Illinois Real Estate License Requirements

You’ve got everything you need to know about getting your Illinois real estate license right here. We’ll cover licensing requirements, exam details, fees, and the documents you need for both brokers and managing brokers.

What you need to get your real estate license in Illinois

Broker:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• GED or equivalent.
• Complete the mandatory 75 hours of Real Estate coursework at a school approved by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which includes:
  • 60 hours of Broker Pre-License Topics
  • 15 hours of Real Estate Broker Pre-License Applied Real Estate Principles (Interactive)
• Pass the real estate broker exam.
• Secure sponsorship from a managing broker to begin practicing.
• Fees: Examination Fees = $58, License = $125.

Managing broker:

• Be at least 20 years old.
• Maintain a current, active Illinois real estate broker license.
• Have been actively licensed for no less than 2 of the last 3 years.
• Complete 30 hours of Managing Broker Pre-License Topics and 15 hours of Real Estate Managing Broker Pre-License Applied Management and Supervision (Interactive) as part of the mandatory 45 hours of the managing broker coursework at a real estate school approved by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

What is the passing score for the Illinois real estate license exam?

The broker exam includes 140 questions: 100 multiple-choice questions compose the national portion, and 40 questions compose the state-specific portion. The passing score is 70 for the national section and 75 for the state section.

The managing broker exam covers just the state portion, which includes 40 questions, with a passing score of 75 required to pass.

Your score will appear on the screen at the end of the exam, and a report will be e-mailed to you. The e-mailed report for candidates who do not pass will include a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses by section of the exam. To request an additional score report copy, e-mail your request to scorereport@psionline.com after taking the exam.

What is the time limit for the Illinois real estate exam?

For the Broker exam, you are allowed 150 minutes for the national portion and 90 minutes for the state portion, for a total of 240 minutes.

For the Managing Broker exam, you are allowed 90 minutes.

What to bring for the state of Illinois real estate license exam?

You must provide 1 form of identification. Your identification must match the name used for scheduling.

NOTE: ID must contain the candidate’s signature and photo, be valid and unexpired.

• State-issued driver’s license.
• State-issued identification card.
• Temporary State-issued driver’s license or identification card.
• US Government Issued Passport.
• US Government Issued Military Identification Card.
• US Government Issued Alien Registration Card.
• Foreign Government Issued Passport.

What is the format of the exam?

The exam is given on a computer and consists of multiple-choice questions.

What is the exam content?

The national portion of the broker real estate exam contains the following topics:

• Property Ownership
• Land use Controls
• Valuation
• Financing
• Contracts
• Agency
• Property Disclosures
• Property Management
• Transfer of Title
• Practice of Real Estate
• Real Estate Calculations

The national portion of the broker and managing broker real estate exams contains the following topics:

• Licensing Requirements
• Laws and Rules Regulating Real Estate Practice
• Disclosures

Managing Brokers have an additional category named:

• Managing Broker (ONLY) Topics

Sources

• Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
• Illinois Exam Candidate Handbook
• Illinois Real Estate Statutes 
• Illinois Real Estate Administrative Code