How to Pass Real Estate Exam the First Time in 2024

Hi, my name is Kristina Morales and I am a licensed real estate agent in Ohio, California and Texas. If you are looking to pass the real estate salesperson licensing exam, I am very familiar with how to do that.

I have done it three times and all on my first attempt. I will give you my advice on the best way to ensure you pass the exam the first time.

How Hard Is the Real Estate Exam?

You may be wondering “how hard is the real estate exam?” Fortunately, the real estate exam is not too difficult if you properly prepare.

If you read all the material, listen in class, and do all the practice exams, passing the real estate exam should be very doable. The difficulty of the exam is going to be directly proportional to the effort you put in during the preparation.

In all three exams that I took, Texas, Ohio and California, the math portion was minimal. In fact, when I took the California exam in 2017, there was not a single math question.

Of course, all that is always subject to change. Nonetheless, you should prepare for the math questions and it can be fairly easy to do so.

How to Study for Real Estate Exam?

There are a few things that you can do to help ensure that you pass the real estate exam the first time:

Tip #1

Each state will require a certain number of hours and specific courses that you need to take before you can apply to sit for the exam. Many people who are taking the pre-licensing real estate salesperson classes already have full time jobs and are very busy.

You may be tempted to breeze through these classes or take shortcuts just to pass the test for each course. My advice to you is to avoid this temptation. Try not to fall behind on your reading. When you fall behind, you will be tempted to skip sections.

Read everything. It will make the test go a lot easier because you will be familiar with all the concepts. Then if there is an exam question that you did not expect, you will at least be familiar with the concept and can make an intelligent guess.

If you lack self-discipline, it will probably better for you to opt for in-person classes rather than online. The video guide discussing the benefits and drawbacks of online real estate classes vs classroom courses will help you make your decision.

If opting for remote education, compare online real estate schools thoroughly. A review comparing the leading schools written by Accounting Institute for Success can help you in making your choice.

Tip #2

Schedule your exam shortly after you have finished all the required courses. Taking too much time in between will make it more difficult to pass the real estate exam the first time. You want to take the exam when all the information is fresh in your mind.

Tip #3

At least a week before your scheduled exam, pay the extra money to enroll in the review/crash course after you have completed all the required courses.

For me, this was the best way to prepare right before the exam. Do the in-person crash course and purchase the extra online practice exams. These practice exams will be very similar to the actual exam.

Tip #4

If you are at least scoring an 80% on the practice tests, that is generally a good indicator that you are ready for the exam.

Tip #5

Buy or create flashcards to help you memorize terms, dates and formulas. There is no getting around that. If you want to ensure that you pass the exam the first time, you will need to memorize key terms and concepts.

Final Words

The ability to learn is among the necessary skills for a real estate agent. If you study hard while you are taking each required course, it will make the final preparation for the exam go much smoother.

Be sure to take the practice exams over-and-over again until you are consistently scoring above 80%.

Also, flashcards and in-person review courses are great tools to help you become more confident when entering the room on exam day. Passing the real estate exam the first time is very achievable, do the work and you will get the desired result.

Lastly, make sure you know beforehand what to do next, after getting your license. We have a great article explaining in detail your next steps after passing a real estate exam.

Be sure to also learn about the pros and cons of being a real estate agent and consider alternative jobs you can get with a real estate license.

To help you build and grow your real estate career quickly, we at Real Estate Bees created a directory for real estate professionals. It’s designed to help you get more exposure for your business, including receiving leads. Create a free profile by signing up here.

About the Author

Kristina Morales is a REALTOR® with over 20 years of professional experience. She actively practices real estate in Ohio but also has practiced real estate in California and Texas. Conducting her real estate business in three states has allowed her to gain unique experiences that make her a well-rounded realtor. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and her MBA with a concentration in Banking and Finance. Prior to real estate, Kristina had an extensive corporate career in banking and treasury. She ended her finance career as an Assistant Treasurer at a publicly traded oil & gas company in Houston, TX.

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