- The LA-RESP is 135 scored questions (80 national, 55 Louisiana) plus 10-15 unscored pretest items in 240 minutes.
- You need a scaled score of 70 on both the national and Louisiana portions to pass.
- Combined-exam fee is $81 initially, $96 on repeat; national-only is $42 and state-only is $39.
- Your authorization is valid for one year with unlimited attempts, but you only retake the portion you failed.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers
This page is a compressed, one-stop reference for the Louisiana Real Estate Salesperson Exam (LA-RESP) - the licensing test administered on behalf of the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) through Pearson VUE. It is not a substitute for full content review; for that, use our LA-RESP Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. Instead, treat this as the sheet you skim the night before test day, or the checklist you tape above your desk while you work through practice questions on our practice test platform.
Everything below is organized around the mechanics candidates actually get tripped up on: exam structure, fee tiers, the 13 domains, eligibility steps, and the retake clock. If you want a deeper breakdown of difficulty or scoring, see How Hard Is the LA-RESP Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and LA-RESP Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Exam Format at a Glance
The LA-RESP is a computer-based, closed-book exam made up entirely of selected-response (multiple-choice) items. There is no essay or simulation component, and no open-book reference material is allowed at the terminal.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scored questions | 135 total - 80 national, 55 Louisiana |
| Unscored pretest questions | 10-15 (mixed in, not separately timed) |
| Time allowed | 240 minutes |
| Question format | Closed-book, selected response |
| Passing score | Scaled score of 70 on each portion (national and state) |
| Calculators | Handheld and on-screen calculators supplied by Pearson VUE |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test centers, computer-based |
Fees & Registration Snapshot
Fee structure depends on whether you're testing both portions together, retaking after a failure, or only need one portion because you already passed the other.
| Attempt Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Combined exam, initial attempt | $81 |
| Combined exam, repeat attempt | $96 |
| National portion only | $42 |
| State (Louisiana) portion only | $39 |
These figures matter for budgeting your prep timeline - every failed portion costs real money to retake, which is one reason candidates lean on structured review rather than walking in cold. For a fuller cost picture including education hours and licensing fees, see LA-RESP Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
All 13 Domains in One Pass
The LA-RESP outline splits into eight national domains and five Louisiana-specific domains. The national content outline took effect April 1, 2025, while the Louisiana outline has been in effect since September 1, 2021 - worth knowing if you're comparing older study material against current content.
National Domains (80 scored questions)
These cover general real estate principles tested in most U.S. jurisdictions using Pearson VUE's national outline.
- Domain 1: Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use
- Domain 2: Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title
- Domain 3: Property Value and Appraisal
- Domain 4: Real Estate Contracts and Agency (the largest single national domain)
- Domain 5: Real Estate Practice
- Domain 6: Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues
- Domain 7: Financing and Settlement
- Domain 8: Real Estate Math Calculations
Louisiana Domains (55 scored questions)
Louisiana publishes item ranges rather than fixed percentage weights for these five domains, so don't assume equal distribution - study each thoroughly regardless of how many items you expect.
- Domain 9: Duties, Overview, and Powers of the Real Estate Commission
- Domain 10: Licensing Requirements
- Domain 11: Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees
- Domain 12: Louisiana Civil Law System
- Domain 13: Louisiana Law of Agency
Because Real Estate Contracts and Agency carries the most weight nationally, and Louisiana's civil law system diverges sharply from common-law states, these are the two areas most likely to surprise underprepared candidates. For item-by-item coverage of every domain, see LA-RESP Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas.
Eligibility & Licensing Checklist
Before you can sit for the exam - and before LREC will issue a license after you pass - you need to satisfy several independent requirements. Missing one of these is a common reason candidates delay their exam date unnecessarily.
- Be at least 18 years old
- Hold a high school diploma or GED
- Complete 90 LREC-approved education hours
- Pass a criminal background check
- Affiliate with a licensed broker
- Provide Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance before license issuance
Key Takeaway
Broker affiliation and E&O insurance are licensing steps, not exam-day requirements - you can sit for the LA-RESP before locking in a broker, but you cannot receive your license without both in place.
For the full walkthrough of documentation and timing, see LA-RESP Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Retake Rules & the One-Year Clock
Your exam authorization is valid for one year and allows unlimited attempts within that window. The retake mechanics are more forgiving than many candidates expect:
- If you pass one portion (national or Louisiana) but fail the other, you only retake the portion you failed.
- Both portions must ultimately be passed within the same one-year authorization period.
- Retaking the combined exam after a failure costs $96, versus $81 for the initial attempt.
- If you only need to retest a single portion, the national-only fee is $42 and the state-only fee is $39.
Post-License and Renewal Requirements
Passing the exam is not the finish line - Louisiana licensing has ongoing obligations that new agents frequently overlook while celebrating their pass.
- Initial licensees must complete 45 post-license education hours within 180 days of licensure.
- Active licenses renew annually by December 31.
- Renewal requires 12 CE hours, including the current LREC mandatory course.
- Renewal also requires maintaining active E&O coverage.
These deadlines matter for career planning even before you sit the exam - if you're weighing whether to pursue licensure at all, read Is the LA-RESP Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and LA-RESP Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis for context on what comes after licensure.
A Final-Week Review Plan
If you're in the last stretch before test day, don't spread review evenly across all 13 domains. Weight your remaining hours toward the domains with the most scored items and the ones most different from general real estate knowledge - namely Real Estate Contracts and Agency, Real Estate Math Calculations, and the Louisiana Civil Law System.
National heavyweights
- Drill Real Estate Contracts and Agency (Domain 4) and Financing and Settlement (Domain 7)
- Rework any Real Estate Math Calculations (Domain 8) problems you've missed on practice sets
Louisiana-specific law
- Focus on Louisiana Civil Law System (Domain 12) and Louisiana Law of Agency (Domain 13)
- Review Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (Domain 11)
Remaining domains + timed drills
- Cover Property Disclosures, Appraisal, and Ownership/Transfer domains
- Run full-length timed practice exams to simulate the 240-minute session
Light review only
- Skim this cheat sheet and your missed-question log
- Avoid new material; confirm your Pearson VUE appointment details
For a longer runway with weekly milestones instead of a cram schedule, see LA-RESP Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And when you're ready to test your recall under real exam conditions, run a full simulated session on our practice exam platform before booking Pearson VUE.
Numbers to Memorize Cold
Key Takeaway
These are the figures most likely to save you from a silly mistake on test day or during registration - memorize them, don't just recognize them.
- 135 - scored questions (80 national + 55 Louisiana)
- 10-15 - unscored pretest questions mixed into the exam
- 240 - minutes allowed for the full exam
- 70 - scaled score needed on each portion to pass
- 90 - LREC-approved education hours required before testing
- 45 - post-license hours due within 180 days of licensure
- 12 - CE hours due at each annual renewal, by December 31
- 1 year - authorization validity with unlimited attempts
If any of these numbers feel shaky, revisit LA-RESP Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling and LA-RESP Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows before test day, since scheduling mistakes and score misunderstandings are avoidable causes of failed attempts.
FAQ
There are 135 scored questions (80 national, 55 Louisiana) plus 10-15 unscored pretest questions, all within a 240-minute session.
You need a scaled score of 70 on the national portion and a scaled score of 70 on the Louisiana portion - both are required independently.
The combined exam is $81 for an initial attempt and $96 for a repeat attempt. Testing only the national portion costs $42, and only the state portion costs $39.
No. Once you pass one portion, you only retake the portion you failed, as long as you complete both within your one-year authorization period.
You still need broker affiliation and E&O insurance before license issuance, then 45 post-license hours within 180 days, followed by annual renewal by December 31 with 12 CE hours including the current LREC mandatory course.