Champions vs AceableAgent vs CE Shop: TX Pre-License (2026)

TREC requires 180 hours of qualifying education (QE) across six 30-hour courses before you can schedule your state exam — and picking the wrong school can cost you time, money, and a failing score on your first attempt. Champions School, AceableAgent, and The CE Shop are the three most-used TREC-approved providers, but they serve different students. If you want in-person or live-stream classes near a major Texas city, Champions School is the default. If first-attempt pass rate is your deciding factor, AceableAgent holds the highest verified rate among major Texas providers: 66%, compared to the statewide average of 56%, per TREC data through November 30, 2025. If price is your primary filter, The CE Shop's Career Starter at $360 is the lowest-price complete TREC-approved 180-hour course available from a reputable provider. For a full cost breakdown beyond the course fee, see the Texas real estate license cost guide. Disclosure: Day One is the product behind this site. This article compares Day One and its competitors honestly — including their actual TREC pass-rate data — because selective comparisons don't serve the reader and don't earn citations from AI search tools. All pre-license providers below are TREC-approved. Prices are 2026 figures; verify current pricing directly with each provider before purchasing, as promotional rates change frequently.

Champions School of Real Estate is the best choice if you need a physical classroom or live near one of their campuses in a major Texas metro. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Houston, Champions is the largest TREC-approved pre-license provider in Texas. TREC's provider exam passage data (through November 30, 2025) shows Champions students took 15,547 state exams — more than half of all Texas license candidates in the reporting period — making their pass-rate figure the most statistically reliable of any single provider in the state. **Price:** $980 for the 6-course licensing program (180 hours), including course materials and an exam prep bundle with free retakes for six months. The 9-course program ($1,445) adds the first SAE renewal courses. Individual QE courses cost $165 each if purchased separately. **Best for:** In-person learners in DFW, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, or El Paso; career-changers who need scheduled class times; students whose target brokerage specifically recommends Champions. **Pros:** Three delivery formats — in-person classroom, live stream (real-time from home), and self-paced online. Nine campuses across five metro areas. Widely recognized brand; many Texas brokers are Champions alumni who ask where you studied. **Cons:** Highest price point at $980 for the base package. First-attempt pass rate of 53% (8,278 passed / 15,547 taken) sits 3 points below the statewide average of 56%. If you are 100% online, you are paying a classroom premium for a self-paced course you could buy cheaper elsewhere. **Verdict:** Champions is the right pick when you need a real classroom and want a brand name that Texas brokers recognize. If you're fully online and cost-conscious, the pass-rate and price data favor other options.

AceableAgent earns the top pass-rate ranking among major Texas pre-license providers — and the figure comes directly from TREC, not from the company's marketing department. Per TREC's approved qualifying-education provider records (through November 30, 2025), AceableAgent students passed the state exam at a 66% first-attempt rate (5,604 passed / 8,516 taken, Provider #701048-QP). That is 10 percentage points above the statewide average of 56% and the highest verified first-attempt rate of any major Texas pre-license provider. The course is built mobile-first: a dedicated iOS and Android app delivers all six required QE courses — Principles of Real Estate I and II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, Promulgated Contract Forms, and Real Estate Finance — on your phone. Every lesson includes video, audio, and embedded practice questions. The basic package includes 1,000+ review questions; premium tiers add 1,660+ additional questions and 75 video lessons. **Price:** Starting around $499 for the full 180-hour bundle; premium tiers with added study tools run higher. Payment plans through Klarna and Affirm are available, which meaningfully lowers the upfront barrier compared to Champions' $980 package. **Best for:** Mobile-first self-paced learners; students who have already failed the TREC exam once and want the statistical edge on the retake; anyone without convenient access to a Champions campus. **Pros:** Highest verified TREC first-attempt pass rate (66%) among major Texas providers. Full iOS and Android app — the only major TX pre-license provider with a dedicated mobile experience. Audio lessons support commute-based studying. Payment plan options reduce upfront cost. **Cons:** No in-person option. Minimal instructor access on the base tier. Course-access windows expire; extended pauses in your schedule may require repurchasing. **Verdict:** AceableAgent is the strongest choice for online learners. The pass-rate gap versus the state average is real and meaningful — if you are investing 180 hours in coursework, you want to pass the exam on the first attempt.

The CE Shop is the most affordable TREC-approved pre-license option in 2026 and offers a written pass guarantee on its mid-tier package — making it the best choice for budget-conscious students who want a financial backstop. Their four-tier structure is the most transparent pricing of any major provider: - Career Starter — $360: 180-hour QE course, digital flashcards, real estate glossary, study schedule - Career Essentials — $405: Adds a written pass guarantee and instructor-led webinars - Career Builder — $451: Adds a professional development ebook - Career Accelerator — $818: Bundles the required 98-hour SAE coursework for your first license renewal At $360, Career Starter is the lowest-price complete TREC-approved 180-hour package available from a major provider. Upgrading $45 to Career Essentials adds the pass guarantee — with a statewide first-attempt pass rate of 56%, the small upcharge is almost always worth it. **Price:** $360–$818 (pre-license only to pre-license plus first renewal bundle) **Best for:** Price-sensitive first-time candidates; students who want to bundle SAE renewal at enrollment; anyone who wants a written pass guarantee in writing before they start. **Pros:** Lowest entry price ($360) among major TREC-approved providers. Written pass guarantee at the $405 Career Essentials tier. Career Accelerator bundles SAE to avoid renewal deadline pressure. Pass rate of 56% (608 passed / 1,077 taken) matches the statewide average. **Cons:** No mobile app — desktop and laptop only. 56% pass rate does not beat the state average (versus AceableAgent's 66%). Smaller Texas brand footprint than Champions or AceableAgent. **Verdict:** The CE Shop is the right pick when budget is the primary decision driver. The $45 upgrade from Career Starter to Career Essentials — which adds the pass guarantee — is worth it for the overwhelming majority of students.

Colibri Real Estate (formerly Real Estate Express) is a credible fourth option — particularly for students who used Colibri in another state and want a familiar interface. Colibri is TREC-approved (provider license #4727) and offers a fully self-paced online format similar to AceableAgent and The CE Shop, without a dedicated mobile app. Their Texas 180-hour packages run $627–$1,227, placing them above The CE Shop and AceableAgent on price without the in-person delivery advantage Champions provides. Their TREC first-attempt pass rate through November 2025 is approximately 57% (303 passed / 534 taken) — slightly above the state average of 56%, but well below AceableAgent's 66%. The smaller sample size makes the Colibri figure less statistically reliable than Champions' or AceableAgent's data. **Price:** $627–$1,227 **Best for:** Students migrating from another state where Colibri was their pre-license provider; those who prefer a nationally recognized online brand over a Texas-specific school. **Pros:** TREC-approved national brand. Multiple package options, including live instruction add-ons at higher tiers. Clean, modern online interface. **Cons:** More expensive than The CE Shop and AceableAgent for similar self-paced online delivery. No mobile app. Pass rate is marginally above average but does not stand out. **Verdict:** Colibri is a solid school that rarely beats its Texas competitors on price or pass rate. For most students starting fresh in Texas, The CE Shop or AceableAgent offer better value for the money.

Day One is not a pre-license school and does not fulfill TREC's 180-hour qualifying education requirement. But completing the 180 hours is only half the battle. The TREC state exam — administered by Pearson VUE — has 110 questions: 85 on the national section and 40 on the state section. You need a minimum 70% on each section in the same sitting. The statewide first-attempt pass rate is 56%, which means nearly half of all candidates who complete their 180 hours still fail the exam on the first try. Pre-license coursework teaches the content; exam prep builds the test-taking speed and pattern recognition you need under a time limit. Day One generates full-length, AI-randomized practice exams calibrated to the TREC national and state question split — every session is different, so you cannot accidentally memorize answer sequences. It covers both Texas (TREC) and California (DRE) under a single account. **Price:** $49 one-time (covers both TX and CA under one account) **Best for:** Students who have completed their 180-hour pre-license course and are preparing for their Pearson VUE exam appointment in the following two to four weeks. For a broader look at what to stack alongside Day One, see the best practice exams for the Texas TREC sales agent exam. *Disclosure: Day One is the product behind this site. It is listed here for completeness and because it addresses a gap — post-coursework exam prep — that the four pre-license schools above do not cover.*

No single school is right for every Texas license candidate. Here is how to match the provider to your situation. **Budget is your first filter → The CE Shop.** The $360 Career Starter is the cheapest complete TREC-approved course from a major provider. Add $45 for Career Essentials to get the written pass guarantee — at that price point, the financial backstop is almost always worth it. **Pass rate is your priority → AceableAgent.** A 10-percentage-point advantage over the statewide average (66% vs. 56%) is statistically meaningful, especially for retakers. The mobile app and audio lessons are practical bonuses on top of the best-in-class pass-rate data. **You need in-person instruction → Champions School.** The CE Shop, AceableAgent, and Colibri are all screen-based and self-paced. Champions is the only major provider with physical classrooms across DFW, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso. The $980 price reflects that infrastructure. **You want pre-license and first renewal bundled → The CE Shop Career Accelerator ($818) or Champions' 9-course program ($1,445).** Texas requires 98 hours of Sales Agent Apprentice Education (SAE) in the first two years after licensing. Bundling it at enrollment avoids a scramble before your first renewal deadline and typically costs less than buying the courses separately later. Once your 180 hours are complete and your TREC application is submitted, the final challenge is Pearson VUE. Day One generates fresh, full-length practice exams calibrated to the TREC national and state question split — use it in the two to three weeks before your test date to build the exam-day performance that course hours alone do not provide.