- The MA-RES has 120 scored questions total: 80 general in 150 minutes, 40 Massachusetts-specific in 90 minutes.
- You need 70% on each portion separately - a high general score cannot offset a low Massachusetts score.
- Contracts is the largest general domain at 19%; Requirements Governing Licensees leads the Massachusetts portion.
- Fees are a $31 application fee plus a $56 examination fee, paid through PSI Services LLC.
The One-Page Snapshot
If you only have five minutes before your PSI appointment, this is the section to reread. The Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Exam (MA-RES) is administered by PSI Services LLC on behalf of the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons, under the Division of Occupational Licensure. Everything below reflects the candidate bulletin updated September 23, 2025.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Administering body | Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (DOL) |
| Testing vendor | PSI Services LLC |
| Application fee | $31 |
| Examination fee | $56 |
| Total scored questions | 120 (80 general + 40 Massachusetts) |
| Time allowed | 150 minutes general, 90 minutes Massachusetts (4 hours total) |
| Passing score | 70% on each portion |
| Prelicensing education | 40 approved hours |
| Eligibility window | 2 years from course completion |
For a deeper breakdown of everything on this table, the MA-RES Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt walks through how these numbers translate into an actual study plan.
Exam Format at a Glance
The MA-RES is a single testing appointment split into two distinct portions, each with its own timer and its own passing threshold. Understand this structure before you memorize anything else.
- General Portion: 80 scored multiple-choice questions, 150 minutes.
- Massachusetts State Portion: 40 scored multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes.
- Unscored questions: 5-10 experimental items are mixed into the exam and consume test time, but they do not count toward your score. You cannot identify which questions these are, so treat every question as scored.
Fees and Eligibility Cheat Sheet
The costs and prerequisites for the MA-RES are simpler than most licensing exams, but the eligibility clock matters more than most candidates realize.
- Minimum age: 18 years old.
- Education: 40 hours of approved prelicensing coursework.
- Documentation: Board Educational Certificate plus three endorsements from unrelated individuals.
- Application fee: $31, paid when you register.
- Examination fee: $56, paid to sit for the test through PSI.
- Time limit: Both exam portions must be passed within two years of finishing your course.
A full cost breakdown, including where these fees fit relative to prelicensing tuition, is covered in MA-RES Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you're still confirming you meet every prerequisite, cross-check against MA-RES Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before you schedule.
Key Takeaway
If you pass one portion but fail the other, you only retake the failed portion - but that retake still must happen before your two-year eligibility window closes.
General Portion Domain Weights
The general portion covers eleven content areas, weighted by percentage of the 80 scored questions. Knowing the weights tells you exactly where to spend your limited review hours.
Contracts (19%) - Largest General Domain
The single heaviest-weighted topic on the entire general portion. Expect scenario-based questions on offer, acceptance, consideration, contingencies, and breach.
- Master listing agreements, purchase and sale agreements, and contract remedies before anything else.
Agency (13%) and Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Together these two domains make up roughly a quarter of the general portion. Agency relationships, fiduciary duties, and day-to-day brokerage practice questions are common test formats.
- Property Ownership - 10%
- Land Use Controls - 5%
- Valuation - 8%
- Financing - 10%
- Contracts - 19%
- Agency - 13%
- Property Disclosures - 7%
- Property Management - 3%
- Transfer of Title - 6%
- Practice of Real Estate - 12%
- Real Estate Calculations - 7%
These percentages apply within the general portion only. For an item-by-item breakdown of what each domain actually tests, see MA-RES Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 20 Content Areas.
Massachusetts State Portion Domains
The 40 Massachusetts-specific questions draw from nine content areas rooted in state statute and Board regulation rather than national real estate principles.
Requirements Governing Licensees - Largest Massachusetts Domain
This is the heaviest-weighted topic in the state portion. It covers ongoing licensee obligations: recordkeeping, escrow handling, advertising rules, and supervision requirements.
- Duties and Powers of the Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons
- Licensing Requirements
- Requirements Governing Licensees
- Contracts (Massachusetts-specific applications)
- Consumer Protection Laws
- Environmental Issues and Hazardous Materials
- Massachusetts Fair Housing Law
- Landlord Tenant Law
- Additional Topics
Scoring Rules You Cannot Forget
Scoring on the MA-RES is straightforward but unforgiving in one specific way: the two portions never blend.
- You must score 70% or higher on the general portion.
- You must separately score 70% or higher on the Massachusetts state portion.
- A strong general score does not raise a weak Massachusetts score, and vice versa.
- If you fail one portion, you retake only that portion, not the entire exam, provided you're still inside your two-year eligibility window.
For the exact mechanics of how raw answers convert to a pass/fail result, read MA-RES Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. And if you're trying to gauge how tough this really is before you commit study hours, How Hard Is the MA-RES Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 puts the format and content load in context.
Test-Day Mechanics
Test-day logistics for the MA-RES are administered entirely through PSI, and a few details trip up otherwise well-prepared candidates.
- Testing options: an in-person PSI test center or remote online proctoring.
- Calculator policy: PSI provides an on-screen calculator; personal calculators are not permitted.
- Question mix: in addition to the 120 scored questions, 5-10 unscored experimental questions are embedded and use up exam time - budget your minutes as if every question counts.
- Timing: the general portion (150 minutes) and Massachusetts portion (90 minutes) run as separate timed blocks within your four-hour appointment.
Key Takeaway
Practice all real estate calculations mentally or with an on-screen calculator interface before test day - muscle memory for a personal calculator will not transfer.
Licensing Timeline After You Pass
Passing the MA-RES is not the finish line - it's the gateway to licensure with the Division of Occupational Licensure.
- Your initial license term runs no less than two years and no more than three years, timed to your birthday.
- Active renewal requires 12 hours of continuing education.
- Employers and brokerages typically want to see this license in hand before extending a job offer, which shapes how quickly a passing score turns into paid work.
If you're weighing whether the time and fees are worth it relative to what salespeople actually earn, MA-RES Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and Is the MA-RES Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 both dig into that question, and MA-RES Jobs covers who is actually hiring newly licensed salespeople.
A Fast Weekly Review Plan Using This Cheat Sheet
You don't need a generic study calendar - you need one built around the domain weights above. A short, focused schedule works better than an open-ended review when Contracts alone carries 19% of the general portion.
Heaviest General Domains
- Contracts (19%)
- Agency (13%)
- Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Mid-Weight General Domains
- Property Ownership (10%)
- Financing (10%)
- Valuation (8%)
- Real Estate Calculations (7%)
Remaining General Domains + Requirements Governing Licensees
- Property Disclosures (7%), Transfer of Title (6%), Land Use Controls (5%), Property Management (3%)
- Requirements Governing Licensees (largest Massachusetts domain)
Remaining Massachusetts Domains + Full Timed Review
- Fair Housing Law, Landlord Tenant Law, Consumer Protection Laws, Environmental Issues
- Full practice run under a 150-minute / 90-minute split
This structure isn't about cramming generic techniques - it's about front-loading the domains carrying the most scored questions and finishing with a timed simulation that mirrors the actual PSI appointment. For a longer version of this plan with daily breakdowns, see the MA-RES Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. You can build that timed simulation habit directly on the practice test platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 120 scored questions total: 80 general questions in 150 minutes and 40 Massachusetts-specific questions in 90 minutes, plus 5-10 unscored experimental questions mixed in, for a four-hour total appointment.
You need 70% on the general portion and 70% on the Massachusetts state portion - scored and passed separately, not combined.
There is a $31 application fee and a $56 examination fee, both associated with registering and sitting for the exam through PSI Services LLC.
Contracts, at 19% of the general portion, is the single largest domain. On the Massachusetts side, Requirements Governing Licensees carries the most weight.
No. You only retake the portion you failed, as long as you do so before your two-year eligibility period from prelicensing course completion expires.
Keep this page bookmarked as your quick-reference sheet, but pair it with deeper review - start with MA-RES Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 20 Content Areas and run timed practice sets on the main practice test site before your PSI appointment.