How to Pass the Real Estate Broker's Exam

Real estate brokers must gain experience as sales agents before taking the license exam.

Real estate brokers act somewhat behind the scenes in the field of real estate. The job of a broker is to locate sellers ready to sell property and buyers looking to purchase. Many real estate brokers are self-employed and own their own businesses. Individuals interested in a career as a real estate broker typically start in real estate sales and work their way up. All 50 states require brokers to be licensed -- and to become licensed, you will need to pass an exam.

Things You'll Need

• Real Estate License Exam Coursebook
• Computer
• Computer generated sample tests

Instructions

1. Ensure that you meet the requirements before taking the test. All states require one to three years of experience in real estate sales before an individual may take the exam to earn a license. Some states also require evidence of a set number of hours of professional real estate coursework.

2. Check which test you need to take before you begin studying. This depends on which state you wish to be licensed in. If you want to be licensed in multiple states, you may need to take more than one test.

3. Study for the real estate broker's exam. The best way to do this is to purchase a study book for the test. Familiarize yourself with all the information that will be on the exam, such as federal and state real estate laws and ethical conduct guidelines. Work on sample questions and take full-length practice tests. Grade yourself based on the rubrics of the actual exam and keep studying until you feel prepared to take the test.

4. Register for and take the exam. Be sure to get a good night's sleep followed by a healthy breakfast before sitting the exam. Try not to cram for the exam the night before, though some last-minute review may help in your preparations.

Tips & Warnings

• Find out where, when and how often the license exam is given.

• Arrive early to avoid unecessary stress.

• Do not overthink the real estate license exam. You will be pleasantly surprised to find that most of the questions on the exam are almost identical to those found in your practice exams. Sometimes, even the order is exactly the same.

• Do not get bogged down in the reading materials at the expense of taking the practice tests. It is better to take the tests first to pinpoint your weaknesses, then use the study materials only to supplement the areas you need the most help with.

• Find out how many times you can take the real estate license exam, before you have to retake the real estate courses again. Of course if you follow these steps, you should only have to take it once!

References

• "Real Estate Broker Exam"; LearningExpress; 2007
• Online-Education.net: Real Estate Brokers License
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents

Resources

• LearnATest.com: State Test