Top 10 Tips for Passing the Real Estate Exam

Obviously the most important factor in passing the real estate exam is knowing the material. However, don’t lose sight of the goal: passing the test! Learning is great but you can’t use what you’ve learned if you don’t pass. Here are our top 10 tips for passing the real estate exam:

1. Do as many practice real estate exam questions as you can.
   The test is multiple choice and you will perform MUCH better if you’ve been doing practice tests that mimic the real exam. Use a trusted service like our practice exams to prepare for actual the real estate exam. Having studied just the material is usually not enough to pass!
2. Start by only answering questions that are extremely easy.
   Go through the entire exam and only answer the questions that are extremely easy and you are fairly confident in your answer. This will give you a sense of progress and your subconscious will be thinking about the questions you skipped.
3. Look at the answers first.
   While going through the exam, look at the answers first. You are looking for keywords and vocabulary terms that stand out. If you used a product like our real estate practice exams or real estate exam videos, this will be easier since we specifically tailored our content to train you on key terminology.
4. Do not choose an answer you have never heard of!
   It’s unlikely to be the correct answer if you have been studying the material.
5. Work backwards to the correct answer.
   Eliminate obviously wrong answers and work backwards to the correct answer. You may be able to eliminate only one or two of the options. Even so, you’ve raised your odds of getting the correct answer from 25% to 50-75%. That’s a big improvement!
6. Skip questions you don’t know the answer to.
   Don’t waste time on a question you can’t answer. Skip questions you don’t know the answer to. For example, if math is difficult for you, skip the math problems until after you finish the rest of the exam. Occasionally, the answer to an earlier question is revealed in a later question.
7. Once you’ve answered a test question, don’t change your answer.
   As a general rule, once you’ve answered a test question, don’t change your answer, even if you’re unsure of the answer you selected. It has been statistically proven that you are much more likely to change an answer from correct to incorrect.
8. Don’t be afraid to select the same answer letter several times in a row.
   If you answered four consecutive questions as “A,” don’t assume that the next question’s answer can’t also be “A”. This can and does happen!
9. Don’t keep score as you progress through the real estate exam.
   This might discourage you and affect your overall performance on the real estate salesperson or broker examination.
10. Don’t compete with other applicants!
    You’re given plenty of time to complete the exam and you should use as much of it as you need. Don’t worry if other examinees finish before you do. Many students who finish quickly fail.