- What Is the AK-REB, Exactly?
- Who Administers and Scores It
- Exam Format: What's Actually on the Test
- The 15 Domains You'll Be Tested On
- Eligibility: Who Can Sit for the AK-REB
- Fees, Registration, and Retake Rules
- After You Pass: Licensure and Renewal
- Who Hires AK-REB Holders
- How to Prepare Without Wasting Weeks
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The AK-REB is the Alaska Real Estate Broker Exam, delivered at Pearson VUE test centers for $115.
- It covers 140 scored items - 80 National/General and 60 Alaska law - plus 10-15 unscored pretest items.
- Passing requires a scaled score of 75 on a 0-100 scale, not 75% of questions correct.
- Failing either the National/General or Alaska law portion means retaking the entire exam, not just one section.
What Is the AK-REB, Exactly?
The AK-REB - the Alaska Real Estate Broker Exam - is the licensing test administered under the authority of the Alaska Real Estate Commission for anyone seeking to practice as a broker or associate broker in the state. It's not a general "real estate knowledge" quiz; it's a two-part, scenario-driven examination that tests whether a candidate who has already worked as a licensed salesperson is ready to take on the added legal and fiduciary responsibilities of a broker.
If you're wondering whether this is the same "AK-REB" you may have seen referenced elsewhere online, it isn't. This article, and every resource on this site, refers specifically to the Alaska Real Estate Broker Exam - its rules, its domains, and its scoring come directly from the Alaska Real Estate Commission and Pearson VUE, the vendor that delivers the test. For a broader breakdown of terminology, see What Is AK-REB? and AK-REB Meaning.
Who Administers and Scores It
The Alaska Real Estate Commission sets the content and eligibility standards; Pearson VUE delivers the exam at computer-based test centers. Candidates get four hours to complete the exam, and scoring is reported on a scaled 0-100 basis rather than a raw percentage - a passing scaled score of 75 does not mean you answered 75% of questions correctly. Scaled scoring adjusts for item difficulty across different test forms, which is why two candidates can answer a different number of questions correctly yet both land above or below the passing line. For a deeper dive into how this scoring actually works, read AK-REB Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Exam Format: What's Actually on the Test
The AK-REB is split into two content areas delivered in a single sitting:
- National/General: 80 scored items covering broad real estate principles and practice.
- Alaska Law: 60 scored items covering state-specific statutes and Commission rules.
That's 140 scored questions, but you'll actually see 150-155 items on screen because Pearson VUE mixes in 10-15 unidentified pretest questions used to evaluate future exam content. You won't know which questions are scored and which are pretest, so every item deserves full attention. Reference materials are not allowed at the workstation, and while you may bring a silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad, financial calculators are explicitly prohibited - a detail that trips up candidates who assume any calculator is fair game.
| Portion | Scored Items | Content Outline Effective |
|---|---|---|
| National/General | 80 | April 1, 2025 |
| Alaska Law | 60 | September 14, 2023 |
| Pretest (unidentified) | 10-15 (unscored) | Rotates by form |
One structural detail catches candidates off guard: the two portions aren't graded independently for pass/fail purposes in the way some assume. If you pass one part but fail the other, you must retake the entire exam - both National/General and Alaska law - not just the section you missed. That single rule should shape how you allocate study time, since a strong National/General score won't carry you if Alaska law falls short.
The 15 Domains You'll Be Tested On
The AK-REB content outline is organized into 15 domains split across the two portions. Domains 1-8 fall under National/General; Domains 9-15 fall under Alaska law. Official item counts are as follows:
Domain 1: Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use - 10 items
Covers land types, legal description methods, and land use controls.
- Metes-and-bounds vs. government survey systems
Domain 4: Real Estate Contracts and Agency - 15 items
The single largest National/General domain; expect heavy coverage of contract elements, agency relationships, and fiduciary duties.
- Listing agreements, offers, and agency disclosure obligations
Domain 11: Licensee Duties and Disclosures to the Public - 9-11 items
The largest Alaska-law domain range, focused on how licensees must communicate with buyers, sellers, and the public under state rules.
- Required disclosures and prohibited misrepresentations
Domain 15: Broker Only - 15 items
Tests broker-level responsibilities that associate brokers and salespeople aren't examined on, including office and supervisory duties.
- Trust account handling and supervisory obligations
The full domain list spans Real Property Characteristics; Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title; Property Value and Appraisal; Real Estate Contracts and Agency; Real Estate Practice; Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues; Financing and Settlement; Real Estate Math Calculations; Powers of the Alaska Real Estate Commission; Licensing; Licensee Duties and Disclosures to the Public; Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees; Personal Services Agreements; Property Management; and Broker Only. For item-by-item breakdowns and study priorities across all 15 areas, see AK-REB Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 15 Content Areas.
Key Takeaway
Domains 4 (15 items) and 15 (15 items) carry the most weight of any single domain - prioritize contracts/agency and broker-only duties before polishing smaller domains.
Eligibility: Who Can Sit for the AK-REB
You can't walk in cold. To qualify for the AK-REB, applicants must:
- 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, continuous real estate licensee experience within the preceding 60 months
These aren't suggestions - they're the gatekeeping requirements the Alaska Real Estate Commission checks before authorizing your Pearson VUE appointment. A detailed walkthrough of how to document experience and training hours is available in AK-REB Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Fees, Registration, and Retake Rules
The AK-REB costs $115 per attempt, paid for a computer-based sitting at an approved Pearson VUE test center. There is no home-delivery option - this is strictly a test-center exam. Scheduling windows and blackout considerations are covered in AK-REB Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling, and a full cost breakdown - including training and application expenses beyond the exam fee itself - is in AK-REB Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Remember the retake structure: because the exam isn't split into independently passable sections, failing either the National/General or Alaska law portion sends you back to retake the whole 150-155-item exam, at the full fee, on your next scheduled attempt. This makes balanced preparation across both portions more important than cramming one side.
After You Pass: Licensure and Renewal
Passing the exam is only step one toward holding a broker license. Within six months of passing, you must submit a complete application, carry errors-and-omissions insurance, and - depending on your license type - either register an office as a broker or affiliate with a licensed broker as an associate broker. Miss that six-month window and your passing score may no longer count toward licensure.
Once licensed, brokers must track renewal deadlines carefully: licenses expire January 31 of even-numbered years, and renewal requires 20 continuing-education hours, split between 8 designated/core hours and 12 elective hours. Building CE tracking into your calendar now avoids a scramble later.
Who Hires AK-REB Holders
Passing the AK-REB and completing licensure opens the broker and associate broker track within Alaska's real estate industry - independent brokerages, larger residential and commercial firms, and property management companies that need someone credentialed to supervise trust accounts, sign off on contracts, and take on the Broker Only responsibilities tested in Domain 15. Associate brokers typically affiliate with an existing licensed broker rather than opening their own office, while full brokers who register an office can build or lead a team. For context on how this credential translates into career and compensation outcomes, see AK-REB Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis, AK-REB Jobs, and Is the AK-REB Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026.
How to Prepare Without Wasting Weeks
Because the AK-REB splits almost evenly between National/General breadth and Alaska-specific law, an effective study plan treats them as two distinct study tracks that converge close to test day. Rather than generic review, sequence your weeks around the domain weightings you already know: Domain 4 and Domain 15 carry the heaviest item counts, so they deserve early and repeated attention, not a single pass.
National/General Foundations
- Review Domains 1-3 (property characteristics, title, valuation)
- Drill legal description and appraisal terminology
Contracts, Agency, and Practice
- Focus heavily on Domain 4 (15 items) and Domain 5
- Work through math calculations in Domain 8
Alaska Law Core
- Study Commission powers (Domain 9) and licensing rules (Domain 10)
- Emphasize Domain 11's disclosure requirements
Broker-Level and Final Review
- Master Domain 15 (Broker Only) and Domain 14 (property management)
- Run full-length practice sessions under the 4-hour time limit
Whatever pace you set, build in timed full-length practice sessions that mimic the real 150-155-item, 4-hour format - including the discipline of working without reference materials or a financial calculator. For a structured week-by-week plan and first-attempt strategy, see AK-REB Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. If you're still calibrating how challenging the exam feels relative to your current knowledge, How Hard Is the AK-REB Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and AK-REB Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows are useful next reads. You can also start running realistic timed questions right now on our AK-REB practice test platform.
Key Takeaway
Study National/General and Alaska law in parallel, not sequentially - since failing either portion fails the whole exam, neither side can be an afterthought.
Frequently Asked Questions
A passing score is 75 on a 0-100 scaled score, not 75% of questions answered correctly. Scaled scoring accounts for slight difficulty differences between test forms, so the number of correct answers needed can vary slightly by form.
Candidates see 150-155 total questions, but only 140 are scored - 80 National/General and 60 Alaska law. The remaining 10-15 are unidentified pretest items that don't affect your score.
Yes, but only a silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad. Financial calculators are specifically prohibited, and no reference materials of any kind are allowed at the workstation.
You must retake the entire exam - both the National/General and Alaska law portions - at full cost. There is no partial retest option for the AK-REB.
You must be at least 22 years old, complete 30 classroom hours of approved broker training within 18 months of applying, and document 36 months of active, continuous licensee experience within the prior 60 months.