The latest monthly overall salesperson pass rate was 52 percent
52%
July 2026 overall pass rate for salesperson examinations administered, from DRE's latest monthly RE-149 available on August 27, 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 July number as follows: DRE reports that 52 percent of salesperson examinations administered that month passed. The report shows 3,199 scheduled and 2,848 administered, with 52 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, July 2026 · checked 2026-08-27Read the four July fields together
| RE-149 field | July 2026 | Meaning | Do not relabel it as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesperson scheduled | 3,199 | Appointments in the report's scheduled field | Unique people who prepared or appeared |
| Salesperson administered | 2,848 | Examinations actually administered | First-time candidates |
| Percent passed | 52% | Overall passage percentage for administered attempts | First-attempt rate or individual odds |
| Fiscal year to date | 52% | The same as July because July opens DRE's fiscal year | A 12-month annual rate |
The rounded rate does not reveal the exact numerator
Multiplying 2,848 by 52 percent gives about 1,481, but the published percentage is a whole number. Several exact pass counts can round to 52 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 Unless DRE supplies the numerator, label the product an estimate and do not publish it as an official count.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 July RE-149 | Administered | Percent passed | Difference from July 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 2,848 | 52% | Reference month |
| June 2026 | 2,612 | 52% | 0 percentage points |
| July 2025 | 2,328 | 55% | -3 percentage points |
July matched June and was three percentage points below the prior July 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52% monthly overall | Salesperson exams administered | July 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 July 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 Report · checked 2026-08-27What the monthly number supports and what it does not
Supported statements
- • DRE reported 52 percent passed among July salesperson exams administered.
- • The reported rate was unchanged from June and three points below July 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 52-percent pass rate in July.
- • The exam became three points harder than one year earlier.
- • A prepared individual had a 52-percent chance of passing.
- • About 48 percent of unique July 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 52-percent overall July 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 a July 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.
California license requirement FAQs
Keep going
Place the current rate inside the full examination guide
Move from qualification to forms, fingerprints, the examination, and license issuance.
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.