- Exam Snapshot: Fees, Format, and Timing
- The 15 AK-REB Domains at a Glance
- National/General Portion (Domains 1-8)
- Alaska Law Portion (Domains 9-15)
- Eligibility Checklist Before You Apply
- Test-Day Rules: Calculators, References, and Retakes
- After You Pass: Licensure Steps
- Renewal Cycle and Continuing Education
- A Domain-by-Domain Study Cadence
- FAQ
- The AK-REB exam has 140 scored items (80 National/General, 60 Alaska law) plus 10-15 unscored pretest items.
- Passing score is 75 on a 0-100 scaled score - not 75% raw correct answers.
- You must be 22+, complete 30 classroom hours within 18 months, and document 36 months of licensee experience in the last 60 months.
- Failing either the national or Alaska law portion means retaking the entire exam - there is no partial retake.
Exam Snapshot: Fees, Format, and Timing
Before you memorize a single domain, get the mechanics locked in. The Alaska Real Estate Commission, working through Pearson VUE test centers, administers the Broker/Associate Broker exam as a computer-based test with a $115 fee. You get 4 hours to work through 150-155 total questions: 140 are scored (80 National/General plus 60 Alaska law) and 10-15 are unidentified pretest items mixed in without labels. You won't know which questions count toward your score, so every item deserves full attention.
The passing threshold is a scaled score of 75 out of 100 - this is not the same as answering 75% of questions correctly. Scaled scoring weights questions differently, which is why guessing at your raw percentage on exam day is unreliable. For a deeper breakdown of how scaling works, see the AK-REB Passing Score 2026 guide.
The 15 AK-REB Domains at a Glance
The exam is built from 15 domains split across two portions. Domains 1-8 make up the National/General section (80 items); Domains 9-15 make up the Alaska law section (60 items). The table below shows the official item allocation per domain.
| Domain | Topic | Item Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use | 10 |
| 2 | Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title | 8 |
| 3 | Property Value and Appraisal | 10 |
| 4 | Real Estate Contracts and Agency | 15 |
| 5 | Real Estate Practice | 12 |
| 6 | Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues | 9 |
| 7 | Financing and Settlement | 8 |
| 8 | Real Estate Math Calculations | 8 |
| 9 | Powers of the Alaska Real Estate Commission | 6 |
| 10 | Licensing | 6 |
| 11 | Licensee Duties and Disclosures to the Public | 9-11 |
| 12 | Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees | 9 |
| 13 | Personal Services Agreements | 4-6 |
| 14 | Property Management | 9 |
| 15 | Broker Only | 15 |
Notice that Domain 4 (Real Estate Contracts and Agency) and Domain 15 (Broker Only) carry the heaviest weight in each portion, at 15 items apiece. If your study time is limited, these two domains deserve first priority. For a full walkthrough of every topic tested inside each domain, bookmark the AK-REB Exam Domains 2026 Complete Guide.
National/General Portion (Domains 1-8)
This portion mirrors the kind of general real estate knowledge tested broadly across the industry, but it still counts toward your Alaska-specific scaled score. Expect scenario-based questions rather than pure definitions - you'll be asked to apply concepts to a hypothetical transaction, not just recall a term.
Domain 4: Real Estate Contracts and Agency
The largest single domain in the National/General portion. Candidates must distinguish agency relationships, understand contract formation and contingencies, and recognize when a fiduciary duty has been breached.
- Offer, acceptance, and consideration mechanics
- Types of agency and disclosed dual agency scenarios
- Contingency clauses and their effect on closing timelines
Domain 8: Real Estate Math Calculations
Math questions test proration, loan-to-value ratios, commission splits, and area calculations. Because financial calculators are banned, you must be comfortable working these by hand or with a basic silent calculator.
- Prorating property taxes and HOA dues
- Calculating net-to-seller figures
- Converting between area units for legal descriptions
Domains 3 (Property Value and Appraisal) and 7 (Financing and Settlement) frequently overlap with math-heavy Domain 8 - a weak grasp of appraisal methods or loan terminology will slow you down in the math section too, so study them together rather than in isolation.
Alaska Law Portion (Domains 9-15)
This is where candidates coming from other states - or from generic national prep - get tripped up. The Alaska law section is not a rehash of national principles; it tests the Alaska Real Estate Commission's specific statutes, licensing structure, and disclosure requirements.
Domain 15: Broker Only
Tied with Domain 4 for the highest item count on the exam and unique to the broker-level exam. Expect questions on office registration duties, supervisory responsibilities over associate brokers, and trust account oversight.
- Broker responsibilities for registering and maintaining an office
- Supervising associate broker activity and disclosures
- Trust and escrow account handling under Alaska rules
Domain 11: Licensee Duties and Disclosures to the Public
With 9-11 items, this domain is second only to Domain 15 in the Alaska portion. It covers what licensees must disclose to buyers and sellers, timing of disclosures, and consequences for omission.
- Required property condition disclosures
- Timing rules for delivering disclosure documents
- Consumer protection statutes specific to Alaska
Domain 13 (Personal Services Agreements) has the widest range at 4-6 items, meaning your actual exam could weight it lightly or moderately - don't over-invest study time here relative to Domains 11, 12, and 15.
Key Takeaway
Because you pass or fail both portions together, treat the Alaska law section with equal seriousness even if you feel confident about general real estate concepts - a strong national score cannot offset a weak Alaska law score.
Eligibility Checklist Before You Apply
Alaska sets firm prerequisites before you can sit for the broker exam. Review the AK-REB Requirements 2026 guide for the full application walkthrough, but here's the shortlist:
- Age: You must be at least 22 years old.
- Education: 30 classroom hours of approved broker training, completed within the 18 months before applying.
- Experience: 36 months of active, continuous real estate licensee experience within the preceding 60 months.
These aren't suggestions - they're hard gates. Applying without documented experience or a stale 30-hour course completion (older than 18 months) will delay your eligibility to sit for the exam.
Test-Day Rules: Calculators, References, and Retakes
Pearson VUE test centers enforce strict rules that differ from many open-book or online exams. Reference materials of any kind are prohibited. You may bring a silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad - but financial calculators are explicitly banned, so leave your HP 12C or similar device at home.
This all-or-nothing structure is one of the biggest reasons candidates underestimate the exam's difficulty. If you want an honest assessment of what makes this test challenging, read How Hard Is the AK-REB Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026. For current testing windows and scheduling deadlines, check the AK-REB Exam Dates 2026 guide before you book.
After You Pass: Licensure Steps
Passing the exam is not the finish line. You have six months after passing to submit a complete license application, and you must carry errors-and-omissions insurance before licensure is granted. The path differs slightly depending on your role:
- Brokers must register an office with the Alaska Real Estate Commission.
- Associate brokers must affiliate with a licensed broker before their license becomes active.
Miss the six-month application window and you may need to retest. Build this deadline into your planning the moment you schedule your exam - a full breakdown of every fee involved, from exam cost to insurance, is available in the AK-REB Certification Cost 2026 breakdown.
Renewal Cycle and Continuing Education
Alaska real estate licenses expire on January 31 of even-numbered years, giving you a two-year renewal cycle. To renew, you'll need 20 continuing-education hours split into 8 designated/core hours and 12 elective hours. Mark your renewal date now - a lapsed license can complicate active listings, escrow responsibilities, and your standing with the Commission.
A Domain-by-Domain Study Cadence
Rather than a generic weekly template, sequence your prep around item weight. Spend more calendar time on domains with more scored questions, and pair related domains together so concepts reinforce each other.
Heaviest National Domains
- Domain 4 (Contracts and Agency) and Domain 5 (Real Estate Practice) - 27 combined items
- Drill agency scenarios and disclosed dual agency situations daily
Math and Value Cluster
- Domain 3 (Property Value and Appraisal), Domain 7 (Financing and Settlement), Domain 8 (Math)
- Practice proration and net-to-seller problems by hand, since financial calculators aren't allowed
Alaska Law Heavyweights
- Domain 15 (Broker Only) and Domain 11 (Licensee Duties and Disclosures)
- Focus on office registration, supervisory duties, and disclosure timing rules
Remaining Alaska Domains and Full Review
- Domains 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 - Commission powers, licensing, and property management
- Run full-length timed practice sets to simulate the 4-hour, 150-155 question format
This sequencing mirrors the structure laid out in the AK-REB Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, which goes deeper into pacing strategy for the full 4-hour session. You can also stress-test your readiness with realistic timed sets on our practice test platform before locking in your Pearson VUE appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
You get 4 hours for 150-155 total questions: 140 scored items (80 National/General, 60 Alaska law) plus 10-15 unidentified pretest items mixed in.
No. The passing score is 75 on a 0-100 scaled score, which is not the same as answering 75% of questions correctly. See the AK-REB Passing Score 2026 guide for details on scaled scoring.
You may use a silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad. Financial calculators are prohibited, and no reference materials of any kind are allowed.
You must retake the entire exam. Alaska does not offer a partial retake for just the National/General or just the Alaska law portion.
You have six months after passing the exam to submit a complete application, along with proof of errors-and-omissions insurance and, for brokers, a registered office.
For a broader look at whether pursuing this credential fits your career goals, including how it compares to related paths, see Is the AK-REB Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and browse current openings on the AK-REB Jobs page. When you're ready to test your recall against the full domain list, run a timed session on our AK-REB practice exam.