AI-GRS Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

How AI-GRS Exam Scheduling Actually Works

Unlike a single-sitting certification exam, the AI-GRS Membership Designation path from the Appraisal Institute requires passing two separate examination modules - Review Theory - General and Review Case Studies - General - each delivered independently at Pearson VUE Professional Testing Centers. There is no single "exam day" the way many candidates expect. Instead, you are scheduling two distinct appointments, and you have flexibility in when you take each one within your authorized testing window.

This structure matters for planning. Because the two modules can be booked on different dates, candidates often ask each other about "AI-GRS exam dates" as if there's one fixed calendar deadline. In reality, the deadlines that matter are tied to your candidacy status, your authorized window, and the administrative requirements you complete before you're even eligible to schedule. For a full breakdown of what each module actually tests, see the AI-GRS Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 2 Content Areas.

Testing Windows and Candidacy Timing

Before you can schedule either module, you need to establish candidacy and confirm you meet the qualification path - either Certified General Real Property Appraiser status or equivalent, or a bachelor's degree or higher if you don't hold that certification. Candidates must also satisfy the Standards, Fair Housing and AI Business Practices and Ethics requirements before sitting for Review Theory - General and Review Case Studies - General.

Once candidacy is active, you're authorized to schedule within your testing window at Pearson VUE. Because the two modules are independent, you can:

• Schedule Domain 1 (Review Theory - General) and Domain 2 (Review Case Studies - General) weeks or months apart
• Retake a failed module without re-scheduling the one you already passed
• Sequence your preparation so you're not cramming both domains simultaneously

This flexibility is one reason candidates who plan deliberately tend to feel less rushed than those who try to schedule both modules back-to-back without adequate preparation time for each. If you're unsure how demanding this preparation actually is, the guide on How Hard Is the AI-GRS Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 walks through what makes each module challenging.

Registering for Each Module

Registration flows through your candidacy status with the Appraisal Institute, which then authorizes you to book a seat at a Pearson VUE Professional Testing Center. Each module - Review Theory - General and Review Case Studies - General - is registered and scheduled independently. Practically, this means:

• You confirm eligibility and candidacy requirements first
• You select a module (Domain 1 or Domain 2) and choose an available Pearson VUE testing center and date
• You repeat the process separately for the second module, on whatever timeline fits your preparation

Each module is closed-book. You're permitted one financial calculator, and its memory must be cleared before and after testing. An optional, ungraded on-screen spreadsheet is also available during the exam - useful for organizing calculations but not for storing formulas or notes in advance. Be aware that additional unscored pilot items may appear alongside the 50 scored questions, so don't assume every question you see counts toward your result.

For a deeper walkthrough of exactly what topics fall under each of these modules, see the AI-GRS Exam Domains 2026 guide, and for how questions are scored and what you need to clear both modules, check AI-GRS Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

Fees, Applications, and Payment Timing

Scheduling your exam dates is inseparable from budgeting the associated fees, since payment is typically required at the point of registration. The module exam fee is $150 USD per module, or $300 if you pay for both at once. These exam fees are separate from the $300 experience application and the $100 designation application - two additional administrative steps in the broader AI-GRS pathway that are not part of the testing fee itself.

Because these are distinct line items, candidates sometimes underestimate the full path cost when they only budget for the exam. For the complete financial picture - including active-practicing membership dues of $710 plus applicable chapter or regional dues - read AI-GRS Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Key Policy and Guidebook Effective Dates

Two administrative effective dates matter for anyone scheduling exams in 2026:

• Comprehensive Examination Guidebook requirements have been effective since January 1, 2023. If you're referencing older study materials or forum posts predating this, confirm they still reflect current guidebook rules before relying on them for scheduling or content expectations.
• Candidate Policy Manual updates take effect April 17, 2026. Candidates scheduling exams around this date should check whether the manual introduces changes to authorized testing windows, rescheduling policies, or documentation requirements that affect their plan.

Continuing education timing also shifts for designated members: cycles beginning or renewing July 1, 2025 onward require 100 hours over five years, including Standards, Fair Housing, and AI ethics education. Cycles already running under the 500-point requirement through 2025-2029 retain that structure until they transition. This isn't a candidate exam-scheduling detail, but it's worth knowing as you plan your post-designation timeline.

Scheduling Domain 1 and Domain 2 Strategically

Because the two modules can be booked independently, the real scheduling question isn't "when is the exam" - it's "which module should I schedule first, and how much runway do I need between them." A reasonable approach:

This is one workable sequence, not a mandatory template - some candidates prefer to prepare for both modules concurrently and schedule them close together. Either way, the scheduling flexibility exists specifically so you can match your testing dates to your actual readiness rather than an arbitrary combined exam date. For a structured prep plan built around this exact sequencing logic, see the AI-GRS Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and consider running timed drills on the practice test platform before locking in either appointment.

Pearson VUE Exam Day Logistics

Regardless of which module you're scheduling, a few logistics stay constant:

• Location: Testing happens at Pearson VUE Professional Testing Centers, not at Appraisal Institute offices.
• Format: 50 scored multiple-choice questions per module, closed-book.
• Time: 3 hours 30 minutes per module - plan your arrival and ID verification with enough buffer that this clock doesn't start until you're settled.
• Calculator: One financial calculator permitted, memory cleared before and after the session by testing center staff or per Pearson VUE protocol.
• On-screen spreadsheet: Available as an optional, ungraded tool - useful for scratch calculations, not a substitute for knowing formulas cold.
• Pilot items: Unscored questions may be mixed in without being labeled as such, so treat every question as if it counts.

Because rescheduling policies and permitted-item rules can be affected by the April 17, 2026 Candidate Policy Manual update, confirm current logistics directly before your appointment rather than relying solely on older program descriptions.

Scheduling Considerations for the MAI/SRPA Alternative Route

Current MAI/SRPA members in good standing follow a different qualification path - five qualifying appraisal review reports instead of the standard comprehensive-examination route - and are exempt from the comprehensive examination modules entirely on that basis. However, the Review Theory - General examination still applies to this alternative route. That means MAI/SRPA members using this path still need to schedule and pass at least the Review Theory - General module at Pearson VUE, even though they skip Review Case Studies - General.

If you're evaluating which route fits your background - standard candidacy with both modules, versus the MAI/SRPA alternative with report submission plus one module - review the full eligibility breakdown in AI-GRS Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before you commit to a scheduling plan.

Aligning Experience Documentation With Your Exam Timeline

Scheduling exams in isolation from your experience documentation can create timing headaches. The standard designation path requires 4,500 specialized hours over at least 36 months within the preceding 10 years, including 1,000 qualifying review hours documented as part of your experience credit application. Because the $300 experience application is a separate step from your exam scheduling, some candidates choose to pass both modules first and finalize experience documentation afterward, while others work on both tracks in parallel.

There's no rule forcing one sequence over the other, but candidates who wait until after passing both modules to even start gathering experience documentation sometimes find that step takes longer than expected. Building your experience file alongside your exam prep - rather than after - tends to shorten the overall time between passing your last module and submitting your designation application.

Why Scheduling Windows Matter Beyond the Exam Itself

AI-GRS Membership Designation holders typically work in review-focused roles - evaluating appraisal reports for lenders, government agencies, and review departments within appraisal firms. Employers hiring for these positions often want to see designation progress on a defined timeline, which makes understanding your testing window and the gap between modules more than an academic scheduling question. If you're weighing whether the time investment lines up with career outcomes, the analysis in Is the AI-GRS Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and the market overview in AI-GRS Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis are worth reading before you finalize how aggressively you schedule both modules.

Once you're actively preparing, running full-length timed sessions on our AI-GRS practice test platform under the same 3-hour-30-minute, closed-book conditions you'll face at Pearson VUE is one of the most direct ways to confirm you're ready to book a real date rather than guessing.

Frequently Asked Questions