North Carolina real estate license
What it takes to get licensed to sell real estate in North Carolina, from the state's official commission and exam vendor.
- Salesperson hours
- 75 classroom hours (Broker Pre-Licensing Course); entry-level license is called 'Provisional Broker' and must complete 90 hours of postlicensing education within 18 months
- Broker requirement
- To become full 'Broker' (remove provisional status): complete the 90-hour postlicensing program. To become 'Broker-in-Charge': hold a full (non-provisional) broker license, 2 years full-time (or 4 years part-time) brokerage experience in the prior 5 years, and complete the Commission's 12-hour BIC course
- Exam vendor
- Pearson VUE — NCREC moved license exam administration to Pearson VUE effective March 1, 2024; exam is in-person only at Pearson VUE centers (140 questions, 4.5 hours)
- Exam structure
- 120 total scored questions — 80 national + 40 state portion, scored separately (plus ~10-15 unscored pretest items); 3.5 hours
- Passing
- 75% on each portion (60/80 national, 30/40 state)
Preparing for the North Carolina exam
PrepTempo's Salesperson and Broker courses cover the national portion — property, contracts, financing, agency, and practice — which is the same in North Carolina and the larger share of the exam. Study your North Carolina state-law portion from the commission on top of the core.
Official sources
Educational information only, researched July 2026 — not legal or licensing advice. Requirements change; confirm with the North Carolina real-estate commission. PrepTempo is not affiliated with any state commission or exam vendor.