Real Estate Salesperson Exam 2027: Which Outlines, Vendors and State Rules Apply to a 2027 Test Date

What is settled for a 2027 test date, as of October 28, 2026

A 2027 exam isn't a new exam. Each vendor's national outline has an effective date, and it stays in force until the vendor publishes a replacement with a new date. These are the versions printed in the newest documents checked:

None of the vendor documents opened on October 28, 2026 mentions a 2027 outline. That is not a promise that nothing will change; it means no change had been announced. Outline updates follow a study of what licensees do. Colorado's Division of Real Estate explained in June 2023 that PSI's job analysis survey, completed by licensees in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, led to the update implemented on October 1, 2023.

California says the same thing in its own words: when the law or practice changes, DRE adds new subject matter to its categories, which "are revised and brought up-to-date on a regular basis." Its page gives no date for the next revision.

State portions change on their own calendars

The national outline is shared, but each state portion has its own effective date, and states revise them in any month. The current state outlines checked for this guide:

Whenever in 2027 you test, check that the state outline in your handbook still carries the same effective date when you book. The state portion guide shows what these outlines cover and why they cost candidates more points.

Colorado's new contracts and forms, mandatory January 1, 2027

Colorado is the one dated 2027 change found for this guide that bears on what an exam tests. On October 7, 2026, the Division of Real Estate announced that the Colorado Real Estate Commission had approved updates to 62 forms, 40 of them with substantive changes, all with a mandatory use date of January 1, 2027. Redlined copies are out now for study only, and fillable versions arrive on January 1.

That matters because Colorado's PSI state outline gives 23 of its 74 items to "Colorado Forms and Contracts," the largest area on the state part. The advisory doesn't say when PSI's exam questions will switch to the 2027 forms. If you test in Colorado in early 2027:

1. Ask your school which form versions its course and practice exams use.
2. Check the date on PSI's Colorado bulletin before you book.
3. Use the Division's free 2027 Contracts and Forms Update Course to see what changed. The Division says it doesn't count for continuing education credit.

Other dated items on the 2027 calendar

A few other announcements carry 2027 dates. Most affect licensees or fees rather than exam content, and two are only proposals. Keep them apart from exam changes:

• Washington, in force January 1, 2027: the seller disclosure statement in RCW 64.06.020 gains a question on whether the property includes a family burial ground, mausoleum or columbarium (2026 c 173). Seller disclosure is state law, so it belongs to Washington's state exam and your course, not the national portion.
• North Carolina, proposed: at its September 23, 2026 meeting the Commission approved revised rule text that would bar brokers on provisional status from acting as dual agents, with a proposed effective date of July 1, 2027. The text is to be republished for a new comment period and another hearing, so it wasn't a rule on the check date. Agency is 16 of the 60 items on North Carolina's state section, so watch for the outcome if you test there in the second half of 2027.
• North Carolina, proposed: the Commission has also proposed renaming the Limited Nonresident Commercial License the "Limited Commercial License" and requiring continuing education for it, with a proposed effective date of January 1, 2027. The comment period ran from July 15 to September 14, 2026, and the Commission said in September that the rule would go to the state Rules Review Commission for its November 24, 2026 meeting. It concerns out-of-state commercial brokers, not the license exam.
• Washington, proposed: the Department of Licensing scheduled an October 28, 2026 hearing on proposed changes to rules that clarify real estate application fees. DOL's fee page still lists a $210 exam fee and a $233 original broker license.
• New Jersey, license renewal: licensees renew in 2027, with a continuing education deadline of April 30, 2027 and a renewal deadline of June 30, 2027. The guide to what comes after passing explains what that means for someone licensed in 2026 or 2027.
• Pennsylvania, already in force: since November 1, 2025, Pennsylvania's sales and broker exams can be taken in Spanish at test centers; online exams remain in English only.

For a 2027 national portion, these leave the study plan unchanged. Prep planned for launch on the same Pearson VUE and PSI outlines a 2027 candidate faces covers the national side only, so state items like these stay with your course and handbook.

What could still change before a 2027 date, and how to catch it

Three kinds of change are possible. These are the signals to watch for:

• A new national outline. Look for a new "Effective" date on the outline page of your handbook.
• A new state outline or rule. Your commission's news page and the state outline's effective date will show it.
• A different vendor. This happens too. Pennsylvania's Commission announced that from April 1, 2023, PSI would no longer register or test Pennsylvania candidates and that new candidates would register and test with Pearson. Candidates were directed to Pearson's registration site from March 20, 2023.

A simple routine catches all three. When you enroll, write down the handbook's date and both outline dates. Recheck them in the month you book the exam, and again a week before test day. If a date has changed, compare the new outline with your study plan before anything else.

Planning a 2027 study schedule on today's outlines

Studying now isn't wasted effort. The national outlines in force today are the ones a 2027 candidate faces unless a replacement is announced, so build your plan on them. The national-portion study guide turns either vendor's outline into hours, and the free study planner does the weighting from your test date.

If your exam is weeks away rather than months, the 30-day access planned for launch, for a test date close at hand, is sized for a final review.

For the calendar side, including course windows and eligibility clocks that run into 2027, see the 2027 licensing timeline.

Once the basics are in place, harder sets show whether your knowledge holds up under pressure. Hard Mode and No-Miss Run challenges planned for launch are built for that stage, and the free practice questions work today.