The California exam is computer-based at a DRE test center
In person, on a workstation
DRE currently offers electronic salesperson examinations at its Fresno, La Palma, Oakland, Sacramento, and San Diego centers. Electronic does not mean remote from home.
Mouse-led navigation
DRE's latest detailed public description found in this review says candidates use a monitor and mouse, select answers by pointing and clicking, and can move backward and forward through the questions.
Expect a three-hour, 150-question, four-choice salesperson examination on a center workstation. DRE has described a countdown clock and counters for total, answered, and remaining questions. Treat those functions as the official public workflow, not a promise about exact colors, button labels, screen layout, or a third-party vendor interface.
DRE, detailed computer-based testing description in the 2024 Sunset Review ReportWhat DRE officially describes and what remains unpublished
| Feature | Officially described | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| Location | In-person computer-based testing at five DRE examination centers | Remote or at-home testing |
| Hardware | Monitor and mouse in DRE's detailed system description; no keyboard used | A particular monitor size, mouse model, or accessibility configuration |
| Answering | Point and click one of four choices | The exact shape, color, or location of selection controls |
| Navigation | Move backward and forward through questions | A specific flag, review-grid, or confirmation-button design |
| Status tools | Countdown clock and total, answered, and remaining counters | Exact wording, placement, alerts, or color changes |
| Result | Provided when an electronic examination is completed | A passing numerical score or permanent access to reviewed questions |
Why this guide does not draw a fake screen
DRE publishes functions but not a current candidate-interface screenshot or full control specification. A recreated screen could make colors, labels, placement, and review tools look official when they are not. This article prepares the workflow without inventing UI.
The center workflow from arrival to result
Arrive
DRE tells candidates to arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled session. Bring one currently accepted photo ID and plan for the center's storage and security rules.
Check in
Staff verify admission requirements and direct personal belongings away from the examination room or into the available storage process.
Receive directions
Follow the proctor's instructions. DRE examination rules and verbal directions control even if a private practice interface works differently.
Begin at the workstation
DRE's 2024 public system description says the workstation uses a computer monitor and mouse, without a keyboard, and is activated through the mouse assigned to the examinee.
Answer and navigate
Choose among four options by pointing and clicking. DRE's description says candidates can move backward and forward through questions.
Watch the built-in status
The described tools include a countdown clock and counters for total questions, answered questions, and questions remaining.
Complete the session
Finish within three hours. Follow the on-screen and proctor directions for completion rather than relying on a remembered practice-app button sequence.
Receive the result
DRE says electronic-exam results are provided upon completion. A passing candidate is not told the final numerical score.
Read the screen as three separate signals
Question state
The prompt, four choices, and selected answer tell you what decision is currently being made.
Navigation state
Backward and forward movement lets you leave and revisit questions, subject to the actual on-screen and proctor instructions.
Session state
The countdown and answered-versus-remaining counters show time and completion, not whether answers are correct.
An answered counter confirms that a response has been recorded, not that it is correct or final. Use full mocks to rehearse checking question number, selection, and remaining time without turning every screen transition into a second-guessing ritual.
The interface tracks time, but pacing still belongs to you
What is official
The salesperson session lasts three hours for 150 questions. DRE's detailed system description includes a clock that counts down the individual examination time.
What is editorial
Checking progress near Questions 50 and 100, moving past an unproductive item, and reserving review time are practice strategies, not DRE interface requirements. The exam pacing guide explains one way to divide the three-hour session.
The result appears after completion, but access then narrows
Passing result
DRE says the electronic result is provided when the examination is complete. Because the examination is qualifying, a passing candidate is not informed of the final score.
Unsuccessful result
DRE says an unsuccessful candidate receives the actual score and percentages correct by subject area. The examination questions themselves are not opened for post-session inspection.
Ask DRE about access needs before the appointment
A generic monitor-and-mouse description cannot determine what accommodation applies to one candidate. DRE directs applicants who need reasonable accommodation to submit RE 413 and the required documentation with the examination application. Do not assume a center can change hardware, timing, input, or room conditions at check-in.
Eight computer-exam claims this guide will not make
The live screen matches a private practice app
A specific button color or label is guaranteed
Every center uses an identical monitor, mouse, desk, or room layout
The examination can be taken from home because it is electronic
A keyboard, touch screen, or specific accessibility device is standard
A review grid, flag icon, warning dialog, or auto-submit sequence looks a particular way
The answered counter proves a selected answer is correct
A passing candidate will receive a numerical score and question review
Continue with the verified exam-day guide
Prepare the room around the screen
The exam-day hub covers appointment checks, arrival, current identification, stored belongings, security, the five centers, and DRE's unresolved calculator conflict.
Frequently asked questions
Is the California real estate exam computer based?
Yes. DRE currently offers the salesperson examination electronically at its Fresno, La Palma, Oakland, Sacramento, and San Diego examination centers. It is an in-person computer-based test. Electronic does not mean an online examination taken remotely from home.
What does the California DRE exam screen look like?
DRE publishes functions rather than a current candidate-screen image. Its detailed public description identifies a monitor, mouse, four-choice selection, backward and forward navigation, a countdown clock, and counters for total, answered, and remaining questions. Exact colors, labels, layout, and dialogs are not published.
Do you use a keyboard on the California real estate exam?
DRE's 2024 detailed system description says the electronic workstations contain a computer monitor and mouse and that keyboards are not used. Treat that as the latest detailed public description found in this review, while following the actual center and proctor instructions on your appointment date.
Can you go back to earlier questions on the California DRE exam?
DRE's public computer-based testing description says examinees can navigate backward and forward through the questions. Practice leaving and revisiting an item without relying on a specific private app's flag icon, button name, or review-grid layout.
Does the California real estate exam screen show a timer?
DRE describes a clock that counts down the individual examination time. It also describes counters for total questions, answered questions, and remaining questions. Those status tools do not show whether an answer is correct or whether your current pace guarantees completion.
Can I take the computer-based California real estate exam at home?
No current DRE source authorizes an at-home salesperson exam. Candidates schedule an appointment at a listed California examination center, arrive for check-in, follow identification and security rules, and complete the electronic examination on the center workstation.
How many questions and how much time are on the computer exam?
The California salesperson examination has 150 multiple-choice questions and a three-hour limit. Each item has four choices. Use full 150-question, three-hour simulations to rehearse sustained attention and progress checks rather than learning only a sequence of private-app screens.
Do you get the DRE computer exam result immediately?
DRE says an electronic examination result is provided upon completion. Passing candidates are not informed of the final numerical score because the examination is qualifying. Unsuccessful candidates receive the actual score and percentages correct by subject area.
How do I request a computer-exam accommodation from California DRE?
DRE directs an applicant who needs reasonable accommodation to complete RE 413 and submit it with the examination application and required supporting documentation. RE 407 also applies when requesting a DRE-provided reader, writer, or marker. Do not wait until center check-in to begin the process.
Keep going
Prepare the full test-center experience
Continue with the related guide and practical next steps for this topic.
Confirm the complete examination format
Review 150 questions, three hours, four choices, the 70-percent threshold, and results.
Rehearse navigation and status checks
Practice completing 150 mixed questions within the official three-hour window.
See every official content and scoring fact
Connect the center interface to the seven areas, weights, results, and retake rules.