- The AK-REB exam covers 15 domains split into 80 National/General items and 60 Alaska law items.
- You need a scaled score of 75 on a 0-100 scale, not 75% of questions correct.
- Domain 4 (Contracts and Agency) and Domain 15 (Broker Only) carry the heaviest single-domain weight.
- You have 4 hours to answer 150-155 questions, 10-15 of which are unscored pretest items.
AK-REB Exam Structure at a Glance
The Alaska Real Estate Broker Exam (AK-REB) is administered by the Alaska Real Estate Commission through Pearson VUE testing centers. It's a computer-based exam with a $115 fee and a 4-hour time limit. Candidates answer 150-155 total questions, but only 140 are scored: 80 draw from the National/General outline and 60 from the Alaska law outline. The remaining 10-15 questions are unidentified pretest items that don't count toward your score but look identical to scored questions on screen.
Because the exam blends a general real estate body of knowledge with state-specific law, it's structured as 15 distinct content domains - eight national domains and seven Alaska-specific domains. Understanding how questions are distributed across those domains is the single most useful thing you can do before you start studying, which is exactly what this guide breaks down. For a broader look at exam difficulty and structure, see How Hard Is the AK-REB Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
National/General Domains 1-8
The first eight domains make up the 80-question National/General portion, effective under the outline dated April 1, 2025. This section tests real estate concepts that apply broadly, independent of Alaska-specific statute.
Domain 1: Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use (10 items)
Expect questions on the physical and legal nature of real property - fixtures versus personal property, metes-and-bounds and lot-and-block descriptions, and zoning or land-use restrictions.
- Distinguishing real property from personal property
- Reading and interpreting legal descriptions
- Recognizing permitted versus nonconforming property use
Domain 2: Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title (8 items)
Covers estates in land, concurrent ownership types, deed types, and the recording process that establishes priority of interests.
- Joint tenancy versus tenancy in common
- Warranty deeds versus quitclaim deeds
- Chain of title and constructive notice through recording
Domain 3: Property Value and Appraisal (10 items)
Tests the three approaches to value, factors that influence market value, and the appraiser's role versus the licensee's role in pricing discussions.
- Sales comparison, cost, and income approaches
- Highest and best use analysis
- Depreciation and obsolescence concepts
Domain 4: Real Estate Contracts and Agency (15 items)
This is the single largest domain on the entire exam. It covers listing agreements, purchase agreements, contract elements and remedies, plus the full spectrum of agency relationships and fiduciary duties.
- Essential elements of a valid contract
- Types of agency and dual agency issues
- Breach, remedies, and contract termination
Domain 5: Real Estate Practice (12 items)
Applies day-to-day transactional knowledge: showing property, handling offers, fair housing compliance, and advertising rules that govern licensee conduct in practice.
- Fair housing protected classes and violations
- Advertising and marketing compliance
- Handling multiple offers and counteroffers
Domain 6: Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues (9 items)
Focuses on what must be disclosed to buyers, including material defects and environmental hazards that affect property condition or value.
- Seller disclosure obligations
- Common environmental hazards in real estate transactions
- Material fact versus opinion in disclosure
Domain 7: Financing and Settlement (8 items)
Covers mortgage instruments, loan types, and the closing/settlement process, including how costs are allocated between parties.
- Conventional versus government-backed loans
- Settlement statement line items
- Escrow and closing procedures
Domain 8: Real Estate Math Calculations (8 items)
Pure calculation questions: prorations, commission splits, loan-to-value ratios, and area/measurement conversions. A silent, non-financial calculator is allowed here - see the calculator rules below.
- Commission and net-to-seller calculations
- Proration of taxes and prepaid items
- Area, square footage, and conversion problems
Alaska Law Domains 9-15
The remaining 60 scored questions come from the Alaska law outline, effective September 14, 2023. These seven domains test the Alaska Real Estate Commission's rules and statutes specifically - material you won't find in generic national prep unless it's built around Alaska's outline.
Domain 9: Powers of the Alaska Real Estate Commission (6 items)
Tests the Commission's authority to license, discipline, and regulate real estate activity within the state.
Domain 10: Licensing (6 items)
Covers license types, application requirements, and the renewal cycle - including that Alaska licenses expire January 31 of even-numbered years.
Domain 11: Licensee Duties and Disclosures to the Public (9-11 items)
One of the larger Alaska-specific domains, focused on what licensees owe consumers under state rule, distinct from the national agency concepts in Domain 4.
Domain 12: Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (9 items)
Addresses supervision, trust account handling, and conduct standards specific to how licensees must operate in Alaska.
Domain 13: Personal Services Agreements (4-6 items)
The smallest domain by question count, but still scored - covers agreements between licensees and clients for services outside a standard listing arrangement.
Domain 14: Property Management (9 items)
Tests landlord-tenant obligations and property management responsibilities as they apply under Alaska licensing law.
Domain 15: Broker Only (15 items)
Tied with Domain 4 for the highest single-domain weight, and applicable to broker candidates. This domain covers office registration, supervisory responsibility, and broker-level obligations that associate brokers are not tested on in the same depth.
- Office registration requirements
- Supervising associate brokers and licensees
- Broker-level recordkeeping and trust account oversight
Key Takeaway
Domains 4 and 15 each carry 15 scored items - together nearly 20% of the entire scored exam. If your study time is limited, prioritize Contracts and Agency plus Broker Only before moving to lighter domains like Domain 13.
Domain Weight Reference Table
| Domain | Content Area | Scored Items |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Domains 1-8 total 80 National/General items; Domains 9-15 total 60 Alaska law items, for 140 scored questions overall. For a deeper dive into how these numbers translate into a target score, read AK-REB Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Eligibility and Registration Mechanics
Before you can even schedule the AK-REB exam through Pearson VUE, the Alaska Real Estate Commission requires you to meet several concrete prerequisites:
- Be at least 22 years old
- Complete 30 classroom hours of approved broker training within the 18 months immediately before applying
- Document 36 months of active and continuous real estate licensee experience within the preceding 60 months
After passing, you have six months to submit a complete license application, and you'll need to show proof of errors-and-omissions insurance. Broker applicants must also register an office, while associate broker applicants must affiliate with a licensed broker before licensure is finalized. These requirements are exactly why Domain 15 (Broker Only) and Domain 10 (Licensing) matter so much - they test the same procedural knowledge you'll need to act on after exam day. A full breakdown of these steps is available in AK-REB Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Who This License Serves
The AK-REB credential is the licensing gateway for anyone practicing as a broker or associate broker in Alaska real estate. Associate brokers work under an affiliated licensed broker, while brokers take on the added responsibility of registering and running an office - which is precisely the material tested in Domain 15. Whether you're moving from a salesperson role into broker-level responsibility, or you're an experienced associate broker preparing to run your own office, the domain structure mirrors the real responsibilities you'll hold day one. If you're weighing whether pursuing this path fits your career goals, Is the AK-REB Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and AK-REB Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis go into that decision in more depth.
Mapping a Study Timeline to the Domains
Rather than studying domains in numerical order, weight your schedule to match the point value at stake. Since Domain 4 and Domain 15 each account for 15 scored items, and Domain 5 accounts for 12, those three domains alone represent nearly a third of the scored National/General and Broker Only content combined.
High-Weight Foundations
- Real Estate Contracts and Agency (Domain 4)
- Real Estate Practice (Domain 5)
Core National Content
- Property Value and Appraisal (Domain 3)
- Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use (Domain 1)
- Real Estate Math Calculations (Domain 8)
Remaining National Domains
- Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title (Domain 2)
- Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues (Domain 6)
- Financing and Settlement (Domain 7)
Alaska Law Deep Dive
- Broker Only (Domain 15)
- Licensee Duties and Disclosures to the Public (Domain 11)
- Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (Domain 12)
Final Alaska Domains and Review
- Powers of the Alaska Real Estate Commission (Domain 9)
- Licensing (Domain 10)
- Property Management (Domain 14)
- Personal Services Agreements (Domain 13)
- Full-length timed practice
For a structured week-by-week plan built entirely around this weighting, see AK-REB Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. Running full-length timed sets on our practice test platform before test day helps you gauge whether your pacing across all 150-155 questions fits inside the 4-hour window.
Test-Day Rules and Retake Policy
A few operational details catch candidates off guard on exam day:
- No reference materials are permitted at your workstation.
- Calculators are restricted to a silent, handheld, nonprinting model without an alphabetic keypad - financial calculators are explicitly prohibited, which matters most for Domain 8 (Real Estate Math Calculations).
- Partial passing does not carry over. If you pass the National/General section but fail the Alaska law section (or vice versa), you must retake the entire exam - both sections - not just the portion you failed.
That all-or-nothing retake rule is one more reason to avoid neglecting either half of the outline. A candidate who's strong on Domains 1-8 but weak across Domains 9-15 is still at risk of a full retake. Scheduling logistics, appointment windows, and what to expect walking into the Pearson VUE center are covered in AK-REB Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling, and a condensed review of must-know facts across all 15 domains is available in AK-REB Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Key Takeaway
Treat the exam as one unified test, not two separate ones. Balanced preparation across all 15 domains protects you from the all-or-nothing retake requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 15 total domains: eight National/General domains (Domains 1-8) covering 80 scored items, and seven Alaska law domains (Domains 9-15) covering 60 scored items, for 140 scored questions total.
Domain 4 (Real Estate Contracts and Agency) and Domain 15 (Broker Only) are tied for the highest weight, each contributing 15 scored items.
Domain 15 applies to broker-level content,
Ready to pass your AK-REB exam?
Put this into practice with free AK-REB questions across every exam domain.