Standalone Coverage Map: National vs. Kentucky Topics
Key Takeaways
- The Kentucky exam has two separately scored parts—National (~80 questions) and State (~50 questions)—and you must pass both.
- National content is stable and transferable; State content (KRS 324, KREC rules, KY disclosure) is narrower but detail-dependent and trips up overconfident candidates.
- Study the National portion first (Chapters 1–8), prioritizing agency and contracts, then move to State material (Chapters 9–12).
- Drill real estate math daily in the final two weeks rather than reading it once.
- Use the blueprint-to-chapter table to track accuracy by area and re-study any category that falls below ~75%.
Standalone Coverage Map: National vs. Kentucky Topics
The Kentucky real estate salesperson exam is a two-part test, and understanding that split is the single most important strategic insight for your study plan. Like most states, Kentucky contracts with a national testing vendor (PSI) to deliver a standardized National portion alongside a Kentucky-specific State portion. The two parts are scored separately, and you must pass both to earn your license. Treating them as one undifferentiated blob of material is the most common reason candidates waste study time and fail on retakes.
The National portion covers principles and practices that apply to real estate transactions across the United States: property ownership, agency relationships, contracts, financing, valuation, federal fair-housing law, and basic real estate math. Roughly 80 of the 130 scored questions come from this national body of knowledge. Because it is standardized, you can rely on widely available national prep material, and the concepts rarely change year to year. This stability makes the National portion the safer place to bank early study hours.
The State portion is where Kentucky diverges. About 50 scored questions test Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 324, the regulations of the Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC), state-specific agency and disclosure rules, escrow and trust-account handling, and Kentucky license law and enforcement. This material is narrower but unforgiving: many candidates who breeze through national content stumble here because they assume general-practice rules apply when Kentucky law sets its own thresholds, timelines, and definitions.
The table below maps the official exam blueprint to the chapters of this guide, so you always know which chapter answers which slice of the test. Use it as your navigation backbone throughout your preparation.
| Blueprint Area | Portion | Chapter | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property ownership & land use | National | 1–2 | 12% |
| Agency & fiduciary duties | National | 3 | 13% |
| Contracts & purchase agreements | National | 4 | 17% |
| Financing & lending | National | 5 | 10% |
| Valuation & market analysis | National | 6 | 8% |
| Federal fair housing | National | 7 | 7% |
| Real estate math | National | 8 | 10% |
| KRS 324 & license law | State | 9 | 18% |
| KREC rules & regulations | State | 10 | 12% |
| KY agency & disclosure | State | 11 | 12% |
| Escrow & advertising | State | 12 | 8% |
How this guide is organized
This study guide is split into two clearly labeled halves so you always know which exam portion you are studying.
The National Portion runs across eight chapters: Real Property; Ownership & Title; Value & Appraisal; Contracts & Agency; Practice, Fair Housing & Risk; Disclosures & Environmental; Financing & Settlement; and Real Estate Math.
The Kentucky Portion follows in four focused chapters: KREC & Licensing; Agency & Disclosure; Contracts & Property Law; and Trust Accounts & Violations. The blueprint table above lists weighted areas; the chapter sequence maps each area to where its tested content actually lives in this guide.
Reading the National vs. Kentucky split
A reliable rule of thumb: if a concept would be true in any state — the bundle of rights, the difference between a bilateral and unilateral contract, how a cap rate values income property — it is national material and lives in Chapters 1 through 8. If a concept turns on a Kentucky statute, a KREC regulation, a Kentucky dollar threshold, or a Kentucky filing deadline, it is state material and lives in the four Kentucky chapters. Where the two overlap — agency, disclosure, escrow, fair housing — study the national framework first, then layer Kentucky's specific modifications on top rather than relearning the topic twice.
Where national and Kentucky topics intentionally overlap
Several subjects appear in both halves on purpose, because Kentucky adds its own rule on top of a national baseline. Agency duties (the national OLD-CAR fiduciary duties) reappear under Kentucky's mandatory agency-disclosure and dual-agency-consent rules. Federal fair housing (seven protected classes) reappears in the Kentucky fair-housing chapter, which layers on state-administered enforcement.
Escrow handling appears nationally as a fiduciary accounting duty and again under Kentucky's specific trust-account and commingling prohibitions. When you reach a Kentucky chapter that echoes a national topic, treat it as a focused overlay — note only what Kentucky changes (thresholds, timelines, who enforces) rather than re-reading the underlying concept. That overlay habit keeps your final-week review efficient.
A recommended study sequence follows the table's logic but front-loads the highest-yield, most stable material. Begin with the National portion (Chapters 1 through 8) because it is the larger share of the exam and the concepts transfer to every later topic. Master agency and contracts first—Chapters 3 and 4—since they carry the most national weight and underpin the Kentucky-specific agency rules you will meet later.
Save real estate math (Chapter 8) for focused drilling rather than one-time reading. Math is the most testable-by-repetition area: proration, commission splits, loan-to-value, and area calculations reward practice over memorization. Schedule short daily math sets in the two weeks before your exam date so the formulas stay fresh and automatic under timed pressure.
Move to the State portion (Chapters 9 through 12) only after the national framework is solid. Kentucky license law, KREC rules, and state disclosure requirements are easier to absorb once you understand the underlying national concepts they modify. Tackle Chapter 9 (KRS 324) first, as it establishes the statutory structure that the regulatory and disclosure chapters build on. Reserve your final review days for the state material, since it is the freshest, most detail-dependent content.
Throughout, alternate reading with practice questions tied to each chapter, and track your accuracy by blueprint area. When a category dips below roughly 75 percent, return to the mapped chapter before advancing. This map plus disciplined sequencing keeps your study hours aligned with what the exam actually weighs.