How to Become a Real Estate Appraiser in Mississippi: Your
5-Step Guide

How to Become a State Licensed Appraiser in Mississippi

Now let's take a more in-depth look at the steps recommended to really start your appraisal career as a state licensed residential appraiser.

1. 1. Obtain Your Mississippi Appraiser Trainee License (Recommended)

   NOTE: Your state may accept PAREA or Practicum as an alternative to Trainee license with Trainee/Supervisory model.

   Qualifying Education. Before you become a state licensed appraiser in Mississippi, it’s recommended that you complete 75 hours of Mississippi appraiser Qualifying Education (QE), broken up as follows:

   • 30 hours of appraisal principles
   • 30 hours of appraisal procedures
   • The 15-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course, or an equivalent course

   You’ll also need to complete a 4-hour Training Course for Supervisory and Appraiser Trainees.

   Before signing up for the Supervisory and Appraiser intern training course, you need to find a sponsoring appraiser. This person will act as your mentor through completion of your experience hours (Step 3).

   All Qualifying Education must be approved by the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) and the Mississippi Real Estate Appraisal Board. You must complete all Qualifying Education prior to submitting your state appraiser trainee application.

   You can apply for your Appraiser trainee license online or via mail, following directions on the form.

2. 2. Complete Your State Licensed Appraiser Education

   After becoming a Mississippi appraiser trainee, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a state licensed appraiser: 150 total hours of Appraisal Foundation-approved appraiser education. (Please Note: You’ve already satisfied 75 of these course hours through your Appraiser trainee license – nice work!)

3. 3. Conduct Your Appraisal Work Experience

   Once you’ve finished your education, you must conduct and log at least 1,000 hours of actual appraisal experience. Those 1,000 hours must be completed:

   • Under the supervision of a state certified residential or general appraiser; and
   • Over a period of at least six months.

   To find a sponsoring appraiser, you can search Mississippi’s appraiser database to find active certified residential and general appraisers who may be open to working with you.

4. 4. Submit Your Application for Mississippi State Licensed Appraiser

   Once you've completed your education and experience, it’s time to apply for your State Licensed Appraiser license. Generally, candidates can expect this process to take up to a month, but it may vary.

   You’ll need to provide proof of your passing exam score, completed education requirements, and completed experience hours. There is a $175 application fee, but you can pay $225 to apply and pay to schedule your exam at the same time.

5. 5. Pass the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Examination

   After the Mississippi Appraisal Board approves your education and experience, you can take the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Exam. You will receive a candidate handbook and instructions for contacting the testing company to schedule your exam. The Appraisal Foundation publishes tips on the exam structure that can help you prepare. Here’s an overview:

   • The exam is four hours long. The Licensed Residential Examination can take up to four hours to complete.
   • There are 125 questions on the test. The National Uniform Licensing and Certification exam is composed of 125 total questions. Fifteen of these questions are considered practice, and answering those questions wrong does not negatively affect your score.
   • A score of 75 points is passing. Scores for the National Uniform Licensing and Certification exam range between 0 and 110 points. Each question carries an equal weight of 1 point. In order to pass, you must earn a minimum of 75 points.
   • You can take the test more than once. The Appraisal Foundation allows you to take the test up to three times.

Appraiser License Types in Mississippi

It’s important to understand how Mississippi classifies real estate appraisers across three separate categories, each with their own qualifications for licensure:

• Appraiser Trainee
• State Licensed Appraiser
• Certified Residential Appraiser
• Certified General Appraiser

After receiving your Appraiser Trainee license, you can “upgrade” to any of the subsequent license levels. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to become a state licensed appraiser. First, here’s a quick overview of the eligibility requirements for all license levels.

Appraiser Trainee

Mississippi recommends a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as a appraiser trainee, this first level of licensure is recommended before you can become fully licensed and start appraising real estate on your own.

Here's a quick overview of the recommended prerequisites you’ll want to meet before becoming a appraiser intern:

Certified Residential Appraiser

The next level up is a certified residential appraiser. At this level, you can appraise:

• 1-4 unit residential properties without regard to value or complexity

Certified General Appraiser

State certified general appraisers are the highest level of appraiser professionals in Mississippi. They can appraise all types of residential or commercial property without regard to value or complexity.