- The KY-REB exam has 17 total content areas split across a 75-question national portion and a 50-question Kentucky portion.
- Contracts is the largest national domain at 19%; Brokerage Activities and Requirements is the largest Kentucky domain.
- You need 75% on each portion separately - a strong national score cannot offset a weak Kentucky score.
- 2025 first-time pass rates through December 1 were 74.00% national versus only 44.00% Kentucky, showing where most candidates struggle.
Exam Structure Overview
Before diving into the 17 individual content areas, it helps to understand how the Kentucky Real Estate Broker Exam is physically built. The exam is administered by PSI on behalf of the Kentucky Real Estate Commission and is delivered as computer-based multiple choice. It is split into two distinct portions that are scored - and must be passed - separately:
- National portion: 75 scored questions worth 80 points, 150 minutes
- Kentucky portion: 50 scored questions, 90 minutes
On top of those 125 scored items, PSI may insert 5-10 unscored experimental questions that look identical to real ones - you won't know which questions those are, so every question deserves your full attention. A silent, nonprogrammable calculator is permitted, which matters for the Real Estate Calculations domain and any Kentucky math-adjacent items.
For a broader look at how difficult candidates find this exam relative to its structure, see How Hard Is the KY-REB Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026. This article focuses specifically on what's tested inside each of the 17 domains.
The 11 National Domains
The national portion follows the current PSI national outline, which took effect October 1, 2023. It covers general real estate principles that apply broadly, not Kentucky-specific statutes. The 11 domains and their approximate weights (within the national portion only) are:
Domain 1: Property Ownership (10%)
Estates in land, forms of ownership, encumbrances, and the legal descriptions of property.
- Freehold vs. leasehold estates
- Types of co-ownership and how title is held
Domain 2: Land Use Controls (5%)
Zoning, subdivision regulations, and building codes that restrict how property can be used.
- Public vs. private land use restrictions
Domain 3: Valuation (8%)
Appraisal approaches and the factors that influence market value.
- Sales comparison, cost, and income approaches
Domain 4: Financing (9%)
Mortgage instruments, loan types, and the financing process from application to closing.
- Conventional vs. government-backed loans
Domain 5: Contracts (19%)
The single largest national domain by a wide margin. Expect heavy coverage of listing agreements, purchase contracts, contingencies, and contract law essentials.
- Elements of a valid contract and remedies for breach
- Offer, acceptance, and counteroffer mechanics
Domain 6: Agency (13%)
The second-largest national domain. Fiduciary duties, agency relationships, and disclosure obligations to clients and customers.
- Types of agency and dual agency rules
Domain 7: Property Disclosures (7%)
Required seller and agent disclosures related to property condition and material facts.
Domain 8: Property Management (5%)
Landlord-tenant relationships and the broker's role in managing rental property at the national level.
Domain 9: Transfer of Title (6%)
Deeds, closing processes, and how title legally passes between parties.
Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
The third-largest national domain, covering day-to-day brokerage operations, license law concepts, and professional conduct at a general level.
Domain 11: Real Estate Calculations (6%)
Math-based questions covering commission splits, prorations, loan calculations, and area/measurement problems - this is where your calculator matters most.
Key Takeaway
Contracts, Agency, and Practice of Real Estate together account for roughly 44% of the national portion. If you only have time to master three national domains deeply, make it these three.
The 6 Kentucky Domains
The Kentucky portion is where the 44.00% first-time pass rate tells you something important: national real estate knowledge does not automatically translate into Kentucky-specific competency. These six domains test the Kentucky Revised Statutes, KREC administrative regulations, and state-specific brokerage practice.
Domain 12: Real Estate Commission
Structure, authority, and disciplinary powers of the Kentucky Real Estate Commission itself.
Domain 13: Requirements for a License
Kentucky-specific licensing prerequisites, including education paths and experience thresholds.
- Two years of experience at 20+ hours per week as a licensee
- 21 academic credits (12 real estate, 3 Brokerage Management) or 336 classroom hours (48 in Brokerage Management)
Domain 14: Brokerage Activities and Requirements
The largest single domain within the Kentucky portion. Covers how a broker must operate an office, supervise agents, handle trust funds, and comply with recordkeeping rules.
- Broker supervisory responsibilities
- Trust account and escrow handling
Domain 15: License Law Requirements for Contracts
How Kentucky license law intersects with contract creation, disclosure, and enforcement - distinct from the national Contracts domain.
Domain 16: Disclosures and Agency Issues
Kentucky-specific agency disclosure statutes and how they differ from generic national agency principles tested in Domain 6.
Domain 17: Property Management
Kentucky rules governing property management activities conducted under a broker's license.
Because Brokerage Activities and Requirements is the heaviest Kentucky domain, it deserves proportionally more study time than the other five Kentucky domains combined. For a full breakdown of eligibility rules referenced above, see KY-REB Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Why Domain Weighting Should Drive Your Study Plan
Not all 17 domains deserve equal attention. The national portion publishes explicit percentage weights, so you can rank-order your effort mathematically. The Kentucky portion doesn't publish percentages in the same way, but KREC has identified Brokerage Activities and Requirements as its largest domain - a strong signal about where Kentucky-specific exam questions cluster.
| Domain | Portion | Weight / Note |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts | National | 19% - largest national domain |
| Agency | National | 13% |
| Practice of Real Estate | National | 12% |
| Property Ownership | National | 10% |
| Financing | National | 9% |
| Valuation | National | 8% |
| Property Disclosures | National | 7% |
| Transfer of Title | National | 6% |
| Real Estate Calculations | National | 6% |
| Land Use Controls | National | 5% |
| Property Management | National | 5% |
| Brokerage Activities and Requirements | Kentucky | Largest Kentucky domain |
This table is a planning tool, not a scoring shortcut - you still need 75% on each portion independently, and skipping small-weight domains entirely is risky since a handful of missed questions can swing a borderline score. For a deeper dive into the exact score math, read KY-REB Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Registration, Fees, and Retake Mechanics
Domain knowledge only matters if you actually get to sit for the exam under the right conditions. A few mechanical facts directly affect how you should prioritize your domain study:
- The exam costs $100 per attempt, administered by PSI.
- You must initiate the FBI background-check process before you can even schedule your exam.
- You must apply within 60 days after passing.
- If you fail one portion, you have four months to pass both portions - otherwise both must be retaken in full.
That four-month retake window has direct implications for domain strategy: if you pass the national portion but fail the Kentucky portion, don't just re-study Domains 12-17 in isolation. Keep light national review going too, since a full retake of both portions resets your progress if the window lapses. For the complete fee breakdown across the entire licensing path, see KY-REB Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and for exact scheduling logistics see KY-REB Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Key Takeaway
Because the two portions are scored separately with a four-month retake deadline if you split-fail, map your domain review to whichever portion you're weaker on immediately after your first attempt - don't wait.
Mapping a Study Schedule to the Domains
A generic weekly study template is less useful than one built around the actual weight and difficulty of these 17 domains. Given that the 2025 data shows the Kentucky portion is where candidates struggle most (44.00% first-time pass vs. 74.00% national), your schedule should not split time 50/50 between the two portions - it should lean into Kentucky-specific content.
High-weight national domains
- Contracts (19%), Agency (13%), Practice of Real Estate (12%)
- Build flashcards for contract elements and fiduciary duty distinctions
Remaining national domains
- Property Ownership, Financing, Valuation
- Practice Real Estate Calculations problems with your approved calculator
Kentucky's largest domain
- Brokerage Activities and Requirements - supervisory duties, trust accounts, recordkeeping
- Cross-reference with License Law Requirements for Contracts
Remaining Kentucky domains + full review
- Real Estate Commission, Requirements for a License, Disclosures and Agency Issues, Property Management
- Full-length timed practice covering both portions
For a step-by-step version of this approach with more detail on pacing and review cycles, see KY-REB Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And once you've covered every domain once, a condensed reference like KY-REB Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts can help during final review week.
If you're still deciding whether pursuing a broker license is the right move given the time investment across all 17 domains, Is the KY-REB Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and KY-REB Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis lay out the broader career picture, while KY-REB Jobs covers where licensed brokers typically find work in Kentucky. Once you're ready to test your domain knowledge under realistic conditions, practicing with timed questions on our practice test platform is one of the most direct ways to see which of the 17 domains still need work before you sit for the real exam at PSI's testing center.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 17 total content areas: 11 national domains covered in the 75-question national portion, and 6 Kentucky-specific domains covered in the 50-question Kentucky portion.
Contracts is the largest national domain at 19% of the national portion. On the Kentucky side, Brokerage Activities and Requirements is the largest domain, though exact percentage weighting isn't published for Kentucky domains.
You need 75% on each portion separately. If you pass one but fail the other, you have four months to pass the remaining portion, or you must retake both portions in full.
2025 first-time pass rate data through December 1 shows 74.00% passing the national portion versus only 44.00% passing the Kentucky portion, suggesting state-specific statutes and brokerage rules require more targeted study than general national concepts.
Yes. A silent, nonprogrammable calculator is permitted, which is especially useful for the Real Estate Calculations domain and any Kentucky questions involving prorations or commission math.