California Real Estate Practice Exam

California Real Estate Salesperson Examination · California Department of Real Estate · 150 questions in 3 hours, 70% to pass

Take the full California practice exam

150 questions in 3 hours, 105 to pass, in the California DRE format, with an explanation for every answer and a score by topic.

Or try the free California law drill
Free sample · Question 1 of 3California law

A listing broker and a cooperating broker are both involved in a California home sale, and the seller has given no instructions about the disclosures. Who must deliver the Transfer Disclosure Statement to the buyer?

California real estate exam format

Regulator
California Department of Real Estate (DRE)
Exam provider
DRE exam centers (Fresno, La Palma, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego)
Questions
150 multiple choice, one combined exam (no separate national portion)
Time
3 hours
Pass mark
70% correct. Passers are not told their score; failers get a score and subject-area percentages
Fees
Exam $100, re-examination $100, rescheduling $40, salesperson license $350, fingerprints $49
Retakes
Apply to retake after the failure notice; no limit on attempts within two years of the original application
Education
Three college-level courses: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice and one elective
License
Four-year term; 45 hours of continuing education each renewal
Pass rate
51% · Salesperson exams July 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025: 24,558 administered, 51% passed (brokers 47%). Prior fiscal years ran 47–52%. DRE update to the CAR Spring Forum, May 1, 2025
Line drawing of a Spanish-style stucco house with a tiled roof, a palm tree, hills, a yard sign post and a house key
  • The DRE exam is computer-based at five state exam centers and you see your result when you finish. It is a qualifying exam: passers are not told their score.
  • DRE says the exam is sampled from the whole field of real estate, so no single sitting covers every listed topic. Practice breadth: agency and fiduciary duties (17%) and practice and disclosures (25%) together are more than two-fifths of the exam.
  • Since January 1, 2024 the Real Estate Practice course must include implicit bias and fair housing components, and those topics appear on the exam.

California content outline

Subject areaWeight
Property ownership and land use controls and regulations15%
Laws of agency and fiduciary duties17%
Property valuation and financial analysis14%
Financing9%
Transfer of property8%
Practice of real estate and disclosures (includes specialty areas)25%
Contracts12%

Source: DRE Salesperson Examination Content (RE 425, Rev. 6/25).

Our California practice exam

Our California mock uses the DRE count, clock and pass mark: 150 questions in 3 hours, 70% to pass, weighted by the seven DRE subject areas. California law questions are mixed into every area, as on the real exam. Every answer comes with an explanation and the rule it rests on, and your result shows a score for each topic.

Sit the full exam under the real clock

Take the full California practice exam

150 questions in 3 hours, 105 to pass, in the California DRE format, with an explanation for every answer and a score by topic.

Or try the free California law drill

Practice California law, then every national topic

The California law drill asks ten questions on California’s license law, forms and rules, with the statute or rule in every explanation. The ten topic drills cover the general principles that make up the rest of the exam. Each drill’s first attempt is free with a free account.

California law drillTen California questions in random order, each explained with its statute or rule.10 questions · UntimedProperty ownership and estatesReal vs personal property, fixtures, characteristics of land, freehold and leasehold estates, forms of co-ownership, condominiums and cooperatives, liens and rights in land.10 questions · UntimedLegal descriptions and land use controlsMetes and bounds, the rectangular survey system, lot and block, surveys, zoning, eminent domain, police power, CC&Rs, easements, licenses and encroachments.10 questions · UntimedValuation and appraisalMarket value, principles of value, the appraisal process, sales comparison, cost and income approaches, GRM, CMAs and broker price opinions.10 questions · UntimedContractsElements of a valid contract, valid, void and voidable, breach and remedies, the Statute of Frauds, offers and counteroffers, earnest money, contingencies, options and land contracts.10 questions · UntimedAgencyTypes of agency, how agency is created and ended, fiduciary duties to clients, duties to customers, dual and designated agency, misrepresentation and fraud.10 questions · UntimedPractice of real estate and fair housingListing and buyer agreements, property management, commissions, the Fair Housing Act and ADA, antitrust, advertising, supervision and risk management.10 questions · UntimedProperty disclosures and environmental issuesLead-based paint, asbestos, radon, mold, flood zones, CERCLA liability, environmental site assessments, material facts and the duty to disclose.10 questions · UntimedFinancing and settlementNotes, mortgages and deeds of trust, loan types, FHA, VA and conventional loans, the secondary market, TILA, TRID, RESPA and ECOA, foreclosure and closing.10 questions · UntimedTransfer of titleDeed requirements, deed types and covenants, wills and intestacy, adverse possession, recording and notice, chain of title, marketable title and title insurance.10 questions · UntimedReal estate mathArea and acreage, commissions, LTV and loan payments, cap rates and GRM, prorations, property tax, transfer tax and seller net proceeds, each worked step by step.10 questions · Untimed

Common questions

How many questions are on the California real estate salesperson exam?

150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours. You need 70% correct to pass. It is one combined exam; California has no separate national portion.

What is on the California real estate exam?

Seven DRE subject areas: practice of real estate and disclosures (25%), laws of agency and fiduciary duties (17%), property ownership and land use controls (15%), property valuation and financial analysis (14%), contracts (12%), financing (9%) and transfer of property (8%).

How much does the California real estate exam cost?

The exam fee is $100 and a re-examination is $100. The salesperson license fee is $350 ($450 when you apply for exam and license together), plus $49 for fingerprint processing. DRE fees are nonrefundable.

How soon can I retake the California exam?

You may apply to retake it as soon as you receive your failure notice, and there is no limit on attempts within the two years after your original application was filed.

What is the pass rate for the California real estate exam?

DRE reported a 51% salesperson pass rate for July 2024 through March 2025, on 24,558 exams. The rate has stayed between 47% and 52% in recent fiscal years.

Take the full California practice exam

150 questions in 3 hours, 105 to pass, in the California DRE format, with an explanation for every answer and a score by topic.

Or try the free California law drill

Sources

Checked November 7, 2026. Regulators update their handbooks and fees; confirm details with California Department of Real Estate before you schedule.

Original independent practice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson VUE, PSI, California Department of Real Estate or any state real estate commission. All exams · Texas · Florida · National mock