- Overview of the AR-RE-B Content Outline
- Domain 1: Duties and Authority of the Real Estate Commission
- Domain 2: Arkansas Statutory Requirements Governing Licensure
- Domain 3: Other Arkansas Statutory Requirements
- Domain 4: Federal Laws Governing Real Estate Activities
- Domain 5: Broker Operations and Responsibilities
- Domain 6: Client and Customer Relationships and Agency Disclosures
- Domain 7: Real Property Characteristics and Legal Descriptions
- Domain 8: Property Valuation and the Appraisal Process
- Domain 9: Contracts, Financing and Settlement
- Domain 10: Property Management
- How Domain Weighting Should Shape Your Study Plan
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The AR-RE-B outline has 10 domains, and Broker Operations and Responsibilities carries the most weight at 18%.
- Contracts, Financing and Settlement is the second-largest domain at 15%, followed by Client/Customer Relationships at 12%.
- The unified outline took effect December 1, 2025, ahead of the June 2026 handbook release.
- All 130 questions (120 scored, 10 unscored pretest) are delivered in one four-hour, closed-book Pearson VUE session.
Overview of the AR-RE-B Content Outline
The Arkansas Real Estate Broker Exam (AR-RE-B), administered through the Arkansas Real Estate Commission and delivered at Pearson VUE test centers, is built around ten content domains. These domains are not equally weighted, and understanding the exact percentage each one carries is the single most useful thing you can do before you start building a study plan. The unified outline governing the 2026 exam cycle became effective December 1, 2025, and the official handbook update follows in June 2026 - so if you studied from older materials, it's worth cross-checking your notes against the current domain list.
Every candidate sits for the same 130-question exam: 120 scored items plus 10 unscored pretest questions mixed in without identification, across a four-hour closed-book session. There's no way to know which questions are scored and which are experimental, so every item deserves your full attention. For a broader breakdown of how the scoring and question format work together, see the AR-RE-B Passing Score 2026 guide.
Domain 1: Duties and Authority of the Real Estate Commission (4%)
What this domain covers
This is the smallest domain on the exam, but it sets the foundation for everything else. Candidates need to understand how the Arkansas Real Estate Commission is structured, what authority it holds over licensees, and how it enforces the statutes and rules that govern brokerage activity in the state.
- Composition and role of the Commission
- Scope of rulemaking and enforcement authority
- Disciplinary powers and license actions
Because this domain represents only 4% of the exam, it's tempting to skip it. Don't. A handful of missed questions here can still matter when the exam produces one unified scaled score rather than domain-by-domain pass/fail results.
Domain 2: Arkansas Statutory Requirements Governing Licensure (10%)
What this domain covers
This domain tests your knowledge of the specific statutory pathway a person must follow to become and remain licensed in Arkansas - separate from federal law and separate from day-to-day brokerage operations.
- Education and pre-license course requirements
- License application, renewal, and continuing education obligations
- Statutory grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation
If you're still confirming your own eligibility to sit for the exam, review the AR-RE-B Requirements 2026 guide, which walks through the age minimum, the 60 approved broker-education hours, the 45-hour Commission-developed Broker Pre-License Course, and the experience documentation applicants typically need.
Domain 3: Other Arkansas Statutory Requirements Governing Real Estate (6%)
What this domain covers
This domain sits apart from licensure specifically and instead addresses broader Arkansas real estate law that affects transactions, disclosures, and licensee conduct outside the licensing process itself.
- State-specific disclosure obligations
- Recordkeeping and trust account statutes unique to Arkansas
- Statutory remedies and penalties tied to transactional misconduct
Candidates sometimes confuse this domain with Domain 2 because both involve Arkansas statutes. The distinction to remember: Domain 2 is about becoming and staying licensed, while Domain 3 is about the rules governing the practice of real estate once you're already licensed.
Domain 4: Federal Laws Governing Real Estate Activities (10%)
What this domain covers
Federal law questions test your ability to apply national statutes and regulations within the context of Arkansas transactions - this is not state-specific material, so it tends to overlap with general real estate knowledge you may have built during your salesperson experience.
- Fair housing protections and prohibited discriminatory practices
- Federal disclosure requirements tied to residential property condition and financing
- Anti-trust considerations in brokerage practice
Key Takeaway
Domains 2, 3, and 4 together account for 26% of the exam. Grouping them into a single study block that separates "Arkansas-specific" from "federal" rules helps prevent the two from blurring together on exam day.
Domain 5: Broker Operations and Responsibilities (18%)
What this domain covers
This is the largest domain on the AR-RE-B, and it reflects the practical reality that a broker's exam is fundamentally about running and supervising a brokerage - not just closing individual transactions.
- Supervisory responsibilities over affiliated salespersons
- Trust account management and recordkeeping obligations
- Office policy, advertising compliance, and broker-in-charge duties
- Handling of escrow funds and earnest money
Because this single domain represents nearly one-fifth of the scored content, it deserves proportionally more study time than any other section. If you're building a week-by-week plan, this is the domain to revisit more than once. The AR-RE-B Study Guide 2026 goes into more depth on sequencing your review around domain weight rather than domain order.
Domain 6: Client and Customer Relationships and Agency Disclosures (12%)
What this domain covers
This domain tests how well you understand the different relationships a broker can have with the parties in a transaction, and the disclosure obligations tied to each.
- Distinctions between client and customer relationships
- Agency disclosure timing and documentation
- Fiduciary duties owed to represented parties
- Dual agency and designated agency scenarios
Expect scenario-based questions here rather than pure definitions. The exam tends to describe a situation - a buyer walking into an open house, a seller who wants dual representation - and asks what disclosure or action is legally required next.
Domain 7: Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, Condition and Inspection (10%)
What this domain covers
This domain blends technical property knowledge with practical transaction issues brokers encounter when representing buyers and sellers.
- Metes-and-bounds, lot-and-block, and government survey legal descriptions
- Physical and economic characteristics of real property
- Material defect disclosure and inspection contingencies
Domain 8: Property Valuation and the Appraisal Process (5%)
What this domain covers
This is one of the smaller domains, but it's technical, so it rewards precision over general familiarity.
- Approaches to value: sales comparison, cost, and income
- Factors affecting market value versus assessed value
- Role of the broker in price opinions versus formal appraisals
Because this domain is only 5% of the exam, treat it as a targeted review rather than a deep dive - memorize the three valuation approaches and how they differ, and move on.
Domain 9: Contracts, Financing and Settlement (15%)
What this domain covers
The second-largest domain on the exam, this section covers the full lifecycle of a transaction from contract formation through closing.
- Elements of a valid contract and contingency clauses
- Financing instruments, loan types, and qualification basics
- Closing/settlement statement mechanics and prorations
- Contract remedies for breach or default
Given its 15% weight, this domain pairs naturally with Domain 5 in terms of priority. Together, Domains 5 and 9 make up 33% of the scored exam - a third of everything you'll see on test day.
Domain 10: Property Management (10%)
What this domain covers
Property management rounds out the outline, testing knowledge that many broker candidates gain through direct experience managing rental properties or overseeing leasing activity.
- Landlord-tenant statutory obligations
- Lease agreement essentials and property manager duties
- Trust account handling of security deposits and rent proceeds
How Domain Weighting Should Shape Your Study Plan
With ten domains spanning 4% to 18%, the most efficient study strategy is to rank domains by weight and allocate review time proportionally rather than spending equal time on all ten. Below is how the domains stack up from highest to lowest weight.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Broker Operations and Responsibilities | 18% |
| Contracts, Financing and Settlement | 15% |
| Client and Customer Relationships and Agency Disclosures | 12% |
| Arkansas Statutory Requirements Governing Licensure | 10% |
| Federal Laws Governing Real Estate Activities | 10% |
| Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, Condition and Inspection | 10% |
| Property Management | 10% |
| Other Arkansas Statutory Requirements Governing Real Estate | 6% |
| Property Valuation and the Appraisal Process | 5% |
| Duties and Authority of the Real Estate Commission | 4% |
A study timeline built around this order might look like the one below. This is a framework, not a rigid schedule - adjust based on which domains reflect your existing salesperson experience versus areas that are genuinely new to you.
Highest-weight domains first
- Broker Operations and Responsibilities (18%)
- Contracts, Financing and Settlement (15%)
Mid-weight domains
- Client and Customer Relationships and Agency Disclosures (12%)
- Arkansas Statutory Requirements Governing Licensure (10%)
- Federal Laws Governing Real Estate Activities (10%)
Remaining 10% domains and technical topics
- Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, Condition and Inspection (10%)
- Property Management (10%)
- Property Valuation and the Appraisal Process (5%)
Lowest-weight domains and full review
- Other Arkansas Statutory Requirements (6%)
- Duties and Authority of the Real Estate Commission (4%)
- Full-length timed practice under exam conditions
Because the AR-RE-B cannot be split by domain for reexamination - a single scaled score of 70 covers the entire content outline - there's no advantage to "passing" some domains while neglecting others. Your goal is a consistent baseline across all ten, with extra depth in the highest-weighted three.
If you're weighing whether the time investment across all ten domains is worth it relative to career outcomes, the Is the AR-RE-B Certification Worth It? ROI Analysis and AR-RE-B Salary Guide 2026 articles dig into that question separately from the exam content itself. And if you want a sense of how difficult candidates generally find the domain mix, How Hard Is the AR-RE-B Exam? breaks that down further.
For candidates who want a compressed reference during final review, the AR-RE-B Cheat Sheet 2026 condenses the ten domains and their weights onto a single page. And before locking in your test date, confirm current scheduling windows on the AR-RE-B Exam Dates 2026 page, since Pearson VUE availability can vary by location.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are ten content domains on the AR-RE-B, ranging from 4% (Duties and Authority of the Real Estate Commission) to 18% (Broker Operations and Responsibilities).
Prioritize Broker Operations and Responsibilities (18%) and Contracts, Financing and Settlement (15%) first, since together they represent a third of the scored exam content.
No. The AR-RE-B cannot be split for reexamination. If you don't reach the unified scaled score of 70, you retake the full 130-question exam, though your authorization remains valid for one year with unlimited attempts.
The unified content outline took effect December 1, 2025, ahead of the June 2026 handbook update, so candidates should study from current materials rather than older outlines.
No. The exam includes 120 scored questions and 10 unscored pretest questions mixed in without identification, so every question should be treated as if it counts.