As a senior instructor at a major test preparation company, I learned all the secrets critical to performing well on the most challenging standardized tests in the U.S.—strategies you can use to boost your score on your state’s real estate licensing exam.
If multiple-choice exams taken under time constraints give you sweaty palms, give rise to nervous glances at the clock, and evoke the strangely satisfying feel and flavor of a No. 2 yellow pencil gripped between your teeth—we’re here to help. We want to be a part of your exam-day success.
In this article, you’ll find a free real estate practice exam, recommendations for taking your exam prep to the next level, and seven secret hacks you can use to level up your exam-taking strategy.
Take Our Free Real Estate Practice Exam
Real estate practice exams are essential tools to prepare you for your state licensing exam. We designed a real estate practice exam with 30 questions covering all the major topics you’ll encounter on your state licensure exam.
Whether you’re getting your real estate license in California, Florida, New York, or anywhere in between, getting some practice questions under your belt is a great way to ensure you’re ready on exam day. We’ll give you immediate feedback along with your results and compare your performance to others who’ve also taken our real estate practice exam.
Your state’s real estate exam will allow you a basic function calculator, so make sure you have one (or your phone) handy before taking our free real estate practice exam.
Did You Pass Your State’s Real Estate License Exam?
The threshold for passing your real estate licensing exam is between 70% and 75% in most states. Did you meet your state’s requirements on our real estate practice exam? If so, you’re well on your way to a passing score on your exam day!
If you didn’t, don’t worry. You’ve still got plenty of time, and we have effective strategies to help you improve your score. Read on to learn more!
State-by-State Real Estate Exam Pass Rates
Each state’s real estate license exam is unique regarding the number of questions, the ratio of state-specific vs general knowledge questions, and how long you have to complete the exam.
Select your state to find out what you can expect on exam day.
| State | Number of Questions | Passing Score | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 140 | 70% | 3h 30m |
| Alaska | 120 | 75% | 4h |
| Arizona | 180 | 75% | 5h |
| Arkansas | 125 | 70% | 4h |
| California | 150 | 70% | 3h |
| Colorado | 154 | 75% | 3h 50m |
| Connecticut | 110 | 70% | 2h 45m |
| Delaware | 120 | 70% | 4h |
| District of Columbia | 110 | 75% | 4h |
| Florida | 100 | 75% | 3h 30m |
| Georgia | 152 | 72%* | 4h |
| Hawaii | 130 | 70% | 4h |
| Idaho | 120 | 70% | 4h |
| Illinois | 140 | 75% | 3h 30m |
| Indiana | 130 | 75% | 4h |
| Iowa | 120 | 70% | 3h |
| Kansas | 110 | 70% | 4h |
| Kentucky | 130 | 75% | 4h |
| Louisiana | 135 | 70% | 3h |
| Maine | 120 | 75% | 4h |
| Maryland | 110 | 70% | 3h |
| Massachusetts | 120 | 70% | 4h |
| Michigan | 115 | 70% | 3h |
| Minnesota | 120 | 75% | 4h |
| Mississippi | 120 | 72% | 4h |
| Missouri | 140 | 75% | 4h |
| Montana | 133 | 80%* | 3h 30m |
| Nebraska | 150 | 70% | 4h |
| Nevada | 120 | 75% | 4h |
| New Hampshire | 140 | 70%* | 3h 30m |
| New Jersey | 110 | 70% | 4h |
| New Mexico | 130 | 75% | 3h |
| New York | 75 | 70% | 1h 30m |
| North Carolina | 140 | 70% | 4h |
| North Dakota | 140 | 75% | 3h 30m |
| Ohio | 120 | 70% | 3h |
| Oklahoma | 130 | 75% | 3h |
| Oregon | 130 | 75% | 3h 15m |
| Pennsylvania | 110 | 75% | 3h |
| Rhode Island | 135 | 70%* | 4h |
| South Carolina | 110 | 70% | 3h |
| South Dakota | 157 | 75%* | 4h |
| Tennessee | 120 | 70% | 4h |
| Texas | 125 | 61% | 4h |
| Utah | 130 | 70% | 4h |
| Vermont | 136 | 75%* | 4h |
| Virginia | 120 | 70% | 2h 30m |
| Washington | 130 | 75%* | 3h 30m |
| West Virginia | 150 | 75% | 3h |
| Wisconsin | 140 | 75% | 4h |
| Wyoming | 132 | 75% | 3h 30m |
*The passing percentages in these states vary year to year depending on each test’s difficulty and pass rate on a rolling basis. This system, known as the “minimally competent practitioner evaluation,” causes the passing percentage to float, but generally, it is within 5% of our listed pass/fail threshold.
Take Your Exam Prep to the Next Level
If you want to level up your real estate exam prep, consider a course from a reputable real estate education company. Here are some of our favorites.
The Close Top Real Estate Exam Prep Providers for 2022
| Provider | Why We Like Them | Pricing + Promo Codes |
|---|---|---|
| Mbition (Best Overall) | Adaptive Learning Technology that customizes your test prep based on how you perform on practice exams | Starting at $59. Click our Mbition link - Save 15% |
| Real Estate Express | More than 15 full-length practice tests + a great prelicensing / test prep package if you still need your class hours Read Our Review | Starting at $99. TheClose25 - Save 25% |
| Kaplan Real Estate | The exclusive QBank platform allows you to create your own custom practice tests based on the areas you need the most work Read Our Review | Starting at $99. KAPRE5 - Save 5% |
| Real Estate Exam Scholar | Most affordable option + a mobile-friendly platform for test preppers on the go | Starting at $39. Check website for deals |
7 Real Estate Exam Hacks Test Makers Don’t Want You to Know About
If you’ve been creeping on my LinkedIn account (feel free to add me!), you’ll know that I spent some time teaching for a reputable real estate education company.
Here are the seven test-taking hacks you need to ace your exam:
1. Answer Every Question
When you’ve got a timed test, there’s always the concern that you’ll get hung up in a particular section and be unable to complete the test. Don’t be one of those people. Answer every single question, even if you’re guessing.
The worst that can happen when you guess on a question is that you don’t get any points, and the best that can happen—assuming you have NO idea what the answer is—is that you have a one in four shot at getting a point. Don’t leave anything blank.
2. Always Answer the Questions You Know First
If you don’t know the answer to a question, skip it and move on. But make sure you come back to it later. Here’s why:
Let’s say you have 10 minutes left on your timed test and 10 questions left to answer. The second of your 10 remaining questions is a particularly tough one, and you spend seven minutes trying to figure out the answer. Now, with only three minutes left, you’re forced to quickly answer the remaining eight questions, some of which you may guess at to avoid leaving blanks.
Wouldn’t it be a shame if the last eight questions on the test were easy ones—guaranteed points for you—but you provide random answers because you don’t have time to consider them carefully?
By skipping through the questions you don’t know the answers to and focusing first on the questions you know the answers to, you’re giving yourself time to answer the questions you’re most likely to get right.
3. Eliminate Wrong Answers Before Moving on From a Tough Question
If you have a particularly challenging question that you’ll need to circle back to, be sure to eliminate any of the answer choices you know to be incorrect. Doing so gives you two advantages.
First, you’ll capitalize on your “gut reaction.” More often than not, your first instinct points you in the right direction. Listening to your inner voice will eliminate an answer or two, making your final answer a little easier later on.
Second, thinking critically and eliminating answer choices you know don’t make sense may help you to answer subsequent questions more effectively. Related questions are not uncommon on the real estate license exam, and some use the same purchase or sale scenario.
4. Use the Question Stem to Look for Clues to the Right Answer
Often, the correct answer is hinted at in the question itself. For instance, if a question setup is particularly long and complex, chances are the answer will match the question in terms of sophistication and complexity. More often than not, a three-sentence question will not have a one-word answer.
5. Always Anticipate the Answer Before Looking at the Choices
Complicated wording may cause you to get tripped up on the real estate licensing exam. You may misinterpret an answer choice. Deceptive language is arguably fair game on tests like these. Therefore, double-negatives, unrelated conclusions, or red herrings are commonly used (especially in the math portion of the test).
You can combat this multiple-choice test feature by predicting what you think the answer will be before reviewing the answers. By doing so, you are giving yourself a gut-checked answer you can compare against the answer choices, rather than trying to find one answer that simply sounds better than the others. If an answer choice isn’t anything close to what you predicted, it’s probably incorrect. If one lines up well with what you had in mind, chances are you’ve got the right one.
6. Remember, There’s Only One Correct Answer
The best part about multiple-choice tests is that there is, unequivocally, one correct answer to every question on the test. With this established, there are, therefore, three categorically incorrect answers to every question.
If you’re having trouble with a question, try reversing your perspective on it. Rather than seeking the correct answer, try picking out the wrong answers. Can you identify the fundamental flaws in the answer choices? Three of them exist. Even if the right answer doesn’t jump off the page, the wrong answers might.
7. The Real Estate License Exam Is Pass/Fail, No Extra Credit for a Perfect Score
If you’re an overachiever like me, the allure of a perfect score on a test is hard to ignore. You may be tempted to try to crush it. Resist the urge! In the case of the real estate licensing exam, you simply have to.
Why? From a test strategy standpoint, your goal is to correctly answer the number of questions that will get you a passing score. You need a grade of 70% (80% in some states) to pass the exam and get your license. On a 100-question test, your strategy is to answer 70 questions correctly. My advice is to skip questions liberally.
Answering 90 questions correctly won’t earn you anything extra. Expend all your best energy to reach the passing threshold—anything beyond that doesn’t matter when it comes to your real estate licensing exam (though you’ll need that crucial knowledge to practice real estate!).
Bringing It All Together
Real estate practice exam options abound, but Mbition – Learn Real Estate provides the best offerings if you’re ready to get your license, power up your prep, and crush your test. Check them out today and start preparing for the next step of your career.
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