How is the Illinois real estate exam scored?

Short answer:PSI counts the scored points earned within each portion, converts or reports that performance against the portion's standard, and marks national and Illinois separately. There is no combined average that can rescue a failed portion.

A raw percentage describes scored points earned out of the scored points available. The national broker summary lists 100 items worth 100 points, so 70 scored points correspond to 70%. The Illinois summary lists 40 items worth 40 points, so 30 scored points correspond to 75%.

These examples explain the published standards. Your official report controls the result. Do not try to reconstruct an exact score from remembered questions, because experimental items may have appeared and are not identified.

The national outline tests broad real estate knowledge used across jurisdictions. The state outline tests Illinois license law, agency, practice, disclosures, discipline, escrow, and other state-specific duties. A candidate must demonstrate the minimum competence in each body of knowledge.

Keep practice results separate for the same reason. A blended 80% can conceal a 68% national result or a 72% Illinois result, either of which would miss its real cutoff.

Older courses and websites may say the national broker exam requires a scaled 75. The current Illinois booklet explains that the national 70% raw standard is equivalent to the scaled score of 75 previously reported and required.

PSI states that the passing standard remained identical when reported scores changed from scaled to raw. The reporting language changed. The level required to pass did not.

PSI may add a small number of experimental items beyond the scored outline totals. The booklet gives a range of 5 to 10. These items support future examination development.

If the screen count is higher than the scored totals, do not panic. You cannot reliably spot an experimental item by difficulty, novelty, or topic. A familiar-looking item can be experimental, and an unfamiliar-looking item can be scored.

The published broker table pairs 100 national items with 100 points and 40 Illinois items with 40 points. The booklet does not announce partial credit, bonus credit, or extra value for a longer or harder broker question.

The safest exam behavior follows directly: choose one best answer for every item. Do not spend several ordinary questions' worth of time protecting a single difficult point.

The booklet also does not describe a separate wrong-answer penalty. An unanswered item cannot add a scored point, so reserve time to complete the entire portion and make an informed selection when uncertain.

Based on the published scored totals, the cutoff arithmetic allows 30 national scored points below perfect and 10 Illinois scored points below perfect. That does not mean a candidate should aim to use the entire margin.

It is also imprecise to count every question seen as a scored question. If experimental items appear, the number of screens can exceed 140 even though the scored base remains 100 national and 40 Illinois.

See the Illinois exam question-count guide for the scored totals, possible displayed range, and portion structure.

1. Complete and submit the examination in the test interface.
2. Read the score displayed onscreen at the end.
3. Check email for the official score report.
4. Open the PSI account and use the Manage tab to print reports.
5. Follow the licensing or reapplication instructions on the report.

A passing report provides instructions for applying for the license. A failed report includes diagnostic information indicating strengths and weaknesses by examination type and gives reapplication instructions.

Save the report even if the onscreen result felt clear. The report is the durable record you will use for the next administrative or study step.

PSI describes diagnostics as strengths and weaknesses by examination type. Treat those labels as direction, not as a transcript of individual questions. They tell you where missed points clustered, but they do not reveal live items or promise the exact composition of a retake.

1. Separate national and Illinois before planning.
2. Mark the weakest reported categories.
3. Relearn the governing rule or calculation, not one remembered stem.
4. Use fresh questions to test transfer.
5. Retest the full failed portion under time.

The Illinois failed-exam recovery plan turns diagnostics into a focused retake cycle.

PSI says a broker candidate repeats only the failed portion. Do not register for the passed portion again merely because both appeared in the original appointment. Follow the report and portal options.

Attempt and eligibility rules still matter. Standard broker candidates receive up to four attempts to pass during the two-year eligibility period. After a fourth failed attempt, the booklet requires repeating the 75-hour education and the entire exam for the standard route.

Review the complete Illinois retake guide before paying for another appointment.

The official cutoff is a minimum, not a comfortable practice target. Look for repeated closed-note performance above the standard, balanced category results, and enough time to review flagged questions.

The Illinois passing-score guide explains practical score targets and readiness evidence in more detail.

• PSI Illinois Candidate Information Booklet dated June 24, 2026
• PSI Illinois Real Estate Examination Program

Your official PSI score report, candidate account, and current program instructions govern your result and next step.