California Real Estate Agent Exam
Free California Real Estate Practice Exam
Need of a License: A real estate salesperson must be licensed by the state of California to represent clients in the sale or purchase of real estate that is located in California.
Who Grants a License: Licenses are granted by the California Department of Real Estate (“CalDRE, formerly CalBRE”).
Qualifications to receive a License: Prior to taking the state licensing exam, a candidate for a California real estate license must use this form to apply to take the state licensing exam. The completed application must be accompanied by proof of completion of three courses: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, and one other course from a designated list. Both distance learning and classroom style pre-licensure courses are acceptable. The three courses must be taken from a CalBRE-approved real estate school (search schools here). All candidates must prove legal presence, submit a full set of fingerprints, and meet the eligibility requirements for state licensure. All candidates must be at least 18 years of age. For more information about qualifications, see Instructions to License Applicants, on the CalDRE website.
Applying for the Exams: Refer to the How and When Exams are Scheduled page of the CalDRE website. Candidates should schedule the state exam through the elicensing page of the CalDRE website.
Test Content: The California state real estate licensing exam is comprised of 150 multiple choice questions with four answer choices provided for each question. Test takers are allotted 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the exam. A student must correctly answer at least 70% of the questions (105 questions) on the exam to pass. The exam tests the candidate's knowledge of general and state-specific real estate concepts, including the following subject areas:
Property Ownership and Land Use Controls and Regulations
Laws of Agency and Fiduciary Duties
Property Valuation and Financial Analysis
Financing
Transfer of Property
Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures (Includes Specialty Areas)
Contracts
Take a free Tests.com practice test to see what type of questions are on the CalDRE California real estate salesperson licensing exam.
How to Apply for the License: The license application is issued by the testing company upon passing both portions of the licensing exam. Candidates must provide the CalDRE with (1) all documents included on the Original License Checklist; and (2) the application fee. All of the required documents and the fee must be submitted to the CalDRE offices within two years of the date of the candidate applied to take the state licensing exam. Submittal of documents and fee can be either in person or through the U.S. mail.
Fees: The CalDRE charges a license application fee.
Who administers the test: CalDRE.
License Renewal Requirements: A California real estate licensee must take 45 credit hours of continuing education (either online or in the classroom) from a CalDRE-approved provider every two years.
Applicable Regulations: Real estate licensees in California are regulated under Title 10, Chapter 6, Regulations of the Real Estate Commissioner, and the California Administrative Procedure Act, Section 11.
