- The 2026 PSI exam has 115 scored items across 15 domains: 75 national items and 40 Ohio items.
- Contracts (19%) and Agency (13%) are the two heaviest national domains - master these first.
- License Law and Rules of the Ohio Real Estate Commission alone is 40% of the state portion.
- You need 75% on both the national and state portions, and both must be passed inside your 12-month eligibility window.
How the OHREB Exam Is Structured
The Ohio Real Estate Broker Exam, administered through the Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing and delivered by PSI Services LLC, is split into two distinct portions that map directly onto the 15 content domains covered in this guide. The national portion covers Domains 1 through 11 and draws on broad real estate principles you'd need in any state. The Ohio portion covers Domains 12 through 15 and tests state-specific law, licensing rules, and agency statutes unique to Ohio brokers.
For the July 1, 2026 administration, candidates face 115 scored items - 75 national items worth 80 points and 40 Ohio items - plus possibly 5-10 unscored experimental items mixed in without notice. You get 120 minutes for the national portion and 60 minutes for the state portion, and each portion is scored independently against a 75% passing threshold. If you're still unclear on exactly how that score is calculated, the OHREB Passing Score 2026 guide breaks down the math domain by domain.
Testing happens on computer at PSI test centers or via remote proctoring, it's closed-book, and handheld calculators are not allowed - a detail that matters heavily for Domain 11's calculation questions, discussed below.
The 11 National Domains
These domains make up the 75-item national portion and reflect general real estate practice knowledge rather than Ohio-specific rules. Weighting varies significantly, so your prep time should not be split evenly across all 11.
Domain 1: Property Ownership (10%)
Covers estates, forms of ownership, and the bundle of rights. Expect scenario items on tenancy types, condominium and cooperative ownership, and government powers like escheat and eminent domain.
Domain 2: Land Use Controls (5%)
Zoning, subdivision regulations, building codes, and environmental restrictions. A smaller domain, but questions often hinge on distinguishing public controls from private deed restrictions.
Domain 3: Valuation (8%)
Appraisal methods, the three approaches to value, and factors influencing market value. Items may combine valuation logic with the calculation skills tested in Domain 11.
Domain 4: Financing (9%)
Loan types, mortgage instruments, qualifying ratios, and financing programs. Test-takers should know how different loan products affect a transaction's contract terms.
Domain 5: Contracts (19%)
The single largest domain on the entire exam. Covers listing agreements, purchase contracts, contingencies, and contract law essentials - expect weighted scenario questions with one best answer.
- Elements of a valid contract
- Contingency and default clauses
- Assignment, novation, and termination
Domain 6: Agency (13%)
Fiduciary duties, agency creation and termination, and disclosure obligations. This domain overlaps conceptually with Ohio's Domain 15, so mastering it pays off twice.
Domain 7: Property Disclosures (7%)
Material fact disclosure, environmental hazards, and seller/agent disclosure duties in a transaction.
Domain 8: Property Management (5%)
Landlord-tenant relationships, lease types, and management agreement basics.
Domain 9: Transfer of Title (6%)
Deeds, title records, closing processes, and methods of conveying real property.
Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Fair housing, antitrust concerns, advertising rules, and day-to-day brokerage practice standards.
Domain 11: Real Estate Calculations (6%)
Commission splits, prorations, loan-to-value ratios, and area/measurement math - all without a handheld calculator, since PSI prohibits them at the terminal.
The 4 Ohio-Specific Domains
The state portion is shorter but no less consequential - you still need 75% here, independent of your national score. These four domains cover the rules that govern how brokers actually operate in Ohio.
Domain 12: State Governance of the Real Estate Profession
Structure and authority of the Ohio Real Estate Commission and the Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing, including enforcement and disciplinary powers.
Domain 13: Licensing Requirements
Broker license eligibility, education prerequisites, and renewal obligations - the same requirements you'll need to document before you're even approved to sit the exam. See the full breakdown in OHREB Requirements 2026.
Domain 14: License Law and Rules of the Ohio Real Estate Commission (40%)
By far the heaviest Ohio domain, worth 40% of the state portion. Covers statutory license law, commission rules, recordkeeping, trust account handling, and violations that trigger discipline.
Domain 15: Brokerage Relationships (Agency Law)
Ohio-specific agency disclosure statutes, dual agency rules, and brokerage relationship documentation required under state law.
Key Takeaway
Because Domain 14 alone accounts for 40% of the 40-item Ohio portion, roughly 16 of those questions come directly from license law and commission rules. Prioritize this domain over the other three Ohio domains combined.
Why Contracts, Agency, and License Law Carry the Exam
If you only have time to deeply master three domains across both portions, make them Contracts (19% national), Agency (13% national), and License Law and Rules of the Ohio Real Estate Commission (40% of the Ohio portion). Together they represent the largest concentration of scored items on the entire 115-item exam.
Contracts questions on the national portion tend to use weighted scenario formats - a paragraph describing a transaction dispute or contingency issue, followed by a single best-answer choice among several plausible-sounding options. This format rewards candidates who can identify the legally controlling fact in a scenario rather than just recall a definition. Agency questions follow a similar pattern, often testing fiduciary duty breaches embedded in realistic broker-client interactions.
On the Ohio side, License Law questions are more direct - they test whether you know the statute or rule, not just whether you can reason through a scenario. That makes it a domain where flashcard-style memorization of rule numbers and commission authority actually works well, in contrast to the scenario-based national portion.
For a deeper look at how question difficulty differs between the national and Ohio portions, the How Hard Is the OHREB Exam guide compares the reasoning demands of each.
| Portion | Domains Covered | Time Allowed | Items | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | Domains 1-11 | 120 minutes | 75 scored items (80 points) | 75% |
| Ohio (State) | Domains 12-15 | 60 minutes | 40 scored items | 75% |
Registration, Fees, and Test-Day Logistics
Before you can even map domains to a study plan, you need to confirm eligibility. Ohio requires candidates to be at least 18 years old, to have held an active Ohio salesperson license for at least two of the preceding five years, to document at least 20 qualifying transactions (or approved equivalent experience), and to complete Ohio's required broker education plus a background check.
Exam fees are straightforward: $66 to sit both the national and state portions in one appointment, $46 for the national portion alone, or $43 for the state portion alone. On top of the exam fee, there's a separate $135 broker license application fee once you've passed. Both portions must be passed within your 12-month eligibility period - if you only pass one, the clock is still running on the other.
After licensure, new brokers must complete a 10-hour post-license course within 12 months and renew every three years with 30 hours of continuing education. If you're still confirming testing windows or appointment availability, the OHREB Exam Dates 2026 guide lays out the scheduling details, and our OHREB practice test platform can help you gauge readiness before you book.
Mapping the 15 Domains to a Study Timeline
Rather than studying domains in numeric order, sequence your prep by weight. Front-load the heaviest domains - Contracts, Agency, License Law and Rules, and Practice of Real Estate - while they're freshest, then circle back to lighter domains like Land Use Controls and Property Management closer to your test date.
National Heavy Hitters
- Domain 5: Contracts (19%)
- Domain 6: Agency (13%)
- Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Mid-Weight National Domains
- Domain 1: Property Ownership (10%)
- Domain 4: Financing (9%)
- Domain 3: Valuation (8%)
Remaining National Domains
- Domain 7: Property Disclosures (7%)
- Domain 9: Transfer of Title (6%)
- Domain 11: Real Estate Calculations (6%) - practice without a calculator
- Domain 2: Land Use Controls (5%)
- Domain 8: Property Management (5%)
Ohio Portion Focus
- Domain 14: License Law and Rules (40% of state portion)
- Domain 15: Brokerage Relationships (Agency Law)
- Domain 13: Licensing Requirements
- Domain 12: State Governance of the Real Estate Profession
A full walkthrough of pacing, review cycles, and how to allocate practice-question volume by domain weight is available in the OHREB Study Guide 2026. Running timed sessions on the practice test platform in the final week helps confirm you can hit 75% on both portions before appointment day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Contracts (Domain 5) is the largest single domain at 19% of the national portion. On the Ohio portion, License Law and Rules of the Ohio Real Estate Commission (Domain 14) is the largest at 40%.
Yes. The national portion (Domains 1-11) and the Ohio portion (Domains 12-15) are scored independently, and each requires a 75% score. Both must be passed within your 12-month eligibility period.
No. Handheld calculators are prohibited at PSI testing centers, so Domain 11 questions on commissions, prorations, and ratios must be solved using the on-screen tools provided or mental math.
No. Domains 1-11 percentages apply only within the 75-item national portion, and the Ohio domain weighting (such as Domain 14's 40%) applies only within the 40-item state portion.
You keep credit for the passed portion but must retake and pass the failed portion within your 12-month eligibility window, or you'll need to restart both portions.