- The AK-RES exam has 14 domains split into 80 National/General items and 40 Alaska law items.
- Domain 4 (Contracts and Agency) carries 16 items - the single heaviest domain on the exam.
- Domain 11 (Licensee Duties and Disclosures) can run 10-12 items, making it the heaviest Alaska law domain.
- Passing requires a scaled score of 75, and failing either part means retaking the entire 130-135 question exam.
AK-RES Exam Overview: Structure and Scoring
The Alaska Real Estate Salesperson Exam (AK-RES) is administered at Pearson VUE test centers for a $115 fee and consists of 120 scored questions plus 10-15 unscored pretest items, for a total of 130-135 questions delivered in a 4-hour session. Those 120 scored items are divided into two parts: 80 National/General questions covering universal real estate principles, and 40 Alaska law questions covering the Alaska Real Estate Commission's rules and licensee obligations.
Both parts are organized into 14 distinct content domains - eight under National/General and six under Alaska law. Understanding exactly how many items come from each domain is the difference between studying broadly and studying strategically. If you haven't yet reviewed the overall difficulty of the exam, the complete difficulty guide is a useful companion to this domain breakdown.
The 14 Domains and Their Item Counts
Every candidate should memorize the shape of the exam before memorizing its content. Below is the official item distribution across all 14 domains, current for the National/General outline effective April 1, 2025, and the Alaska law outline effective September 14, 2023.
| Domain | Content Area | Items |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use | 11 |
| 2 | Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title | 9 |
| 3 | Property Value and Appraisal | 11 |
| 4 | Real Estate Contracts and Agency | 16 |
| 5 | Real Estate Practice | 10 |
| 6 | Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues | 9 |
| 7 | Financing and Settlement | 7 |
| 8 | Real Estate Math Calculations | 7 |
| 9 | Powers of the Alaska Real Estate Commission | 4 |
| 10 | Licensing | 4 |
| 11 | Licensee Duties and Disclosures to the Public | 10-12 |
| 12 | Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees | 10 |
| 13 | Personal Services Agreements | 4-6 |
| 14 | Property Management | 6 |
Notice that Domains 1-8 sum to the 80 National/General items, and Domains 9-14 sum to the 40 Alaska law items. No domain is optional - every one of these 14 areas appears on your specific exam form, just distributed unevenly.
National/General Domains (1-8)
These eight domains make up two-thirds of the scored exam and reflect real estate principles tested nationwide, adapted to Alaska's testing outline. Here's what each one actually demands.
Domain 1: Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use
Covers the physical and legal nature of land, improvements, and how property is described in deeds and surveys.
- Metes-and-bounds, lot-and-block, and government survey descriptions
- Fixtures versus personal property distinctions
- Zoning and land-use classifications
Domain 2: Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title
Focuses on how title is held, transferred between parties, and made part of the public record.
- Tenancy types (joint tenancy, tenancy in common, community property)
- Deeds and the elements required for a valid conveyance
- Recording statutes and constructive notice
Domain 3: Property Value and Appraisal
Tests how value is estimated and the approaches appraisers use.
- Sales comparison, cost, and income approaches
- Principles affecting value (supply, demand, conformity)
- Depreciation calculations
Domain 4: Real Estate Contracts and Agency
The largest single domain on the entire exam at 16 items - agency relationships and contract law questions appear constantly.
- Fiduciary duties and types of agency representation
- Elements of a valid contract and contract remedies
- Listing agreements, purchase agreements, and contingencies
Domain 5: Real Estate Practice
Day-to-day operational knowledge a salesperson applies in transactions.
- Fair housing principles and prohibited practices
- Advertising rules and listing procedures
- Handling offers, counteroffers, and multiple offers
Domain 6: Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues
Covers what must be disclosed to buyers and known environmental hazards.
- Material fact disclosure obligations
- Common environmental hazards (lead-based paint, mold, radon)
- Seller disclosure statement requirements
Domain 7: Financing and Settlement
Mortgage and closing mechanics that every transaction depends on.
- Loan types (conventional, FHA, VA) and qualifying basics
- Closing costs and settlement statement line items
- Escrow and title insurance functions
Domain 8: Real Estate Math Calculations
Only 7 items, but candidates often lose points here due to calculator confusion.
- Commission splits and proration calculations
- Loan-to-value and amortization basics
- Area, square footage, and measurement conversions
Alaska Law Domains (9-14)
The remaining six domains cover 40 items unique to Alaska's licensing statutes and Commission rules. These questions won't appear on generic real estate exams from other states, so this section deserves dedicated review time even though several domains have small item counts.
Domain 9: Powers of the Alaska Real Estate Commission
Covers the Commission's authority to regulate, discipline, and oversee licensees.
- Commission composition and rulemaking authority
- Disciplinary actions and grounds for license sanctions
Domain 10: Licensing
Covers the eligibility and licensure process itself.
- Age, education, and application timing requirements
- Broker affiliation and errors-and-omissions insurance rules
Domain 11: Licensee Duties and Disclosures to the Public
At 10-12 items, this is the heaviest Alaska law domain and deserves proportionally more study time.
- Disclosure duties owed to buyers, sellers, and third parties
- Handling of client funds and trust account basics
Domain 12: Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees
Covers day-to-day compliance rules licensees must follow in practice.
- Advertising and record-keeping requirements under Alaska rules
- Supervision requirements between salespersons and brokers
Domain 13: Personal Services Agreements
A narrower domain (4-6 items) covering agreement structure between licensee and client.
- Required agreement terms and disclosures
- Termination and compensation provisions
Domain 14: Property Management
Covers management-specific licensee responsibilities.
- Landlord-tenant obligations under Alaska law
- Trust accounting for managed properties
Which Domains Carry the Most Weight
With 14 domains competing for your study hours, prioritization matters. Ranked by scored item count, the heaviest domains are Domain 4 (16 items), Domain 11 (10-12 items), Domain 1 and Domain 3 (11 items each), and Domain 12 (10 items). Together, these five domains account for roughly half of all scored questions on the exam.
Key Takeaway
Spend proportionally more review time on Domain 4 (Contracts and Agency) and Domain 11 (Licensee Duties and Disclosures) - between them they represent over 20% of the entire scored exam.
That doesn't mean you can skip the smaller domains. Because failing either the National/General part or the Alaska law part forces a retake of the entire exam - not just the failed section - a single weak domain like Domain 9 or Domain 13 can still sink your overall Alaska law score even though it carries only 4-6 items. For a data-driven look at how domain weighting affects overall outcomes, see the AK-RES pass rate analysis.
Registration, Fees, and Retake Rules
Domain knowledge only matters if you actually qualify to sit for the exam and understand the logistics around it. To register for the AK-RES, candidates must be at least 19 years old, complete 40 classroom hours of Commission-approved prelicensing education within the 18 months immediately before applying, affiliate with a licensed Alaska broker, and carry errors-and-omissions insurance. Full detail on each requirement is covered in the AK-RES requirements guide.
The exam itself costs $115 at a Pearson VUE test center and no reference materials are allowed inside the testing room. If you fail, you must wait 24 hours before reserving a retake, and because the pass/fail decision applies to the exam as a whole, you'll retake all 130-135 questions - both National/General and Alaska law domains - even if you only missed the passing threshold on one part. Once you pass, you have six months to apply for licensure. For a breakdown of every fee involved from prelicensing education through renewal, see the certification cost breakdown, and for scheduling windows and blackout considerations, check the exam dates guide.
Mapping a Study Schedule to the Domains
Rather than studying domains in numerical order, build your schedule around item weight and personal weak spots. A domain-aware timeline might look like this in the weeks leading up to your test date.
Heaviest National/General Domains
- Deep review of Domain 4 (Contracts and Agency) and Domain 1 (Property Characteristics and Legal Descriptions)
- Practice legal description problems and agency scenario questions
Valuation, Practice, and Math
- Domain 3 appraisal approaches and Domain 8 math calculations
- Drill commission, proration, and loan-to-value problems using an approved calculator
Disclosures, Financing, and Ownership
- Domain 2 title/recording rules and Domain 6 disclosure obligations
- Domain 7 financing terms and settlement statement line items
Alaska Law Domains 9-14
- Prioritize Domain 11 (10-12 items) and Domain 12 (10 items)
- Full-length timed practice covering both parts of the exam
For a more detailed week-by-week study framework tied to specific resources, see the AK-RES study guide, and keep a condensed reference of must-know facts handy with the AK-RES cheat sheet. When you're ready to test your recall under exam conditions, run timed domain-specific drills on our practice test platform - it's built around this exact 14-domain structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 14 total domains - 8 National/General domains covering 80 items and 6 Alaska law domains covering 40 items, for 120 scored questions overall.
Domain 4, Real Estate Contracts and Agency, has 16 items - the single largest domain on the exam.
No. Scoring is based on the overall scaled score of 75 across all 120 scored items, not domain-by-domain pass marks. However, failing either the National/General or Alaska law part means retaking the entire exam.
Yes. A silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad is permitted. Financial calculators are prohibited.
They're not necessarily harder, but they're less familiar to candidates who studied only generic real estate material, since domains like Licensee Duties and Disclosures (Domain 11) and Requirements Governing Licensee Activities (Domain 12) are specific to Alaska Real Estate Commission rules.
Mastering all 14 domains - not just the ones with the highest item counts - is what separates a first-attempt pass from an unplanned retake. Use the domain breakdown above to structure your remaining study time, and cross-reference weak areas against full practice exams before test day.