How to Pass the Indiana Real Estate Exam

Getting your Indiana real estate license means passing a two-part exam that tests both national concepts and state-specific laws. The test isn’t easy—less than 60% of people pass on their first attempt. But with the right preparation, you can join the professionals who clear it the first time.

What the Exam Looks Like

The Indiana real estate exam has 130 questions split into two sections:

• National portion: 80 questions testing general real estate principles.
• State portion: 50 questions covering Indiana-specific laws and regulations. 

You must pass both sections with at least a 75% score to get your license. The exam costs $53 per attempt and is administered by Pearson VUE at testing centers.

Before You Can Take the Exam

Indiana requires you to complete a 90-hour pre-licensing course approved by the Real Estate Commission before you can schedule your exam. This course covers the fundamentals you’ll be tested on. After finishing the course, you have one year from your completion date to pass both parts of the exam.

What Gets Tested

The national section covers topics that apply to real estate everywhere: 

• property ownership 
• land use controls
• valuation and market analysis
• financing
• contracts
• transfer of property
• practice of real estate
• real estate calculations

While the state section focuses on Indiana-specific material: 

• state licensing laws
• the Indiana Real Estate Commission’s rules
• agency relationships under Indiana law
• required disclosures
• contract requirements
• state-specific practices

Don’t make the mistake of focusing only on national concepts because they seem more universal. The state-specific questions require just as much preparation, and they’re often more detailed.

How to Study Effectively

You have 90 hours of coursework behind you, but that’s just the start. The difference between passing and failing is how you study in the weeks before your test date.

• Take the pre-licensing course seriously. Don’t just complete the hours—actually learn the material. Take notes. Ask questions. The course is your foundation.
• Use practice exams. They show you what the questions actually look like and where your weak spots are. Lexawise offers Indiana practice tests, vocabulary flashcards, study guide e-books, live exams with a timer, and so much more.
• Focus on Indiana-specific material. The national concepts are important, but many people struggle more with state-specific questions because they’re less intuitive. Know the Indiana Real Estate Commission’s structure, licensing requirements, and state disclosure requirements. With Lexawise, you can focus on the specific state you need.
• Learn real estate math. Real estate calculations appear on both sections. Practice commission splits, prorations, area measurements, and mortgage calculations until they’re automatic. Lexawise has more than 500 math questions and a math formula cheat sheet.
• Study in short sessions. Your brain retains more from multiple shorter study periods than from marathon cramming sessions. Thirty to sixty minutes a day works better than six hours on Sunday.
• Review what you get wrong. When you miss practice questions, don’t just check the right answer. Understand why you got it wrong and why the correct answer is correct. Use the flag question feature that Lexawise offers to mark questions for later review, and check the detailed results on each of them.

Consistent preparation beats last-minute cramming every time. Start studying early, use the right tools, and you’ll walk into the testing center confident.

Test Day Strategy

You’ll get your results immediately after finishing the exam. If you pass, you can move forward with your license application. If you don’t pass, you can retake the exam—there’s no limit on attempts, though you’ll pay the $53 fee each time.

You have four hours total to complete the exam—2.5 hours for the national section and 1.5 hours for the state section. That’s plenty of time if you don’t panic. Read each question carefully. Watch for words like “not,” “except,” and “unless” that change what the question is asking.

If you’re stuck on a question, flag it and move on. Come back to it after you’ve answered everything else. Sometimes, later questions will jog your memory or give you context that helps.

After Passing

Passing the exam is one step in getting your license. You’ll still need to:

• Submit a license application to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.
• Pay the $60 license application fee.
• Complete a background check and fingerprinting (approximately $38–$40).
• Affiliate with a managing broker before you can start working.

Once you’re licensed, expect additional costs and MLS access fees if you plan to join your local association. These vary by location but are necessary for most agents to access property listings and operate effectively.

Total Investment

Getting your Indiana real estate license requires a financial commitment beyond just the exam. Here’s what to budget for:

• Pre-licensing course: $400–$750
• Exam fee: $53–$55
• Background check and fingerprinting: $38–$40
• License application: $60
• Exam prep materials (optional): $35–$170

The required costs total roughly $550–$900. Factor in broker dues and MLS fees once you’re working, which vary by market.

It’s a significant upfront investment, but the returns justify it. Indiana real estate agents work on their own schedule, have unlimited earning potential through commissions, and build a business that can grow with each client relationship and referral.

The exam tests whether you know the material. If you put in the study time and use practice exams to prepare, you’ll pass on the first try and avoid paying that $53 exam fee again.

Conclusion

The Indiana real estate exam isn’t designed to trick you—it’s designed to verify you know the fundamentals. Study consistently, use practice exams to identify weak spots, and focus on both national concepts and Indiana-specific laws. The pass rate may be under 60%, but with proper preparation, there’s no reason you can’t be in that group on your first attempt.

You know what’s on it, you know how it’s structured, and you know what score you need. Put in the effort now, and you’ll walk out of that testing center with your passing score.