Effective Studying Tips for Your Real Estate Licensing Exam
For most people, the real estate licensing exam can be the most daunting obstacle to becoming a real estate agent. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to studying, using the right tools can make a major difference. Our Real Estate Exam Prep courses offer streamlined resources like study guides and unlimited practice exams to help you focus on what matters and build confidence before test day.
In this article, we’ll share additional tips, tricks, and strategies to help you pass on your first try.
How Long Do Most People Study for the Real Estate Exam?
Most people give themselves 6-8 weeks to review the exam material and take practice tests. Certainly, you want to give yourself at least a couple of weeks between completing the pre-license courses and scheduling your exam with a testing center.
Of course, everyone’s schedule is different, and everyone learns and takes tests differently. That means only you can make the judgment call on how much time you’ll need to prepare for the exam.
Don’t rush yourself. Depending on your state, the real estate exam can be pricey, or you may only have a certain number of tries before you’re obligated to take the pre-license courses again.
What Is the Hardest Part of The Real Estate Exam?
Everyone struggles with different aspects of the test, which is why it’s important to take at least one practice test to understand where your particular weaknesses are.
That said, the math portion of the real estate exam can be the most intimidating or difficult for many aspiring real estate agents. You’ll need to have several formulas memorized, and you’ll need to be able to convert back and forth between units like acres and square feet, which aren’t exactly round numbers.
Math problems make up roughly 10-15% of the test, so it’s important to practice those and be prepared. We’ll have some tips for this portion below.
Tips for Passing the Real Estate Exam on the First Try
Everyone wants to pass the real estate exam on the first try, and the good news is that it’s very possible as long as you take the test seriously.
What is the easiest way to pass the real estate exam? In a nutshell, be prepared. Study the material with exam prep courses, take lots of practice tests, and understand what to expect on the day of the test. We recognize that those aren’t super helpful and specific tips, so we’re going to break the process down further with helpful study tips below.
Pay Attention to Your Pre-License Courses
Every state’s real estate commission designs its pre-license curriculum to prepare them for the real estate licensing exam. This means that even though some of the material may be dry, you need to be attentive to the material.
So, don’t rush through the pre-license material just to get it over with. Take your time studying and understanding each lesson. Spread the coursework out, take breaks when necessary, and schedule your course time for when you’ll be alert and free of distractions.
Wait to schedule your exam until after you’ve finished the course materials, and leave a window for sufficient exam prep and practice.
Invest in Official Real Estate Exam Prep Materials
Arguably, the best way to study for your real estate licensing exam is by enrolling in a reliable exam prep course in addition to your pre-license courses.
While the courses will teach you everything you need to know on the test, real estate exam prep courses from a reputable real estate provider like us will help you condense the information down to the most relevant material for the test. That way, you won’t spend time studying things that don’t matter, and you won’t overlook any critical information.
Look for an exam prep package that comes with unlimited practice exams based on real test questions. While you obviously won’t need an infinite number of them, that kind of product allows you to practice as many times as you need.
Create a Study Schedule
We’ve all got important things going on in our lives, and it would be physically impossible to dedicate 24 hours in a day to strictly study.
Creating a study schedule can help you plan out your days better.
Try evaluating your existing commitments, such as work, school, and social events. Figure out how much time you can reasonably study each day or week and set a regular schedule. Make sure to time your study sessions for a time of day when you’ll be productive. Breaks are crucial for maintaining concentration and preventing burnout, so plan for short breaks before and between study sessions to relax, recharge, and avoid mental fatigue.
Be prepared to adjust your schedule if unexpected events or challenges arise. Adaptability is key to maintaining a reliable study routine.
Make Good Use of Your Practice Exams
Practice exams are your secret weapon for scoring well on the real estate licensing exam.
You don’t need to save the practice exams for after you’ve studied for weeks. It can be helpful to intersperse practice exams with other kinds of study. Taking a practice exam once a week will allow you to identify areas where you need to review the material more thoroughly. It can also help you track your progress.
There’s another reason to take practice more than a handful of practice tests. Any given concept can be asked about in a number of different ways, and the more practice exams you take, the more approaches you’ll be exposed to. Do this enough times, and you’re unlikely to be taken off-guard or tricked.
Finally, each time you take a practice exam, use your mistakes to get smarter. Many exam prep packages will let you review the answers you got wrong on a practice exam so you can work out how to get the answer right next time.
Drill on Vocabulary, Conversions & Formulas
There are some items on the exam that you really need to memorize, including vocabulary words, conversion units, and math formulas. You’ll need to be able to apply these things, but first, you need to be able to recall the answers and do so quickly. This means drilling these items over and over again.
Homemade flashcards can be a great tool for training your brain on how to remember everything for the real estate exam. Making the flashcards is a form of study all its own because writing down the answers helps cement them in your mind. Then, you have a way to prompt yourself to go through everything again and again without being tempted to cheat. Make sure you shuffle the flashcards between uses.
Use Mnemonic Devices for Lists, Characteristics, and More
There are many questions on the real estate licensing exam that involve listing five characteristics of one thing or three steps of another.
These kinds of questions are what mnemonic devices were invented for. Mnemonic devices are memory techniques that help you associate information with memorable cues or patterns.
They come in a few forms: acronyms and acrostics, where each letter of a word or phrase prompts one part of the answer; rhymes or songs that turn useful information into an earworm; visual methods like a memory palace; and stories or pictures that help you remember associations.
You can make up your own, but for a popular set of information like the real estate licensing exam, you can also find and use mnemonic devices that other people have come up with online. There are a ton of them out there!
Practice Real Estate Math Problems
Beyond your practice exams, you may want to solve a few real estate math problems every day. It’s a good way to tie together the math formulas and conversion units you’ve memorized so you are sure you know how to apply them properly.
Make sure you systematically hit each type of math problem that’s likely to be included. There are more than you might think, and you need to practice them all!
Get in the Right Headspace on Game Day
It’s natural to be nervous when test day arrives, but you can take certain steps the night before and the day of the exam in order to keep cool, calm, and collected. That will enable you to make the most of your study time and get the best score you can.
Get Real Estate Exam Prep Guides and Unlimited Practice Exams
We’ve been helping professionals prepare for their licensing exams for decades, and we’re an approved real estate education provider in most states.
Our real estate exam prep packages have condensed study guides and a databank of unlimited practice questions consistent with the real exam. When you finish a practice test, we’ll provide question-by-question explanations to help you understand which answer is correct and why.
Purchase your exam prep package today and get started!
Just starting your real estate journey? Check out our online pre-licensing courses to build a solid foundation before exam day.
Already licensed? We also offer online continuing education (CE) courses to help you keep your license active and stay up to date with the latest laws, best practices, and industry trends.
