What the Illinois broker exam tests, how it is scored, and 81 broker-track practice questions with cited sources.
Illinois broker exam format
IDFPR-administered exam (PSI). Illinois has no salesperson tier: this app's 'salesperson' track models the entry-level Broker license exam (100 national + 40 Illinois items = 140, 3.5hr split 150nat/90state, 70% national), and 'broker' models the Managing Broker exam, which is a genuinely different, smaller national portion (90 national + 40 Illinois items = 130, same 3.5hr split, 75% both portions) — these were previously modeled as identical, which was wrong. Verified 2026-07-27 against the PSI Illinois candidate handbook.
Broker exam
130questions
240 mintime limit
75%to pass
Two separately scored sections
The Illinois broker exam runs as two separately scored portions: 90 national questions and 40 Illinois law questions.
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Illinois broker-track questions
Every Freehold question shows why the right answer is right — and cites its source.
A licensed Illinois broker seeking to upgrade to managing broker must, in addition to completing pre-license coursework, also:
Personally take and pass a written examination on Illinois-specific real estate brokerage law
Retake the full 140-question national and state broker exam from scratch
Submit only a supervisor recommendation letter, with no additional exam
Pass a national managing-broker exam administered by a different vendor
Show answer & explanation
Personally take and pass a written examination on Illinois-specific real estate brokerage law — Illinois law requires a managing broker candidate to personally pass a written exam on Illinois-specific brokerage law, distinct from repeating the original broker exam.
Source: 225 ILCS 454 — Real Estate License Act of 2000
Which of the following best distinguishes a managing broker from a standard broker license in Illinois?
Only a managing broker may accept a listing agreement for residential property
Only a managing broker may ever sign a written buyer representation agreement with any given client at all
Only a managing broker may hold appointed supervisory authority over other licensees in an office
Only a managing broker may accept earnest money and deposit it into the sponsoring brokerage's escrow account
Show answer & explanation
Only a managing broker may hold appointed supervisory authority over other licensees in an office — Supervisory authority over other licensees in an office is reserved for a managing broker, not a standard broker license.
Source: 225 ILCS 454 — Real Estate License Act of 2000
A broker who has actively practiced for two of the preceding three years may qualify for managing broker licensure by completing:
An additional 75-hour prelicense course identical in content to the original broker course itself
Only a single 3-hour ethics seminar and nothing more
No further education whatsoever, only an application fee
45 hours combining a 30-hour topics course and a 15-hour interactive applied management course
Show answer & explanation
45 hours combining a 30-hour topics course and a 15-hour interactive applied management course — An experienced broker may complete the 45-hour managing broker pathway — 30 hours of topics plus a 15-hour interactive applied management and supervision course.
Source: 225 ILCS 454 — Real Estate License Act of 2000
The Illinois managing broker pre-license curriculum totals how many additional hours beyond the broker course?
10 hours
150 hours
45 hours
0 hours — no additional education is required
Show answer & explanation
45 hours — Managing broker candidates must complete 45 additional hours: a 30-hour brokerage administration and management course and a 15-hour applied management and supervision course.
Source: 225 ILCS 454/5-28 — Requirements for licensure as a managing broker
Illinois broker exam FAQ
What is on the Illinois real estate broker exam?
The Illinois broker exam runs as two separately scored portions: 90 national questions and 40 Illinois law questions. You need 75% to pass, within 240 minutes.
Is the Illinois broker exam harder than the salesperson exam?
The passing standard is the same, but the broker exam adds brokerage-operations material - supervision, trust accounting, and firm responsibility - on top of the salesperson outline.
How many Illinois broker practice questions does Freehold have?
81 Illinois law questions apply to the broker track, including 12 written specifically for brokers, alongside the national broker bank.
Freehold is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by PSI, Pearson VUE, or any state real estate licensing board or commission. Freehold does not guarantee passage of any licensing exam.
