The Texas peace officer licensing exam explained
This page sets out what the public rules say about the examination you take to become a licensed Texas peace officer. Each fact is tied to the section it comes from, so you can read the source yourself.
What the exam is and why it exists
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement issues the peace officer license under Chapter 1701 of the Occupations Code. Section 1701.304 requires the commission to hold an examination for each type of license it issues, and a candidate for the peace officer license sits that examination after finishing the basic licensing course.
The question format
The questions are multiple-choice. All official grading and notification comes from the commission's Austin office (37 Tex. Admin. Code sec. 219.7).
The pass mark
The minimum passing percentage on each examination is 70, unless a rule provides otherwise (37 Tex. Admin. Code sec. 219.7).
When and where you can sit it
Section 1701.304 requires the commission to conduct the examination at least four times each year, at places the commission designates. The examination is administered electronically at commission exam sites.
How many attempts you get
You get three attempts, and all three must be completed within 180 days of the date you completed the licensing course (37 Tex. Admin. Code sec. 219.1).
What happens after three failed attempts
A candidate who fails all three attempts, or who does not complete the attempts within the 180 days, must repeat the basic licensing course (37 Tex. Admin. Code sec. 219.1).
How long a score stays valid
An examination score stays valid for two years from the date it is entered into the commission's records (37 Tex. Admin. Code sec. 219.7).
Rules in the exam room
Photo identification is verified before you sit the examination. You may not take written material or electronic devices into the examination room (37 Tex. Admin. Code secs. 219.3 and 219.5).
Requesting an accommodation
You can request a reasonable accommodation up to 90 days before the initial licensing examination. An accommodation is not granted after the third failed attempt (37 Tex. Admin. Code sec. 219.5).
The course the exam is based on
The examination is based on the current basic licensing curriculum. At the time we checked, that was the Basic Peace Officer Course, commission course number 1000736, at 736 hours, effective January 2024. Confirm the current version with the commission or your academy before you rely on any course detail.
What the commission does not publish
We could not find a public source for the number of questions on the examination, or for the time allowed. We also did not find the fee schedule: 37 Tex. Admin. Code sec. 211.17 requires the commission to adopt and publish one each year, but we could not locate the schedule itself when we checked on 15 September 2026. The commission publishes no examination blueprint or subject weighting either.
The mock exam sizes and the timing in this product are our own study settings. They are not the real paper, and they do not describe the real paper.
Study this exam
Four topics are free to study in full. Open the free topics, get access to all 44 topics for $19 a month, or read the study guides.