Congratulations on thinking about writing the real estate agent exam. Most real estate exams consist of State and National portions, and these exams can usually be booked and paid for through telephone, internet, standard mail or fax registration. There are three major testing agencies that offer these exams for most states in the US, namely Pearson Vue, PSI Exams Online, and Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP).
A real estate agent exam can only be written once pre-licensing education has been completed at an approved real estate education provider. Again, each state has different requirements and reciprocity agreements with agents who are already licensed in other states. Do your homework and complete the necessary pre-license education hours before booking your exam.
On the day of your real estate exam, you need to bring the following with you:
1. Your confirmation number
You will receive a confirmation number when booking and paying for the exam. Bring this number with you on exam day.
2. Two forms of proper identification (primary and secondary)
You must bring two acceptable forms of identification to your exam.
The primary form must be issued by the government, and have a photo of you and show your signature. It also must not have expired, as testing agencies will never accept any outdated identification – even if it is only by one day. An acceptable primary ID includes a driver’s license, plastic card learner’s permit, national/state/country identification card, passport/passport card, military ID, or an alien registration card, such as a permanent residence visa or a green card.
An acceptable secondary form of identification may be a debit card, credit card, US social security card, or any ID on the primary list in the paragraph above. Remember that secondary forms of ID in this list may never be substituted and used as a primary form of identification.
3. Other materials
Other materials include those required by the licensing agency of your state, which is usually the relevant real estate commission or professional licensing bureau. You may need to bring items such as a fingerprint clearance card or a criminal background report.
You will most likely need to provide a pre-licensure education certificate to prove that you have completed the necessary training hours at an approved education provider prior to taking the exam.
A calculator: this should be battery-operated, non-printing, silent, and without any alphabetic keypad. The testing center will not provide you with a calculator.
Exam Etiquette
Arrive at least 30 minutes before the exam begins to allow enough time to sign in, find a seat and start the exam on time. Never take personal items with you into the testing room. This means that you leave all cellphones, dictionaries, books, purses, stationery, etc. outside. Adjudicators are also strict on personal conduct, and they will not allow any chewing gum, smoking, eating or drinking at the testing center.
It is extremely important to ensure that you get an official score report for your exam when you leave the testing center. The score report will indicate whether you have passed or failed the exam. If you have passed, you will need to submit this score report when you apply for your license. If you have failed, it is possible to retake the exam at a later stage.
A great tip is to write down the confirmation number, examination date, testing center and representative’s name immediately after the exam – this info will come in handy if you need to contact the testing agency for any reason.
