Best Real Estate Courses & Schools in Virginia (2026)

Virginia requires 60 hours of pre-licensing education, known as the Principles of Real Estate course, from a Virginia Real Estate Board (DPOR)-approved provider.

Studying online at your own pace, the 60 hours of coursework can often be finished in a few weeks. Add time for fingerprinting, exam scheduling, and finding a sponsoring broker, and most people are licensed within 3 to 5 months total.

Yes, you can take your entire 60-hour course on a phone or tablet, depending on the school. The Virginia Real Estate Board (VREB) mandates a single 60-hour Principles and Practices of Real Estate course.

Modern providers like AceableAgent feature native mobile apps that sync your progress between desktop and mobile devices. Legacy schools like The CE Shop or Colibri use mobile-friendly web browsers. However, keep in mind that while your learning can happen on a smartphone, your school’s proctored final exam and the official state exam will require a computer with a webcam or an in-person test center visit.

Yes, the Virginia exam trips up a majority of first-time test-takers. The PSI exam contains 120 total questions: 80 National (70% passing threshold) and 40 Virginia State questions (75% passing threshold).

Candidates heavily struggle with the state section because it demands high accuracy on strict Virginia-specific laws—including Virginia Fair Housing, Board regulations, escrow rules, and mandatory disclosures. Generic national study tools won’t cover local nuances like the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA) or local agency definitions, so investing in a Virginia-specific state law prep tool is vital. For a free option, check out YouTube to see if there are any Virginia prep videos.

You can reschedule and retake it — Virginia doesn’t cap the number of attempts, though you’ll pay the exam fee again each time.

There’s no published limit — you can retake the exam as many times as needed.

120 multiple-choice questions: 80 on the national section and 40 on the Virginia-specific section. You’ll have 105 minutes for the national portion and 45 minutes for the state portion, administered by PSI.

75% on both sections independently.

Most Virginia-approved pre-licensing courses include practice exams as part of the coursework. For additional free practice questions, check YouTube for study walkthroughs, or ask your course provider whether sample questions are available before purchasing standalone exam prep.

Take as many practice exams as you can — repetition is what turns recognition into recall. Since you need 75% on each section independently, don’t let strong national knowledge lull you into skimping on Virginia-specific law, even though the national section carries twice as many questions.

Complete your fingerprints immediately before or right after passing your PSI exam. Virginia requires all applicants to undergo a digital fingerprint background check through Fieldprint or an official PSI testing center. DPOR enforces a strict 45-day window for fingerprint validity. If DPOR does not receive your complete license application within 45 days of taking your fingerprints, your background check expires, and you’ll have to pay to be re-fingerprinted. Additionally, you have exactly 1 year from the date you pass your PSI exam to submit your full application and affiliate with a sponsoring broker.

Yes, and it’s a genuine quirk of Virginia’s system: new salespersons must complete a separate 30-hour Post-License Education requirement within their first year of licensure to stay active. This is different from Continuing Education, which isn’t required at all during your first two-year license term.