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Current Illinois broker exam syllabus

Illinois real estate exam content outline and checklist

The current broker exam contains 15 scored content areas: 11 national categories totaling 100 questions and 4 Illinois categories totaling 40. Search all 71 lettered syllabus rows, follow each row to its best study destination, and track what you have reviewed in this browser.

What is on the current exam outline?

Short answer: The largest national category is Contracts at 19 questions. The largest state category is the Illinois Real Estate License Act at 16 questions. The official counts below total 140 scored questions.

National category
Property ownership
Weight
10%
Scored questions
10
National category
Land use controls
Weight
5%
Scored questions
5
National category
Valuation
Weight
8%
Scored questions
8
National category
Financing
Weight
10%
Scored questions
10
National category
Contracts
Weight
19%
Scored questions
19
National category
Agency
Weight
13%
Scored questions
13
National category
Property disclosures
Weight
7%
Scored questions
7
National category
Property management
Weight
3%
Scored questions
3
National category
Transfer of title
Weight
6%
Scored questions
6
National category
Practice of real estate
Weight
12%
Scored questions
12
National category
Real estate calculations
Weight
7%
Scored questions
7
Illinois category
Licensing requirements
Weight
10%
Scored questions
4
Illinois category
Illinois Real Estate License Act
Weight
40%
Scored questions
16
Illinois category
Additional Illinois laws and regulations
Weight
25%
Scored questions
10
Illinois category
Disclosures
Weight
25%
Scored questions
10

Current Illinois structure

The four-area Illinois broker outline became effective June 24, 2026. Older three-area state trackers no longer match the current PSI organization, even though the state portion still has 40 scored questions.

Source and coverage status

Every published broker row has a destination

The matrix below maps all 71 lettered broker-outline rows across the 15 scored areas to the strongest guide or comparison on this site. It follows the PSI booklet effective June 24, 2026 and was verified through August 22, 2026.

Open the official PSI Candidate Information Booklet · Review sources, corrections, and updates

Jump to any tested area

National broker syllabus coverage, 100 questions

The national portion tests broad real estate principles. Each official lettered row below includes its nested broker subtopics and links to the most useful learning destination. A row may link to more than one guide when PSI combines several distinct concepts.

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Showing 33 rows in 11 areas

National area 1 · 10 questionsProperty Ownership4 outline rows

  1. A. Real and personal property; conveyances

    Dedicated guide

    Real property, personal property, fixtures, trade fixtures, conveyance, and the rights transferred with land.

  2. B. Land characteristics and legal descriptions

    Dedicated guide

    Metes and bounds, lot and block, government survey, linear and square-foot structure measurement, and land measurement.

  3. C. Encumbrances and effects on ownership

    Dedicated guide

    Liens; easements, rights of way, and licenses; encroachments; probate, leases, and adverse possession; mineral, subsurface, air, and water rights.

  4. D. Types of ownership

    Coverage set

    Severalty, tenants in common, joint tenancy, timeshares, condominiums, cooperatives, trusts, estates, business entities, and life estates.

National area 2 · 5 questionsLand Use Controls and Regulations3 outline rows

  1. A. Government rights in land

    Dedicated guide

    Property taxes, special assessments, eminent domain, condemnation, and escheat.

  2. B. Government controls on land use

    Dedicated guide

    Zoning, building and environmental controls, permits, nonconforming uses, variances, special uses, and subdivision regulation.

  3. C. Private controls

    Dedicated guide

    Deed conditions and restrictions, subdivision covenants and CC&Rs, and condominium or owners' association regulations and bylaws.

National area 3 · 8 questionsValuation and Market Analysis3 outline rows

  1. A. Appraisals

    Dedicated guide

    Real-property valuation, licensed or certified appraiser requirements, unauthorized appraisal practice, and the general appraisal process.

  2. B. Estimating value

    Coverage set

    Economic principles and property characteristics, sales comparison, cost, and income approaches and their appropriate uses.

  3. C. Comparative market analysis

    Dedicated guide

    CMA, BPO, equivalent broker products, automated valuation methods, and their differences from an appraisal.

National area 4 · 10 questionsFinancing3 outline rows

  1. A. Basic concepts and terminology

    Coverage set

    Points, LTV, PMI, interest, PITI, underwriting, debt ratios, credit scoring and history, mortgage or deed-of-trust clauses, and promissory notes.

  2. B. Types of loans

    Dedicated guide

    Conventional, amortized, balloon, interest-only, ARM, FHA, VA, USDA, owner, reverse-mortgage, home-equity, construction, rehab, and bridge financing.

  3. C. Financing and lending

    Dedicated guide

    RESPA and kickbacks, Regulation Z and advertising, TRID timing, ECOA, the application-to-closing process, and risky loan features.

National area 5 · 19 questionsContracts3 outline rows

  1. A. General contract law

    Coverage set

    Principles and valid elements, Statute of Frauds, offers, enforceability, void or voidable status, bilateral and unilateral contracts, options, notice and acceptance, electronic signatures, party duties, remedies, and contract endings.

  2. B. Purchase and lease contracts

    Dedicated guide

    Addenda, amendments, purchase agreements, contingencies, leases, rental agreements, lease-purchase agreements, and lease types.

  3. C. Multiple offers and counteroffers

    Dedicated guide

    Proper presentation and handling of multiple offers, counteroffers, confidentiality, and client decision-making.

National area 6 · 13 questionsAgency3 outline rows

  1. A. Agency and non-agency relationships

    Coverage set

    How agency is established, listing contracts, buyer and tenant representation, transaction brokers and facilitators, powers of attorney, assigned authority, and termination.

  2. B. Agent duties

    Dedicated guide

    Fiduciary duties and duties to customers or nonclients, including honesty and good faith.

  3. C. Agency disclosures

    Dedicated guide

    Disclosure of representation and disclosure of possible conflicts of interest or self-interest.

National area 7 · 7 questionsProperty Disclosures3 outline rows

  1. A. Property condition

    Coverage set

    Seller disclosure requirements, conditions warranting inspection or survey, and public or private land-use red flags.

  2. B. Environmental and government disclosures

    Dedicated guide

    Environmental issues requiring disclosure and federal, state, or local property-disclosure requirements.

  3. C. Material facts and material defects

    Dedicated guide

    The difference between a material transaction fact, a property defect, knowledge, disclosure duty, and a broker's practice boundary.

National area 8 · 3 questionsProperty Management2 outline rows

  1. A. Broker duties and responsibilities

    Coverage set

    Prospective-tenant procurement and qualification, property-management fair housing and ADA compliance, and rent or lease-rate market analysis. Instructor-only operations are excluded.

  2. B. Landlord and tenant rights and obligations

    Dedicated guide

    Possession, rent, habitability, repairs, access, notices, remedies, and lease-based duties within the broker exam scope.

National area 9 · 6 questionsTransfer of Title4 outline rows

  1. A. Types of deeds

    Dedicated guide

    Deed types, parties, operative language, warranties, delivery, acceptance, and the limits of each deed.

  2. B. Title insurance and searches

    Dedicated guide

    Title policies and searches, potential title problems and resolutions, and marketable versus insurable title.

  3. C. Closing process

    Dedicated guide

    When ownership transfer becomes effective, recordation, settlement procedures, closing parties, and home or new-construction warranties.

  4. D. Special processes

    Dedicated guide

    Special issues in foreclosed-property transfers, short-sale transactions, and probate transactions.

National area 10 · 12 questionsPractice of Real Estate3 outline rows

  1. A. Antidiscrimination

    Coverage set

    Federal Fair Housing Act principles and exemptions, protected classes, gender identity and sexual orientation, prohibited conduct, advertising, ADA accessibility, and reasonable accommodations.

  2. B. Legislation and regulations

    Coverage set

    Employee or independent-contractor status, antitrust violations and penalties, Do-Not-Call compliance, and social-media or internet communication and advertising.

  3. C. Duties and responsibilities

    Coverage set

    Protection of confidential personal information, handling other people's funds, and licensee due diligence in transactions.

National area 11 · 7 questionsReal Estate Calculations2 outline rows

  1. A. Calculations for transactions

    Coverage set

    Seller net proceeds, buyer funds at closing, real-property tax and other prorations, transfer fees, and PITI estimates from loan rate and term.

  2. B. General concepts

    Coverage set

    Equity, rate of return, capitalization rate, loan-to-value ratio, discount points, and loan-origination fees.

Continue to the national broker portion study guide for topic boundaries, decision methods, examples, and original practice.

How is the PSI outline different from the IDFPR curriculum?

PSI's outline is the exam blueprint. It names the scored categories, broker subtopics, weights, and question counts. IDFPR's 75-hour curriculum is the education map. It tells approved schools what prelicense instruction must cover. The two official documents overlap, but they are not interchangeable.

A curriculum topic can still be useful and required education even when PSI does not list that phrase under a scored category. For example, the IDFPR curriculum provides broader teaching context for zoning, environmental hazards, foreclosure, bankruptcy, and closing. This page keeps PSI's published broker outline in the category cards and uses the curriculum only as a separate study-depth source.

Use each official source for one job

  • Use PSI to decide what can be tested and how the scored exam is weighted.
  • Use IDFPR's curriculum to understand the required education scope behind those tested concepts.
  • Use statutes, administrative rules, and agency guidance for the governing legal details.

Open the official IDFPR 75-hour Broker Pre-License Curriculum · Understand the two required education components

Illinois broker syllabus coverage, 40 questions

The Illinois portion tests the state licensing system and laws that govern practice. This matrix follows the Broker column of PSI's shared state table and does not count rows marked only for Managing Broker or Instructor candidates.

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Showing 38 rows in 4 areas

Illinois area 1 · 4 questionsLicensing Requirements8 outline rows

  1. A. Activities requiring a license

    Dedicated guide

    Illinois activities that require a real estate license and the boundary between licensed and unlicensed conduct.

  2. B. License exemptions

    Dedicated guide

    Statutory exemptions, limited capacities, and conduct that remains outside an exemption.

  3. C. Types of licenses

    Dedicated guide

    Broker, managing broker, residential leasing agent, and pre-license or continuing-education instructor licenses.

  4. D. Eligibility and sponsorship

    Dedicated guide

    Broker eligibility, education, sponsorship, and the role of a sponsoring broker.

  5. E. Examination

    Dedicated guide

    Eligibility, registration, examination portions, passing standards, attempts, and broker exam rules.

  6. F. License renewal

    Dedicated guide

    Renewal duties, timing, status, and the effect of missing a renewal requirement.

  7. G. Post-license and continuing education

    Dedicated guide

    Post-license education, continuing education, timing, and the distinction between the two requirements.

  8. H. Changes to license information

    Dedicated guide

    Changes in a licensee's address, name, or business information and the related reporting duty.

Illinois area 2 · 16 questionsIllinois Real Estate License Act14 outline rows

  1. A. Agency relationships

    Dedicated guide

    Illinois agency relationships, stigmatized property, and material facts.

  2. B. Advertising

    Dedicated guide

    Brokerage identity, sponsored-licensee advertising, team advertising, media rules, and prohibited representations.

  3. C. Sponsored licensees and sponsoring brokers

    Dedicated guide

    The sponsored relationship, registered sponsorship, responsibilities, compensation flow, and changes in sponsorship.

  4. D. Brokerage agreements

    Dedicated guide

    Exclusive and nonexclusive agreements, required terms, termination, and minimum services under an exclusive agreement.

  5. E. Compensation requirements

    Dedicated guide

    Contractual entitlement, payment through the sponsoring broker, disclosure, and limits on compensation.

  6. F. Interference with contracts or agreements

    Dedicated guide

    Existing exclusive relationships, lawful communication, protected client choice, and prohibited interference.

  7. G. Licensed and unlicensed assistants

    Dedicated guide

    Which tasks require a license and which administrative tasks an unlicensed assistant may perform.

  8. H. Teams

    Dedicated guide

    Team names, advertising identity, organization, and required supervision.

  9. I. Handling of monies

    Dedicated guide

    Special accounts, security deposits, receipts, deposits, records, disbursement, commingling, and conversion.

  10. J. Handling of documents

    Dedicated guide

    Document delivery, copies, signatures, retention, transaction records, and access to records.

  11. K. Disciplinary provisions

    Dedicated guide

    Unprofessional conduct, prohibited acts, complaints, investigations, discipline, and consequences.

  12. L. CMA and BPO requirements

    Dedicated guide

    Who may prepare a CMA or BPO, permitted purposes, required content, compensation, and appraisal boundaries.

  13. M. Purchase contracts and lease agreements

    Dedicated guide

    Licensee preparation of customary transaction documents and the Quinlan and Tyson practice boundary.

  14. N. Purpose of license law

    Dedicated guide

    Public protection, minimum competence, professional conduct, regulation, and enforcement.

Illinois area 3 · 10 questionsAdditional Illinois Laws and Regulations11 outline rows

  1. A. Ownership interests

    Dedicated guide

    Trusts, homestead, government powers, co-ownership, condominiums, and cooperatives. Business entities and private restrictions are excluded here because PSI marks them managing-broker-only in this state section.

  2. B. Activities exceeding license scope

    Dedicated guide

    The boundaries between real estate practice, law, securities work, and activity governed by the Illinois Business Broker Act.

  3. C. Transfer taxes

    Dedicated guide

    Illinois transfer-tax responsibility, declarations, exemptions, calculation, and transaction treatment.

  4. D. Transfer of title

    Dedicated guide

    Voluntary and involuntary title transfer. Advanced state title, closing, foreclosure, short-sale, and probate rows marked managing-broker-only are excluded here but remain covered where the national broker outline requires them.

  5. E. Legal descriptions and the Plat Act

    Dedicated guide

    Illinois legal-description application, recorded plats, subdivision requirements, and the Plat Act.

  6. F. Real estate taxes and exemptions

    Dedicated guide

    Illinois property taxation, assessment, exemptions, liens, collection, and exam distinctions.

  7. G. Illinois Human Rights Act

    Dedicated guide

    Illinois protected classes, prohibited housing discrimination, enforcement, and fair-housing advertising.

  8. H. Assistance Animal Integrity Act

    Dedicated guide

    Disability-related need, reliable documentation, housing-provider review, prohibited demands, and fraud provisions.

  9. I. Illinois landlord and tenant law

    Dedicated guide

    State landlord and tenant rules, possession, notices, duties, remedies, and local-law boundaries.

  10. J. Commercial Broker Lien Act

    Dedicated guide

    Qualifying commercial services, lien creation, notice, recording, enforcement, release, and priority.

  11. K. Radon Resistant Construction Act

    Dedicated guide

    Covered construction, required radon-resistant techniques, local enforcement, and the difference from transaction disclosure.

Illinois area 4 · 10 questionsDisclosures5 outline rows

  1. A. Agency disclosures

    Dedicated guide

    Seller or landlord designated agency, buyer or tenant designated agency, dual agency, no-agency notice, prohibited transactional-broker or facilitator relationships, and contemporaneous offers.

  2. B. Licensee direct or indirect interest

    Dedicated guide

    Written disclosure when a licensee has a direct or indirect interest in a purchase, sale, or other covered transaction.

  3. C. Compensation sources

    Dedicated guide

    Disclosure of compensation sources, multiple compensation, consent, and the distinction between payment and representation.

  4. D. Property disclosure

    Dedicated guide

    Residential Real Property Disclosure Act duties, delivery, exemptions, known material defects, and licensee responsibilities.

  5. E. Environmental and other disclosures

    Dedicated guide

    Radon, lead-based paint, mine subsidence, underground storage tanks, and landlord flooding disclosure.

The Illinois state portion study guide adds the law map, official sources, category boundaries, study order, and practice. Use the Illinois License Act guide for the largest state category.

Which state topics are managing-broker-only?

PSI's state table places Managing Broker and Broker counts beside a shared topic list. For the entry-level broker examination, use the Broker column and exclude subtopics PSI expressly marks managing broker only.

Examples of managing-broker-only material in that shared state table include:

  • Ownership by business entities.
  • Deed restrictions and subdivision covenants.
  • Several advanced title and closing subtopics.
  • Appraisal-scope topics located in that state area.
  • The Statute of Frauds item listed there.
  • The separate Managing Broker and Instructor area.

The label applies to its place in the state table

A similar general concept may still belong to the national broker outline. For example, national Property Ownership includes business forms of ownership and private restrictions. Study the national topic for national and honor the managing-broker-only label when reading the Illinois state table.

How should you use topic weights?

Weights tell you where more questions come from. They do not tell you to skip smaller areas. Use them in three passes:

  1. Build the largest categories first. Start with Illinois License Act, national Contracts, national Agency, and national Practice of Real Estate.
  2. Add the two Illinois 25% areas. Additional Laws and Disclosures contribute 20 state questions together.
  3. Close every remaining gap. Financing, ownership, valuation, calculations, and the smaller categories supply the balance of points and often connect to the big categories.

Track category accuracy with new, timed, closed-note questions. Rebalance your schedule when a weak category stays unstable, then use the four-week study plan.

Do experimental questions belong to a category?

The published category counts add to 140 scored questions. PSI may also include 5 to 10 unidentified experimental questions. Those questions do not affect the score but count against examination time.

Because PSI does not identify experimental items, do not try to classify them during the exam. Answer every question as though it counts. The question-count guide explains how 140 scored questions can become 145 to 150 presented questions.

Turn the outline into a study tracker

Fifteen areas, one focused next step

See which categories are actually costing you points

Pass Illinois maps original questions, explanations, flashcards, and Math Coach to the national and Illinois portions. Start free, find the weak categories, and focus the next session instead of rereading everything.

Illinois exam outline FAQ

What topics are on the Illinois real estate exam?

The broker exam covers 11 national categories and 4 Illinois categories. National ranges from ownership and contracts to financing, practice, title, disclosures, and calculations. Illinois covers licensing, the Real Estate License Act, additional Illinois laws and regulations, and disclosures.

How many content areas are on the Illinois broker exam?

There are 15 scored content areas in total: 11 national and 4 Illinois state areas.

Can I use this outline as an exam study checklist?

Yes. Search the 71 mapped syllabus rows, filter by scored area, and mark a row reviewed after you can explain and apply it. Your progress stays in the current browser and does not require an account.

What is the largest national exam category?

Contracts is the largest national category with 19 scored questions. Agency has 13 and practice of real estate has 12.

What is the largest Illinois exam category?

The Illinois Real Estate License Act category is largest with 16 of the 40 scored Illinois questions, or 40%.

Did the Illinois state outline change in 2026?

Yes. The current PSI outline effective June 24, 2026 uses four Illinois broker areas instead of the earlier three-area structure. The state portion still contains 40 scored questions.

Are managing-broker-only topics on the broker exam?

Use the Broker column of the PSI state table. PSI labels some shared-table subtopics as managing broker only, and the separate Managing Broker and Instructor section is outside the entry-level broker state outline.

Can a managing-broker-only state topic still appear nationally?

A similar general concept may still be included in the national broker outline. A managing-broker-only label in the Illinois state table limits that state subtopic; it does not erase a national category.

Should you study only the biggest topics?

No. Use weights to prioritize time, but cover every published category. The smaller categories still provide scored points, and exam scenarios can connect concepts from several areas.

Does the outline include experimental questions?

The listed topic counts total 140 scored questions. PSI may add 5 to 10 unidentified experimental items that are unscored and sit outside those published category totals.

Where should you start studying the content outline?

A strong starting group is Illinois License Act, national contracts, national agency, practice of real estate, Illinois additional laws, Illinois disclosures, financing, and calculations. Then cover every remaining category and adjust from diagnostics.

Primary source

PSI controls the examination outline, topic labels, question allocations, managing-broker-only designations, and experimental items.