Taking the real estate license exam is an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of your state’s real estate industry. Whether you want to work with customers to find their next home as a real estate salesperson or become a broker with a team to support you, the first and most crucial step is to obtain your real estate license.

Before you may see your face on a “For Sale” sign, you must pass a real estate license exam to obtain your license. These tests can be intimidating, but with a solid study plan and pre-licensing instruction, you’ll be prepared to pass in no time.

Although the test is not very tough, it covers a wide range of topics and necessitates some preparation. We recommend these ten simple real estate test study ideas to help you prepare for and pass the exam on the first try!

Because each state has its unique version of the exam, we mainly covered broad tactics to use while preparing.

How to Study for the Real Estate Exam

Here are ten study ideas to help you prepare for the real estate exam and pass it on your first attempt.

1. Write Down Everything to Memorize it

Studying for the real estate exam is like studying for any exam or test. One of the most well-known real estate exam study habits is to write down the important or highlighted sections in your courses. When you write something down, it forces your mind to focus on that subject. So when you write down the important facts that will likely come up on exam day, it will help you memorize the material better. 

We know that writing everything down can take some time and a little bit more effort, but it’s a proven method that will help you do better memorizing the material that you will be tested on.

Usually, in the course material, certain information will be bolded or highlighted. Try to write down all of that information. Most of the time, if a piece of information is being featured in some type of way it means that it will be tested in the exam!

2. Take Lots of Practice Tests

When you’re going through your courses, whether online or in person, you will have periodic quizzes and tests at the end of each section to monitor your progress. Passing those quizzes and tests is usually a requirement in order to complete your courses, but they can also be a great studying tool for the real estate licensing exam.

Reviewing your old quizzes and tests is one of the most effective real estate exam study tips since the course providers have designed their courses based off the state’s real estate licensing exam. Usually, these questions are designed to mimic the state and national real estate license exam questions in both format and content.

One of the best study resources out there is the quizzes and tests that you’ve already taken in your courses. Go back and review those quizzes and tests to make sure that you are familiar with the format of the questions. 

3. Rewrite questions you missed

The third tip to pass the real estate exam ties in with both the first and second tips. When going back through your old quizzes and tests, rewrite the test questions you’ve missed (your wrong answers). This is the best way to get the correct answer on test day.

Going back to the first tip, writing down each test question you missed is a good way to memorize the right answer and which questions you need to be more careful on during the exam. Also, focusing your time more on your wrong answers can really help you optimize your studying time, especially if you have a tight daily schedule and do not have an extended period of time to study. 

Since you missed those questions, it makes sense to go over those topics more than others because you already know the right answers to the ones you answered correctly. A good way to do this is to mix up the questions every time you go back and practice so you won’t just be memorizing the order of the questions. 

And throw in some questions that you got right as well, especially ones that are similar in formatting, wording, and content to the ones you got wrong.

4. Know Your Real Estate Vocabulary Terms

Knowing real estate terminology is crucial in order to pass the real estate exam, as a large portion of the exam focuses on vocabulary.

5. Build your own practice problems & teach them to someone

One of the best ways to test how much knowledge you actually obtained from something is to try and explain that subject to someone else. If you can teach another person something, then you definitely have a good grasp on the material that you learned.

Start by coming up with your own practice problems. When you’ve been able to answer all your own questions correctly, then imagine you are already a sales agent and try to explain it to someone who hasn’t taken the real estate courses. 

A great way to really be confident when going to take your real estate licensing exam is to be able to think like the test writers. So if you can come up with your own questions, it is a great sign that you already know what you will be asked on the exam.

Read Also: What State do Realtors Make the Most Money?

A good question format for this strategy is real estate math problems. 

Since you can essentially plug in any number for those types of problems, coming up with your own problems and solving them correctly is a great way to see that you can answer those questions correctly. 

And if you can teach someone else to do those same problems, then you’re really ready to pass the real estate exam.

6. Focus on areas you had difficulty with

This one kind of goes back to what we talked about in tip number 3, but on a larger scale. Instead of just looking at the questions you missed on previous tests and quizzes, figure out which sections you had the most trouble with. 

Once you’ve done that, go back through that section or go through a crash course on that subject and try doing your end-of-section tests again. You should see some progress each time you do that. One of the things that all aspiring real estate agents struggle with is finding the time to study. A lot of aspiring real estate agents are doing this while working a full-time job or going to school full-time. 

It is crucial that you are able to optimize your limited study time so that you give yourself the best chance to pass the real estate exam. Using real estate exam study tips can help you work smarter and save time

Focusing on areas that you are weaker in can help you take advantage of your study time and really make sure that there aren’t any questions in the real estate licensing exam that will completely stump you. Now that’s a good sign that you will pass the real estate exam!

You can familiarize yourself by creating a cheat sheet and having someone test your knowledge. 

7. Practice Your Real Estate Math

Spend a good amount of time practicing real estate math questions as a decent percentage of your exam will involve math. 

8. Ask A Real Estate Broker Or Agent For Help

Have a friend who’s a real estate broker or know other real estate professionals? Tune into their years of experience and ask them for advice.

If you want to join our team once you become a licensed real estate agent, we’d love to answer any questions you may have.

9. Physically Prepare for Test Day

Passing an exam is far more than a mental game. Your mental sharpness depends on how you physically prepare for a challenge. 

So, it’s a good idea to prep for exam day:

• Get a good night’s sleep the night before – even if that’s not your routine 
• Drink water – be well hydrated for 24+ hours leading up to your exam and forgo alcohol the night before to really crush it mentally 
• Eat beforehand – don’t go into it hungry, give your body a balanced meal so that your mind can draw energy from it 
• Try a light workout beforehand – Counterintuitively, an early workout actually gives you more energy throughout the day, making you more alert for your exam
• Take deep breaths if needed to relax your mind and body

Follow and practice these tips to be at your very best for the exam:

10. Answer Easy Questions First

When it’s time to take the actual real estate exam, answer the easy questions first. This will allow you to complete the most number of questions confidently and then give you plenty of time to go back to the other remaining questions.

If you get stuck on a hard question early on, you may not have time for a later question that you do know the answer to. So save the hard stuff for last and trust your judgement!

Required Courses for the Real Estate Exam

Most states require college-level courses for the real estate license process. You can complete these classes at any accredited state university, private university, community college, or real estate education program. Your state’s Department of Real Estate is a great place to find a list of approved institutions.

Real Estate Principles: These courses are usually around 45 credit hours total.

Real Estate Practice: These courses are usually around 45 credit hours total.

Real Estate Elective Course: These courses are usually around 45 credit hours total. You are able to choose from among a list, such as the following options.

• Property Management
• Real Estate Appraisal
• Real Estate Finance
• Real Estate Economics
• Legal Aspects of Real Estate
• Real Estate Office Administration
• General Accounting
• Business Law
• Escrows
• Mortgage Loan Brokering and Lending
• Computer Applications in Real Estate
• Common Interest Developments

Taking courses through a real estate education program can help you structure your course load, as well as connect you with industry professionals as part of your network. Most places offer the required courses through in-person or distance learning.

Even though the real estate license exam is state-specific, most cover the same main topics. In California, for example, the real estate exam is divided into seven areas.

• Property Ownership and Land Use Control and Regulations (15% of exam)
• Laws of Agency and Fiduciary Duties (17% of exam)
• Property Valuation and Financial Analysis (14% of exam)
• Financing (9% of exam)
• Transfer of Property (8% of exam)
• Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures (25% of exam)
• Contracts (12% of exam)

Within each section, the state content outline goes over the main topics that you should know and understand to pass the real estate exam. Keep in mind that the state outline just covers the major topics and may not include every detail on the test.

Going over the topics in more detail is how a test prep course, practice test, and other study materials can help you prepare.

How to Study for the Florida Real Estate Exam 

Studying for the Florida Real Estate Exam necessitates a concentrated and systematic strategy. Here are some study strategies to help you pass the Florida Real Estate Exam:

1. Familiarize yourself with the structure of the exam. Knowing the format and types of questions (multiple-choice, true/false, etc.) can help you prepare more effectively. 
2. Go through the material covered in your pre-licensing course thoroughly.
3. Invest in study guides and prep books specifically designed for the Florida Real Estate Exam. 
4. Take practice exams to help you identify areas you need to study more. 
5. Create a study schedule that covers all topics and allocates time for revision and practice tests. 
6. Stay up to date with the latest trends and news in the real estate industry.
7. Ensure you are well-rested and healthy.

At the time of reservation, the candidate must pay a $36.75 cost for the salesperson examination via credit card or electronic check. It is vital to understand that the testing center does not accept payment.

Additionally, examination fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, so candidates should be prepared to take the Florida Real Estate Exam before enrolling.

In Florida, you have two years after completing the course to take the Florida Real Estate Examination. If you do not pass the exam within two years, you will have to repeat the pre-licensing course.

If your course has expired, it will not be accepted at the exam location; however, you will be eligible to take the exam if you provide proof of a valid and current course completion slip.