- You need 70% on both the National and Ohio portions - separately, not averaged.
- The National portion has 80 questions in 120 minutes; the Ohio portion has 40 questions in 60 minutes.
- Failing one portion doesn't fail the other - you retake only the portion you missed.
- Retakes must happen within your 12-month authorization period from PSI.
How OHRES Scoring Actually Works
If you're preparing for the Ohio Real Estate Salesperson Exam (OHRES), the single most important number to understand isn't a study hour count - it's 70%. That's the passing threshold PSI applies to each portion of the exam, administered on behalf of the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing, with policy oversight from the Ohio Real Estate Commission.
Unlike some licensing exams that blend everything into a single composite score, OHRES treats the National portion and the Ohio portion as two independent tests that happen to be scheduled together. You must clear 70% on each one. Scoring 95% on the National section does nothing to offset a 65% on the Ohio section - you'd still need to retake the Ohio portion.
Why the Two-Portion Split Matters
The exam structure breaks down like this:
| Portion | Questions | Time Allowed | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 80 multiple-choice | 120 minutes | 70% |
| Ohio (State) | 40 multiple-choice | 60 minutes | 70% |
That's 120 total scored questions across both portions. Candidates can sit for both at once, or register separately if they only need to retake one. PSI's fee structure reflects this: $66 covers both portions together, $46 covers the National portion alone, and $43 covers the State portion alone, on top of the $81 salesperson application fee paid to the state. If you're mapping out your budget alongside your study plan, the full breakdown lives in the OHRES Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown article.
Testing can happen at a PSI test center or via remote online proctoring, and a silent nonscientific calculator is permitted - useful to know before you start practicing math-heavy questions under timed conditions.
The Math Behind That 70%
Because the National portion has 80 questions, 70% means correctly answering roughly 56 of them. On the 40-question Ohio portion, 70% means roughly 28 correct answers. These are approximate thresholds - PSI's exact scoring methodology can involve scaled scoring on some licensing exams, but the practical target you should study toward is consistently answering at least seven out of every ten questions correctly on each portion, with margin to spare.
Margin matters more than the bare minimum. Test-day nerves, unfamiliar phrasing, and a handful of unavoidably tricky calculation questions can chip away at a score that looked comfortable in practice. Aiming for 80% or higher in your practice sessions gives you a buffer before you ever sit for the real thing.
Key Takeaway
Don't study to barely clear 70% - study to comfortably exceed it, since real exam conditions tend to shave a few points off your practice performance.
Domain Weighting and Score Impact
The 120 scored questions aren't distributed evenly across topics. They're pulled from the 12 content domains that structure both the prelicensing curriculum and the exam itself:
Domain 1: Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions & Property Use
Covers land descriptions, property types, and land use regulation - foundational vocabulary that shows up throughout other domains too.
- Legal description methods and terminology
Domain 4: Real Estate Contracts & Agency
One of the heavier-tested areas, covering contract elements, listing agreements, and offer/acceptance mechanics.
- Contract validity requirements and contingencies
Domain 8: Real Estate Math Calculations
Math questions appear throughout the exam, not in one isolated block - proration, commission splits, loan-to-value, and area calculations all show up here.
- Practice math problems using only a silent nonscientific calculator, since that's all you'll have on test day
Domain 11: License Law and Rules of the Ohio Real Estate Commission
This is Ohio-specific content tested only on the State portion - it will not appear on the National section.
- Commission authority, disciplinary actions, and license law specifics
Because scoring is calculated from scored-item counts across all 120 questions, every domain contributes to your combined score profile, but the practical reality is that some domains simply have more questions than others, so a weak domain with heavier representation can do more damage to your score than a weak domain with lighter representation. For a full breakdown of all 12 domains, weighting logic, and what to expect from each, see the OHRES Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas guide.
What Happens If You Fail a Portion
Failing one portion is not a full restart. You retake only the portion you missed - if you passed National but failed Ohio, you register and pay only for the Ohio portion retake ($43), not the full $66. Retakes must occur within your 12-month authorization period, so don't let a failed attempt linger indefinitely without rescheduling.
If you're unsure how difficult retaking a specific portion tends to be relative to first attempts, the How Hard Is the OHRES Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 article walks through what makes each portion challenging, and the OHRES Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows article looks at what's publicly known about outcomes.
Allocating Study Time by Score Risk
Since National and Ohio are scored separately, it makes sense to prepare for them somewhat separately too, even though most candidates study both in the same stretch of weeks. A simple way to sequence it: start broad with National-heavy domains that build foundational vocabulary, then narrow into Ohio-specific license law and governance content closer to your test date, since that material is often less familiar to candidates coming out of general prelicensing coursework.
Foundational National Domains
- Domain 1 (Real Property Characteristics), Domain 2 (Forms of Ownership, Transfer & Recording), Domain 3 (Property Value & Appraisal)
Contracts, Practice & Financing
- Domain 4 (Contracts & Agency), Domain 5 (Real Estate Practice), Domain 7 (Financing & Settlement), plus daily math drills for Domain 8
Disclosures and Ohio Governance
- Domain 6 (Property Disclosures & Environmental Issues), Domain 9 (State Governance), Domain 11 (License Law and Rules of the Ohio Real Estate Commission)
Licensing Requirements, Agency Relationships & Full Timed Practice
- Domain 10 (Licensing Requirements), Domain 12 (Brokerage Relationships), full-length timed practice exams under both portion time limits
This isn't a rigid template - adjust it based on where your practice test scores are weakest. For a more detailed week-by-week strategy tied to first-attempt success, see the OHRES Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Score-Protecting Habits on Test Day
A handful of small habits protect the score you've already earned through preparation:
- Watch the clock per portion, not overall. 120 minutes for 80 questions on National averages 1.5 minutes per question; 60 minutes for 40 questions on Ohio is the same pace. Don't let one hard question eat the buffer for the next ten.
- Flag and move on. If a question stalls you, mark it and continue - a skipped question you return to costs less than one that derails your pacing.
- Use your calculator deliberately. Since only a silent nonscientific calculator is allowed, practice Domain 8 math using the same type of device you'll bring, not a phone app with extra functions.
- Recheck flagged items last. Save remaining time for flagged questions rather than second-guessing answers you were already confident in.
Practicing under realistic time pressure with a full question bank is one of the best predictors of hitting 70% comfortably. You can run full-length timed simulations at OHRES Exam Prep to get a feel for both the National and Ohio time limits before your scheduled date.
Key Takeaway
Treat the National and Ohio portions as two separate pacing challenges - 1.5 minutes per question applies to both, but the content and stakes differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Both the National portion (80 questions) and the Ohio portion (40 questions) require 70% to pass, scored independently of each other.
No. If you fail only the Ohio portion, for example, you retake and pay for just that portion during your 12-month authorization period - your passed portion stands.
To reach 70% on the 80-question National portion, you need roughly 56 correct answers; on the 40-question Ohio portion, roughly 28 correct answers. Aim well above these minimums when practicing.
Yes, a silent nonscientific calculator is permitted for both portions, which is especially relevant for Domain 8: Real Estate Math Calculations.
Review the full eligibility criteria - including the 100-hour prelicensing education requirement - in the OHRES Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify guide before you register with PSI.
Understanding exactly what "passing" means on OHRES - two separate 70% thresholds, tied to two separately timed portions - should shape how you allocate study time, not just how you feel about your odds. Pair that understanding with domain-specific practice, and 70% becomes a target you clear with room to spare rather than a number you hope to scrape by.