The latest monthly overall salesperson pass rate was 51 percent
51%
August 2026 overall pass rate for salesperson examinations administered, from DRE's August RE-149, posted before the October 10 cutoff and checked on October 11, 2026.
An attempt rate, not a first-time rate
RE-149 places the percentage under salesperson examinations and does not separate first attempts from retakes. It describes administered attempts in the reporting period, not unique candidates, one school's students, or your probability of passing.
Read the August number as follows: DRE reports that 51 percent of salesperson examinations administered that month passed. The report shows 2,984 scheduled and 2,662 administered, with 51 percent passed. It does not publish the exact pass count, first-time share, retake share, candidate preparation, or reason the percentage moved.
DRE, Comparative Production Statistics, August 2026Read the four August fields together
| RE-149 field | August 2026 | Meaning | Do not relabel it as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesperson scheduled | 2,984 | Appointments in the report's scheduled field | Unique people who prepared or appeared |
| Salesperson administered | 2,662 | Examinations actually administered | First-time candidates |
| Percent passed | 51% | Overall passage percentage for administered attempts | First-attempt rate or individual odds |
| Fiscal year to date | 52% | The July-through-August total of 5,510 administered exams | A 12-month annual rate |
The rounded rate does not reveal the exact numerator
Multiplying 2,662 by 51 percent gives about 1,358, but the published percentage is a whole number. Several exact pass counts can round to 51 percent. Unless DRE supplies the numerator, label the product an estimate and do not publish it as an official count.
The useful comparison is small and descriptive
| Period shown in August RE-149 | Administered | Percent passed | Difference from August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,662 | 51% | Reference month |
| July 2026 | 2,848 | 52% | -1 percentage point |
| August 2025 | 2,886 | 52% | -1 percentage point |
August was one percentage point below both July and the prior August in the columns DRE printed. That describes movement. It does not identify a cause. Candidate mix, first-time and retake mix, preparation, scheduling patterns, and examination forms can differ, while the public report does not break those factors out.
Overall, first-time, and retake rates answer different questions
| Statistic | Population | Period | Safe use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51% monthly overall | Salesperson exams administered | August 2026 | Describe that month's overall attempt outcomes |
| 63.1% first-time average | First-time salesperson candidates | FY 2020/21 through 2023/24 | Describe DRE's four published first-time cohorts |
| 19.6% retake average | Salesperson retake applicants | Same four fiscal years | Describe DRE's published retake cohort average |
The cohort averages come from DRE's 2024 Sunset Review Report. They are useful context, but they are not August 2026 subgroup rates. Do not replace a missing current first-time value with an older average and present it as if the reporting periods match.
DRE, first-time and retake cohorts in the 2024 Sunset Review ReportWhat the monthly number supports and what it does not
Supported statements
- • DRE reported 51 percent passed among August salesperson exams administered.
- • The reported rate was one percentage point below July and August 2025.
- • The number is an overall administration rate with no first-time split shown.
- • Monthly rates form a series that can be compared when definitions remain consistent.
Unsupported statements
- • First-time candidates had a 51-percent pass rate in August.
- • The exam became one point harder than one year earlier.
- • A prepared individual had a 51-percent chance of passing.
- • About 49 percent of unique August candidates failed their first attempt.
Use the series for monitoring, not prediction
- 01Archive the exact reportRecord the RE-149 month, revision, URL, retrieval date, and the specific salesperson row.
- 02Preserve the denominatorKeep scheduled, administered, and percent passed separate. The rate applies to administered examinations.
- 03Compare like periodsMonth-to-month and same-month-prior-year columns are descriptive. Fiscal-year-to-date periods must cover equal spans before comparison.
- 04Use percentage pointsA move from 55 to 52 percent is a three-percentage-point decrease, not a three-percent decrease.
- 05Refuse causal storiesA public aggregate does not identify changes in exam difficulty, candidate quality, first-time share, retake share, or preparation.
- 06Update without erasingKeep prior observations so readers can see what was known at each verification date rather than silently replacing history.
The statewide rate should not set your exam date
Coverage
Have all seven official areas been learned, tested, and reviewed?
Performance
Do fresh mixed questions show stable reasoning and declining repeated errors?
Conditions
Can you finish 150 fresh questions in three hours without the result depending on familiar wording?
DRE requires at least 70 percent on the live salesperson examination. DRE does not validate private mock percentages as individual probabilities. Use the statewide rate to understand the aggregate, then use your own fresh evidence for readiness decisions.
Eight pass-rate mistakes to avoid
Calling the 51-percent overall August rate a first-time pass rate
Treating examinations administered as a count of unique candidates
Multiplying a rounded percentage and publishing the result as an exact pass count
Dividing original licenses issued by exams administered to invent another rate
Calling a three-percentage-point change a three-percent change
Attributing monthly movement to exam difficulty without subgroup or form evidence
Combining an August 2026 overall rate with a four-year historical first-time average
Using a statewide attempt rate as one candidate's chance or readiness score
Check the current DRE data series at the source
Read RE-149 before repeating a rate
DRE's comparative-statistics index keeps the monthly reports. Open the latest PDF, find the salesperson examination rows, preserve the period and denominator, and check whether a newer month changes the site's current fact.
Frequently asked questions
What is the California real estate salesperson exam pass rate?
The DRE August 2026 RE-149, posted before the October 10 cutoff and checked October 11, reports 51 percent passed for salesperson examinations administered in August 2026. DRE lists 2,662 administered attempts. The statistic is overall and the report does not split first attempts from retakes.
Is 51 percent the first-time California real estate exam pass rate?
No. RE-149 places 51 percent under all salesperson examinations administered and provides no first-time subgroup in that monthly row. Calling it a first-time rate changes the denominator. DRE's latest source found here that separates first-time candidates is an older four-fiscal-year cohort report.
How many people passed the California salesperson exam in August 2026?
The monthly report publishes 2,662 examinations administered and a rounded 51-percent passage rate, not the exact pass numerator or unique-person count. Multiplication gives about 1,358, but several exact counts can round to 51 percent. Treat that product as an estimate, not an official count.
Did the California salesperson exam pass rate rise or fall in August 2026?
DRE's August report shows 51 percent for August 2026, 52 percent for the prior month, and 52 percent for August 2025. The rate was one percentage point below both comparison periods. Those comparisons are descriptive and do not identify a cause.
Does a lower monthly pass rate mean the DRE exam became harder?
Not by itself. The aggregate report does not break out examination forms, preparation, first-time share, retake share, or candidate characteristics. A monthly move can reflect several changing inputs. Describing the movement is supported; attributing it to difficulty requires evidence the public row does not provide.
Does examinations administered mean unique California candidates?
No. The metric counts examination administrations, and one person may generate more than one attempt over time. The monthly row does not publish a unique-candidate denominator or attempt number. Keep administrations, scheduled appointments, candidates, and licenses issued as separate measures.
Can I calculate the pass rate from new salesperson licenses and exams administered?
No. Original licenses issued and examination administrations measure different events and can involve different timing, application routes, deficiencies, and cohorts. Use DRE's published percent-passed field. Dividing licenses by exams or subtracting the counts manufactures a statistic DRE did not report.
What is the difference between the 51-percent overall rate and the 63.1-percent first-time average?
The 51 percent covers all salesperson exams administered in August 2026 without a subgroup split. The 63.1 percent is DRE's average for first-time salesperson candidates across fiscal years 2020/21 through 2023/24. Their populations and periods differ, so the numbers should not be substituted or blended.
Should the statewide pass rate determine when I take the DRE exam?
No. An aggregate attempt rate is context, not a personal readiness score. Use complete coverage of all seven areas, fresh mixed-question reasoning, declining repeated errors, and at least two valid 150-question, three-hour simulations. DRE does not validate private mock percentages as individual probabilities.
Keep going
Place the current rate inside the full examination guide
Continue with the related guide and practical next steps for this topic.
Compare first-time and retake cohort data
See the older DRE data that separates applicant groups and its interpretation limits.
Separate the rate from the 70-percent passing score
Understand why a statewide passage rate and the score one candidate needs are different numbers.
Use personal evidence for readiness
Test 150 questions in three hours instead of treating an aggregate rate as a prediction.