Need of a License: A real estate salesperson must be licensed by the state of Alaska to represent clients in the sale or purchase of real estate that is located in Alaska.
Who Grants a License: Licenses are granted by the Alaska Real Estate Commission (“AREC”).
Qualifications to receive a License: A candidate must complete 40 clock-hours of classroom study at an AREC-approved real estate school (search schools here), pass a school-administered final exam, and pass a state exam. Candidates must not be under indictment of a felony or other crime affects the ability to practice real estate. All candidates must be at least 19 years of age. For more information about qualifications, see Salesperson Licensing Requirements. NOTE: Applicants who have an active real estate license in another state and have worked in the real estate profession within the past six (6) months might be eligible for an Alaska real estate license by endorsement.
Applying for the Exams: Candidates should apply to take the state exam through the Pearson VUE website scheduling page. The state exam is offered weekly in Anchorage, semi-monthly in Fairbanks and quarterly in Juneau. For more information, see the State of Alaska Real Estate Candidate Handbook.
Test Content: The Alaska state real estate licensing exam is comprised of two portions, the national portion and the state-specific portion. Five questions on the national test and five questions on the state-specific test are considered "experimental" questions and are not scored. Both portions are comprised of multiple choice questions with four answer choices provided for each question. Test takers are allotted 4 hours to complete both portions of the exam. A scaled score of at least 75 is required to pass. The exam is presented in a computer-based format, but accommodations for paper-based tests and/or oral testing can be provided with special arrangements.
The national test consists of 85 questions (80 are scored questions, 5 are not scored), and tests the candidate's knowledge of general real estate concepts, including the following subject areas:
Real property characteristics
Property valuation and appraisal
Contracts and relationships with buyers and sellers
Property conditions and disclosures
Federal laws governing real estate activities
Financing the transaction, and settlement
Leases, rents, and property management
Brokerage operations
The state-specific test consists of 45 questions (40 are scored questions, 5 are not scored), and tests the candidate's knowledge of the state-specific-concepts, including the following subject areas:
Powers of the Alaska Real Estate Commission
Licensing
Requirements governing the activities of licensees
Additional topics (Common interest ownership, Tenancies)
How to Apply for the License: The license application is issued by the testing company upon passing both portions of the licensing exam. Candidates must provide AREC with the following documents: (1) completed application and application fee; (2) original Alaska state real estate licensing exam score report (unless applying for license by endorsement); (4) certificate issued by an AREC-approved school for completion of the 40-hour salesperson pre-licensure curriculum (unless a waiver is granted). All of the required documents must be submitted to AREC offices in Anchorage within six months of passing the exam.
Fees: AREC charges a license application fee, which is subject to change, but is listed on the Real Estate License Application by Examination and the Real Estate License Application by Endorsement.
Who administers the test: AREC and Pearson VUE.
License Renewal Requirements: An Alaska real estate licensee must take 20 credit hours of continuing education (either online or in the classroom) from AREC-approved provider every two years. Further information is provided on the AREC website, here.
Applicable Regulations: Real estate licensees in Alabama are regulated under Title 8, Chapter 88 of the Alaska Statutes, and the Alaska Administrative Code, Chapter 64.
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