Illinois broker failed-portion retakes
Failed one Illinois exam portion: do you retake both?
Usually, no. Repeat the portion you failed while the other result remains accepted under your current eligibility. For the standard broker route, a fourth consecutive failure changes the answer: repeat the required pre-license education and take the entire examination again. Check that boundary before paying for another appointment.
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Start with the separate results
The failed-portion instructions on printed page 7 of the PSI Illinois booklet dated June 24, 2026 say to repeat only the portion or portions failed. For an ordinary retake within valid eligibility, that produces these choices:
| National | Illinois | What remains |
|---|---|---|
| Passed | Failed | Illinois portion |
| Failed | Passed | National portion |
| Failed | Failed | Both portions |
| Passed | Passed | No failed portion to retake; move to licensing requirements |
A higher result on one side does not make up for a failure on the other. Use each official pass or fail decision, rather than averaging the two numbers. The scoring guide explains the national raw-score label and the separate Illinois result.
The table is conditional. An earlier pass does not override a reset, expired eligibility or a different qualification route. Keep the report that records the pass instead of relying on a remembered percentage.
The fourth-failure reset can bring both portions back
Illinois rule 1450.420(b) requires a new examination application and repetition of the required pre-license education after four consecutive examination failures. PSI's standard broker instructions identify 75 hours and the entire examination. That includes national and Illinois, even when one portion passed earlier in that cycle.
One changed fact changes the next step
Suppose Jordan is a standard 75-hour broker candidate. PSI confirms the latest result is attempt two in the current valid cycle: national passed and Illinois failed. The ordinary next examination is Illinois only. Buying another national appointment would not address the remaining failure.
Change just the recorded position: PSI confirms that this is Jordan's fourth consecutive failed examination attempt, with Illinois still unpassed. The standard reset now applies. Keeping the old national report is useful for the record, but it does not remove national from the entire examination after the required education and new application.
These assumed records illustrate the decision; they do not define how PSI counts every possible sequence. Ask about your actual history rather than assigning yourself a new allowance after passing one portion.
Endorsement and education-exempt candidates need their own instructions. The booklet gives endorsement a different attempt provision and separately exempts education-exempt candidates from its listed requirements. Do not apply the standard 75-hour reset to every applicant. The retake-rules guide covers those route distinctions.
Confirm the saved result before you book
Read the diagnostic information and reapplication instructions that accompany the failed result. Then compare the report with the examination PSI offers. If the report and booking options disagree, contact PSI before paying.
| Record | Check | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|
| Portion results | Which result passed and which remains unpassed | That a combined average passes the failed side |
| Attempt history | PSI's recorded count and next permitted examination | A fresh allowance for each portion |
| Education and eligibility | Full course completion and the eligibility period PSI accepts | An extension because one portion passed |
| Appointment and payment | Assigned portion, date, delivery and current charges | A confirmed booking from an unfinished checkout |
Section 5-35(a) of the License Act makes approved pre-license education valid for two years after satisfactory completion of all required education. A partial pass does not create a new course-completion date. The education-expiration guide explains which date to check.
A useful inquiry is: “My report shows national passed and Illinois failed. Please confirm my recorded attempt number, whether national remains accepted, and the portion and eligibility end date for my next examination.” Reverse the portion names if Illinois passed.
A missed appointment, admission refusal or interrupted launch needs a separate explanation. Ask PSI to identify the count before and after that event and the next examination it permits; a forfeited payment alone does not answer that question. The public instructions do not clearly settle the attempt-counter treatment of every incident. The missed-exam guide explains how to distinguish the fee consequence from your examination history.
Prepare for the portion that remains
Use the report to choose a starting topic, then compare it with the current broker outline. A diagnostic label points to an area to investigate; it is not a transcript of the questions you missed.
- Write the rule or calculation behind one error in your own words.
- Explain why the tempting alternative fails on those facts.
- Try a new example that changes the decisive fact.
- Mix that topic with others from the same portion, then review the new mistakes.
For a national retake, work from the national outline. For an Illinois retake, use the state outline and current Illinois authorities. Keep enough recall of the passed side to understand related concepts, but let the remaining errors guide the main work.
Fresh timed practice can reveal a pacing problem or a memorized answer. It cannot certify readiness or guarantee the next PSI result. Follow the actual appointment instructions for the clock and navigation; do not assume a shorter retake changes the rules about breaks or tools.
When both required portions are passed, follow the licensing instructions. Rule 1450.430(b) requires an application and fulfillment of licensing requirements within one year of receipt of a passing examination score. That is an applicant obligation, not a promise that the Department must finish processing by the anniversary.
Do not use that licensing year as a guaranteed one-year bank for a single passed portion or assume its starting date from this example. Have PSI confirm how long the partial result remains accepted, and ask IDFPR to resolve a disputed licensing deadline using the actual examination record. The passing-score validity guide separates that question from the course and attempt limits.
One-portion retake questions
Can I retake Illinois without repeating national?
Usually, yes, if national passed and Illinois failed. Check the official report, your qualification route, remaining attempts and current eligibility. A standard broker candidate who reaches the fourth-failure reset must return to the entire exam after the required education, even if national passed earlier.
What if I passed Illinois but failed national?
The ordinary rule works in the other direction too: repeat national while the Illinois result remains accepted in your current eligibility cycle. If the booking offers both portions unexpectedly, resolve that with PSI before paying rather than treating the option on screen as a reason to ignore the report.
Do I get four attempts for each portion?
Do not read the separate portion results as a promise of two independent four-attempt allowances. The booklet describes four attempts for the standard broker examination. Have PSI confirm the recorded count and which examination remains available, particularly after a partial pass or an admission or technical incident.
Can I book the retake for tomorrow?
The inspected Illinois booklet does not state a fixed waiting interval after failure. That does not establish immediate availability or completed processing in your account. Follow the report's reapplication instructions and the appointments PSI actually permits, with enough preparation time to address the errors you identified.
Does a partial pass mean I can apply for a broker license?
A pass on one required portion is not a pass on the full examination. Complete the remaining examination requirement and the applicable licensing requirements. Passing both portions also does not itself issue a license or authorize brokerage work.
Work through the mistakes behind the result
If you want original practice questions and explanations for your next study session, you can download Pass Illinois. Use it to examine the reasoning behind an answer and revisit the concepts you miss. The app is optional preparation, not approved course credit, PSI eligibility or a promise of passing.