Do you have aspirations of becoming a successful real estate agent? Passing the real estate exam is one of the major hurdles you’ll face early on in your journey. It’s natural to feel stressed or overwhelmed before the exam, but as is the case with most tests, a little preparation will go a long way.
From consulting practicing agents to taking real estate practice exams, here are five essential tips to help you pass your real estate exam!
1. Take Your Coursework Seriously
To apply for the real estate exam, you must first complete a certain number of coursework hours. While the types of courses and number of hours required will vary by state, they will feature much of the same content; and as you can imagine, many of these concepts will appear on your exam.
No formal degree is required, and these classes can be completed online, at a brick-and-mortar real estate school, or at your local community college.
Pay extra attention during your classes and take notes that you can review later on. Soaking up as much information as possible will not only aid you during the big test but also prepare you for a successful career in real estate!
2. Understand the Exam Parameters
Because the length of the real estate exam varies from state to state, you will want to become familiar with the exam you will be taking. For example, New York’s exam has 77 questions, while Arizona’s exam has 195 questions. What’s more, time limits may range from 90 minutes to four hours!
Knowing the format and parameters of your test will help you determine how much time you have to allocate to each question.
3. Connect with a Practicing Real Estate Agent in Your State
If this is your first time taking the real estate exam, consider speaking with a practicing agent about their test experience. Particularly if the agent has passed the exam recently, they will be able to give you a better idea of the types of questions that are included on the test.
They may even have their own studying and testing tips that they are willing to share with you!
4. Take Multiple Practice Exams
Experience is the best teacher, and practice exams will give you a wealth of experience by helping you not only reinforce real estate concepts and but also get repetitions with the testing format.
Take as many practice exams as you need to be comfortable with the content and the amount of time that is allotted during the real exam!
5. Refine Your Test-Taking Skills
Regardless of how much you study for your real estate exam, a high-pressure testing environment can be stressful. The best way to combat this is to hone your test-taking skills and bring a few important reminders with you to the exam.
Most importantly, remember to breathe, read carefully, and avoid rushing. In most cases, you have far more time than you think you might have. It’s also wise to work through the test systematically, completing the easiest questions first before advancing to the more difficult questions.
Finally, be sure to get plenty of sleep the night before your exam, and aim to arrive at your testing site at least a few minutes early!