- How the CO-RE-B Exam Is Organized
- The 11 National Domains (Domains 1-11)
- The 8 Colorado-Specific Domains (Domains 12-19)
- Highest-Weighted Domains You Cannot Skip
- Question Format, Timing, and Scoring
- Registration, Fees, and Retake Mechanics
- Mapping a Study Timeline to the Domain Weights
- After You Pass: Licensing, CE, and Domains in Practice
- FAQ
- The CO-RE-B has 19 total domains: 11 national domains and 8 Colorado-specific domains.
- Colorado Forms and Contracts is the single largest domain at 23 of 74 state questions, or 31.08%.
- You need 60 of 80 national questions and 53 of 74 state questions correct to pass.
- The exam costs $44.95 through PSI with no membership tier required.
How the CO-RE-B Exam Is Organized
The Colorado Real Estate Broker Exam, administered through PSI on behalf of the Colorado Division of Real Estate and Colorado Real Estate Commission, is built from two separate scored sections that together cover 19 distinct content domains. The first section is the national portion: 80 questions drawn from 11 domains that mirror the licensing knowledge tested across many states. The second section is the Colorado-specific portion: 74 questions drawn from 8 domains that exist only because Colorado law, forms, and Commission rules differ from other jurisdictions.
Understanding this domain structure matters because the two portions are scored independently, timed independently, and weighted differently. If you're still deciding how to approach the whole exam, the CO-RE-B Study Guide 2026 walks through the broader preparation strategy, while this guide focuses specifically on what each of the 19 domains actually tests.
The 11 National Domains (Domains 1-11)
These domains make up the 80-question, 120-minute national portion. Every percentage below reflects that domain's share of the national section only.
Domain 1: Property Ownership (10%)
Covers estates, interests, forms of ownership, and the legal characteristics of real vs. personal property.
- Know the differences between fee simple, life estates, and leasehold estates
Domain 2: Land Use Controls and Regulations (5%)
Zoning, subdivision regulations, environmental issues, and building codes.
- Understand how zoning variances and nonconforming uses work
Domain 3: Valuation and Market Analysis (8%)
Appraisal approaches, comparative market analysis, and factors affecting value.
- Be comfortable applying the sales comparison approach conceptually
Domain 4: Financing (10%)
Loan types, mortgage instruments, government programs, and the financing process.
- Distinguish conventional, FHA, and VA loan characteristics
Domain 5: General Principles of Agency (13%)
Fiduciary duties, agency relationships, and disclosure of agency status.
- Memorize the fiduciary duties owed to a client versus a customer
Domain 6: Property Disclosures (7%)
Material fact disclosure obligations for sellers and licensees.
- Know what constitutes a material defect requiring disclosure
Domain 7: Contracts (19%)
The single largest national domain, covering contract law, elements of a valid contract, and contract types.
- Study offer, acceptance, consideration, and contract termination in depth
Domain 8: Leasing and Property Management (3%)
Landlord-tenant relationships and property management basics - the smallest national domain.
- Understand lease types and basic tenant rights
Domain 9: Transfer of Title (6%)
Deeds, title transfer methods, and title insurance basics.
- Know the differences between warranty and quitclaim deeds
Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Broker duties, license law concepts, and professional practice standards.
- Focus on the practical duties of a licensee during a transaction
Domain 11: Real Estate Calculations (7%)
Math-based questions covering commissions, prorations, loan calculations, and area/measurement problems.
- Practice proration and commission-split math until it's automatic
Key Takeaway
Domains 5, 7, and 10 together account for 44% of the national portion. If time is limited, prioritize Agency, Contracts, and Practice of Real Estate before the smaller domains.
The 8 Colorado-Specific Domains (Domains 12-19)
The 74-question, 110-minute state portion is where Colorado's own rules take over. These percentages are calculated from official scored-item counts and reflect each domain's share of the state section.
Domain 12: Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission (2.70%)
Covers the Commission's authority, rulemaking, and enforcement role - the smallest state domain.
Domain 13: Licensing Requirements (6.76%)
Education, application, and renewal requirements specific to Colorado brokers.
Domain 14: Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (14.86%)
Colorado-specific conduct rules, advertising requirements, and license law compliance.
Domain 15: Additional Topics (9.46%)
A catch-all domain covering supplemental Colorado statutes and practice issues not captured elsewhere.
Domain 16: Colorado Forms and Contracts (31.08%)
By far the largest state domain, testing the specific Commission-approved contract forms used in Colorado transactions.
- 23 of the 74 state questions come from this single domain
- Study current 2026 Commission forms, not outdated versions
Domain 17: Record Keeping and Trust Accounts (6.76%)
Trust account handling, recordkeeping obligations, and audit requirements under Colorado rules.
Domain 18: Closing and Settlement (13.51%)
Colorado-specific closing procedures, settlement statements, and prorations at closing.
Domain 19: Brokerage Relationships (14.86%)
Colorado's brokerage relationship types and disclosure requirements, which differ from generic agency concepts tested in Domain 5.
Highest-Weighted Domains You Cannot Skip
Across all 19 domains, three stand out as the highest-leverage study targets. Domain 16 (Colorado Forms and Contracts) alone represents nearly a third of the entire state portion. Domain 7 (Contracts) is the single largest national domain. Domains 14 and 19 tie at 14.86% each on the state side, both centering on how licensees must behave and disclose relationships during a transaction.
| Domain | Portion | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Domain 16: Colorado Forms and Contracts | State | 31.08% |
| Domain 7: Contracts | National | 19% |
| Domain 14: Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees | State | 14.86% |
| Domain 19: Brokerage Relationships | State | 14.86% |
| Domain 5: General Principles of Agency | National | 13% |
| Domain 18: Closing and Settlement | State | 13.51% |
If your study time is capped, concentrating on this handful of domains covers a disproportionate share of both scored sections. For a broader look at where candidates typically lose points, see How Hard Is the CO-RE-B Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Question Format, Timing, and Scoring
All 154 questions on the CO-RE-B are multiple-choice, split into two timed, independently scored sections:
- National portion: 80 questions across Domains 1-11, 120 minutes, passing score of 60 correct
- Colorado portion: 74 questions across Domains 12-19, 110 minutes, passing score of 53 correct
The Division's Q2 2026 first-time statewide results showed 460 of 770 candidates (59.9%) passing the national portion and 326 of 779 candidates (42.4%) passing the state portion. That gap suggests many candidates underestimate the depth of Colorado-specific content, particularly Domain 16's heavy weighting toward current Commission forms. For a full breakdown of these numbers and what they mean for your preparation, read CO-RE-B Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows. If you want the exact scoring thresholds spelled out plainly, CO-RE-B Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass covers it in detail.
Registration, Fees, and Retake Mechanics
Before you can sit for either portion, Colorado requires 168 hours of qualifying education, submission of fingerprints for a background check, and proof of errors-and-omissions insurance to activate a license after passing. The exam itself costs $44.95 through PSI, with no membership tier or subscription required - you pay per attempt.
One detail that trips up candidates who fail only one portion: a passing result on either the national or state section remains valid for one year. That means if you pass the national portion but fail the state portion, you only need to retake the 74-question Colorado section within that 12-month window, not the entire exam. This retake structure rewards focused review of whichever domain group you missed rather than a full re-study of all 19 domains. For the complete eligibility checklist, see CO-RE-B Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify, and for a full cost breakdown including education hours, see CO-RE-B Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Failing one portion doesn't reset the clock on the other. Isolate which domains cost you points, then retake only that section within the one-year validity window.
Mapping a Study Timeline to the Domain Weights
Rather than studying all 19 domains in the order they're listed, allocate time proportional to each domain's weight. A candidate juggling a full-time job can reasonably split preparation across several weeks, front-loading the highest-weighted domains from both sections.
Heaviest National Domains
- Domain 7: Contracts (19%)
- Domain 5: General Principles of Agency (13%)
- Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Remaining National Domains
- Domain 1: Property Ownership and Domain 4: Financing (10% each)
- Domain 3: Valuation and Domain 11: Real Estate Calculations
- Domain 6, 9, 2, and 8 as lower-priority review
Heaviest State Domains
- Domain 16: Colorado Forms and Contracts (31.08%) - spend the most time here
- Domain 14: Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees
- Domain 19: Brokerage Relationships
Remaining State Domains and Full Review
- Domain 18: Closing and Settlement
- Domain 13, 17, 15, and 12 as targeted review
- Timed practice sets mimicking the 120- and 110-minute splits
Notice that Domain 16 alone justifies as much study time in Week 3 as several smaller domains combined - its 31.08% weight means roughly one in three state questions touches Colorado's current Commission-approved forms. For a condensed, at-a-glance version of every domain and key fact, bookmark the CO-RE-B Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts for final-week review, and run full-length practice sessions on our practice test platform to simulate both timed sections back-to-back.
After You Pass: Licensing, CE, and Domains in Practice
Passing both portions is only one step. Colorado also requires fingerprints and E&O insurance before a license becomes active, and once licensed, brokers must complete 24 continuing education hours every three-year cycle, including three different four-hour Annual Commission Update courses. Many of those CE hours revisit the same content areas tested in Domains 12-19, particularly changes to Commission-approved forms under Domain 16 and licensee conduct rules under Domain 14.
Understanding these 19 domains also clarifies what the license actually authorizes you to do in the field - from handling Domain 16 contract paperwork on a sale to managing Domain 17 trust account recordkeeping. If you're still weighing whether pursuing this license makes sense for your goals, Is the CO-RE-B Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and CO-RE-B Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis address the career side, while our practice exam simulator lets you test domain-by-domain readiness before scheduling with PSI.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 19 total domains: 11 national domains covering Domains 1-11 on the 80-question national portion, and 8 Colorado-specific domains covering Domains 12-19 on the 74-question state portion.
Domain 16, Colorado Forms and Contracts, is the largest single domain overall, accounting for 23 of the 74 state questions, or 31.08% of the state portion.
No. You need 60 of 80 correct on the national portion (Domains 1-11) and 53 of 74 correct on the state portion (Domains 12-19). Both must be passed, but they're scored separately.
No. Passing results for either portion remain valid for one year, so you can retake only the failed portion - and its associated domains - during that window.
The national outline implemented October 1, 2023 remains the current published blueprint, and Colorado's state portion uses current 2026 Commission forms, so the domain structure described here reflects the active testing framework.