13 Essential Tips to Pass The Real Estate Exam
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I’m going to share with you thirteen tips I used to pass the Georgia real estate exam.
In order to become a licensed real estate agent in any state you must take a pre-license course and pass the course exam. Once you pass the course exam you are then able to take the state exam. Getting your real estate salesperson license is a BIG DEAL. In my opinion, passing this test can give you a new career and an unlimited amount of money by selling real estate. Plus, you don’t even need a four-year degree-They are going to make this test hard.
However, it is passable even on the first try. I don't believe you can pass this exam solely on your pre-license education. I believe it’s all you have learned in your pre-license course plus adding additional methods and systems that make for an effortless pass.
My name is Candle, and I failed the exam the first time. I know you are thinking… “No way. As much as Candle talks about real estate. If she failed it, I’m going to fail too.”
This is not the case at all. I believe in learning from other people’s mistakes, Plus, I want to save you from paying extra exam fees so I am going to help you pass the exam- the first time.
This post is about helping you pass the real estate exam by giving you essential strategies and ideas you can start today.
#1 The day you pass your course exam sign up to take the test exam-IMMEDIATELY
There will be multiple test centers available. Choose the location day and time that works for you and register. The longer you wait to take the state exam you lose information and you lower your chance of passing. This is because the course is over and you aren’t consistently learning. Your brain is literally going to freak out and tell you that you aren’t ready and it’s too soon. If you take the test now, you are going to fail. That’s the furthest from the truth.
If you pass the pre-licensing course exam, you can pass the state salesperson examination. You just have to believe this and put your faith into action.
#2 Mentally adjust to exam date
When you schedule to take your test, remember you want to take the test as soon as possible. You do not want to wait three weeks until they have a 1 pm opening because “you are at your best at 1 pm”. This thought isn’t true and believing that you can only take a test on a certain day or time is going to hurt your chances of passing the first time. Take it as early as possible.
Or the opposite could happen. When I passed the course exam on a Thursday, I had already planned I would study all weekend and be the first person taking the test that Monday morning. I was wrong. The exam locations were completely full. The earliest they had was the next Thursday. This was agony. I prepared myself mentally and I must continue studying every day until I took the test.
#3 Create a real estate exam schedule.
You must study for a minimum of an hour every day preparing to take the exam. Make a weekly schedule to sacrifice watching television or weekly events to study. Once you make a schedule, write it down and place it on your mirror, add it to your Google calendar, and even set reminders with Alexa to notify you when it’s time to study.
#4 It sounds corny but flashcards work.
If you ask people who have passed the real estate exam what they thought of the test, many would say “It’s a vocabulary test over-exaggerated”. I don’t think it’s a vocabulary test, matching a word to a definition. I think you must know to vocabulary to match the word to real-life situations.
For example, “Your client recently flipped a property. You have found that he needs to sell fast because he has got into some legal trouble and needs the cash. You have listed the property and it’s under contract with an excited buyer. You recently found out there is a mechanic’s lien attached to the property. Who more than likely put the lien on the property?”
A. The mechanic
B. The mortgage company
C. The contractor
D. The county commissioner
E. The plaintiff in a lawsuit
If you know the definition of “mechanic’s lien” it is a lien placed on the property for unpaid material or work done on the improvement of a property by a contractor or subcontractor. So the correct answer is C.
You can learn definitions so easily by creating and using flashcards. One side is the word, the other side is the definition. I love the flashcards with the hook. This lets you put cards in different categories that will be on the test.
#5 The week of your test..prep study.
No one knows you better than you. To pass the test you are going to have to make some temporary sacrifices. The week of the exam, I did not go on social media, and I didn’t watch television. I did my full-time job, came home, and created an imaginary “bunker”.
Bunkers were used during the war for the soldiers to create a game plan for attack and protect them from the outside world. I had a room where I studied with all of my study material. No one interrupted me when I was in this room. I left all the distractions out (cell phone, television, food, etc.) Instead, I had flashcards everywhere, I retook exams that came with my course book, and I reviewed notes I wrote everywhere in my book. Just make sure all of your material is up to date.
#6 Use a lifeline.
When I was in college there was this game show called “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” You could become a millionaire by answering questions that go progressively hard each time the question is answered. If the contestant did not know the answer to the question, they didn't have to quit the game; they could reach out to a “lifeline”. This was someone they called during the game and they were able to give the correct answer to the contestant.
I am not saying that you will be able to stop your real estate exam, pull out your cell and call someone. I am saying that while you are preparing for this test, use your lifelines. Let them know you are preparing for the test, and you may be reaching out for an explanation, and better understanding, and when or how a term applies to real estate.
Your lifeline can be the pre-license instructor from your real estate school, a licensed agent that works under a real estate broker that may be sponsoring you at a brokerage once you pass the exam, a classmate, or even a private tutor.
#7 Take Free Practice Tests
Did you know that every state offers free real estate practice exams you can take? I was so determined to pass this Georgia real estate exam, one day I intentionally thought of random states and took their exams just to get in the habit of taking a test online and answering- this was completely free. Before I went to bed every night I watched YouTube videos that ask real estate questions. This was a good way to keep the vocabulary and terms top of mind.
#8 Invest in a Cram Course
A cram course is taking an exam on paper, and there are several online courses similar to the questions on the actual real estate exam. This is not a real estate exam cheat sheet. However, I did notice when I purchased the cram course many of the questions were similar to the questions on the actual exam. I had an in-person cram instructor that gave a written exam and we went over all the questions, plus he gave real-life scenarios which helped me understand the terms better. You can contact your pre-licensing course provider and see if they offer the cran course.
#9 The Day of the Test…Control the entire day.
Do not plan anything on this day. I remember turning off my phone the morning I got up. I didn’t watch the news or listen to the radio. I did not want any distractions. I know this sounds cliche but please arrive at the exam site early. If you arrive late you will not be able to take your test at all that day.
#10 BE relaxed and show up in your best self.
Being is a state. I am at my best when I’m in no makeup, no blazer, and no heels. If you are your best self in cowboy boots and your lucky hat, show up that way. Trust me, no one is looking at you or what you have on. They have come to take the test with an agenda, they are not focused on you.
I wore my favorite relaxed gear, I even came in flip-flops. I remember taking off my shoes and sitting in a Sukhasana position the majority of the time I was taking the test. It’s a yoga position that relieved stress, and it worked for me. When I arrived at the testing center I didn’t care who was watching, I was on a mission to pass the real estate exam- the first time.
(Disclaimer, I am not saying to take the real estate exam in the Sukhasana I am usually in this position when I work at my desk. Find a way that works for you to be relaxed taking the test.
#11 Stay focused.
I know this is a broad statement but it’s also powerful. Before you answer the question, no matter how easy it sounds, read it three times. The questions will be created in a way to fool you, get you off course, and answer it incorrectly. Focus on the question and what you need to answer. You will find that around all the fluff, it is really a vocabulary quiz
#12 Create a system for taking the exam.
One of the best pieces of advice about passing the test came from my own real estate instructor. She told me to do the following steps once I sat down at the desk BUT before I started the exam. The timer does not start when you sit down at the desk. It starts when you literally press start on the computer and begin the exam. So don’t worry. You are in control of your time.
The first thing I did was to take one of the sheets of paper and fold it in half, like the length of a hotdog. I numbered it 1-152 going down the paper and flipped over to the other side and continued writing. This was the number of questions I had on the test.
Then, I made a legend for how I would answer each question. If the question was easy and I knew it was correct, I would make a happy face by the number. (You don’t have to be extra like me, a check would be fine.)
If there was a question I think I knew the answer to but was unsure of, I put a “?” by the number. If there was a question and I had no idea what the answer was I left the space blank by the number.
So once I numbered my paper, made the legend in the top right corner, I wrote a motivational quote to remind me that I could do it- I started the test. That’s when the timing begins.
To pass the Georgia real estate exam, you have 3.5 hours of time. You can see the timer on the screen. If I spent more than 1 minute on a problem I moved on and left my paper blank by the question number. If you spend a minimum of 1 minute on the problems that equals to 150 minutes. This still leaves you a full hour to go back and answer the problems you didn’t know. One minute seems fast but you will be surprised how quickly you can answer the question.
Once I’ve gone through the entire test and I’ve given my happy faces, I go back to the ones I put a question by. Once those are answered, I go over the problems I did not answer at all.
If you do this strategy right, you can tell just from looking at your paper if you passed the test. If you have 75% of your answers with checks you have passed. To pass the Georgia real estate exam, you can get 35 problems wrong and still pass.
(FYI, do not write answers on the paper. This is a red flag to moderators and they may accuse you of cheating. Plus, they will take all scratch paper after you have taken the test so you will not be able to leave with it.)
#13 Test takers know the exam before they take the exam.
This is the part I failed. I knew all of the information and I had confidence but I made one mistake. I did everything I am sharing with you because I got to #100 thinking that was my last problem.
However, to pass the Georgia real estate exam there are 152 questions. I did my timing perfectly. So I had an additional 30 minutes. But can you imagine my face all proud and excited when I hit enter after answering the 100th question, then another question comes on my screen?
So where did I get 100? It’s 100 questions on national real estate BUT it’s an additional 52 that are around Georgia principles and law.
I took a deep breath but mentally I wasn’t prepared- I only planned for 100. So learn from me.
Know the following:
How many total questions are on the test you must answer? This is something you can find out just by googling or going the website of your state’s real estate commission
What is the passing score
How many questions must you pass in order to get your license?
How much of the test will be the national exam and state?
How long do you have to take the test?
If you take a break to use the restroom, does the time stop or does it continue?
What is the exam content? What topics/categories will be on the test?
Are you able to leave with your exam results and sections or portions of the examination you failed and passed
There is no question that is dumb. This is called mentally preparing to pass the test.
Do not stress out if the test is too hard and you did not prepare as well as you should have, it’s ok.
This post was all about giving you lots of inspiration, strategies, and tips. If you are following the steps I am confident you can pass the exam on the first attempt.
Share in the comments if you passed the real estate exam, and share below what worked for you.
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