The current PSI fee for the Illinois Real Estate Broker Examination is $58.
That $58 pays for the Broker examination registration—it does not include your required 75-hour pre-license education, optional study materials, transportation, exam retakes, or the separate Illinois Broker license application fee after you pass.
Understanding these costs before scheduling can help you build a realistic licensing budget and avoid losing an examination fee because of a missed appointment, late cancellation, identification problem, or other preventable issue.
For a standard Illinois Broker candidate:
| Cost Item | Current Amount |
|---|---|
| PSI Broker Examination | $58 |
| Managing Broker Examination | $58 |
| Residential Leasing Agent Examination | $37 |
| Initial Illinois Broker License Application | $150 |
| Broker Pre-License Education | Varies by provider |
| Optional Exam Preparation | Varies |
| Transportation / Testing Expenses | Varies |
| Retesting | Additional exam registration cost may apply |
For a standard Broker applicant who passes on the first attempt, the two main published examination-and-application charges currently total:
\[
\$58 + \$150 = \$208
\]
That $208 does not include pre-license education or other expenses.
The current Illinois Division of Real Estate Candidate Information Booklet published by PSI lists:
Broker Examination — $58
PSI administers the Illinois real estate licensing examination on behalf of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
The exam fee is paid as part of the PSI examination registration and scheduling process.
Because examination fees can change, candidates should always confirm the amount displayed by PSI before payment.
The examination is administered through:
PSI Services LLC
The licensing authority is:
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — Division of Real Estate
These are different roles.
Handles matters such as:
Handles:
Do not confuse the $58 PSI examination fee with an IDFPR license application fee.
Before most first-time candidates can take the Illinois Broker examination, they must complete:
75 hours of approved Broker pre-license education
The cost of that education is separate from the $58 examination fee.
Course tuition varies based on factors such as:
Before enrolling, compare what is actually included in the course price.
Passing the examination does not automatically issue an Illinois Broker license.
After passing, a standard applicant must complete the applicable licensing process through IDFPR.
The current initial Broker license application fee is:
$150
Therefore, the current basic published charges are:
$58
$150
\[
\$58 + \$150 = \$208
\]
Again, this does not include the 75-hour education requirement.
Suppose a standard candidate:
Published examination and license-application charges would currently include:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Broker Examination | $58 |
| Initial Broker License Application | $150 |
| Total | $208 |
Then add:
The state examination fee is fixed under the current PSI booklet.
Pre-license education is different.
Approved education providers can charge different amounts based on what their course includes.
For example, one package might contain only the required education, while another might also include:
Compare the actual value rather than selecting a course only because it has the lowest advertised price.
You may also choose to spend money on optional examination preparation.
Possible resources include:
These are separate from the official PSI examination fee.
You do not necessarily need to purchase every available study product.
A good preparation plan should begin with your approved pre-license course and the current PSI examination content outline.
You can control some preparation costs by using resources you already have.
For example:
Then purchase additional preparation only when it fills a specific need.
Do not assume that spending more money automatically produces better exam performance.
No.
The current PSI Candidate Information Booklet states that examination fees are:
Non-refundable
and:
Non-transferable
Once paid, you should understand the appointment and cancellation rules carefully.
Do not schedule an examination date until you are reasonably confident that you can attend and are ready to test.
Current PSI guidance states that the examination fee will be forfeited if you do not test within:
1 year from the date PSI receives the examination fee
This one-year fee period should not be confused with:
These are separate timelines.
Several timelines can affect your licensing budget.
Current PSI guidance says the examination fee is forfeited if you do not test within 1 year after PSI receives it.
Approved qualifying Broker pre-license education is generally valid for 2 years after satisfactory completion.
Current Illinois rules provide 1 year after receipt of a passing examination score to submit the Broker license application and meet the applicable licensing requirements.
Keeping these dates separate can prevent expensive mistakes.
Current PSI rules allow an examination appointment to be canceled or rescheduled without forfeiting the fee when PSI receives the cancellation notice at least:
2 days before the scheduled examination date
For example, PSI states that a Monday appointment would need to be canceled by the previous Saturday under this rule.
Follow PSI's current cancellation procedure.
A voicemail message alone is not treated as an acceptable cancellation.
If you fail to cancel within the required period, your registration can become invalid and the examination fee can be forfeited.
That means a preventable scheduling mistake can turn one $58 examination registration into an additional testing expense.
If your schedule changes, act early.
Current PSI rules state that you can forfeit your examination fee if you:
If you miss the appointment and still want to test, you will need to follow the current PSI re-registration instructions and may incur another examination charge.
At a test center, do not plan to arrive at the exact examination start time.
PSI currently recommends arriving approximately:
30 minutes before your scheduled appointment
If you arrive after the examination start time, PSI states that you can:
A transportation delay can therefore become an additional exam expense.
PSI has identification requirements for examination candidates.
If you arrive without acceptable identification, PSI states that your registration can become invalid and your examination fee can be forfeited.
Before exam day:
This costs nothing to verify but can prevent losing $58.
Remote-proctored testing removes travel, but it introduces technical and check-in requirements.
Current PSI guidance tells candidates to check:
PSI also warns that failing to start the remote test within the applicable launch period can result in forfeiture of the:
or
Complete the compatibility check before test day.
The current PSI fee schedule lists one:
$58 Broker Examination fee
The Candidate Information Booklet does not publish a separate higher base Broker examination fee simply because the candidate selects:
or
However, your personal indirect costs can differ.
Consider both the official exam fee and your personal testing costs.
A $58 exam may cost more than $58 from the candidate's perspective.
For an in-person appointment, consider:
These are not PSI examination fees, but they still affect your personal licensing budget.
Choosing a convenient testing location can reduce indirect costs.
An unsuccessful examination can create another registration expense when you schedule the required retest.
Current PSI guidance states that if you fail a portion of the Broker examination:
You are required to repeat only the portion or portions you failed.
The current booklet lists the Broker Examination fee as $58 and does not publish a separate discounted failed-portion amount in its fee table.
When scheduling a retest, verify the exact amount shown by PSI before payment.
The Broker examination contains:
Suppose you pass the National portion but fail the Illinois portion.
Current PSI rules generally require you to retake only:
The Illinois portion
rather than repeating the portion you already passed.
This can save study time, but another examination registration can still add to the overall cost of becoming licensed.
For planning purposes, consider that every additional examination registration can increase your total testing expense.
If the current $58 Broker fee applies to each scheduled examination registration, a simple planning illustration would be:
| Number of Paid Exam Registrations | Potential Exam Budget at $58 Each |
|---|---|
| 1 | $58 |
| 2 | $116 |
| 3 | $174 |
| 4 | $232 |
These figures are a budgeting illustration based on the currently published $58 Broker examination fee.
Always confirm the actual retest amount shown by PSI at the time you re-register.
A retake can cost more than another registration.
It can also involve:
This is why exam preparation should be treated as part of cost control.
Preparing carefully can reduce both direct and indirect expenses.
Current PSI rules allow standard Broker candidates:
Up to four attempts during the two-year eligibility period
This does not mean candidates should expect to use all four attempts.
Every additional attempt can add:
Track your attempts carefully.
Illinois rules become especially important after the fourth unsuccessful attempt.
After a standard Broker candidate fails the fourth attempt, current rules require the candidate to:
This can create a much larger financial impact than a simple $58 retest.
The candidate may need to pay again for:
If you rush into the examination underprepared, the cost is not limited to the possibility of failing.
A failed attempt can create:
Exam Fee + More Study Time + Possible Study Costs + Another Appointment + Delayed Licensing
A better approach is to schedule once your practice performance suggests that you understand both:
If you do not pass a portion, use your score information before immediately paying for another appointment.
Review:
Then use targeted practice.
A retake should be based on improved preparation, not merely the earliest available date.
The current standard Broker examination includes:
100 scored items
40 scored items
The current PSI fee table lists the:
Broker Examination — $58
rather than publishing a separate initial registration price for each portion.
Candidates should follow the current PSI scheduling flow for the examination they are eligible to take.
Understanding what you are paying to take can help with preparation.
| Exam Portion | Scored Items | Passing Score | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 100 | 70% | 150 minutes |
| Illinois State | 40 | 75% | 90 minutes |
PSI may also include unscored experimental questions.
The exam fee pays for the examination process—not for study instruction.
For the standard 75-hour route, candidates generally need to:
Follow the current process rather than paying for unrelated testing services.
PSI provides an accommodations process for candidates who require alternative testing arrangements under applicable requirements.
Do not assume that an accommodation means you should purchase another exam registration.
Request accommodations through the current PSI process before testing and follow the instructions provided.
Planning early can help avoid unnecessary cancellations or appointment problems.
Current PSI guidance states that when severe weather or another emergency forces an examination-site closure, PSI will work to:
Reschedule the examination
Candidates should check the current appointment status and PSI communications.
A PSI-initiated emergency closure is different from a candidate simply failing to attend.
These two pages answer different questions.
Focuses on:
Includes broader expenses such as:
For the complete picture, use:
It would be misleading to say:
"It costs $208 to become an Illinois Broker."
The $208 figure represents only:
It excludes:
Your real budget should include the entire licensing journey.
Use this framework before you begin:
| Expense | Your Budget |
|---|---|
| 75-Hour Pre-License Course | $________ |
| Broker Examination | $58 |
| Optional Exam Preparation | $________ |
| Transportation / Parking | $________ |
| Possible Retake Reserve | $________ |
| Initial Broker Application | $150 |
| Brokerage / Startup Costs | $________ |
| Estimated Total | $________ |
Creating a budget before you start can prevent surprises later.
Even if you plan to pass on your first attempt, you may choose to maintain a small reserve for an unexpected retest.
For example, your exam-related budget might include:
$58
Enough for another current exam registration if needed.
Amount based on your test-center choice.
Only what you actually need.
If you pass the first time, the reserve remains unused.
You cannot simply negotiate the published PSI fee.
However, you can reduce avoidable costs.
Build strong knowledge before scheduling.
Know what the exam tests.
Identify weak areas early.
Do not pay for an appointment just because you finished the course.
Follow the two-day PSI cancellation requirement.
Avoid fee forfeiture.
Do not lose the appointment because of lateness.
If taking the exam remotely, complete compatibility checks in advance.
Scheduling immediately after course completion may seem like the fastest and cheapest route.
But if you are not prepared, a rushed appointment can create:
The goal is not to delay the exam unnecessarily.
The goal is to schedule when you have a reasonable level of readiness.
The current Broker examination emphasizes important national and Illinois areas.
National priorities include topics such as:
Illinois-specific preparation includes:
Review the official content outline before choosing your exam date.
Before scheduling, verify the name on your PSI account.
Your registration name should match the identification required for testing.
Do not casually use:
if that creates a mismatch with the required ID.
A few minutes of verification can protect your examination fee.
Before confirming the appointment, check:
Choose a date you can realistically keep.
If circumstances change, reschedule within PSI's current cancellation window.
Before a remote appointment:
Remote testing can save transportation costs only when your technology is reliable enough to complete the examination.
Exam fees can change over time.
You may encounter:
with a different Illinois real estate examination fee.
For the current Broker examination, use the latest PSI Illinois Division of Real Estate Candidate Information Booklet and the fee shown during registration.
As of the current 2026 booklet:
Broker Examination = $58
IDFPR regulates several real-estate-related professions.
An online search can produce fee information for:
These are different examination programs.
Make sure the fee you are reading is specifically for:
Illinois Real Estate Broker
under the correct PSI program.
The current PSI fee table lists:
Managing Broker Examination — $58
This happens to match the current Broker examination fee.
However, Managing Broker licensing has different:
Do not assume the two licensing paths are identical because the current exam fee is the same.
For comparison, the current PSI fee table lists:
Residential Leasing Agent Examination — $37
This is a different Illinois real estate credential.
A candidate pursuing the standard Illinois Broker license should register for the appropriate:
Broker Examination
rather than selecting a cheaper examination for a different license category.
After passing, your expenses do not immediately end.
The next major published licensing charge for a standard applicant is currently:
$150 initial Broker license application fee
You may also later have expenses involving:
Passing the exam is one financial milestone within a larger professional process.
Save:
These documents can help you track:
A licensing folder is useful throughout the entire process.
A standard licensing budget can be understood as:
75-Hour Course Tuition
↓
$58 Broker Examination
↓
Possible Retesting if Needed
↓
$150 Initial Broker Application
↓
Brokerage / Career Startup Expenses
↓
45-Hour Post-License Education When Applicable
↓
Future Continuing Education and Renewal
Looking only at the exam fee gives you an incomplete financial picture.
The Illinois Broker examination itself currently has a relatively clear published fee:
$58
The larger financial differences between candidates usually come from:
Build your budget around the requirements first, then decide which optional expenses are actually useful.
A strong pre-license education and structured study plan can help you approach the paid examination with more confidence.
Illinois Broker Academy provides education and learning resources for individuals working toward Illinois Broker licensure.
Understand the topics, practice applying the rules, and schedule the examination when your preparation supports the investment you are making.
If you want the complete exam overview:
Illinois Real Estate Broker Exam
If you need to register:
Illinois Broker Exam Registration
If you want the exam structure:
If you need the tested topics:
If you want a study plan:
Illinois Broker Exam Study Guide
If you want practical exam strategies:
If you want the complete licensing budget:
If you recently passed:
The current PSI Illinois Division of Real Estate Candidate Information Booklet lists the Broker Examination fee as $58.
Yes. The current 2026 PSI Candidate Information Booklet lists the Illinois Broker Examination fee as $58.
The Illinois real estate licensing examination is administered through PSI Services LLC. Candidates complete the applicable PSI eligibility, registration, scheduling, and payment process.
No. PSI states that examination fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Current PSI guidance states that the examination fee is forfeited if you do not test within one year from the date PSI receives the fee.
No. Pre-license education is a separate requirement and its tuition varies by approved education provider.
No. The current initial Illinois Broker license application fee is a separate $150.
One $58 Broker examination registration plus the current $150 initial Broker license application fee equals $208. This does not include education or other expenses.
No. The $208 covers only one current examination fee and the current initial Broker application fee. You must also account for required pre-license education and other possible expenses.
Illinois establishes the education requirement, but individual approved education providers can charge different tuition. Compare current provider pricing and what each package includes.
No separate exam-prep purchase is automatically required simply because you are scheduling the PSI examination. Candidates can use their course material, official content outline, self-created study tools, and optional paid resources as needed.
The current PSI fee table lists one $58 Broker Examination fee and does not list a separate higher base examination fee based solely on choosing Test Center or Remote Proctored testing. Personal travel or technology costs can differ.
Current PSI rules state that you can cancel or reschedule without forfeiting the examination fee when the required notice is received at least two days before the scheduled examination date.
A late cancellation can invalidate your registration and cause you to forfeit the examination fee under current PSI rules.
PSI states that a candidate who does not appear for the scheduled appointment can forfeit the examination fee.
Yes. Current PSI guidance states that arriving after the examination start time can invalidate the appointment and result in forfeiture of the examination fee.
Yes. PSI states that failure to present proper identification can prevent the candidate from testing and result in forfeiture of the examination fee.
Yes. PSI's current remote-testing guidance warns that failure to launch within the applicable time or failure to satisfy testing requirements can result in loss of the test fee or eligibility.
A retest requires a new scheduling process and can involve another examination charge. The current PSI booklet lists the Broker Examination fee as $58. Confirm the exact fee shown when scheduling your retest.
The current Candidate Information Booklet states that candidates generally retake only the failed portion, but its published fee table lists the Broker Examination at $58 and does not list a separate lower failed-portion fee. Confirm the amount through PSI when re-registering.
Current PSI guidance generally requires you to repeat only the portion or portions you failed.
Standard Broker candidates currently have up to four attempts during the applicable two-year eligibility period.
After the fourth unsuccessful attempt, a standard candidate must repeat the 75-hour Broker pre-license education and retake the entire examination. That can add new education and examination expenses.
Yes. The current PSI fee table lists both the Broker Examination and Managing Broker Examination at $58.
The current PSI fee table lists the Residential Leasing Agent examination at $37.
Do not use appraisal fee information when budgeting for Broker licensure. Real Estate Broker and Real Estate Appraiser examinations are different programs with different requirements and fee structures.
Possible expenses include pre-license education, study resources, transportation, retesting, the initial $150 Broker application fee, brokerage startup expenses, post-license education, and later license maintenance costs.
Prepare thoroughly before scheduling, verify your identification, arrive early, test remote equipment in advance, follow cancellation rules, and use diagnostic information before scheduling a retest.
Use the latest PSI Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Division of Real Estate Candidate Information Booklet and confirm the fee displayed during the current PSI scheduling process.