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(a)Application for approval of a qualifying course.
(1)For each qualifying course a provider intends to
offer, the provider must:
(A)submit the course application and course approval
forms, including all materials required; and
(B)pay the fee required by §535.101 or §535.210
of this title.
(2)A provider may file a single application for a
qualifying course offered through multiple delivery methods. A fee
is required for content and examination review of each qualifying
course and for each distinct delivery method utilized by a provider
for that course.
(3)A provider who seeks approval of a new delivery
method for a currently approved qualifying course must submit a new
application and pay all required fees, including a fee for content
and examination review.
(4)The Commission may:
(A)request additional information be provided to the
Commission relating to an application;
(B)terminate an application without further notice
if the applicant fails to provide the additional information not later
than the 60th day after the Commission mails the request; and
(C)prior to approval of a proposed qualifying real
estate inspector course, submit the course to the Texas Real Estate
Inspector Committee for review and recommendation.
(b)Standards for course approval. To be approved as
a qualifying course by the Commission, a provider must satisfy the
Commission that the course:
(1)covers all topic and unit areas for the specific
course subject required by the Act, Chapter 1102 and this chapter;
(2)devotes the time prescribed for each topic required
by a course approval form adopted by the Commission;
(3)will be scheduled for the full clock hours of time
for which credit is awarded and presented in full hourly units;
(4)does not have daily course segments that exceed
12 hours;
(5)will be delivered by one of the following delivery
methods:
(A)classroom delivery;
(B)distance education delivery; and
(C)a combination of (A) and (B), if at least 50% of
the combined course is offered by classroom delivery; and
(6)include at a minimum, the following methods to
assess a student's comprehension of the course material:
(A)topic quizzes, with at least three questions related
to the subject matter of each course topic;
(B)at least one scenario-based learning exercise per
every increment of 10 credit hours or less; and
(C)if the course is delivered by distance education
delivery:
(i)Prevent the student from moving to the next topic
until the student answers all topic quiz questions correctly and receives
a passing grade on the scenario based learning exercises; and
(ii)for quiz questions answered incorrectly, employ
a method to present the rationale behind the correct answer and ask
a subsequent related quiz question that will count toward passing
the topic if answered correctly; and
(7)will have at least four versions of a final examination,
and ensure that each version of the examination:
(A)covers each topic required by the Act or Rules
for the specific course;
(B)does not contain any true/false questions;
(C)does not repeat more than one third of the questions
from any other version of the final examination;
(D)for all qualifying courses other than a real estate
math course:
(i)consists of at least two questions per credit course
hour; and
(ii)draws from a question bank consisting of at least
four questions per credit course hour; and
(E)for all qualifying real estate math courses, consists
of at least 20 questions that are drawn from a question bank consisting
of at least 40 questions.
(c)If the course is currently certified by a distance
learning certification center acceptable to the Commission, the provider
will be deemed to have met requirements for verification of clock/course
hours and design for distance education delivery.
(d)Approval of currently approved courses by a subsequent
provider.
(1)If a subsequent provider wants to offer a course
currently approved for another provider, the subsequent provider must:
(A)submit the course application and approval forms
including all materials required;
(B)submit written authorization to the Commission
from the author or provider for whom the course was initially approved
granting permission for the subsequent provider to offer the course;
and
(C)pay the fee required by §535.101 or §535.210
of this title.
(2)If approved to offer the previously approved course,
the subsequent provider is required to:
(A)offer the course as originally approved, including
expiration date, with any approved revisions, using all materials
required for the course; and
(B)meet the requirements of §535.65 of this subchapter.
(e)Required revision of a currently approved qualifying
course.
(1)Providers are responsible for keeping current on
changes to the Act and Commission Rules and must supplement materials
for approved courses to present the current version of all applicable
statutes and rules on or before the effective date of those statutes
or rules.
(2)If the Commission adopts new requirements for a
course, including but not limited to a course approval form that divides
selected qualifying course subjects into topics and units, the Commission
will determine, at the time the Commission adopts the new requirements,
whether a provider must revise the course or supplement the course.
Any provider currently offering a course on that subject must:
(A)revise or supplement any currently approved classroom
qualifying course covering that subject no later than 12 months after
the effective date of the new requirements;
(B)revise or supplement any currently approved qualifying
course offered by distance education delivery no later than 15 months
after the effective date of the new requirements;
(3)If the Commission determines that a qualifying
course should be supplemented, a provider must submit the supplemental
materials required by the Commission. No fee will be required and
the course will maintain its original expiration date.
(4)If the Commission determines that a qualifying
course should be revised, a provider must:
(A)submit the course application and approval forms
including all materials required; and
(B)pay the fee required by §535.101 or §535.210
of this title.
(5)A provider may not offer a currently approved course
for qualifying credit after the deadlines established by this subsection
following a required revision or supplement of a qualifying course.
(6)If a provider paid a fee for the initial course
approval, the provider will receive a prorated credit on the fee paid
under this subsection for a revised course for the unexpired time
remaining on that initial approval. The Commission will calculate
the prorated credit by dividing the fee paid for the initial approval
by 48 months and multiplying that amount by the number of full months
remaining between the approval date of the revised course and the
expiration date of the currently approved version of the course.
(7)A revised course approved under this subsection
expires four years from the date of approval of the revision.
(8)No later than 90 days before the effective date
of a revised or supplemented course, a provider shall send written
notice to all students who have purchased the currently approved course
and not completed it, that credit will no longer be given for the
current course as of the effective date of the revised or supplemented
course.
(9)If an approved provider fails to give the notice
set out in paragraph (8) of this subsection, the provider shall allow
the student to take the revised or supplemented course at no additional
charge.
(f)Voluntary revision of a currently approved qualifying
course.
(1)A provider who voluntarily revises a currently
approved course, shall, prior to implementation of any course materials:
(A)file any updated course materials and revisions
of the course outline with the Commission; and
(B)pay the fee required by §535.101 and §535.210
of this title.
(2)If after review the Commission is not satisfied
with the updated course materials and revised course outline, the
Commission may direct a provider to:
(A)further revise the materials;
(B)cease use of materials; or
(C)withdraw a course text.
(3)If a provider paid a fee for the initial course
approval, the provider will receive a prorated credit on the fee paid
under this subsection for the unexpired time remaining on that initial
approval. The Commission will calculate the prorated credit by dividing
the fee paid for the initial approval by 48 months and multiplying
that amount by the number of full months remaining between the approval
date of the revised course and the expiration date of the currently
approved version of the course.
(4)A revised course approved under this subsection
expires four years from the date of approval of the revision.
(5)No later than 90 days before the effective date
of a revised course, a provider shall send written notice to all students
who have purchased the currently approved course and not completed
it, that credit will no longer be given for the current course as
of the effective date of the revised course.
(6)If an approved provider fails to give the notice
set out in paragraph (5) of this subsection, the provider shall allow
the student to take the revised course at no additional charge.
(g)Expiration of approval.
(1)Courses approved after January 1, 2011 are valid
for four years from the date of approval.
(2)Courses approved before January 1, 2011 expire
on December 31, 2015.
(3)Courses approved for use by a subsequent provider
under subsection (d) expire on the same date that the originally approved
course expires.
(4)Currently approved versions of a course expire
90 days after approval of a revised version of that course.
(h)Renewal of course approval. Not earlier than 90
days before the expiration of a course approval, a provider may obtain
a renewal of course approval for another four year period by following
the process and meeting the current standards for an initial course
approval.
(i)Course preapproval for exempt providers.
(1)Providers exempt from approval by the Commission
may submit courses to the Commission for preapproval by meeting the
standards for course approval under this section, including submitting
all applicable forms and fees.
(2)Any course offered by an exempt provider without
preapproval by the Commission will be evaluated by the Commission
to determine whether it qualifies for credit at such time as a student
submits a course completion certificate to the Commission for credit.
(3)The Commission will determine whether or not a
course offered by an exempt provider without preapproval by the Commission
qualifies for credit using the standards set out under this section.
(4)An exempt provider may not represent that a course
qualifies for credit by the Commission unless the exempt provider
receives written confirmation from the Commission that the course
has been preapproved for credit.
The agency certifies that legal counsel has reviewed
the adoption and found it to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal
authority.
Filed with the Office
of the Secretary of State on November 6, 2015
TRD-201504792 Kerri Lewis
General Counsel
Texas Real Estate Commission
Effective date: January 1, 2016
Proposal publication date: September 4, 2015
For further information, please call: (512) 936-3092
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