- AI-GRS Membership Designation tests two modules: General Appraisal Concepts and General Review Theory.
- Each module has 50 scored multiple-choice questions and a 3-hour-30-minute time limit at Pearson VUE.
- Module fees are $150 each or $300 for both; separate experience and designation applications add $300 and $100.
- Current MAI/SRPA members can bypass the comprehensive exam via five qualifying appraisal review reports, but still sit for Review Theory - General.
How the AI-GRS Exam Is Structured
The AI-GRS Membership Designation from the Appraisal Institute is earned through the General Review Comprehensive Examination, which is delivered as two separate modules at Pearson VUE Professional Testing Centers. Candidates frequently ask whether "the exam" is a single sitting - it isn't. Each module is its own scheduled appointment, each with 50 scored multiple-choice questions and 3 hours and 30 minutes of testing time. Additional unscored pilot items may also appear within a module, so the total number of questions on screen can be slightly higher than 50, even though only 50 count toward your result.
Because the two modules can be scheduled independently within authorized testing windows, candidates often treat them as two distinct study projects rather than one long exam. This guide breaks the content into the two content areas most candidates actually study for, which we refer to as Domain 1: General Appraisal Concepts and Domain 2: General Review Theory. For a deeper walk-through of how these domains translate into a week-by-week prep plan, see the AI-GRS Study Guide 2026.
Domain 1: General Appraisal Concepts
The first content area tests whether a candidate has a firm grasp of appraisal fundamentals before layering on review-specific judgment. This module is less about reviewing someone else's work and more about confirming that you understand the appraisal process itself - the same foundation every original appraisal report is built on.
Domain 1: General Appraisal Concepts
Candidates need to demonstrate fluency in the core valuation approaches and the reasoning behind appraisal conclusions, since a reviewer cannot evaluate an appraiser's work without first understanding how that work should have been produced.
- Sales comparison, cost, and income approaches, including when each is appropriately weighted
- Highest and best use analysis and how it drives valuation conclusions
- Market analysis, data selection, and adjustment support
- Reconciliation of value indications into a defensible final opinion
- USPAP-consistent reporting expectations that reviewers later check against
Because this module effectively re-tests general appraisal knowledge from a reviewer's vantage point, candidates who already hold Certified General Real Property Appraiser status often find the content familiar, while candidates entering with only a bachelor's degree should budget extra time here. If you're still confirming whether you meet the entry criteria for this path, the AI-GRS Requirements 2026 guide walks through both qualification tracks in detail.
Domain 2: General Review Theory
The second content area shifts the lens from "how do you appraise" to "how do you judge someone else's appraisal." This is the heart of what separates the AI-GRS Membership Designation from a general appraisal credential - it's built around the reviewer's role, not the original appraiser's role.
Domain 2: General Review Theory
This module measures a candidate's ability to assess the credibility, completeness, and reasonableness of another appraiser's work, and to communicate review findings in a way that stands on its own.
- Scope of work decisions specific to appraisal review assignments
- Identifying deficiencies in data selection, adjustments, and reconciliation
- Distinguishing disagreement in opinion from a technical or reporting error
- Structuring review conclusions and supporting rationale in a review report
- Applying Standards, Fair Housing, and AI Business Practices and Ethics considerations within a review context
Because General Review Theory content leans heavily on judgment calls rather than formula recall, question stems tend to present a scenario - a flawed comparable adjustment, an unsupported cap rate, an incomplete reconciliation - and ask the candidate to identify the correct reviewer response. This is a different question style than the more direct concept checks common in Domain 1, and candidates who study the two modules identically often underperform on this one. For a broader discussion of why this domain trips up otherwise well-prepared candidates, see How Hard Is the AI-GRS Exam?
Key Takeaway
Treat Domain 1 as a knowledge-recall module and Domain 2 as a judgment-application module - your study method should shift accordingly, not stay identical across both.
Where the Domains Fit in the Candidacy Path
Passing both modules is only one piece of qualifying for the AI-GRS Membership Designation. The standard candidacy path also requires candidates to hold Certified General Real Property Appraiser status (or its equivalent) - or, absent that certification, a bachelor's degree or higher. Candidates must additionally satisfy Standards, Fair Housing, and AI Business Practices and Ethics education requirements before the designation application is complete.
On the experience side, the standard route calls for 4,500 specialized hours accumulated over at least 36 months within the preceding 10 years, with experience documentation including 1,000 qualifying review hours specifically. That review-hours requirement is a meaningful detail: general appraisal experience alone does not satisfy it, which is one more reason Domain 2's review-theory content deserves dedicated study time rather than being treated as an extension of Domain 1.
Every requirement in this section is governed by the Comprehensive Examination Guidebook (effective January 1, 2023) and the Candidate Policy Manual (effective April 17, 2026), so candidates should confirm current edition dates before assuming any prior-year policy still applies. A full breakdown of these eligibility layers is available in AI-GRS Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Registration, Fees, and Scheduling Mechanics
Understanding the fee structure prevents budgeting surprises later. Each module of the General Review Comprehensive Examination costs $150 individually, or $300 if you register for both at once. That exam fee is separate from the $300 experience application and the $100 designation application, which are filed at different stages of the candidacy process rather than bundled with exam registration.
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single exam module | $150 | Domain 1 or Domain 2 booked separately |
| Both exam modules together | $300 | Covers Domain 1 and Domain 2 |
| Experience application | $300 | Separate from exam fees |
| Designation application | $100 | Filed after requirements are met |
| Active-practicing AI-GRS-only dues | $710/year | Plus applicable chapter/regional dues |
Because the two modules can be scheduled at different appointments within your authorized testing window, candidates have flexibility to sit for Domain 1 first and return for Domain 2 once review-theory prep is stronger - or vice versa. Anyone mapping out testing appointments should also check the AI-GRS Exam Dates 2026 guide for windows and deadlines before booking, and the AI-GRS Passing Score 2026 breakdown before deciding how much runway to leave between attempts.
The MAI/SRPA Alternative Route
Not every candidate follows the two-module comprehensive exam path. Current MAI or SRPA members in good standing have an alternative route into the AI-GRS Membership Designation that substitutes five qualifying appraisal review reports for the comprehensive examination. This exempts qualifying candidates from the full comprehensive exam - but it does not exempt them from the Review Theory - General examination, which still applies regardless of prior designation status.
In practical terms, this means Domain 2: General Review Theory content remains unavoidable for virtually every path into the AI-GRS Membership Designation, while Domain 1: General Appraisal Concepts content can be bypassed for candidates who already hold MAI or SRPA status and choose the report-based alternative. If you're deciding which route fits your background, weigh it against the broader cost and career-return questions covered in Is the AI-GRS Certification Worth It?
Key Takeaway
No matter which candidacy route you take, plan to master General Review Theory - it's the one content area that isn't optional.
Scheduling Your Prep Around Two Modules
Rather than studying both modules simultaneously from day one, most candidates get better results sequencing their prep around each module's testing style - recall-heavy for Domain 1, scenario-judgment-heavy for Domain 2 - and scheduling appointments accordingly.
Domain 1 Foundations
- Refresh sales comparison, cost, and income approach mechanics
- Drill highest and best use and reconciliation logic
- Take timed practice sets to build 3.5-hour endurance
Domain 2 Scenario Practice
- Work through review-scenario question stems, not just definitions
- Practice separating opinion disagreement from technical error
- Study Standards, Fair Housing, and AI ethics as applied within review contexts
Mixed Review and Scheduling
- Alternate practice questions between both domains
- Clear your calculator memory and rehearse the closed-book format
- Confirm your Pearson VUE appointments fall within your authorized window
For a more granular, day-by-day version of this approach, along with recommended practice-question sources, see the AI-GRS Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. You can also run full-length timed simulations on our practice test platform to get comfortable with the pacing before exam day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two: Domain 1, General Appraisal Concepts, and Domain 2, General Review Theory, each delivered as a separate 50-question, 3-hour-30-minute module at Pearson VUE.
Yes. Both modules must be passed, but they can be scheduled as separate appointments within your authorized testing windows rather than in a single sitting.
Each module is $150, or $300 for both together. The $300 experience application and $100 designation application are billed separately from exam fees.
No. They can qualify through five qualifying appraisal review reports instead of the comprehensive exam, but they still must pass the Review Theory - General examination.
No, both modules are closed book. One financial calculator with cleared memory is permitted, and an optional ungraded on-screen spreadsheet is available for scratch work.
Understanding exactly what each module tests - and how the two differ in question style - is the clearest path to an efficient prep plan for the AI-GRS Membership Designation. For related groundwork before you dive into domain-level study, see What Is AI-GRS Certification? and AI-GRS Cheat Sheet 2026, or start practicing directly on our exam simulator.