Certified Residential Appraiser

It is a certification classification, generally the middle tier between Licensed Residential and Certified General. Each state issues it under its own statute and AQB criteria, so scope of practice varies somewhat by jurisdiction. Check your state board's rules for exactly what assignments the credential authorizes where you practice.

It is computer-administered, entirely multiple choice with four options and one best answer, and scored against a criterion-referenced standard set by the AQB rather than against other candidates. Questions are grouped by content domain. The AQB and the testing vendor publish the current item count, seat time, and passing standard; confirm those on their official sites before you schedule.

Most candidates find it demanding but fair. The difficulty comes from breadth and from items that test judgment, not memorized definitions: choosing a method, defending an adjustment, spotting a USPAP violation in a scenario. Candidates with solid coursework and real experience who also practice timed questions tend to clear it comfortably.

Retake policies, waiting periods, and fees are set by the AQB and your state board or its testing vendor, and they change. There is no single national rule to quote. Check your board's candidate handbook for the current retake procedure, any waiting period, and whether you must reapply or simply reschedule.

Treat it as a multi-week effort rather than a weekend. Allocate the most time to the two heaviest domains, then block dedicated sessions for USPAP and for the legal and nondiscrimination material, which are easy to neglect. Build in at least a few full timed practice sets before exam day.

A practical sequence is valuation process and scope of work first, then the three approaches and reconciliation, then property description and market analysis, then USPAP and legal content, and finally math and statistics woven throughout. USPAP is worth revisiting near the end, once the technical material gives the scenarios context.

Three patterns recur: memorizing formulas without understanding when to apply them, skimming USPAP so scenario items become guesswork, and misreading the stem of a question, such as missing a word like not or most likely. Slow down on the question stem, and on calculation items estimate the answer before computing so obvious errors stand out.

Those figures are set and updated by the Appraiser Qualifications Board and your state regulatory board, and by the testing vendor that administers the exam. Because they change, confirm the current numbers directly on the AQB website and your state board's site rather than relying on any prep guide, including this page.

Eligibility sequencing is governed by AQB criteria and your state board's rules, and states differ on whether education and experience must be complete before examination or before licensure. Read your board's candidate handbook carefully, since submitting an application in the wrong order can delay you significantly.