How To Prepare For Your California Real Estate Exam
Becoming a real estate agent within the Bear Flag State involves taking the California Department of Real Estate salesperson Licensing Exam. Passing the licensing exam is not difficult if you are armed with the correct information. So Ill take you through what youre required to do before writing the Exam, how the Exam is structured, and the best way to prepare for your California real estate exams. Keep on reading!
Is The California Real Estate License Exam Hard
Well, the California real estate exam certainly isnt easy. Think about it this way: this exam is the only way you can prove to the California DRE that you know enough about the industry to be awarded a license to practice real estate. The exam has to be hard to determine which applicants really know their stuff and deserve to be working as a real estate professional.
If you dont pass the exam on your first try, dont worry you can retake the test.
And once you pass, youll be a licensed California real estate agent, ready to launch your new career!
Leanna Petronella
Choose A Sponsoring Broker
To begin your new career, you must be sponsored by an active California real estate broker. Its important to find a good fit when picking a Broker to work with and its a key factor to becoming a successful California real estate agent.
Here are some questions to consider when searching for the right Broker:
If you arent sure how to find the right Sponsoring Broker to work with as you launch your California real estate career, Agent Start can help. While taking Pre-Licensing courses with The CE Shop, you will be given the option to enroll in Agent Start, which aims to help connect you with our Broker partners in your state that are looking for new agents.
You May Like: Ohio Real Estate Exam Prep
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.
How Much Does It Cost To Take The California Real Estate Exam
The candidate must pay a $60 fee for a salesperson examination fee. If scheduling your appointment online, you must pay the total amount via credit card when scheduling the exam.
You can take the California salesperson exam as many times as you need to pass. Each attempt costs $60. Rescheduling your first exam costs $15. Subsequent rescheduled exams cost an additional $30.
Don’t Miss: Property And Casualty Exam Secrets
Before Registering For The Exam
Before a candidate can register to take their California Real Estate Exam, they must complete 135 hours of pre-licensing education. The California pre-licensing education is divided into three sections. Hopeful licensees complete the following courses:
- Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending
- Computer Applications in Real Estate
- Common Interest Developments
After you finish your California real estate pre-licensing education, you need to pass a course final exam by scoring at least a 70%.
How Do You Schedule Your Exam?
Before scheduling the exam, you must apply to take the exam.
Candidates register for the exam online by visiting the CA.gov website, .
Select your area and the type of exam you are scheduling. Then you can sign up for a specific time and location.
What To Study For The California Real Estate Exam
Broadly speaking, the exam covers what you learn in your pre-licensing courses. Thats quite a bit of material. Accordingly, is the CA real estate exam hard to study for?
The more informed you are about what youll see on the test, the easier it will be to prepare.
So, before you go into study mode, one of the most helpful things to know is where to get an idea of what is on the real estate exam.
Study guides from pre-licensing courses can shed light on exam content.
One of the best resources to get these from is through the direct source, the California Department of Real Estate .
The DRE publishes a detailed outline of the content areas covered on the exam. Currently, they have seven areas listed, along with the percentage of questions that comes from each:
- Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures
- Laws of Agency and Fiduciary Duties
- Property Ownership and Land Use Controls and Regulations
- Property Valuation and Financial Analysis
- Transfer of Property
You can use this information to plan your review of materials and block off study time by topic. Youll want to give everything at least a cursory glance.
However, you can match up the areas in the outline to your textbook, see where most of the questions are, and allot your time accordingly.
Other materials that are helpful to study include the Reference Book A Real Estate Guide that broadly covers California real estate practice, licensing, and examinations.
You May Like: Cheap Eye Exam And Glasses Las Vegas
How To Study For The Real Estate Exam In California
How difficult the California real estate exam proves to be depends on how well you prepare and whether your test-taking technique gives you an added boost.
What is the best way, then, to study for the California real estate exam?
While methods vary based on learning style, there are tried-and-tested strategies you can adopt to be able to study quicker and smarter.
First, you should take accredited realty classes in California on the basics of being a real estate agent. That course of study is 135 hours of classwork composed of the following:
- Real Estate Principles
- Real Estate Practice
- An elective of your choice
These courses are available on varying schedules. They are offered online through home study, and in traditional and live virtual classrooms.
These classes are designed to prepare you to test successfully on the licensing exam.
To know which format is best for you, read our guide comparing the pros and cons of real estate classes online vs. classroom courses.
Did you take your pre-licensing real estate course online or in person?
What is the name of the school where you completed your pre-licensing course?
How Long Should You Study For The Real Estate Exam
Are you asking, how long should you study for the real estate exam? If so, youre in the right place. Our complete guide covers timelines, best practices, study tips, and more. Read on to learn all you need to know!
Disclaimer: REthority is supported by ads and participation in affiliate programs. We may earn a commission when you click our links. The information included in this post is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as legal or financial advice.
Jump to:
- How Long Should You Study for the Real Estate Exam?
- Do You Need to Study?
- Factors Affecting Study Time
- Advice From Real Agents
Don’t Miss: Property And Casualty Exam Prep
Tips For Passing The California Real Estate Exam
No matter how much you prepare for the exam, youre bound to have a few nervous butterflies on the day of the test.
What can you do to give yourself the best chance to succeed? Here are a few tips.
1. Dont spend time pondering questions
If a question stumps you, move on. Tackle it after youve answered what you know. Doing so can save you time and provide insight into answering the more challenging questions.
2. Find whats familiar
As you read the questions and answers, look for terms and phrases from your studies. Finding words you recognize can jog your memory and help you make a connection to the right answer.
3. Break questions into bite-size blocks
When you have a long question, read it in parts. Go over each statement slowly to make sure youre keeping up with the information presented. Then focus on the question as a whole.
4. Answer in your mind first
Dont look at the choices until you come up with an answer in your head. That way, youre less likely to be thrown off by the options and can answer the question faster.
5. Pick the best answer
Sometimes more than one choice can seem correct. Read carefully to understand what the question is asking. Then choose the best answer for whats being asked.
6. Make an informed guess
There will likely be a question or two that you dont know the answer to. Take an educated guess. You wont be penalized more if you get it wrong than if you left it blank.
7. Check your work
Tip #: Dont Overthink It
Some people might fall into a trap. They sit down for the exam, stress, and want to outsmart the exam. This is a classic example of overthinking.
Test takers nose dive and get exam anxiety that leads to them ejecting key information and terminology.
If this happens, remember to take a deep breath and ground yourself.
Whenever you encounter a question that confuses you, donât overthink it. Remember: a five-dollar bill is a five-dollar bill. Most definitions in real estate are straightforward. Do not question the question.
Recommended Reading: Cost Of Sam’s Club Eye Exam
Develop A Unique Studying Technique
Everybody has their unique studying technique. Some people are visual learners, while others prefer text material. Others are more Exam with rote memorization, while some people would rather understand general concepts than go too deeply into specifics.
Another good piece of advice is to form study groups with other candidates. Not only does this help you cover the material more quickly, but discussing the topics enables you to internalize the information better. Cue cards timed prep quizzes, and constant revision goes a long way.
The truth is that the best studying techniques typically involve multiple approaches. No matter your group, ensure you find what works for you and stick to it. The aim is to master the course material. Nobody is particularly interested in how you managed to achieve that.
How Long Does It Take For Dre To Process Salesperson Exams
Wait at least six weeks or check the current processing timeframes for how long DRE is taking to process salesperson exam applications. Once qualified, an Examination Schedule Notice or an authorization to self schedule will be sent to you. Use the eLicensing online system to check your exam date or to self schedule.
Can an examinee leave the examination room prior to completion?
An examinee may not leave the examination room prior to completion of the examination unless express permission of an examination proctor has been obtained and all examination papers and materials have been turned over to the proctor.
Don’t Miss: Cost Of Lenscrafters Eye Exam
General Tips For Answering Confusing Questions
- Answers that contain words like only,never, and always usually indicate wrong answers
- Answers that contain words like generally,often, or may usually indicate correct answers
- Longer answers are usually more likely to be correct than shorter answers
- Use the True/False method. This means trying to attach True/False to each answer
What Is The Cost Of Taking The California Real Estate Exam
Youll pay $60 if you apply for the salesperson examination only.
Applicants looking to become California real estate agents have the option to apply for the exam and the license at the same time by submitting one form.
In this case, your cost would be $305. That includes $60 for the exam and a $245 license fee.
If you complete the fingerprinting process for the criminal records check before taking the exam, youll pay $49 directly to the service provider.
The cost for pre-licensing courses varies significantly depending on the format and the education provider.
Look to pay at least $100 for a three-course online package, $170 or more for home study, and $400-plus for in-person or live virtual classes at real estate schools.
For other costs you need to invest on, read our article How Much Does It Cost to Get a Real Estate License in California?
You May Like: Basic Vinyl Synthetic Exam Gloves
Easy Tips On How To Pass The California Real Estate Exam
Looking for tips on how to pass California real estate exam? Youve come to the right place. Here at First Team we help prospective agents from the moment they consider a career in real estate until theyre settled in the right company as a practicing agent. Here are the best tips to help you not only survive your real estate exam, but pass with flying colors.
1. Answer what you know first and come back for the rest.
There will be two kinds of questions you encounter on the test that you cant answer immediately. First, there will be questions you think you know but are not absolutely sure of and secondly, there are others that are very long and simply take time to figure out. The best strategy is to skip these types of questions and mark them so you can return to them later. Working through the exam this way ensures you wont leave any simple questions that you know for certain unanswered.
When youre finished going through the exam the first time, check back through to see how many questions youve answered. In most cases, its going to be more than 105 questions. What does that mean? It means youve already passed if youve gotten all of those correct!
2. Arrive Early.
Arriving early will calm your nerves as well. If you hit traffic, if need to stop for gas, if you want to grab a cup of coffee before the exam there will be plenty of time for all of that. You dont want to feel rushed and the best way to avoid that is by giving yourself that extra time.
What Are Some Of The Questions On The Real Estate Exam
At this point you might be wondering, Is the real estate test hard?
The good news is, the answer depends on you: if you use the course and study materials youre given and practice regularly, it should be fairly easy to pass your exam with a score of 70% or higher.
The material youll see on the real estate exam ranges from legal questions to working out the math on commissions. Youll also need to be familiar with real estate terminology, which is where Allieds eBook Dictionary and Digital Exam Flash Cards come in handy.
Overall, categories include:
- Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures
While its helpful to know which topics are covered on the test, keep in mind that reading every word of the exam is just as important as knowing the material. The way questions are phrased on the test can change the context of what theyre asking, so its helpful to look out for words like always or never in all your questions, or choices like all or none in the answers.
The best approach is to take your time, read each question and answer carefully, and be mindful of every word. Youll have three hours and fifteen minutes to complete your 150-question exam, which should be plenty of time if youre an Allied student who has taken full advantage of our study resources.
Recommended Reading: Psi Oregon Real Estate Exam
How Do You Schedule Dre Exam
NEW FEATURE: Qualified examinees can now schedule themselves into an available exam via eLicensing as late as 6:00 a.m. on the day of the exam. Examinees will then be able to print themselves a barcoded schedule notice online to take to the exam.
Is the CA real estate exam hard?
The California real estate salesperson exam isnt easy to pass. According to education providers in the state, the pass rate averages around 50 percent or less. That means at least half of those taking the test on a given day will, in all probability, get a failing score.
How long is the CA DRE exam?
3 hoursCalifornia Real Estate Principles. Salesperson Licensing Exam is 3 hours and consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. A score of 70% or higher is required to pass. Broker Licensing Exam exam is 4 hours and consists of 200 multiple-choice questions.
What Is The Pass Rate For The California Real Estate Exam
So, is the California real estate exam hard to pass?
The California real estate salesperson exam isnt easy to pass. According to education providers in the state, the pass rate averages around 50 percent or less.
That means at least half of those taking the test on a given day will, in all probability, get a failing score.
More likely than not, preparation impacts how many people pass the exam the first time they take it. So, you definitely dont want to go into this test unprepared.
Recommended Reading: How Much For An Eye Exam
What To Bring On Exam Day
On exam day, candidates must bring a valid form of photo identification from within the last five years. This ID must have a photo of the candidate and be current. Here is a list of accepted ID.
- Current state-issued driver’s license or DMV identification card
- U.S. Passport or Passport issued by a foreign government
- U.S. Military identification card
Calculators are provided. You may not bring your calculator.
What is NOT allowed on exam day:
- other items deemed inappropriate by proctors
How Many Math Questions Are On The California Real Estate Exam
Its reported that there are relatively few questions on the exam that exclusively rely on mathematical calculations. However, the exam changes over time.
So, the answer to the question, Is there Math on the California real estate exam?, depends on the current content. You can contact the DRE to get the most up-to-date information.
You May Like: Best Life Insurance With No Medical Exam