- The ALC Comprehensive Final has 50 questions and requires a 70% score to pass.
- Members pay $175 and non-members pay $225 for the 2026 exam, with two attempts included.
- Standard education is six LANDU courses totaling 104 credit hours before you sit the final.
- Applicants need three years of experience, licensing, a resume/essay, and two current-ALC recommendations.
Quick Facts Snapshot
This is the condensed version of everything you need to know about the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation from the REALTORS Land Institute (RLI). Bookmark it, print it, or keep it open in a second tab while you're doing final review the week before your exam window opens. For deeper context on any single line item, the linked guides below break each topic out in full.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Certifying body | REALTORS Land Institute (RLI) |
| Assessment | ALC Comprehensive Final Exam, delivered online via the RLI Education Portal |
| Question count | 50 questions |
| Passing score | 70% |
| 2026 exam fee | $175 members / $225 non-members (two attempts within six months) |
| Prep course fee | $99 members / $149 non-members (self-paced, official) |
| Designation application fee | $350, nonrefundable |
| Required coursework | Six LANDU courses, 104 total credit hours |
| Experience requirement | Three years relevant experience plus professional licensing |
Every figure above comes directly from RLI's own program pages, not a general estimate. If you want the full breakdown of how those dollars stack up against course fees and application costs, see ALC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
The Three Exam Domains at a Glance
The Comprehensive Final draws its 50 questions from the three core LANDU courses that anchor the standard education path. Knowing exactly what each domain covers - and how the questions are framed - is more useful than generic test-prep advice, because the ALC exam is built around applied land-transaction scenarios rather than abstract theory.
Domain 1: Land 101 - Fundamentals of Land Brokerage
This is the foundation course and foundation domain. Expect questions built around basic land brokerage practice: how land transactions differ from residential deals, the vocabulary of rural and undeveloped property, and the broker's role across the transaction lifecycle.
- Land classification and use terminology
- Core brokerage responsibilities specific to land, not general real estate
- Introductory transaction structuring concepts that feed the other two domains
Domain 2: Transitional Land Real Estate
Transitional land sits between agricultural, undeveloped, or rural use and higher-value development use. This domain tests your ability to recognize and evaluate that shift.
- Identifying land in transition and the factors that trigger a change in highest-and-best-use
- Entitlement, zoning, and development-readiness considerations
- Valuation adjustments tied to transitional status
Domain 3: Land Investment Analysis
The most quantitative of the three domains. Questions in this area test your ability to run numbers on a land deal the way an investor or client would expect.
- Investment return concepts applied specifically to land holdings
- Comparing qualifying land transactions for suitability and risk
- Scenario-based analysis questions rather than pure recall
Exam Mechanics and Scoring
The Comprehensive Final is a 50-question exam delivered online through the RLI Education Portal, and you need a 70% score to pass. That's a firm threshold - RLI doesn't publish a curve or adjusted-scoring system, so plan your review around hitting that number with margin, not scraping by exactly at the line.
Two details candidates frequently overlook:
- Generative AI is prohibited on the comprehensive final, per RLI's learner agreement. Don't assume any AI-assisted study tool is permitted during the actual test session - it applies to test-taking, not preparation.
- Attempts are bundled. Your exam fee purchase includes two attempts within six months. If you use both without passing, RLI requires you to complete the ALC Exam Prep Review before repurchasing the exam - you can't just pay again and retake immediately.
Key Takeaway
Treat your first attempt as the one that counts. The six-month window and two-attempt bundle give you a safety net, but the required prep review after two failures adds time and friction you don't want to deal with. For a candid look at how difficult the exam actually is relative to its format, read How Hard Is the ALC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
If you're trying to figure out exactly what a passing score means numerically and how it's calculated against the 50 questions, that math is laid out fully in ALC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Fees and Registration Timeline
Budgeting for the ALC designation involves more than one line item, and the pieces are purchased separately and in a specific order.
| Cost Component | Member Price | Non-Member Price |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Final Exam (2 attempts, 6-month window) | $175 | $225 |
| Official self-paced prep course | $99 | $149 |
| Designation application fee | $350 (nonrefundable, all applicants) | |
Note the sequencing: the prep course is meant to be purchased after you finish the required LANDU coursework, not as a substitute for it. LANDU coursework itself is separate from any state real estate licensing continuing education - completing your CE hours does not count toward the 104 LANDU credit hours required for the designation.
The six required LANDU courses break down as three core courses (which map directly to the three exam domains), two specialty courses, and one elective or additional specialty course. Fast-track waivers are available for applicants with qualifying credentials or real estate degrees - for example, CCIM fast-track applicants may substitute a specialty course for the Land Investment Analysis course, though they must still sit and pass the comprehensive final regardless of any course substitution.
Eligibility Checklist
Before you can even register for the Comprehensive Final, RLI expects a completed application package. This isn't a "study and show up" credential - it's built on documented experience.
- At least three years of relevant land-related experience
- Appropriate professional licensing for your role (brokerage, appraisal, or management)
- A submitted resume and personal essay
- Two current-ALC recommendations, with at least one from your local market
- Attendance at a National Land Conference within five years of applying
- Completion of the six required LANDU courses (104 credit hours)
For the sales and brokerage portfolio path specifically, applicants must show either $15 million in qualifying volume with at least five closed land transactions, or 25 separate qualifying land transactions, within the five years before applying. Appraisers and farm or forestry managers follow separate portfolio pathways tailored to their practice area rather than transaction volume.
Who Typically Pursues This
Candidates come from land brokerage, agricultural and timberland sales, land appraisal, and farm/ranch management backgrounds. The credential signals specialized land expertise to buyers, institutional landowners, and referral partners who need someone who understands rural and transitional property specifically - not general residential real estate.
A full walkthrough of every requirement, including how the portfolio pathways differ, is available in ALC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify. If you're still deciding whether the time and cost investment fits your career goals, Is the ALC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 weighs that question directly.
Final-Week Review Plan
Generic study techniques matter less here than mapping your remaining time to the three domains that actually appear on the final. If your exam date is roughly a week out, structure review by domain weight and personal weak spots rather than rereading every course manual cover to cover.
Land 101 Refresh
- Review core brokerage vocabulary and land-specific transaction steps
- Skim the Land 101 course outline for anything you haven't touched since coursework
Transitional Land Deep Dive
- Focus on entitlement and highest-and-best-use scenarios
- Work through practice questions that test recognition of transitional status, not just definitions
Land Investment Analysis
- Redo any calculation-based practice problems from the course
- This domain is the most likely place to lose points to careless math under time pressure
Mixed Review
- Run a full-length practice set covering all three domains at ALC Exam Prep's practice tests
- Rest, and avoid cramming new material the night before
For a longer-horizon study plan that starts from the beginning of LANDU coursework rather than exam week, see ALC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And if you want to understand how your practice scores compare to what's actually needed on test day, ALC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows puts that in context.
Maintaining the Designation
Passing the Comprehensive Final and paying the $350 designation application fee isn't the finish line. To keep using the ALC designation, you must maintain RLI membership and National Association of REALTORS membership in good standing. Let either lapse and you lose the ability to use the credential, regardless of your original exam score.
Because LANDU coursework and state licensing CE are tracked separately, don't assume your state's continuing education renewal covers your RLI membership obligations - they run on independent tracks and independent deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam contains 50 questions, and you need to score at least 70% to pass. It's delivered online through the RLI Education Portal.
Your exam fee includes two attempts within a six-month window. If both attempts are unsuccessful, RLI requires you to complete the ALC Exam Prep Review before you can repurchase the exam.
Major components include the exam fee ($175 members / $225 non-members), the optional prep course ($99 members / $149 non-members), and a separate nonrefundable $350 designation application fee, on top of the six required LANDU courses.
No. Generative AI assistance is explicitly prohibited on the ALC Comprehensive Final Exam under RLI's learner agreement.
Yes. Applicants need at least three years of relevant experience, appropriate professional licensing, a resume and essay, two current-ALC recommendations, and attendance at a National Land Conference within five years of applying.
For a broader primer on the designation itself before you commit to a study timeline, start with What Is ALC Certification? or ALC Certification, then loop back here as your one-page reference while you finalize exam prep at ALC Exam Prep.