Illinois failed-portion rule

Do you retake both portions if you fail one?

No. PSI requires an Illinois broker candidate to repeat only the portion that failed. A national pass protects you from repeating national while you retake Illinois, and an Illinois pass protects you from repeating state while you retake national. The major exception is the reset after a fourth failed attempt, when the standard broker route returns to the 75-hour education and the entire examination.

Which portion do you retake?

Short answer: Retake every failed portion and no passed portion, as directed by the PSI score report. National and Illinois are separate results.

National result: Pass
Illinois result: Pass
Next exam: No retake

National result: Pass
Illinois result: Fail
Next exam: Illinois only

National result: Fail
Illinois result: Pass
Next exam: National only

National result: Fail
Illinois result: Fail
Next exam: National and Illinois

Illinois broker failed-portion retake rule
National result	Illinois result	Next exam
Pass	Pass	No retake
Pass	Fail	Illinois only
Fail	Pass	National only
Fail	Fail	National and Illinois

Register from the report, not from memory

Save the emailed report, confirm the failed portion, and use its reapplication instructions. Do not pay for a full exam when PSI has told you to repeat only one portion.

Why can you keep the passing portion?

PSI scores national and Illinois independently and explicitly says a candidate repeats only the portion or portions failed. That rule turns a partial pass into real progress within the applicable attempt and eligibility cycle.

The passing result is not extra credit against the failed portion. It simply removes the passed portion from the immediate retake. The remaining portion still needs its own published standard:

National broker: 70% raw, or 70 of 100 scored points.
Illinois state: 75%, or 30 of 40 scored points.

Read the Illinois PSI score-report guide before choosing the next exam in the portal.

What should you do immediately after a one-portion failure?

Save the score report and the original PSI email.
Confirm which portion says pass and which says fail.
Read the diagnostic strengths and weaknesses for the failed side.
Record the attempt number and education completion date.
Follow the report's reapplication instructions.
Choose only the failed portion when scheduling.
Keep the passing portion's basic concepts warm while focusing the repair.

If the portal displays both portions when the report says only one failed, stop before paying and ask PSI to reconcile the record.

How does the four-attempt rule change the answer?

The current booklet allows candidates up to four attempts to pass the examination. Before each retake, confirm the remaining attempt count and the status of the saved portion.

Position: After attempt 1, 2, or 3
What remains: Only failed portion or portions
Decision: Repair and retake under current eligibility

Position: Approaching attempt 4
What remains: Only failed portion or portions
Decision: Rebook only with strong readiness evidence

Position: After fourth failed attempt
What remains: Entire exam after required reset
Decision: Repeat 75-hour education, then national and Illinois

Standard broker attempt cycle
Position	What remains	Decision
After attempt 1, 2, or 3	Only failed portion or portions	Repair and retake under current eligibility
Approaching attempt 4	Only failed portion or portions	Rebook only with strong readiness evidence
After fourth failed attempt	Entire exam after required reset	Repeat 75-hour education, then national and Illinois

The booklet does not clearly state whether a missed appointment, late arrival, bad ID, or late cancellation consumes one of the four scored attempts. Those events do invalidate the registration and forfeit the fee. Ask PSI to confirm your recorded count instead of guessing.

What exactly happens after a fourth failure?

For the standard broker route, PSI requires the candidate to repeat the 75-hour broker pre-license education and the entire examination. The full exam means both national and Illinois, even if one portion had passed earlier in the cycle.

Before reset: One earlier portion passed
Required reset: Repeat 75-hour broker education
After education: Take national and Illinois

Before reset: Both portions still failed
Required reset: Repeat 75-hour broker education
After education: Take national and Illinois

Fourth-failure reset for a standard broker candidate
Before reset	Required reset	After education
One earlier portion passed	Repeat 75-hour broker education	Take national and Illinois
Both portions still failed	Repeat 75-hour broker education	Take national and Illinois

PSI separately says education-exempt candidates do not have to complete the listed repeat-education requirements. Do not assume an exemption. Confirm the route and account instructions with PSI.

How does the two-year education window matter?

PSI says the standard 75-hour broker education is valid for two years after satisfactory completion. Find the completion date on the education record and track it alongside the attempt count.

A passed portion should not be treated as permanently banked without regard to eligibility. If the account, report, education date, or portal options conflict, contact PSI before scheduling.

Clock: Attempt count
Evidence: Score reports and PSI account
Risk if ignored: Unexpected fourth-attempt reset

Clock: Education validity
Evidence: Course completion record and PSI eligibility
Risk if ignored: Expired eligibility before completion

Two clocks to track
Clock	Evidence	Risk if ignored
Attempt count	Score reports and PSI account	Unexpected fourth-attempt reset
Education validity	Course completion record and PSI eligibility	Expired eligibility before completion

Is there a waiting period before a retake?

The current Illinois booklet does not publish a fixed number of days that a broker candidate must wait after a failed portion. Follow the reapplication instructions and the dates available in the PSI account.

No published waiting period does not mean the fastest slot is the best slot. Rebook when the failure's cause is identified, repaired, and tested with new questions under the actual portion time.

How should you study only the failed portion?

Step: Map diagnostics
National retake: Match weak areas to national outline
Illinois retake: Match weak areas to Illinois outline

Step: Relearn
National retake: Concepts, calculations, federal rules
Illinois retake: License Act, rules, duties, timing

Step: Practice
National retake: Fresh mixed national questions
Illinois retake: Fresh Illinois scenarios

Step: Simulate
National retake: 100 scored-item pacing
Illinois retake: 40 scored-item pacing

Step: Maintain
National retake: Brief Illinois recall only
Illinois retake: Brief national recall only

Focused retake plan
Step	National retake	Illinois retake
Map diagnostics	Match weak areas to national outline	Match weak areas to Illinois outline
Relearn	Concepts, calculations, federal rules	License Act, rules, duties, timing
Practice	Fresh mixed national questions	Fresh Illinois scenarios
Simulate	100 scored-item pacing	40 scored-item pacing
Maintain	Brief Illinois recall only	Brief national recall only

Do not spend equal time on the portion already passed. Preserve basic recall, but put most effort into the failed report categories and the high-weight areas surrounding them.

The failed-exam recovery plan provides a complete error-log and retesting method.

When are you ready to rebook?

The portal and report agree on the failed portion.
You know the remaining attempt count.
Your eligibility has enough time for the next appointment.
The weakest diagnostic categories have been relearned.
Fresh, closed-note sets show a repeatable margin above the cutoff.
A timed portion leaves enough time to review flags.
Your ID, delivery format, and appointment logistics are ready.

Missing by one point is not proof that the next attempt will pass. Repeated readiness under new conditions is better evidence.

Are any candidate routes different?

Yes. The PSI booklet has different provisions for endorsement and education-exempt candidates. The direct failed-portion rule applies broadly to broker and managing broker examinations, but attempt, education, and eligibility consequences can differ by route.

Use the complete Illinois retake-rules guide for standard broker, endorsement, managing broker, and education-exempt distinctions.

Prepare for the portion still in front of you

Focus the retake

Build a fresh plan from the failed side

Pass Illinois keeps national and state practice separate, explains every original question, and gives you focused review, flashcards, and Math Coach. Use the free diagnostic to see whether the failed portion is ready before using another attempt.

Check retake readiness Get Pass Illinois

Failed-portion retake FAQ

Do you retake both Illinois real estate exam portions if you fail one?

No. PSI says broker and managing broker candidates repeat only the portion or portions they failed. If national passes and Illinois fails, retake Illinois. If Illinois passes and national fails, retake national.

What if you fail both portions?

Both portions remain unpassed, so the next examination includes both. Use the separate diagnostics in the score report to rebuild each study plan.

Does the passing portion stay on your record?

PSI's failed-portion rule means the passed portion does not need to be repeated during the applicable attempt and eligibility cycle. Keep the score report and follow its reapplication instructions.

How many attempts do standard Illinois broker candidates get?

The current PSI booklet allows up to four attempts to pass the examination. Track every scored attempt and confirm the remaining count in your PSI record before rebooking.

What happens after the fourth failed attempt?

A standard broker candidate must repeat the 75-hour broker pre-license education and the entire examination. Education-exempt candidates do not have to repeat the listed education requirement.

Does the full-exam reset include a portion you already passed?

Yes. After the fourth-failure reset, PSI says the candidate retakes the entire examination. For a broker, that means national and Illinois.

How long is broker pre-license education valid?

PSI says the standard 75-hour broker pre-license education is valid for two years after satisfactory completion. Track that date as well as the attempt count.

Is there a mandatory waiting period before a retake?

The current Illinois booklet does not publish a fixed waiting period. Follow the reapplication instructions in the score report and the appointment availability in your PSI account.

Does a missed appointment count as an exam attempt?

The booklet says a missed appointment, late arrival, late cancellation, or bad ID invalidates the registration and forfeits the fee, but it does not clearly say whether that event consumes one of the four scored attempts. Ask PSI to confirm the account count.

Should you retake immediately after missing by one point?

Not automatically. Rebook when fresh, timed practice shows that the diagnosed weaknesses are repaired and the failed portion has a repeatable cushion above its cutoff.

Primary sources

Your PSI score report, account eligibility, and current reapplication instructions govern the portion you may schedule.