- 2026 Testing Overview: What "Exam Dates" Actually Means for KY-REB
- How PSI Scheduling Works for the Kentucky Broker Exam
- Eligibility Deadlines Before You Can Even Book a Seat
- The Four-Month Retake Clock
- Fees, Format, and Timing on Test Day
- After You Pass: The 60-Day Application Deadline
- Building Your 2026 Scheduling Timeline
- Frequently Asked Questions
- KY-REB has no fixed "exam dates"-PSI offers year-round, on-demand computer-based scheduling.
- You must initiate the FBI background check before you can even schedule a seat.
- Failing one portion means you have four months to pass both or retake both.
- Each attempt costs $100, covering the 150-minute national and 90-minute state portions together.
2026 Testing Overview: What "Exam Dates" Actually Means for KY-REB
Unlike bar exams or CPA testing windows, the Kentucky Real Estate Broker Exam doesn't run on quarterly cycles or fixed calendar dates. The Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) contracts with PSI to deliver the exam as a computer-based test available on a rolling, appointment-driven basis at approved testing centers. So when candidates search "KY-REB exam dates 2026," what they really need to know isn't a published schedule-it's the sequence of deadlines, waiting periods, and administrative checkpoints that determine when they're actually eligible to sit for the test.
This distinction matters because the real bottleneck for most candidates isn't finding an open testing slot-PSI typically has ample availability throughout the year. The bottleneck is completing prerequisite steps in the right order: experience verification, education hours, the FBI background check, and PSI registration. Get these out of sequence and you'll delay your seat by weeks, not because of a "testing window" closing, but because of paperwork timing.
How PSI Scheduling Works for the Kentucky Broker Exam
Once KREC confirms your eligibility, PSI opens your candidate record for scheduling. From there, you choose an available date and location much like booking any computer-based certification exam-select a testing center, pick a time slot, and pay the $100 per-attempt fee. Because the exam is delivered digitally with immediate score reporting on the multiple-choice sections, PSI doesn't need to batch candidates into fixed sitting dates the way paper-based exams once did.
The exam itself consists of 125 scored questions split across two portions:
- National portion: 75 questions worth 80 points, completed in 150 minutes
- Kentucky portion: 50 state-specific questions, completed in 90 minutes
You may also encounter 5-10 unscored experimental questions mixed in, which is standard practice for exam validation and not something you can identify or should worry about during the test. A silent, nonprogrammable calculator is permitted, which matters for the calculations-heavy sections of both portions.
Key Takeaway
Because scheduling is on-demand, your real planning task is backward-mapping from your target license date to when you need to finish prerequisites-not watching a calendar for an application window to open.
Eligibility Deadlines Before You Can Even Book a Seat
Before PSI will let you reserve a testing appointment, KREC requires you to clear several eligibility gates. Missing any one of these pushes your effective "exam date" back regardless of PSI's availability:
- Be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED
- Have two years of experience working at least 20 hours per week as a licensee
- Complete either 21 academic credits (including 12 in real estate and 3 in Brokerage Management) or 336 approved classroom hours (including 48 in Brokerage Management)
- Initiate the FBI background-check process before scheduling - this is a hard prerequisite, not a parallel task
The background check step trips up more candidates than any other. Because fingerprinting and processing take time, candidates who wait until their coursework is finished to start the FBI check often find themselves ready on paper but stuck waiting on clearance. Start this process as early as your eligibility allows, well before you expect to schedule.
For a full breakdown of every prerequisite and how to sequence them, see KY-REB Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Why the Background Check Timing Matters
Because it's a prerequisite to scheduling-not something you can do simultaneously with booking your PSI appointment-delays here directly extend your effective wait time before you can sit for the exam. Treat it as step one, not step three.
The Four-Month Retake Clock
This is arguably the most important date-related rule in the entire KY-REB process, and it's easy to overlook when you're focused on just getting to test day. If you pass one portion of the exam but fail the other, you have four months to pass the remaining portion. If that window closes without a passing score on both portions, you must retake both the national and state sections from scratch, regardless of your prior passing score.
Given that KREC's cumulative 2025 first-time pass rates through December 1 were 74.00% on the national portion and only 44.00% on the state portion, the state section is where most candidates get caught in this four-month scramble. A candidate who clears the national portion but struggles with Kentucky-specific content needs to treat that four-month window as an urgent, non-negotiable deadline-not a loose target.
If you fail the state portion on your first attempt, don't wait to reschedule. Book your retake as soon as you've reinforced the material, because the four-month clock started running the moment you sat for your first attempt. For a deeper look at why the state portion trips up so many candidates, read How Hard Is the KY-REB Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and KY-REB Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
Fees, Format, and Timing on Test Day
Each attempt at the KY-REB exam costs $100, and that fee applies per attempt-meaning a retake of either portion (or both) requires another payment. There's no discount for retaking a single failed section versus both, so factor this into your budget when deciding how much time to invest in review before rescheduling. For a complete cost breakdown including prerequisite education and licensing fees, see KY-REB Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
On test day, you'll need to pass each portion independently at 75%. There's no averaging between the national and state scores-75% on the national portion and 75% on the state portion are separate, mandatory thresholds. The full mechanics of how scoring works, including how the 80-point national scale factors in, are covered in KY-REB Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
| Component | Questions | Time Allotted | Passing Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Portion | 75 (worth 80 points) | 150 minutes | 75% |
| Kentucky Portion | 50 | 90 minutes | 75% |
| Experimental (unscored) | 5-10 possible | Included above | Not scored |
After You Pass: The 60-Day Application Deadline
Passing both portions isn't the finish line-it's the start of another deadline. Applicants must submit their license application to KREC within 60 days after passing. Miss this window and you risk having to retest or restart parts of the eligibility process, which is a costly and entirely avoidable mistake for something as simple as a paperwork deadline.
Once licensed, remember that ongoing compliance has its own calendar: active licensees complete 6 CE hours annually (including 3 law hours and the Kentucky Core Course once every four years), maintain E&O insurance, and renew by March 31 of even-numbered years. Mark these dates now so they don't catch you off guard a year or two into practice.
Key Takeaway
Treat the 60-day post-pass application window with the same urgency as exam scheduling itself-passing the test doesn't matter if the paperwork lapses.
Building Your 2026 Scheduling Timeline
Because PSI doesn't restrict candidates to specific testing dates, your real planning job is sequencing prerequisites and study time so you're not waiting on anything avoidable when you're ready to sit for the exam. Here's a realistic way to structure the months leading up to your test date, with study emphasis matched to where the domains carry the most weight.
Confirm Eligibility & Start the Background Check
- Verify your two years of qualifying licensee experience
- Confirm your education path (21 credits or 336 classroom hours) is complete
- Initiate the FBI background check immediately-this cannot run in parallel with scheduling
National Portion Priority: Contracts, Agency, Practice of Real Estate
- Contracts carries the largest national weight at 19%, so anchor your study plan here first
- Agency (13%) and Practice of Real Estate (12%) are the next-largest national domains
- Layer in Real Estate Calculations early since calculator familiarity takes repetition
Kentucky Portion Priority: Brokerage Activities and Beyond
- Brokerage Activities and Requirements is the largest Kentucky domain-study it in depth, not superficially
- Cover Requirements for a License, License Law Requirements for Contracts, and Disclosures and Agency Issues
- Given the lower first-time pass rate on this portion, budget extra review time here rather than treating it as secondary to national content
Schedule with PSI and Finalize Review
- Once background check clearance and eligibility are confirmed, book your PSI appointment
- Run timed practice sessions matching the 150-minute and 90-minute limits
- Review weak domains identified through practice testing on our full-length practice exams
For a domain-by-domain breakdown of every one of the 17 content areas-including how national and Kentucky-specific topics differ in question style-see KY-REB Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 17 Content Areas. And if you want a structured week-by-week study plan built around these same deadlines, KY-REB Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt walks through it in more depth.
Practicing under realistic time pressure matters as much as content review. Since the national portion allots 150 minutes for 75 questions and the state portion allots 90 minutes for 50 questions, pacing differs meaningfully between the two-run timed drills on our practice test platform so test-day pacing isn't something you're calculating for the first time under pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. PSI administers the Kentucky Real Estate Broker Exam on a rolling, appointment-based schedule year-round rather than fixed quarterly or seasonal testing windows. Your effective "dates" are governed by prerequisite completion and personal scheduling, not a published calendar.
You can schedule once KREC confirms all eligibility requirements are met, including experience verification and initiation of the FBI background check. Because the background check takes processing time, most delays come from that step rather than PSI availability.
You have four months from your first attempt to pass the remaining portion. If you don't pass both portions within that four-month window, you must retake both the national and state sections again, each requiring a new $100 fee.
Yes. Applicants must submit their license application to KREC within 60 days after passing both exam portions. Missing this window can require restarting parts of the licensing process.
The $100 fee applies per attempt at the exam sitting, which includes both the 150-minute national portion and the 90-minute state portion. If you need to retake only one portion within the four-month window, you'll still pay for that attempt; specifics on fee structure are detailed in KY-REB Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.