day-to-day licensee conduct, advertising rules, and professional practice standards.
- Know what constitutes misrepresentation versus puffery
- Understand advertising disclosure basics
The remaining national domains - Property Ownership (10%), Financing (9%), Property Disclosures (7%), Transfer of Title (6%), Real Estate Calculations (6%), Valuation (8%), Land Use Controls (5%), and Property Management (5%) - round out the national portion. For a domain-by-domain study checklist across all 18 areas, see the ORPB Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 18 Content Areas.
Oregon Portion: Domains 12-18 at a Glance
The 50-question Oregon portion runs on a 90-minute clock. This is where generic national real estate knowledge stops helping and Oregon-specific rules take over.
Domain 18: Oregon Real Estate Related Statutes (30%)
The dominant Oregon domain - nearly a third of this portion. This is the highest-leverage area for last-minute review.
- Study Oregon-specific statutory definitions that diverge from national norms
- Cross-reference statute citations with license law disciplinary provisions
Domain 13: Handling of Clients' Funds
Trust account rules, recordkeeping timelines, and disbursement procedures specific to Oregon brokerages.
- Know required trust account reconciliation practices
- Understand who may authorize fund disbursement
Domain 15: Regulation of Broker Activities
Covers principal broker responsibilities for overseeing licensees under their supervision, tying directly into Oregon's supervisory-agreement rules.
- Understand which activities require direct principal broker sign-off
- Know recordkeeping obligations under Domain 16
The other Oregon domains - License Law and Disciplinary Measures, Agency Law and Rules, Document Handling and Recordkeeping, and Property Management - fill out the remainder of this portion. Because these topics are Oregon-only and not tested nationally elsewhere, they're a common weak spot; don't skip them because they feel "obvious." If you're unsure how tough this portion really is compared to the national side, read How Hard Is the ORPB Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Scoring, Format, and Timing Rules
The exam is delivered as computer-based, closed-book testing, available either at a PSI test center or via remote proctoring. A few mechanical details are easy to forget under pressure:
- National scenario questions can be worth up to two points each, which is why the 75 national questions total 80 points rather than 75.
- You must clear 75% on the national portion and 75% on the Oregon portion - each is scored independently.
- 5-10 unscored experimental items may appear anywhere in the exam; you won't know which ones they are, so treat every question as if it counts.
- Passing scores remain valid for one year, which affects how quickly you need to complete licensing paperwork after passing.
For the exact pass/fail math and how the scenario-question point weighting plays out in practice, see ORPB Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're still deciding when to schedule, check current testing windows in ORPB Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Renewal, Supervision, and Post-Exam Requirements
Passing the exam is not the finish line - it's the gate into an ongoing set of licensing obligations.
- First license period: At least 13 months but less than 24 months, depending on your birth month.
- Subsequent license periods: 24 months each.
- Active renewal continuing education: 30 hours required. For a first active renewal under the 2026 rules, this must include Fair Housing, LARRC, Principal Broker Advanced Practices, and an assessment of license proficiency.
- Supervisory authority: Only a managing principal broker, or a principal broker operating under a written supervisory agreement, may supervise other licensees.
This supervisory rule is worth memorizing word-for-word, since it's tested in both the national Agency domain and the Oregon-specific Regulation of Broker Activities domain. Employers hiring principal brokers care about this distinction too - supervisory authority is often the deciding factor in hiring decisions. If you're weighing whether the credential pays off given the coursework and renewal commitment, read Is the ORPB Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and ORPB Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.
Key Takeaway
Memorize the supervisory-agreement rule exactly: managing principal broker, or principal broker with written supervisory agreement - no other licensee type qualifies.
Final Week Review Plan
In the final stretch, stop broad studying and start targeted repetition of your two heaviest domains: Contracts (19% national) and Oregon Real Estate Related Statutes (30% Oregon). A simple technique - timed recall drills followed by short spaced-repetition review the next day - works well here because both domains reward pattern recognition over memorization of isolated facts.
Contracts + Agency
- Drill contract scenario questions under timed conditions
- Review fiduciary duty distinctions across both national and Oregon Agency domains
Oregon Statutes + Trust Funds
- Focus on Oregon Real Estate Related Statutes (30% of the Oregon portion)
- Review Handling of Clients' Funds recordkeeping rules
Mixed practice + weak domains
- Run full-length timed practice sets mimicking 150/90-minute splits
- Revisit any domain scoring below your target on practice tests
Light review + logistics
- Re-read the supervisory-agreement rule and renewal CE requirements
- Confirm PSI appointment details and ID requirements
If you want a longer-horizon plan that starts weeks earlier rather than just the final stretch, the ORPB Study Guide 2026 lays out a full week-by-week structure. And if you're still calibrating how much practice testing you actually need, the ORPB Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows article puts study intensity into context.
You can also run full-length timed simulations on the main practice test platform to get comfortable with the 150-minute national and 90-minute Oregon time pressure before test day. Repeating this a few times on the practice site builds the pacing instincts that a one-page cheat sheet alone can't provide.
FAQ
The exam is structured as a national portion (150 minutes) and an Oregon portion (90 minutes), each requiring a 75% score. Check current scheduling details in ORPB Exam Dates 2026 for how sittings are arranged.
Beyond the $75 exam fee per attempt, you'll pay a $300 nonrefundable Agency application fee, and possibly a $61.25 PSI fingerprinting fee if you're not exempt as a current Oregon broker upgrading. See ORPB Certification Cost 2026 for the full breakdown.
Contracts (19% of the national portion) and Oregon Real Estate Related Statutes (30% of the Oregon portion) carry the most weight individually, so they offer the highest return on focused review.
Passing scores remain valid for one year, so complete your Agency application and remaining requirements within that window.
Only a managing principal broker, or a principal broker operating under a written supervisory agreement, may supervise other licensees - no other license type qualifies.