Study For Your Real Estate Pre
Before you can take your state real estate exam, youll have to pass the pre-licensing exam at the end of your coursework. Many students choose online coursework, in which case this exam will be online, too. Dont be intimidated by the thought of studying for an exam, even if youve been out of school for a while. These study hacks can help you maximize your time and set you up for success on test day. Once you pass, youll need to obtain your official transcripts or a certificate of course completion.
If you think you may need some extra guidance, consider a real estate exam prep program that will help you study state-specific material for your state real estate exam. Our Exam Prep Master program
Best For Accessibility: Real Estate Express
Real Estate Express
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Access to courses expires after six months
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No hard copies of study materials for most tiers
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License upgrade courses not available in all states
Real Estate Express is an online-only school offering exam prep courses, post-licensing classes, and continuing education classes. All classes are completed at your own pace with instructor support available for questions. Their online platform can be accessed 24/7, is easy to use, and has FAQ videos, all of which contribute to making Real Estate Express our choice for the most accessible exam prep course.
“Exam Prep Master” is the Real Estate Express exam prep course, and it has a pass-or-dont-pay guarantee. The course can be purchased by itself or as a package with a pre-licensure state course. Prices vary by state, but exam prep typically is $99, and exam prep packages with pre-licensing courses are around $437. The Ultimate Learning package is $400 to $800 depending on where you live and includes practice exams to check your progress, national and state final exams, and exams you can customize based on topics you need more help with. There also are digital flashcards, and everything is done at your own pace so you can cram it into one weekend or spread it out for a week or two. You have six months from your registration date to access and complete a pre-licensing course.
Best For Additional Courses: 360 Training
360 Training
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Most courses are offered as PDFs with quizzes
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Pre-licensing courses are only available in 14 states
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Strict 72-hour refund policy
360 Training offers real estate exam prep courses as well as a variety of other courses for real estate professionals in different fields, along with workforce training, environmental safety, and food and beverage industry classes. Their real estate course offerings include salesperson and broker exam prep courses, pre-licensure and post-licensure classes, and continuing education classes.
With this wide array of training on real estate-related topics, we chose 360 Training as the best exam prep course for additional courses. Its great for someone who may want to take multiple real estate-related classes on the same platform or who has an interest in one of the other industry education choices the company offers.
The exam prep courses are interactive, self-paced online classes with simulation quizzes and activities that make learning more engaging than just reading a textbook. Classes can be accessed anywhere you have an internet connection and include practice tests, problem-solving, and analysis skill-building. Since the classes are self-paced, they can be completed in as quickly as a weekend or longer, depending on the time devoted to them.
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Is The Real Estate Exam In California Difficult
According to state education providers, the California pass rate average is 50%.
That means half of the people taking the exam with you might not end up getting their licenses.
The California state exam does have quite a reputation for being difficult to ace but its not impossible.
It depends on you.
Before you panic, remember that being prepared is key.
Did you do your best to study and actually retain information?
135 hours of pre-licensing courses might seem like information overload but there are a number of ways you can prepare for it.
For example, you can take notes as you study and review them every week.
You can also try a California real estate exam prep from an online real estate school.
Or you can keep coming back to our Real Estate Practice Exam above until you know it by heart.
These will help make sure youre prepared for all 150 of those questions during the state exam.
How To Get Your Real Estate License In California

Before you even decide to become a real estate agent in California, you have to make sure you comply with these requirements first:
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You are a California resident
- You must have a clean criminal record
There are six major steps you have to take to get your California real estate license.
To become a real estate agent, you have to:
Getting a license requires a lot of hard work but if you find a great California online real estate school, it could help make the process easier.
Real estate schools can provide educational and interactive courses that arent a bore to go through.
Some of them can even help you apply for the state exam!
Check out our list of the best California online real estate schools to help you decide which one to choose.
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How Do You Apply To Get Scheduled For The California Real Estate License Exam
Like we said earlier, youll have to choose an exam date and a testing center so you can take the state exam.
But before you get to do that, DRE requires those getting a license to apply for the state licensing exam.
Dont worry, the process is easy.
First, make sure you pass all of the DRE requirements finishing the 135-hour pre-licensing course, a brief background check, and getting fingerprinted before applying through their website.
Incomplete requirements mean you risk getting your license delayed.
Alternatively, you can also ask for help from your online real estate school if youre a bit lost in the whole process.
Heres a quick step-by-step on how to apply for the California Real Estate Licensing exam online:
After that, all you have to do is wait until your application is processed.
Only once youve passed the processing can you begin to choose an exam date and location on the eLicensing online system.
Busy Work Or Life’s Work
On the one hand, we all want to be happy. On the other hand, we all know the things that make us happy. But we dont do those things. Why? Simple. We are too busy. Too busy doing what? Too busy trying to be happy.Matthew Kelly, Bestselling Author
In 2016, I gave birth to my second child, my son. A few months later, I decided to become a full time investor and entrepreneur. I put my first BRRRR property under contract on his first birthday. Two years later, when he turned three, I had built a $4M portfolio. In 2019, our revenue crossed the $1M mark. I launched the coaching arm of my business in 2019 too. I have been mentoring others who are interested in Real Estate Investing for the past couple of years and seeing my students’ consistent success, I realized I was good at presenting complex ideas in simple, easy to follow way and felt fortunate to have the freedom to create another business. This whole time,…
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Best For Brokers: Compucram
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Not available in all states
Like real estate salespeople, brokers also need to pass a state and national exam and often benefit from exam prep classes. CompuCram offers an entire section devoted to the brokers exam prep, and they boast that more than 500,000 students have passed exams the first time.
Courses include lots of training materials, practice tests, tips and tricks, and practice exams specifically for brokers. CompuCram also has a unique feature called a Readiness Indicator, which tracks your study progress and gives you a readiness score indicating whether youre ready to take the exam or not.
CompuCrams toolsbuilt specifically for helping brokers pass their testsare why we named them our best exam prep course for brokers. However, the company also offers exam prep for the real estate salesperson exam, as well as appraisal, lending, insurance, and home inspection classes. Classes are ideal for students who want to learn at their own pace and want the confidence of knowing theyre ready to take the exam.
CompuCrams prices range from $59 to $129, depending on your state. Some of the state exam prep courses include the national portion. All of the classes are online and self-paced, and some include PDFs for future reference. They can take anywhere from a weekend to a week to complete, depending on your pace.
Like some of the other exam prep course providers, CompuCram offers a pass guarantee or your money back, but there are contingencies.
Real Estate Exam Content Description
As previously mentioned, there is no single national real estate exam or program of study to become a Real Estate Agent. In order to qualify to take your states real estate licensing exam, you will first have to complete a state-specific prelicensing education program. The specific course curriculum and number of hours required is determined by the real estate commission in your home state.
Once you have qualified to take the exam, you will then prepare for and take a state-administered real estate licensing exam. For most candidates, this exam will include a national portion as well as a state-specific portion. For both portions of the exam, you will be asked to show knowledge and proficiency in real estate policies, practices, terminology, responsibilities, and expectations.
In general, you should expect your real estate licensing exam to be around 100-150 multiple choice questions this includes about 60-80 state-specific questions, and about 80-100 questions related to generally universal real estate concepts. You will have between 2-4 hours to complete your exam. You should expect questions involving any or all of the following content areas:
- Real Property Characteristics
- Real Property Environmental Issues
Make sure to check your states specific real estate exam requirements to know exactly what you should expect.
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What Our Grads Say About The Program
Beverly Buella
“Since I have known Palak for a few years, I know who Palak surrounds herself with and is constantly seeking ways to grow herself and her business – and creating this program was an extension of that desire to help others succeed.She has created systems and processes that allowed her to succeed and wanted to share that – that alone was a huge value for me.”
Cheryl Tan
“I absolutely love what Palak is creating, a community building sustainable futures through real estate investing. She has developed a step by step system to find deals, work with contractors and understand financing. With the help of Palaks tools, we have everything we need to grow our portfolio. Thank you!”
Kristin DiPasquo
“I am thrilled that now, a little more than a month since beginning to work with Palak, I am under contract on my first rental property. Besides having a wealth of investing knowledge and experience and an inspiring path of her own, Palak knew just what I needed at what moment: to help me build confidence and zone in to make real moves.”
Laila Farally
“Palak has a way of explaining complicated real estate terms into simple and easy to understand language. After this cohort, I have a better understanding of how I can develop and scale my business without feeling overwhelmed and feeling paralyzes to the idea of scaling.”
Anish Ali
Jody Prall
What Can You Do With A California Real Estate Exam
Once you pass the California Real Estate Exam, you can pursue a number of different careers.
The most common answer is to be a sales agent, someone who acts on behalf of a broker or a client.
But you can also explore other career opportunities such as:
- Real estate broker
- Sales associate
..and more!
There are a number of opportunities you can take with a California real estate license and thats what makes it a worth-it investment.
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California Real Estate Broker License Exam Prep Courses
Youve invested in your career, now invest in your exam preparedness. You can choose from online OnDemand Broker Exam Prep course or attend our Live Online classes from the comfort of your home. Be prepared on exam day with our exam prep courses and study tools:
- 2-Day Exam Prep courses available in Live Online and OnDemand delivery formats.
- Our Flashcards contain over 400 terms and definitions you need to know to pass the California Real Estate Brokers Exam.
Learn more about our Broker Exam Prep course options.
Ready To Take Your Real Estate Exam

If you’re ready to take the real estate exam, but are looking for one last opportunity to study, PrepAgent offers Real Estate Crash Courses over the weekend. These 3-4 hour virtual cram sessions give you a live review of frequent real estate exam topics as well as interactive time with an experienced tutor.
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Do I Need Real Estate Exam Prep
If you studied the pre-licensing course well, you may think you dont need to spend an additional amount on an exam prep course. And you may be right but do you really want to take that chance?
An exam prep program may require you to shell a bit more, but there are a lot of schools that offer value-for-money products. The California Real Estate Exam costs $60 each time you attempt to take it. Even if you pass on your second try, you would have spent $120.
An exam prep course usually costs less than $100. Dont you think thats pretty cost-effective?
Real Estate Exam Scholar
- Customer testimonials of 5 out of 5
Real Estate Exam Scholar is an online-only national real estate school. It uniquely offers a six-month subscription-based program with 25 practice tests covering more than 1,000 questions. Plus, it offers specific courses for both California agent and broker exam prep.
In addition, flashcards and study tools are included in the one-time course fee. Students who want to acclimate to taking timed tests will find Real Estate Exam Scholar a good choice. As proof, it boasts a 95% pass rate, which is the highest of any online California real estate school.
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Real Estate Exam Prep For California Salesperson
With Promo Code: CAREER30Whats Included
- Progress Exams. Ten practice exams to check your knowledge.
- Final Exams. Two national and three state final exams to prepare you for your licensing exam. You can view a breakdown of your results by the topics you will encounter on the state licensing exam.
- Custom Exams. Create your own exams based on topics where you want more help.
- Digital Flashcards. Create decks of flashcards to review key terms and definitions by topic.
- Pass or Dont Pay Guarantee. If you achieve a score of at least 80% on all your Progress Exams and Final Exams and sit for your licensing exam within 30 days of completing the exams, you’ll get your money back if you don’t pass your licensing exam on the first try.*
What Do Real Estate Exam Prep Courses Include
Before taking a real estate exam prep course, you must finish your state-mandated pre-licensure classes. Some schools offer package discounts to purchase pre-licensure classes and an exam prep course.
Real estate exam prep courses typically include:
- Practice exam questions and answers
- Study guides with real estate exam subjects
- Practice math questions and explanations
- Real estate definitions that you will need to know for the exam
- Tricks to memorize concepts
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Chamberlain Real Estate School Review
Best for Flexibility
Chamberlain Real Estate School offers self-paced California salesperson and broker pre-licensing courses that give you the freedom to learn how you want. Choose the exact classes youre interested in and the type of study materials you prefer. Theres also an optional live two-day review course to help answer any questions you have after completing the pre-licensing program. Its rates are pretty affordable, and you can save even more by bundling materials together.
What to Expect
Chamberlain Real Estate School is the only company on this list that enables you to choose which elective course you would like to take, in addition to the required Real Estate Principles and Real Estate Practice courses. There are seven different options ranging from Real Estate Finance to Real Estate Property Management, and you can choose the one thats most in line with your interests or career goals. All of them, with the exception of the Mortgage Loan Brokering & Lending course, are available online or as a series of physical textbooks, so you can choose the format you like best.
Chamberlain Real Estate School Details
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Im Licensed In California And I Want To Get Licensed In Another State How Can I Do That
It would be awesome to have a real estate license you can use for all states but unfortunately, that doesnt exist.
Licenses vary from state to state.
Your license in California can only be used in California.
If you want to get licensed in another state, you would have to comply with that states requirements.
While holding multiple real estate licenses is possible, it could be time-consuming for you.
Usually, just like in California, youll have to finish courses and pass an exam before you get licensed.
To make things easier for you, you can check out our guide for real estate agent license requirements for all states here.
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