How to Get a
Texas Appraiser License

Step 1: Take the Required Courses at Champions School of Real Estate^®

An Appraiser Trainee is someone who is authorized by the TALCB to gain appraisal experience while working under the supervision of a Certified General or Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser. Once this first step is completed, one can work towards becoming a Licensed Residential Appraiser or Certified Residential Appraiser.

Appraiser Trainee Program (79-Hours):

Courses must be completed before submitting application for approval as an Appraiser Trainee to TALCB.

• Appraisal 1 (30-Hours AQE) - Basic Appraisal Principles
• Appraisal 2 (30-Hours AQE) - Basic Appraisal Procedures
• 15-Hour National USPAP or Equivalent (15-Hours AQE) - Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice - This course must be completed within 24 months of filing your TALCB application. Students must pass with a 74%; re-takes are allowed and can be taken at any campus.
• Texas Appraising for the Supervisor and Trainee (4-Hours AQE)

Step 2: Submit 79-Hours of Education and Application for Appraiser Trainee to TALCB

Once you have completed your courses with Champions School of Real Estate, gather your course completion certificates and go to www.talcb.texas.gov, click on "Appraiser Trainee" in the "Become Licensed" dropdown menu at the top of the page.

• Under "File Your Application," click "Register Now."
• On the login screen, under "New User," click "Begin Here for Sign-Up."
• Fill out all the required information to set up your account and follow the instructions. Once an account is created, you will apply for a new license. The application fee for an Appraiser Trainee license is $255.
• Get Your Fingerprints Taken and Pass Your Background Check

Step 3: Complete Required Experience Hours Needed to Earn a Licensed Residential OR Certified Residential License

The TALCB requires that you legally complete 1,000 hours of experience supported by written reports prior to becoming a Licensed Residential Appraiser. This generally equates to 250-300 residential appraisals. You must be supervised by a Certified Residential or Certified General Appraiser.

If working towards becoming a Certified Residential Appraisal the TALCB requires that you legally complete 1,500 hours of experience over a minimum of 12 months (1 year). You must be supervised by a Certified Residential or Certified General Appraiser.

*Educational courses for the license can be completed during appraisal experience hour accrual.

Step 4: Complete Your Qualifying Education

As you undertake your experience hours as an appraisal trainee, you will also complete the required qualifying education courses. To become a licensed residential appraiser, you’ll enroll in Champions School of Real Estate’s 75-Hour Licensed Residential Appraiser Program and complete the following courses: Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use, Residential Valuation: Site Valuation and Cost Approach, Residential Valuation: Sales Comparison Approach and Income Approach, and Residential Valuation: Report Writing and Case Studies.

Step 5: Submit your Licensed Residential Appraiser Application to TALCB

Submit completed application, experience log, signed affidavit, and a $350 application fee to the TALCB.

Note: You must be at least 18 years of age and a citizen of the United States (or lawfully admitted alien) to file an application. Applications are located at www.talcb.texas.gov.

Step 6: Take the Exam Prep class at Champions Appraisal School^®

Once you have submitted your application to TALCB, it can take them as long as four weeks to review your application and education. During this review period, we highly recommend that you complete the Appraisal Exam Prep course to ensure that you are prepared for the State Exam. This class will take the guesswork and stress out of testing. You may repeat the course as many times as you want for a full year at no additional cost to you! We recommend taking the Prep class at least two times and passing with an 80% or better before taking the actual exam.

Step 7: Take the state licensing exam at Pearson Vue

• Your State Exam will consist of 125 multiple choice questions with a total of 4 hours to complete the exam.
• Scores are reported to candidates as scaled scores that range from 0 to 110, with 75 representing a passing score. A scaled score is not a percentage score, but an adjusted raw score based on the number of questions answered correctly and the overall difficulty level of the exam.
• The cost of the exam is $55 payable to Pearson Vue.
• Appointments can be made by calling 800-997-1248 or visiting pearsonvue.com/tx/appraisers. You will know if you have passed the exam before you leave the testing center.