AL-REB Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts

Exam Snapshot: Fees, Format, and Timing

Before you memorize a single domain, lock in the mechanics. The Alabama Real Estate Commission contracts with Pearson VUE to administer the broker exam, and the test-center fee is $73. You'll sit for 120 scored items split into 80 General questions and 40 Alabama law questions, plus 10-15 additional unscored pretest items mixed in that you can't identify - bringing the visible total to 130-135 questions.

Time is split by section, not shared freely: 2 hours 30 minutes for the General portion and 1 hour for the State portion, for 3 hours 30 minutes total. If you finish General early, that time does not roll over into the State section, so pacing within each block matters. For a deeper breakdown of how these numbers compare across scenarios, see the AL-REB Certification Cost breakdown and the AL-REB Exam Dates guide for scheduling windows.

All 17 Domains and Their Item Counts

The AL-REB outline is really two exams stitched together: a General outline (effective April 1, 2025) covering nationwide broker-level real estate knowledge, and an Alabama-specific outline (effective February 1, 2026) covering state licensing law. Here's the full weight map, domain by domain - bookmark this table.

Note that Pearson's shared State outline also references a "Purpose of License Law/Rules and Regulation and Role of Commission" topic, but it carries zero broker-level items - so it's omitted from this cheat sheet entirely. For narrative explanations of what each domain actually tests, walk through the AL-REB Exam Domains 2026 Complete Guide.

General Portion Cheat Points (Domains 1-8)

The General section is worth double the State section (80 vs. 40 items), so weak spots here cost you more. Four domains deserve the bulk of your attention because together they represent nearly half of the entire General portion.

Domain 8, Real Estate Math Calculations, is worth 8 items but disproportionately affects confidence because math errors compound under time pressure. Prorations, commission splits, and loan-to-value ratios show up repeatedly. If math is your weak point, the AL-REB Study Guide 2026 walks through a formula-drill approach that pairs well with this cheat sheet.

Alabama Law Portion Cheat Points (Domains 9-17)

The State section only gives you 40 scored items in 60 minutes, but it's where broker candidates most often underestimate the workload. Two domains - Licensing Requirements and Violations Which May Result in Disciplinary Actions - account for 18 of the 40 state items, or nearly half the section.

Smaller domains still matter because they're easy to overlook and easy to master quickly. Recovery Fund carries only 1 item, but candidates frequently miss it because they never review it at all. Trust Funds (3 items), Estimated Closing Statement (2 items), and RECAD (5 items) round out the section - RECAD questions often test your understanding of required disclosures and record-keeping duties. For a full narrative walkthrough of every state-law topic, see the complete domains guide, and pair it with the AL-REB Difficulty Guide to calibrate how much time each domain deserves.

Eligibility Checklist Before You Register

Registration mechanics matter as much as content knowledge - showing up ineligible wastes the exam fee. Confirm every item below before scheduling with Pearson VUE.

• You are at least 19 years old
• You meet Alabama's general licensing eligibility requirements
• You have completed an approved 60-clock-hour broker prelicense course with a minimum course grade of 70
• You have held an active real estate salesperson license in any state for at least 24 of the 36 months immediately before applying

These prerequisites are non-negotiable and get verified before your authorization to test is issued. For the full explanation of documentation and edge cases, read AL-REB Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Scoring, Retakes, and Result Validity

Passing requires an overall scaled score of 70 - this is not the same as answering 70% of questions correctly, since scaled scoring adjusts for item difficulty across form versions. Don't try to reverse-engineer your raw score from memory after the test; focus instead on broad domain coverage during prep.

Your authorization to test is valid for six months, and you may attempt the exam an unlimited number of times within that window (subject to standard retake waiting periods). Once you pass, that result stays valid for 90 days - plan your license application accordingly. For the exact scaled-score mechanics and how it differs from raw scoring, see AL-REB Passing Score 2026, and for aggregate outcome data, check AL-REB Pass Rate 2026.

Test-Day Rules to Memorize

Pearson VUE test centers run strict, standardized procedures. Know these rules cold so nothing surprises you at check-in.

• No personal calculators, notes, or reference materials of any kind at your station
• Pearson supplies an on-screen calculator for both the General and State sections
• You'll be split into two timed blocks - 2 hours 30 minutes General, then 1 hour State
• Unscored pretest items are mixed in and indistinguishable from scored items, so treat every question as if it counts

Simulating this exact split - two timed blocks back-to-back with a calculator-only policy - is one of the highest-leverage things you can do before test day. Full-length timed practice through our practice test platform replicates this structure so the real thing feels familiar.

Final-Week Review Map

If you only have limited days left, allocate them by domain weight rather than by comfort level. Here's a compressed review map built directly from the item counts above.

This condensed structure is intentionally domain-weighted rather than evenly distributed - spending equal time on Domain 12 (Recovery Fund, 1 item) and Domain 4 (Contracts and Agency, 15 items) is a common and costly mistake. For a longer-horizon version of this plan, see the AL-REB Study Guide 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

For more foundational context on the credential itself, see What Is AL-REB? and AL-REB Certification, or browse practice questions organized by domain to turn this cheat sheet into active recall.