- The exam has 125 scored questions (75 uniform, 50 state) across 240 minutes, plus 5-10 unscored pretest items.
- You need 75% on both the national and state portions to pass - separately scored, both required.
- National - Contracts is the single largest domain at 19%, so it deserves the most review time.
- The exam fee is $61 for one or both portions, whether you sit at a PSI center or remote.
Exam Snapshot: The Numbers You Must Know
Before you memorize a single domain, get the mechanics of the Hawaii Real Estate Broker Exam locked into memory. This is the exam that the Hawaii Real Estate Commission oversees and PSI Services LLC delivers on computer, and every candidate sits for two graded portions in one sitting: a 75-question uniform (national) section worth 80 points, and a 50-question state section. That's 125 scored items total, with 5-10 unscored experimental questions mixed in that you can't identify - treat every question as if it counts.
The whole thing runs on a 240-minute clock. That's four hours to move through both portions, so pacing matters as much as content knowledge. If you want the full breakdown of how scoring is calculated and what "75%" actually means on each side, the HI-REB Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass guide walks through it in detail.
Fee and Registration Mechanics
Registration is refreshingly simple compared to many licensing exams: the fee is $61 whether you're testing on one portion or both at the same appointment. That single flat fee covers you whether you choose a physical PSI test center or remote online proctoring. For a full cost picture - including prelicense coursework and renewal fees that stack on top of the exam fee itself - see HI-REB Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
The current PSI candidate bulletin governing registration, ID requirements, and testing policies took effect January 16, 2026. If you're scheduling for early 2026, confirm you're referencing that bulletin and not an outdated version - small policy details shift between bulletin releases. For scheduling windows and how far in advance to book, check HI-REB Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Key Takeaway
Pay once, sit for both portions in the same 240-minute session - there's no separate fee structure for retaking just one failed portion versus both.
Domain Weights at a Glance
The exam blueprint splits into 11 national domains and 9 state domains. Weight percentages are published for the national portion; the state portion doesn't carry published percentages, but candidates should still expect State - Professional Practices and Conduct to be the largest state-side domain by question volume. Here's the full national weighting for quick reference:
| National Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Contracts | 19% |
| Agency | 13% |
| Practice of Real Estate | 12% |
| Property Ownership | 10% |
| Financing | 9% |
| Valuation | 8% |
| Property Disclosures | 7% |
| Transfer of Title | 6% |
| Real Estate Calculations | 6% |
| Land Use Controls | 5% |
| Property Management | 5% |
Notice that Contracts, Agency, and Practice of Real Estate together account for 44% of the national portion. That's nearly half your national score sitting in three domains. For a domain-by-domain walkthrough of what each topic actually tests, bookmark the HI-REB Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 20 Content Areas.
National Portion Heavy Hitters
National - Contracts (19%)
The largest single domain on the entire exam. Candidates must understand the elements of a valid contract, contingencies, offer and acceptance mechanics, breach and remedies, and how purchase agreements are structured.
- Know the difference between void, voidable, and unenforceable contracts
- Understand contingency removal and default consequences
National - Agency (13%)
Covers fiduciary duties, types of agency relationships, and disclosure obligations between brokers and clients versus customers.
- Distinguish single agency, dual agency, and subagency scenarios
- Memorize the core fiduciary duties owed to a principal
National - Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Broad operational domain covering licensing law, advertising rules, trust account handling, and general brokerage practice standards.
- Know what constitutes commingling and conversion
- Understand supervisory responsibilities of a broker over salespersons
These three domains alone justify spending more study hours than the smaller ones like Land Use Controls (5%) or Property Management (5%). If you're unsure how to allocate limited study time across all 11 national domains, the HI-REB Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt lays out a fuller prioritization framework.
State Portion Heavy Hitters
The 50 state questions test Hawaii-specific law and practice layered on top of national concepts. State - Professional Practices and Conduct stands out as the largest state domain, meaning Hawaii Real Estate Commission rules, licensee conduct standards, and disciplinary provisions deserve concentrated attention.
State - Professional Practices and Conduct
The largest state-side content area. Expect questions on Commission rules, broker supervisory duties unique to Hawaii, and conduct standards that go beyond the national agency concepts.
- Review Hawaii Revised Statutes provisions governing licensee discipline
- Understand how Hawaii's Commission structure differs from generic national agency law
Don't neglect the other eight state domains, though - Escrow Process and Closing Statements, Title and Conveyances, and Land Utilization all reflect Hawaii's distinct property law environment, including unique conveyance and land-use frameworks tied to the islands' history and geography.
Eligibility Checklist
Before you can even schedule the exam, the Commission requires you to satisfy several eligibility conditions:
- Meet the Commission's age, education, and work-authorization requirements
- Hold a current Hawaii salesperson license, or a current unencumbered broker or salesperson license from another state
- Complete the Commission-approved 80-hour broker prelicense course, or qualify through an education equivalency
- Obtain a Broker Experience Certificate, generally requiring at least three years of full-time Hawaii salesperson experience within the preceding five years
These requirements are the gatekeepers most candidates underestimate - the experience certificate alone can take longer to assemble than the study process itself. For the full step-by-step qualification path, see HI-REB Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Key Takeaway
A revised 90-hour broker curriculum dated June 2026 is scheduled to take effect May 1, 2027 - candidates prelicensing under the current 80-hour course should plan to complete it before that transition.
Test-Day Rules and Format
This is a closed-book, computer-based exam available either at a PSI test center or via remote proctoring, and the two delivery modes are not identical in what they allow:
- Handheld calculators are prohibited in both formats - you'll use an on-screen calculator if math is needed
- Test-center candidates receive scratch paper for calculations and notes
- Remote candidates receive neither scratch paper nor scheduled breaks
That last point matters enormously for Real Estate Calculations (6%) and any math embedded in Financing (9%) or Valuation (8%) questions. If you're testing remote, practice doing proration, commission, and loan-to-value math entirely in your head or on-screen - you won't have paper to work through it. For a broader look at what makes this exam challenging beyond the math, read How Hard Is the HI-REB Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
| Feature | Test Center | Remote Proctoring |
|---|---|---|
| Scratch paper | Provided | Not provided |
| Breaks | Standard center policy | None |
| Calculator | Prohibited (on-screen only) | Prohibited (on-screen only) |
| Fee | $61 | $61 |
Timelines and Deadlines to Track
Passing the exam is only step one. Several deadlines govern what happens next:
- A passed portion remains valid for two years from the pass date
- Your license application must be filed within that same two-year window after passing
- Licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years
- Active renewal requires 20 continuing-education hours: 6 core hours plus 14 elective hours
Miss the two-year application window and you may need to retest - plan your Broker Experience Certificate and application paperwork well before that clock runs out. If you're weighing whether pursuing the broker license is worth the time and cost investment given these timelines, Is the HI-REB Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 breaks down the tradeoffs, and HI-REB Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis covers what career paths look like once you're licensed.
One-Week Review Schedule Built Around This Sheet
If you've already completed your primary study plan and just need a final compressed review, structure your last week around domain weight rather than domain count - spend more days on Contracts and Agency than on Land Use Controls simply because the point value differs.
National Contracts, Agency, Practice of Real Estate
- Drill contract elements, fiduciary duty scenarios, and trust account rules - these three domains cover 44% of the national score
Financing, Valuation, Property Ownership
- Practice loan-to-value, amortization, and appraisal approach questions without a handheld calculator
State - Professional Practices and Conduct
- Review Hawaii Commission rules and licensee discipline provisions, the largest state domain
Remaining state domains and full timed practice
- Cover Escrow Process, Title and Conveyances, Land Utilization; run a full 240-minute practice session
Run at least one full-length timed simulation before test day using realistic practice questions at hawaiirealtest.com so the 240-minute pacing and remote-proctoring conditions (no scratch paper, no breaks) don't catch you off guard. Comparing your simulated scores against the 75% passing threshold on each portion, as detailed in the pass rate discussion at HI-REB Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows, gives you a realistic readiness check.
FAQ
There are 125 scored questions total - 75 uniform (national) questions worth 80 points and 50 state questions - plus 5-10 unscored experimental questions mixed in, all within a 240-minute testing session.
You need 75% on each portion separately - the national portion and the state portion are scored independently, and both must meet the threshold.
The exam fee is $61 whether you're testing on one portion or both, and whether you sit at a PSI test center or use remote proctoring.
No. Handheld calculators are prohibited in both test-center and remote formats; any calculation tool available will be on-screen only.
A passed portion remains valid for two years, and you must also file your license application within that same two-year window after passing.
For a deeper dive into any single domain, registration step, or eligibility rule referenced above, explore the related guides linked throughout this cheat sheet - and when you're ready to test your recall, head over to hawaiirealtest.com for full-length practice sessions modeled on the real exam format.