Illinois broker exam question count
How many questions are on the Illinois real estate broker exam?
The broker exam has 140 scored questions: 100 national and 40 Illinois. PSI may also administer experimental questions that do not affect the score but use exam time. Keep the scored total separate from the number of items that may appear in a particular appointment.
Last reviewed:
The broker summary gives two scored totals
The PSI Illinois booklet dated June 24, 2026 lists these broker figures in its examination summary on printed page 11.
| Portion | Scored items | Possible points | Passing points |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 100 | 100 | 70, or 70 percent raw |
| Illinois | 40 | 40 | 30, or 75 percent |
| Both portions | 140 | 140 across separate results | Each portion must meet its own cutoff |
The booklet has separate rows for managing brokers, residential leasing agents and instructors. Their item and point totals should not be imported into the initial broker row. The license-level comparison helps identify which Illinois credential you are seeking.
Why more items can appear than are scored
The booklet allows five to ten experimental questions in addition to the listed examination items. They are being evaluated for future use, rather than contributing to the result. Its wording is conditional, not a promise of the same presented total for every sitting.
| Count | What it means | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Scored items | The national and Illinois items used for their results | The precise number displayed in a booking |
| Presented items | Everything the candidate is asked to answer | That every item contributes points |
| Practice-set items | The exercises selected by a prep provider | A replica of PSI difficulty or a passing prediction |
A count illustration, not an assigned exam form
If a combined sitting had 140 scored items and six additional experimental items, it would present 146 items. The scored denominator would still be 100 national points and 40 Illinois points. Changing the hypothetical six extras to ten would produce 150 presented items, not 150 scored points.
The extra items do not belong in the national 100-point or Illinois 40-point denominator. Do not divide a portion's passing points by a hypothetical presented total such as 146 or 150.
The experimental paragraph does not specify a fixed allocation for each portion. Avoid turning it into “five extra national and five extra state” or treating every unfamiliar item as experimental. Work from the question's facts and the instructions in the actual interface.
A combined percentage can hide a failed portion
For an original scored-point illustration, suppose a candidate earns 76 national points and 29 Illinois points. The total is 105 of 140, or 75 percent overall. National meets its 70-point cutoff, but Illinois is below its 30-point cutoff. The combined percentage does not turn that into a pass on both portions.
Twenty-nine of 40 is 72.5 percent. Change only the Illinois result to 30 of 40 and it becomes 75 percent; both portions then meet their own cutoffs because national remains 76 of 100. This is a calculation example, not a replica of an individual score report.
The passing-score guide explains the current raw standards and the older national scaled score of 75. Use the separate PSI results when deciding what to do next.
For an ordinary failed-portion retake, the booklet says to repeat the failed portion. Attempt limits, the fourth-failure reset and qualification-route exceptions still matter. Check the retake guide and your current eligibility before selecting another examination.
Use the totals to organize practice
Keep national and Illinois practice results on separate lines. For each error, note the tested concept and why your chosen answer failed. Then try a different fact pattern on that concept. Repeating a memorized item until the score rises gives less information about whether you can apply the rule.
Use the booklet's content outlines to check coverage. A practice set with the right total can still overrepresent one subject or omit another. The current-outline and 2026 changes guide separates the verified outline from unsupported claims about when a new format began.
Question count also does not settle the clock. The booklet gives 150 national minutes and 90 Illinois minutes, totaling four hours. The current PSI Illinois test-taker page says 3.5 hours. Confirm the duration for your appointment with PSI if the official instructions differ. The time-limit guide explains the discrepancy and pacing calculations.
Experimental work uses examination time. Do not add an invented allowance to your timer or assume unused time transfers between portions. Follow the appointment's actual clock and navigation.
Illinois broker question-count questions
How many scored questions are on the Illinois broker exam?
The current PSI broker summary lists 100 national items worth 100 points and 40 Illinois items worth 40 points. That is 140 scored items across the two portions, with separate passing standards. This answer concerns the broker examination, not every Illinois real estate license level.
Is it a 140-question or a 150-question exam?
140 describes the scored broker total. If a sitting added ten experimental items to that total, 150 would be presented, but that is conditional arithmetic. The booklet says five to ten experimental questions may be administered; it does not establish 150 as a fixed count for every appointment or allocate a fixed extra count to each portion.
Do experimental questions affect my score?
PSI says these additional items are unscored and consume examination time. Do not try to decide an item's scoring status from how unfamiliar or difficult it seems. Make the best supported choice and follow the actual navigation instructions.
How many answers do I need to pass each portion?
On the published scored-point totals, national requires 70 of 100 and Illinois requires 30 of 40. National uses 70 percent raw; Illinois uses 75 percent. Read the result for each portion separately. Extra national points do not make up a shortfall on Illinois.
What if I am returning only for the Illinois portion?
The broker Illinois portion has 40 scored items. That does not establish the exact number of items displayed at your retake. Confirm the assigned exam and follow the current portion-specific eligibility and retake instructions; do not assume a full 140-item sitting is required after every failed portion.
Does a 140-question practice test reproduce PSI?
No. Matching the scored count alone does not establish the same topic distribution, difficulty, wording, experimental items or interface. Use original practice to learn and diagnose errors, and use the current PSI outline and appointment instructions for the actual examination.
Practice the reasoning behind each answer
You can download Pass Illinois for optional original practice and explanations. Review national and Illinois mistakes separately. A practice result can guide the next study session; it does not guarantee the questions, interface or outcome of your PSI exam.