Reviewed by Casa Academy on August 2, 2026.
Iowa licenses real estate salespersons through the Iowa Real Estate Commission (IREC). PSI administers one computer-based appointment: 80 national and 40 Iowa state scored multiple-choice items in 180 minutes, with an independent 70% cut on each portion. PSI lists a $95 salesperson examination fee per attempt; confirm the live fee in the Candidate Information Bulletin before you schedule.
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Iowa salesperson candidates take a national section and an Iowa state section during one computer-based appointment administered by PSI. The national portion includes 80 scored multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes. The Iowa state portion includes 40 scored multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. PSI schedules both sections in one 180-minute appointment. You must achieve at least 70% on the national section and at least 70% on the state section to pass. PSI may include five to ten unscored experimental questions that do not count toward your score but do count against your time. Results display on screen when you finish, and PSI emails a practice test score report by examination type if you fail either section.
PSI publishes separate national and Iowa state content outlines in the Candidate Information Bulletin. Treat them as separate study plans even though both sections share one appointment.
License exams test how Iowa statutes, commission rules, and candidate bulletins interact. Use the Statutes and regulations links on this page for primary sources, then confirm live fees and outlines with the regulator before you schedule.
IREC licenses salespersons after education, examination, background review, and application approval. Confirm current forms and fees on the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing website before you apply because rules and fee tables can change.
If you do not pass, PSI requires a new registration form and the $95 examination fee for each retake. You cannot schedule a re-examination on the same day you tested, but PSI's bulletin example shows retesting as soon as the next available day. PSI does not publish an attempt cap in the Candidate Information Bulletin. Because each section uses a 70% threshold scored independently, a strong national score cannot offset a failing state score. Weight timed practice toward Iowa Code 543B, IREC trust account rules, and Iowa disclosure statutes for the 40-item state block, then review national finance, contracts, and fair housing for the 80-item national block. When you want interactive reps for the national portion today, start the free national practice test on this page; it does not cover Iowa state-law items.
Study these official statute, rule, and regulator sources for this jurisdiction. Confirm current text before exam day.
You must be at least 18 before licensure, complete a 60-hour IREC-approved pre-license course within 12 months before the exam, pass both PSI exam sections, complete a criminal history background check, obtain E&O insurance, and apply through My Iowa PLB with a sponsoring broker no later than the last business day of the sixth month after your exam date. Application also requires 36 additional live-instruction hours in Buying Practices, Listing Practices, and Developing Professionalism and Ethical Practices completed within 12 months before you apply.
Difficulty depends on preparation and whether you study the national and state sections separately. You must score at least 70% on 80 national questions and at least 70% on 40 Iowa state questions in one 180-minute appointment. Candidates who struggle often under-prepare for Iowa Code 543B, IREC trust account rules, and Iowa disclosure statutes even when national finance and contract topics feel familiar.
Under the current PSI format, salesperson candidates need at least 56 correct answers on the 80-question national section, so you can miss up to 24 national items. On the 40-question Iowa state section, you need at least 28 correct answers at the 70% threshold, so you can miss up to 12 state items. Each section is scored independently; a strong national score cannot offset a failing state score.
PSI does not publish an attempt limit in the Candidate Information Bulletin. Each retake requires a new $95 registration, and you cannot schedule a re-examination on the same day you tested. PSI's bulletin example shows retesting as soon as the next available day. Failed attempts include a practice test report by examination type; confirm with PSI when you register whether you retake only the failed portion.
The national section covers property ownership, financing, contracts, agency, fair housing, and general brokerage concepts in PSI's salesperson outline. The Iowa state section emphasizes Iowa Code Chapter 543B, IREC rules at Iowa Administrative Code 193E, trust accounts, contracts, agency, property disclosure, the Iowa Civil Rights Act of 1965, unlicensed assistant rules, broker responsibilities, and property management.
PSI lists a $95 salesperson examination fee per attempt in the Candidate Information Bulletin. The bulletin lists a separate $125 salesperson license application fee paid to IREC after you pass. Pre-licensing course tuition, the additional 36 live-instruction hours required at application, E&O insurance, and background check costs are additional. Confirm both fee tables before submitting payment.
Not yet. Casa Academy does not sell an Iowa state exam prep product. The free practice test and paid paid plans offers on this page use the national exam prep bank for shared national topics only. Study Iowa Code 543B, IREC rules, and the PSI Iowa state outline separately; national practice does not cover the Iowa state-law portion.
Casa Academy helps students prepare to pass real estate licensing exams for Iowa and other states. We build practice tests, study plans, and exam prep for national and state exams — with clear disclosures when a state product is not yet available.
If official requirements or exam scheduling guidance change, this page should change too. The current review date for this version is August 2, 2026.