Mississippi Real Estate Exam Overview
Key Takeaways
- Mississippi requires 60 hours of MREC-approved pre-license education: a 30-hour Real Estate Principles & Practices course plus a 30-hour Real Estate Law course.
- PSI administers the exam: 80 scored national questions (2.5 hours) and 40 scored state questions (1.5 hours), each portion graded and reported separately.
- Pass marks are 70% national (56 of 80) and 75% state (30 of 40); failing only one portion means you re-test only that portion.
- Both portions must be passed in the same two-month eligibility period. The state portion is limited to two attempts in that period; after two state failures, a salesperson candidate waits three months and reapplies.
- Post-license: the prescribed 30-hour course is due within 12 months of temporary-license issuance or the license becomes inactive; renewal generally requires 16 approved CE hours every two years, with any MREC-required subjects capped at 8 hours.
- Mandatory CE breakdown is 4 hours agency law, 2 hours contract law, and 2 hours license law, plus 8 elective hours.
How the Mississippi Exam Is Built
The Mississippi Real Estate Salesperson examination is delivered by PSI Services under contract with the Mississippi Real Estate Commission (MREC), the state agency created under the Mississippi Real Estate Brokers License Law of 1954 (Miss. Code Ann. § 73-35-1 et seq.). The test has two independently scored portions that may be scheduled together: a national portion of real estate fundamentals and a state portion of Mississippi-specific law and MREC rules.
A recurring exam trap: the two portions are scored separately and you can fail one while passing the other. If you pass national but fail state, you re-test only the state portion, but both portions must be passed within the same two-month eligibility period. Do not assume a strong national score "averages up" a weak state score — it does not.
Exam Structure at a Glance
| Component | National Portion | State Portion |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | PSI | PSI |
| Scored questions | 80 | 40 |
| Time limit | 2.5 hours (150 min) | 1.5 hours (90 min) |
| Passing score | 70% (56 correct) | 75% (30 correct) |
| Format | 4-option multiple choice | 4-option multiple choice |
Pretest items: Expect 5–10 unscored experimental questions seeded into the exam. They are not flagged and do not count for or against you, so answer every question. PSI reports your pass/fail result on screen immediately after you finish.
Note the 75% state cutoff is higher than the 70% national cutoff — a small 40-question pool means each missed state question costs 2.5%, so just 11 wrong answers fails you. This is why state-law mastery (agency, disclosures, trust accounts, license law) drives more candidates’ outcomes than national content.
The Mississippi Real Estate Commission (MREC)
MREC licenses salespersons and brokers, approves education providers, investigates complaints, imposes discipline, and maintains the statutory Real Estate License Fund used for Commission operations and education. Its rules sit in the MREC Administrative Code and supplement the License Law. Expect direct questions on MREC’s authority — for example, that MREC, not a local board or the MLS, holds statutory power to suspend or revoke a license.
| Resource | Detail |
|---|---|
| Website | mrec.ms.gov |
| Office | 4780 I-55 North, LeFleur's Bluff Tower, Suite 300, Jackson, MS 39211 |
| Phone | (601) 321-6970 |
Pre-License Education: The 60-Hour Rule
Before applying, you must finish 60 hours of MREC-approved pre-license education through a college/community college or an approved pre-license provider; the current statute does not prescribe a universal two-course 30-plus-30 split.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Required total | 60 classroom hours |
| Provider | College/community college or MREC-approved pre-license provider |
| Output | Completion certificate submitted with the application |
Resident-route eligibility basics: be at least 18, be a bona fide Mississippi resident before filing, complete the education, and satisfy the background investigation. A common scenario question: a 17-year-old who finished the courses is still ineligible to be licensed until age 18, even though the education requirement is met.
From Application to Active License
The path runs in a fixed order, and a misstep at any step delays licensure. Learn the sequence, but verify application and background-investigation fees against current MREC instructions.
- Finish 60 hours of pre-license education and obtain the certificate.
- Submit the MREC application with the education certificate and the current required fee and supporting documents.
- Complete MREC's background investigation according to the current application instructions.
- Receive the exam-eligibility / approval letter from MREC.
- Schedule and take the PSI exam, passing both portions (70% national, 75% state).
- Affiliate with a sponsoring broker — a salesperson can never operate independently; the broker activates the license.
Initial Cost Summary
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | Check current MREC fee schedule |
| Background investigation | Check current MREC instructions |
| Exam fee (PSI) | $75 for one or both portions |
| License/issuance fee | Check current MREC fee schedule |
| Total | Varies with current MREC fees and education costs |
Sponsorship trap: Passing the exam does not make you a working agent. Your license stays inactive until a licensed Mississippi broker sponsors and activates it. Without a sponsor you cannot list, show, or accept commission.
Exam-Day Logistics
- Arrive 30 minutes early with one current, valid government-issued ID bearing your signature and photograph; the name must match your registration.
- No phones, notes, books, or study aids inside the testing room — they are stored in a locker.
- A basic on-screen calculator is provided; flag hard items and return to them before time expires.
Keeping the License: Post-License and CE
Mississippi has two separate ongoing duties, and confusing them is a frequent exam error.
Post-license education (one time): New salespersons must complete 30 hours of MREC-approved post-license education within 12 months of the temporary license being issued. Miss the deadline and the license becomes inactive — you cannot simply renew your way out of it. This is a one-time, new-licensee requirement, distinct from recurring CE.
Continuing education (every renewal): Renewal is biennial (every 2 years), requiring 16 CE hours. MREC may designate required subjects, but those required subjects may not exceed 8 of the 16 hours.
| CE Category | Hours |
|---|---|
| MREC-designated required subjects | Up to 8 |
| Other approved coursework | Remaining hours to total 16 |
| Total per 2-year cycle | 16 |
Distinguish the two: Post-license = 30 hours, one time, within 12 months of issuance. CE = 16 hours, every 2 years, ongoing. An exam item may pair both numbers as distractors — match each to its trigger.
What This Guide Covers
This FREE guide concentrates on the Mississippi state portion, where the higher 75% cutoff makes the difference for most candidates. Upcoming chapters drill MREC structure and licensing, Mississippi agency law and required disclosures, contracts and the Property Condition Disclosure Act, and trust-account rules with MREC enforcement and discipline. Pair this with a strong national-principles review, then practice full timed exams until you consistently clear 80%.
A candidate scores 88% on the national portion but only 70% on the Mississippi state portion. What is the result?
What does Mississippi's current license law require for a standard two-year continuing-education renewal?
By when must a new Mississippi salesperson complete the required 30 hours of post-license education?
After passing the PSI exam, why can a new licensee not yet begin practicing real estate in Mississippi?