162-Hour Licensed Residential Appraiser Program

The complete program to get you started as a Licensed Residential Appraiser: it includes the 87-hour trainee courses plus the 75 hours of Licensed Residential qualifying education and the Appraisal Exam Prep course.

Courses can be completed during the 1,000-hour experience accrual period required before applying for the Licensed Residential license.

Champions School of Real Estate has been providing education to aspiring agents and brokers since it opened its doors in Houston in 1983. It offers courses and counseling at brick-and-mortar campuses in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, and its Online Correspondence, Online Interactive and Virtual Classroom (ChampionsLive) delivery methods reach students anywhere in the nation. Since 1983 the curriculum has expanded from real estate to loan origination, appraisal, and inspection licensing and renewal programs.

• Updated, leading-edge course material created by the school’s own in-house curriculum development team, with constant updates based on market changes.
• Instructors are practicing professionals with at least five years of industry experience; the school says all instructors also have at least five years of experience teaching adults.
• Morning, day, night and weekend classes offered via Classroom, Virtual Classroom, Correspondence and Online Interactive.
• Career counselors available at campuses Monday through Saturday in person, by phone or by online chat.
• Free networking events, career nights, virtual study halls, career fairs, and annual free industry updates, live-streamed and in person.
• Textbooks and proctoring fees are included in tuition, and most courses remain available for up to 10 years.

Basic requirements. To apply for a Texas appraiser license you must be a citizen of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien, be 18 years of age or older, and meet TALCB’s qualifications for honesty, trustworthiness and integrity (TALCB recommends an optional Fitness Determination form).

Supervisor. An appraiser trainee applicant must have a sponsoring certified appraiser, who signs the trainee application. To avoid a conflict of interest Champions cannot be directly involved in finding supervisors, and it recommends locating one before enrolling.

Certified Residential. There are no college education requirements for a Licensed Residential Appraiser. A Certified Residential Appraiser needs 200 hours of qualifying education, one of the TALCB college-education options (such as a bachelor’s degree in any field), and 1,500 experience hours over at least 12 months.

Materials. Students must have a physical textbook in hand to attend and pass the USPAP course, so books should be shipped or picked up from a campus before class. An HP 17B or HP 12C calculator is recommended.

Appraisal QE courses are scheduled on ChampionsLive: 30-hour courses run four days (for example Monday to Thursday), 15-hour courses two days, and the 8-hour and 4-hour courses one day. Each course repeats about every one to two months between August 2026 and January 2027, and the 2-day Appraisal Exam Prep runs 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM on weekends (Aug 1-2, Oct 3-4, Dec 5-6, Feb 6-7). Champions estimates 3 to 6 months for the trainee courses.

Tuition. The catalog and website list the 162-Hour Licensed Residential Appraiser Program at $1,950, shown against a combined individual-course value of $2,700 (a saving of $750). Online versions through the third-party partner may be priced differently.

Payment. Tuition is due in full at the time of enrollment, but you may purchase courses individually if you prefer to pay as you go. Tuition for each course must be paid in full at registration to receive package pricing. Textbook materials are included in the cost of courses, and the school states that proctoring fees are included with no hidden add-ons.

Discounts. Champions offers a military appreciation discount to active-duty military, veterans and military spouses: 25% off Real Estate, Home Inspection, Loan Origination and Appraisal pre-licensing (including SAE) programs, 20% off individual Real Estate QE/SAE and Loan pre-licensing courses, and $20 off Real Estate Continuing Education programs. It also works with the SpouseWorks Scholarship Program, which offers up to $4,000 to eligible military spouses for the pursuit or maintenance of a license or certification.

Refunds. All courses except Exam Prep are refundable within 5 days of purchase, minus a $20 cancellation fee per course and the cost of the textbook(s). After 5 days, or once any portion of a course is started, courses are non-refundable; unstarted courses can still be transferred or used toward another course.

An Appraiser Trainee is authorized by TALCB to gain appraisal experience while working under the supervision of a Certified General or Certified Residential appraiser, and can then work toward becoming a Licensed Residential or Certified Residential Appraiser.

A licensed residential appraiser has met TALCB’s educational, experiential and testing requirements. The scope of work includes appraisal of non-complex residential 1-4 unit properties with a transactional value less than $1,000,000, and complex federally-related transactions and non-FRT transactions with a value less than $400,000. Upgrading requires 1,500 experience hours over at least 12 months for a certified residential license, or 3,000 hours over at least 18 months for a certified general license.

Format. Champions teaches appraisal courses in the Virtual Classroom (ChampionsLive, using Zoom with real teachers and an exclusive curriculum). Online appraisal courses are offered through a third-party partner, McKissock Learning, so pricing and other details may differ; those online classes are module-based and do not require textbooks. You can choose any available delivery method for each class.

Exams. All appraisal QE course exams are proctored and closed-book, and a score of 70% or higher is required. Virtual proctoring from home is available with a webcam. The 15-hour USPAP course requires 74% or higher; students failing may retake the exam twice at no charge. Students retaking an AQE course because they did not pass within 90 days can do so at a 50% discount.

Experience. Alongside coursework, TALCB requires 1,000 hours of experience supported by written reports over at least 6 months for a Licensed Residential license, which generally equates to 250 to 300 residential appraisals.