- The AK-RES is 120 scored items (80 National/General, 40 Alaska law) plus 10-15 pretest items, in 4 hours.
- Passing score is 75 on a 0-100 scale - not "75% correct." Treat it as a fixed cut score.
- Fail either portion and you retake the entire exam; you must wait 24 hours before rebooking.
- Domain 4 (Contracts and Agency) carries the heaviest National/General weight at 16 items.
Exam Snapshot: The Numbers You Must Memorize
Before you touch a single practice question, lock down the raw mechanics of the Alaska Real Estate Salesperson Exam. These are the numbers examiners assume you already know on test day, and they're the same numbers that shape how you should budget your study time. For a deeper walkthrough of each figure, see the full AK-RES Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
- Administered by: Alaska Real Estate Commission, delivered at Pearson VUE test centers.
- Fee: $115 per attempt.
- Length: 130-135 total questions (120 scored + 10-15 unscored pretest items), 4 hours.
- Split: 80 National/General items, 40 Alaska law items.
- Passing score: 75 on a 0-100 scaled score.
- Effective outlines: National/General current since April 1, 2025; Alaska law current since September 14, 2023.
All 14 Domains and Their Item Counts
The exam outline runs across 14 domains - eight feeding the National/General portion, six feeding the Alaska law portion. Knowing exact item counts tells you where to spend hours versus minutes. This is the single most actionable planning tool in this cheat sheet; the companion AK-RES Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 14 Content Areas unpacks each topic in depth.
| Exam Section | Scored Items | Domains Covered |
|---|---|---|
| National/General | 80 | Domains 1-8 |
| Alaska Law | 40 | Domains 9-14 |
| Unscored Pretest | 10-15 | Mixed, indistinguishable from scored items |
National/General Domains (Items 1-8)
These eight domains build the property, contract, and math foundation tested across 80 items.
- Domain 1 - Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use: 11 items
- Domain 2 - Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title: 9 items
- Domain 3 - Property Value and Appraisal: 11 items
- Domain 4 - Real Estate Contracts and Agency: 16 items (the largest single domain)
- Domain 5 - Real Estate Practice: 10 items
- Domain 6 - Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues: 9 items
- Domain 7 - Financing and Settlement: 7 items
- Domain 8 - Real Estate Math Calculations: 7 items
Alaska Law Domains (Items 9-14)
These six domains make up the 40-item Alaska-specific portion, and Domain 11 carries the most weight.
- Domain 9 - Powers of the Alaska Real Estate Commission: 4 items
- Domain 10 - Licensing: 4 items
- Domain 11 - Licensee Duties and Disclosures to the Public: 10-12 items
- Domain 12 - Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees: 10 items
- Domain 13 - Personal Services Agreements: 4-6 items
- Domain 14 - Property Management: 6 items
Key Takeaway
Domain 4 (16 items) and Domain 11 (10-12 items) together account for roughly one-fifth of the entire 120-item scored exam. If your time is tight, master contracts/agency and licensee duties/disclosures first.
Registration, Fees, and Test-Day Rules
Understanding the mechanics of booking and sitting the exam prevents wasted attempts. The AK-RES Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown article covers the full cost picture; here's what matters on exam day itself.
- Test fee: $115, paid per attempt, at a Pearson VUE test center.
- Reference materials: Prohibited. No notes, no printed formulas.
- Calculators: A silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad is allowed. Financial calculators are prohibited - bring a basic model, not a real-estate finance calculator.
- Partial passing does not carry over: Pass the National/General portion but fail Alaska law (or vice versa), and you must retake the entire exam, both portions, from scratch.
- Retake wait: A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period after a failed attempt before you can reserve a new seat.
For the exact scheduling windows and cutoff dates tied to your prelicensing coursework, check AK-RES Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Licensing Path: Eligibility Before You Sit
The exam is only one gate. The Alaska Real Estate Commission also requires several eligibility steps before and after the test. Full detail lives in AK-RES Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify, but the essentials are:
- Be at least 19 years old.
- Complete 40 classroom hours of approved prelicensing education within the 18 months immediately before applying for licensure.
- Affiliate with a licensed Alaska broker.
- Carry errors-and-omissions insurance.
- Apply for licensure within six months after passing the exam - miss that window and you'll need to retest.
People new to the field often ask What Is AK-RES? or search for the AK-RES Meaning and What Does AK-RES Stand For? before realizing it's simply the licensing exam gatekeeping entry into Alaska real estate sales. If you're still deciding whether to pursue it, Is the AK-RES Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and AK-RES Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis lay out the career case, while AK-RES Jobs covers who's hiring newly licensed salespersons across Alaska brokerages.
Final-Week Domain Review Plan
In the last stretch before test day, don't spread attention evenly across all 14 domains - allocate time by item count and personal weak spots. A short, domain-anchored schedule beats generic review.
Heaviest National/General Domains
- Drill Domain 4 (Contracts and Agency, 16 items) and Domain 1 and 3 (11 items each) with timed question sets.
- Rework any math problems from Domain 8 you missed in earlier practice.
Heaviest Alaska Law Domains
- Focus on Domain 11 (Licensee Duties and Disclosures, 10-12 items) and Domain 12 (Requirements Governing Activities of Licensees, 10 items).
- Review Domain 14 (Property Management, 6 items) and Domain 13 (Personal Services Agreements, 4-6 items) side by side since they overlap in agency-style scenarios.
Smaller-Weight Domains
- Cover Domains 2, 5, 6, and 7 - each worth 7-10 items - to close remaining gaps.
- Finish with Domains 9 and 10 (4 items each) on Commission powers and licensing rules.
Full Simulation and Calculator Check
- Take one full 130-135 question timed simulation under 4-hour conditions.
- Confirm your calculator is silent, nonprinting, and non-financial before test day.
If you want a step-by-step version of this approach with pacing benchmarks, the AK-RES Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt expands each week into daily targets, and How Hard Is the AK-RES Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 explains why the scaled scoring model changes how much margin you actually have. You can run full-length timed simulations directly on the AK-RES practice test platform to mirror real exam pacing.
After You Pass: Post-Licensing and Renewal CE
Passing the exam and getting licensed isn't the finish line - Alaska has ongoing education obligations that new agents frequently overlook.
- Post-licensing: New licensees must complete 30 post-licensing hours within one year of initial licensure.
- License expiration: Licenses expire January 31 of even-numbered years.
- Renewal CE: 20 continuing-education hours are required - 8 designated/core hours and 12 elective hours.
To see how this fits into the bigger picture - what certifications and job titles follow licensure - browse AK-RES Certification, AK-RES Training, and What Is AK-RES Certification?. For a data-driven look at how candidates actually perform, review AK-RES Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
Key Takeaway
Print this page or save it as your final review sheet: 120 scored items, 75 scaled passing score, 40 hours of prelicensing education, and 30 post-licensing hours due within your first year.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 120 scored items - 80 National/General and 40 Alaska law - plus 10-15 unscored pretest items, for 130-135 total questions across 4 hours.
You need a scaled score of 75 on a 0-100 scale. This is not the same as answering 75% of questions correctly, since pretest items and scaling adjustments affect the calculation.
You must retake the entire exam - both the National/General and Alaska law portions - even if you already passed one side. There is also a mandatory 24-hour wait after any failed attempt before you can reserve a retake.
Yes, but only a silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad. Financial calculators are prohibited, and no reference materials of any kind are allowed.
You must apply for licensure within six months after passing the exam. You'll also need to affiliate with a licensed Alaska broker and carry errors-and-omissions insurance as part of that application.