New Hampshire Real Estate Exam Overview

How the New Hampshire Exam Is Built

The New Hampshire real estate salesperson examination is administered by PSI (sometimes seen under its legacy AMP platform) on behalf of the New Hampshire Real Estate Commission. The Commission itself now operates under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC), the umbrella agency that consolidated New Hampshire's occupational boards in 2015. On exam day you sit one continuous appointment containing two distinct, separately graded portions.

Exam Blueprint at a Glance

The two portions are scored independently. You can ace the national portion (say, 74 of 80) and still fail overall if you miss the state cut of 28. This is the single most misunderstood fact about the test, so internalize it: there is no averaging across portions. PSI delivers a pass/fail result for each section on screen immediately when you finish.

The 70% Threshold in Practice

• National: you may miss up to 24 questions (56 of 80 needed) and still pass.
• State: you may miss only 12 questions (28/40) — the state margin is thinner relative to its size because there are fewer questions.
• A 2-question swing on the 40-item state portion is worth 5 percentage points, so careless errors hurt far more there than on the national side.

Worked example. Maria scores 60/80 national (75%) and 27/40 state (67.5%). She passes the national portion but fails the state portion by one question. On her retake she only sits the state portion again — New Hampshire lets you re-test the failed portion alone, which is why allocating extra study to NH-specific law (RSA 331-A, agency disclosure, lead paint, shoreland rules) is the highest-leverage decision a candidate makes.

Common trap: assuming "120 questions, 70% overall = 84 correct." The 70% rule applies per portion, not to the combined 120. A 96/120 score distributed as 56 national + 40 state passes only if BOTH portions independently clear their cut; a candidate who scores 48 national + 40 state fails because the national portion fell below 56.

Fees, Education, and the OPLC Application Path

Current Fees (verify before you pay)

Fee figures circulate widely and many third-party sites are out of date. As of 2026 the figures below reflect current PSI and OPLC charges; confirm the live amount before you pay.

Always confirm the live fee in the current PSI Candidate Information Bulletin and on the OPLC website immediately before scheduling, because the Commission adjusts fees by rule.

Pre-License Education: the 32-Hour Classroom Rule

Under RSA 331-A:10, I, a salesperson candidate must complete 40 hours of Commission-approved education before testing. New Hampshire is stricter than most states on delivery method:

• At least 32 hours must be classroom (in-person) instruction.
• No more than 8 hours may be distance education, and only if completed within the 6 months immediately before the exam date.
• The course completion certificate is generally treated as valid for 6 months, so do not finish the course far ahead of when you intend to test.

This means a fully online 40-hour path that satisfies many states does not satisfy New Hampshire. Budget for live classroom time when you plan your schedule.

Step-by-Step Application Sequence

1. Meet baseline eligibility — be at least 18, of good moral character, with no disqualifying criminal history.
2. Complete the 40 hours (32 classroom minimum) and obtain the dated completion certificate.
3. Register for the exam with PSI, pay the PSI fee, and receive email authorization once the Commission approves you.
4. Schedule and pass both portions at 70% each; print your PSI score report.
5. Apply for the license through OPLC with the application fee, sponsoring broker information, and background-check submission.

Continuing Education After You Pass

Exam-day logistics: bring two forms of identification (the primary must be a valid government-issued photo ID with a matching signature), arrive 30 minutes early, and expect a secure, proctored testing room. With 240 total minutes for 120 questions you have roughly 120 seconds per item — and the pacing is generous on the national side (150 minutes for 80 questions, nearly 2 minutes each) but tighter per question relative to difficulty on the 40-item state portion (90 minutes), so flag and skip hard questions, bank the easy ones, and return to flagged items before time expires.

Focus your final review on the four state pillars this guide covers next: NHREC licensing under RSA 331-A, New Hampshire agency law, contracts and disclosures (including the federal lead-paint disclosure for pre-1978 homes), and property law topics such as the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act.