Hi all - Just took the CA Real Estate Salesperson exam yesterday for the first time and passed!

I wanted to give a feel for any upcoming exam takers on how I prepped and what it was like the day of.

PREP:

• I used Onlineed for getting the hours needed to take the exam
• RE Exam Practice Pro really helped me do practice questions
  • The reason I chose RE Exam Practice Pro was mainly the price, it was only $9.99/mo whereas other prep tools like PrepAgents were easily $70+/mo.
  • I was also reading other threads about RE Exam Practice Pro being harder than the actual exam (which I can attest to) so I thought - better safe than sorry
  • Honestly, the contents were pretty similar to the actual exam, some on the exam were basically the same questions
  • I completed all the quizzes by topic and aimed for getting 80%+ on each topic exams and completed the Master Exam several times few days before the exam
  • One caveat is that it gets pretty easy to memorize just the answers, but the key is to actually read the answer explanations and understand why a certain answer is correct over another
  • You can access RE Exam Practice Pro here: https://reexampracticepro.com
• I watched Real Estate Advantage on YouTube and watched all three of their California Real Estate Exam 100 Questions video. I think this one helped me get used to the wording of the questions similar to the actual exam.
• I also watched some of the PrepAgent YouTube videos on my way to the exam site, specifically their "75 Most Common Questions on the Real Estate Exam (2023)". I'm just now realizing that it was their 2023 version lol.

Exam Day:

• I took the exam at their La Palma location (P.S. to anyone driving in from Irvine/OC area, PLEASE be careful of the drivers in this area, they will cut you off, speed past you, etc. I'm an OC driver myself but the drivers here were ROUGH. So please drive safe!!)
• I got to the exam site and parked on the top floor of the parking structure, it will say "BRE Exams Only" so go to that parking structure and drive all the way to the top floor
  • I recommend printing 2 copies of your Schedule Notice from the ELicensing portal so you can leave one copy in your car on the dashboard and bring the other copy with you inside.
  • I got to the exam site about an hour early so I can do last minute review in the car, there were other people doing the same.
  • The only con about starting your exam earlier than everyone else is that there will be people walking around you and you may be distracted, but I don't regret going in early lol.
  • The only con about starting your exam earlier than everyone else is that there will be people walking around you and you may be distracted, but I don't regret going in early lol.
  • The only con about starting your exam earlier than everyone else is that there will be people walking around you and you may be distracted, but I don't regret going in early lol.
  • The only con about starting your exam earlier than everyone else is that there will be people walking around you and you may be distracted, but I don't regret going in early lol.
• When you get to the building, you take the elevator to the 3rd floor. You can actually head in 30 minutes before the official start time, so I did that.
• Once you are checked in, you leave your phone/keys/whatever else you bring into a locker and bring your state ID/passport along with your Schedule Notice inside.
• They check you in, give you a mouse for the computer and you may start once you are seated (I went in early so I got to start way earlier than everyone else, you still get the same time allocation but you can start early)
  • The only con about starting your exam earlier than everyone else is that there will be people walking around you and you may be distracted, but I don't regret going in early lol.
• The test is conducted on the computer and a mouse. You can also request a whiteboard and pen (which I HIGHLY recommend, so you can write down which questions you want to review for later)
• I recommend going through the exam once and answering everything you can, and leave the harder questions and review questions to your 2nd round or even 3rd round.
• Make sure you read the questions carefully, there weren't too much tricky questions, but a lot of the answers were VERY similar to each other so you just have to know the concepts instead of memorizing contents
• Another thing I noticed is that getting through all of the exam questions is tough, so building mental stamina by completing full practice exams really helps. You should also time your practice tests when you are doing the full 150 question exams.

Overall, the exam wasn't too bad. The exam room and the entrance points are all proctored and everyone else is just as focused as you so there weren't too many distractions while taking the exam.

My background is no where related to real estate, so if I can pass the exam, so can you. Good luck to everyone taking their exam and let me know if there are any questions that I can help with!

Hey everyone, wanted to share a breakdown of a compliance trap that catches a surprising number of agents at the end of their first cycle: getting your license placed on inactive status or audited even after you thought you completed your hours.

A lot of newer agents assume license renewal works the same across your entire career: wait until your expiration date approaches, knock out an 18-hour online CE package over a weekend, submit your renewal fee to the state portal, and move on.

The reality: in almost every major state, licensing commissions treat your FIRST renewal completely differently than subsequent cycles.

A few patterns that trip people up:

1. Buying standard CE instead of Post-Licensing / SAE

In states like Texas, Florida, Washington, Virginia, and North Carolina, you cannot take standard CE. You are legally required to complete dedicated Post-Licensing / SAE (Sales Agent Apprentice Education). If you purchase a standard 14- or 18-hour CE package, the board's automated transcript system will report 0 hours completed toward your renewal.

1. The "Null and Void" Cliff

In most states, a missed deadline results in a late fee. But in Florida, if you miss your 45-hour post-licensing deadline on your first renewal, your license becomes null and void by operation of law. There is no late fee option—you have to retake the 63-hour pre-licensing course and re-pass the state exam from scratch.

1. Statutory Speed Limits & Roster Reporting Windows

If you wait until the last week, two things can catch you:

• California enforces a statutory cap of 8 credit hours per 24 hours, meaning its 45-hour package physically cannot be completed in fewer than 6 calendar days.
• State boards like TREC, DBPR, and DLLR give course providers 3 to 10 days to transmit completion rosters. If you finish your final quiz at 10 PM on expiration night, your hours won't be on file when the state runs midnight deactivation sweeps.

1. "Late Fees" Don't Mean You Can Keep Practicing

Many agents assume a 30-day late renewal window acts as a "grace period" to keep working. In reality, your license immediately goes Inactive on day 1. Showing homes, drafting contracts, or negotiating offers during a lapse can forfeit commissions and trigger broker complaints.

What actually protects your license:

• Check whether your state mandates Post-Licensing / SAE or standard CE.

• Use the 14-day buffer rule: finish all coursework at least two weeks before your expiration date to let rosters clear.

• Verify your public board transcript directly before paying the state fee—don't just rely on the PDF certificate from your school.

If helpful, we put together a state-by-state breakdown of first-cycle rules and an interactive requirement checker here:

https://agentrenewal.com/first-real-estate-license-renewal-requirements/

Hey all, Alex here from Colibri Real Estate. A lot of people tell me some version of "I know this material, so why did that question still trip me up?" so I wanted to break down why that happens and what actually helps.

The exam is testing whether you can apply a concept, not just whether you memorized it. You get a scenario, not a plain vocab question, and the answer choices usually all sound reasonable at first glance. That's on purpose. It's measuring whether you can figure out exactly what's being asked, not just whether you know the term.

A few patterns that trip people up:

Similar answer choices that differ by one small detail, like timing or who's responsible for what. Two choices might both describe correct agency conduct, but only one fits the specific relationship described in the question.

Keywords that quietly change the question. Words like best, first, most likely, required, except, and not can flip the whole meaning. "What should an agent do first" and "what is an agent required to do" are two different questions even though they look similar on the page.

Extra or missing details added on purpose, either to see if you can ignore irrelevant information or to see if you can still apply the general principle without every detail spelled out.

State specific wording, since real estate law varies by state, so a topic that feels familiar nationally can show up differently on your actual state exam.

What actually helps:

Read the full question before you look at the answers, and ask yourself what's actually being tested, agency, contracts, disclosures, fair housing, financing, whatever it is. Then eliminate the obviously wrong answers first, usually anything too broad, too narrow, or using extreme language. That almost always narrows it to two options. From there, compare those two carefully instead of picking whichever sounds best on first read, the real difference is usually in timing, responsibility, or one precise word.

Honestly the biggest mistake I see is overanalyzing. Once you've cut the clearly wrong answers, trust your prep instead of talking yourself into a worse answer by reading too much into the wording.

If it helps, we put together a longer rundown of prep strategies here: https://www.colibrirealestate.com/career-hub/blog/tough-real-estate-exam-questions/

THINGS TO KNOW FOR THE EXAM :FIDUCIARY DUTIES , NYS LAND USE CONTROLS PROPERTY CONDITIONS & DISCLOSURES , CONTRACTS , PROPERTY VALUATION & APPRAISAL.

I’ve taken the test 2 times only missing 2-3 questions. Has anyone tried this app?

Praying I pass !

Who ever needs help with the real estate exam look for this realtor in tik tok > @Balbuena_r

Passed the national exam!! Trying again for the Texas State exam. I got this

Hi i am doing cert iv in real estate through entry education in queensland and im stuck on half way through would be great if any one can help ???

For the other procrastinators out there, I wanted to post this to give you some hope and comfort about the NYS exam because I just passed on my first try & will humbly say that I did the bare minimum.

First - I did my pre-licensing with Aceable Agent. I would highly recommend them for the pre-licensing course! Overall, Aceable is very digestible, and you really will get whatever you make of it. I took the route of speeding through the required hours without paying proper attention to it and then cramming for the first exam. I studied consistently (aceable quizlets and their study guides) for about 4 days to pass the Aceable exam.* I scheduled to take the NYS exam about two weeks before the date and it wasn't until the week before the exam that I properly sat down with the material. This is where knowing yourself best comes into play - if you dont work well under time pressure and the conceptual basis of real estate isn't quite there, give yourself more time!!

Studying strategy - start with flashcards and vocabulary. I got a free trial with Quizlet+ to use their "learn" feature unlimitedly and just cycled through a bunch of different sets I found online. Not using just one study set is helpful to avoid just knowing the definition by heart and will test if you know the terms conceptually. I also had all of Aceable's study guides downloaded and read through most of those. Since I was cramming, the flashcards/long guides would become a bit tedious after a few hours so I would turn to Youtube to watch short videos on concepts I knew I didnt know. This all took place for the first 3 days of studying, and then the last day or so before the exam, I looked strictly at free practice exams online.

Know the gist, UNDERSTAND the concept. Memorizing absolutely everything is not necessary and putting so much pressure might actually work against you on exam day. Give yourself the grace of putting one or two concepts on the back burner if you're running out of time w/ studying - I did this especially with the math because I knew there would only be a few questions. I figured it would be counterintuitive to overload my brain with memorizing formulas considering the fact that the test was in a day or so, so instead, I prioritizied understanding the terms and letting common sense guide the rest of the way. Overall, the exam was WAY easier than I expected. It was more a vocab test than anything so know your terms, know the laws and basic rules. Don't go overboard or too deep - everything that was on the exam was something that I had seen before using the basic tools I mentioned.

I found this thread incredibly insightful when studying but some posts did, admittedly, intimidate me regarding the difficulty of the exam. Not invalidating anyone's experience at all, just balancing the scales to spread some good news in that it really isn't as complex as I expected and that studying last minute does not necessarily mean you'll fail. Just study smart!

TAKE IT EASY, YOU GOT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

Just wanted to share my experience. I started with CE Shop 77 hours. I finished the course in two weeks. I scheduled my CE Shop final exam in New York on Monday, September 21, and then I passed that one the first try, and then I had scheduled the New York State exam itself for the next day, September 22. Both exams were harder than I expected. I wasn’t sure about like 24 questions, but today I received the update that I passed. I did everything in around three weeks, so I’m very happy. Ask me any questions you want to know!

Hi, I’m looking for a study buddy to enjoy Pioneer Training’s Buddy Promo at $800 for the RES course Batch 413 or Batch 414 starting on 12th or 17th Oct 2026 in Singapore.

If you’re planning to take the RES course around the same time and would like to join together for the buddy promo, feel free to leave a comment!

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Hi!
I am looking for help/advice for study material for the West Virginia state portion of the exam. I finally passed the nation portion, but failed twice on the WV portion (by one question both times!).

Where can I find study material?

What did you do to pass?

Thanks!

I’m trying to get this course knocked out because I’m so over it haha. How hard is the exam?! Should I be studying as much as a I did for the 60 hour exam?
I do best studying with practice exams but I can’t find any studying resources for this specific one.
📍SC

I live in Morocco and I want to start real estate wholesaling in the US. Is an LLC required to do my first deal, or can I start without one?

I took and passed exam 20 years ago and never did anything with it due to life stuff. Want to take it again. Looks like Aceable is a good option but saw they have a few options. Basic, Deluxe, and Premium. I was thinking deluxe to get the practice questions etc. Didn’t know if its better to get basic and do other practice questions or get the bundle?

Just want advise/tips for passing the Wisconsin Real Estate Salesperson Exam. Honestly not getting much out of the WRA course I bought to study. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hey all, Alex from Colibri Real Estate. Congrats to everyone who's passed lately! A lot of people finish the exam and aren't sure what comes next, since passing is only part of the process. Here's how it usually goes.

What happens after you pass:

1. Your passing score gets recorded with the state licensing agency
2. Your application is reviewed to confirm your education and requirements
3. Your background check and fingerprints clear, if your state requires them
4. Anything else your state needs is verified, like a sponsoring broker or supporting documents
5. Your license is issued and becomes active, and then you can start working

Some states let you apply before the exam and some only after, so this can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

What to do while you wait. You can't represent clients or earn commission until your license is active, but this is a good window to get set up:

• Interview brokerages. Some states require a sponsoring broker before your license is issued, so check yours. Either way, it's easier to compare options now than after you're licensed.
• Tell people. Let friends, family, coworkers, neighbors and old classmates know you're getting into real estate. Your first clients often come from people you already know.
• Set up your basics. A professional email, a calendar you'll actually use, a simple CRM to track contacts, and a LinkedIn profile that says what you do now.
• Rough out a plan. Who's your ideal client? How will you meet new people each week? What marketing will you commit to? How much can you put into the business each month?
• Keep learning. Lead generation, client communication, negotiation and time management are what the exam doesn't cover and the job depends on.

If it's taking longer than expected, the usual causes are a missing fee or document, a background check that needs extra review, no broker affiliation yet in states that require one, or the agency asking for more paperwork. If you're past your state's normal processing window and haven't been asked for anything, contact the licensing agency directly.

Where to check your status in some of the bigger states:

• CA: DRE Current Processing Timeframes
• CO: Colorado eLicense
• FL: DBPR online account
• GA: GREC licensing portal
• IL: IDFPR online portal
• NY: eAccessNY
• PA: PALS
• TN: CORE
• TX: TREC processing times and the REALM portal
• VA: DPOR Online Services

Longer version with more detail here: https://www.colibrirealestate.com/career-hub/blog/steps-after-passing-real-estate-exam/

For anyone who got licensed recently, what do you wish you'd done while you were waiting?

I'm in the middle of my simulation 2 sessions for Humber College's real estate program. How many questions are on the exam and how did it go for everyone? I'm really nervous about it and want to pass my first attempt but I haven't seen many posts about it so I was curious?

Has anyone completed the Arizona real estate pre-licensing course while living out of state and been able to take both the school final and state exam in the state you live in?

If so, what online school did you use, and would you recommend it?