$100
re-examination fee
Charged for each salesperson retake
California DRE salesperson re-examination
Failed the California real estate exam?
Wait until DRE releases your result, then apply for a new test using eLicensing, your RE 418A result notice, or RE 415A if that notice is missing. A salesperson retake costs $100. There is no attempt limit within the two-year period measured from your original application filing date.
The California salesperson retake rules at a glance
These four facts answer the immediate questions. The sections below explain the forms, score report, study plan, and timing traps in detail.
After result
when to reapply
Never seek a new date before notification
No limit
attempts in the window
The two-year original-application period controls
3 routes
ways to reapply
eLicensing, RE 418A, or RE 415A when needed
Do not reapply or reschedule before DRE releases the result
DRE warns that applying, paying, or trying to obtain another date before notification can flag your examination record, withhold the result while additional fees are assessed, and cause a new date to be changed, delayed, or canceled. Wait for the result first.How to apply for a California real estate exam retake
All three routes begin after notification of failure. Use one route, not multiple submissions for the same retake.
1. DRE eLicensing
DRE identifies eLicensing as the expedited online route. Use it after the failed result appears in your examination record.
Open eLicensing2. Your RE 418A
The Salesperson Examination Result Notice can be used to apply for re-examination after DRE has notified you of failure.
Read DRE retake instructions3. RE 415A if the notice is missing
Use the Salesperson Examination Change Application when you cannot locate RE 418A and are not using the online route.
Open official RE 415ARead the failed examination result correctly
An unsuccessful electronic result gives useful evidence, but it does not expose the questions, subtopics, or calculations behind the score.
Actual overall score
This is DRE's official score. Preserve it exactly as shown on the notice.
Seven subject percentages
Use them as broad signals for where fresh diagnosis should begin.
No average
DRE expressly says averaging the subject percentages does not produce the overall score.
No answer inspection
You cannot inspect the examination book or answer sheet after the session.
Turn the seven percentages into a study order
Enter the subject percentages from RE 418A. The worksheet ranks broad study signals using each area's published approximate weight. It deliberately does not estimate your overall score.
Your RE 418A percentages
Copy each subject area percentage from your result notice. Leave any blank if you do not have it, and the worksheet will work with what you give it.
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%
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Enter at least one percentage
The worksheet ranks your areas by weighted loss, meaning points of the published examination outline affected by each result. It does not calculate or estimate an overall score. Use the actual score printed on your DRE result notice for that.
Why the seven percentages are not a second score
DRE reports an actual overall score and a percentage correct for each of the seven subject areas when a candidate is unsuccessful. The agency also states that the overall score cannot be obtained by averaging those percentages. Treat the overall score on the notice as the official result.
Consider a candidate who scores 60% in Practice and Disclosures and 85% in Transfer of Property. An equal average treats the two rows as if they have the same influence. DRE's outline assigns those areas approximate weights of 25% and 8%. The percentages are useful for deciding what to investigate, but they are not interchangeable pieces of a second score.
This page's worksheet uses the published approximate weights only to rank broad study signals. It cannot reconstruct your result, predict a pass, or tell you how many questions you missed. Start with the highest-ranked signal, then use fresh questions to find the subtopics and mistake patterns that actually need work.
A focused study plan for the second attempt
A failed result narrows the search, but it does not diagnose the cause. Use this sequence to turn broad percentages into specific corrections.
- 01
Preserve the notice and separate score from diagnosis
Save the actual overall score and all seven subject percentages exactly as DRE reports them. The first is the official result. The seven percentages are broad clues about where to investigate.
- 02
Diagnose the top two weighted signals
Use the worksheet to choose where diagnosis begins, then answer fresh questions from the official subtopics in those areas. Do not assume that every weak percentage comes from the same concept.
- 03
Name the reason for every miss
Classify each error as a rule or vocabulary gap, a scenario-application error, a calculation error, a reading mistake, or a timing problem. The remedy should match the cause.
- 04
Relearn first, then mix the areas
Study the missed rule in context, answer focused questions until the reasoning is stable, then return to weighted mixed practice. Keep all seven areas in rotation because every area can contribute scored questions.
- 05
Book the retake after the result and when readiness is repeatable
Reapply only after DRE releases the result. Choose the next date when fresh, weighted practice shows steady reasoning across sessions, not after one unusually strong score.
Official California retake facts in one place
- No limit on the number of examinations during the two-year period following the filing of the original application
- DRE, Re-taking the Examination
After two years you must file a new application, requalify against all statutory requirements, and pay the fee again.
- $100 per attempt
- DRE fee schedule
Same amount for an original examination and a re-examination.
- $40 to reschedule
- DRE fee schedule
Applies to the first and every subsequent reschedule.
- Electronic examination results are given on completion. Further correspondence normally arrives within five business days
- You cannot inspect your book or answer sheet after the session ends
Retake and reschedule are different actions
The words sound similar, but the trigger, form path, and fee are different.
After a failed exam
Retake, $100
Wait for notification of failure, then apply for re-examination through eLicensing, RE 418A, or RE 415A when the result notice is missing. This creates a new examination attempt.
DRE salesperson re-examination feeBefore an existing appointment
Reschedule, $40
Rescheduling changes an appointment you already hold. DRE allows one appointment at a time, and changing it removes the current date. Submit the request once to avoid duplicate changes or fees.
DRE rescheduling instructionsTwo rules that can change your retake path
The two-year clock starts with the original application
DRE allows unlimited attempts during the two-year period after the filing of the original application. A later failed attempt does not restart that clock. Once the period ends, you must file a new application, meet the statutory requirements then in effect, and pay the required fee.
DRE two-year re-examination ruleReasonable accommodation follows a paper process
Follow the current RE 413 instructions and submit the requested supporting documentation with the applicable examination form and fee. RE 415A says not to schedule a reasonable-accommodation examination through eLicensing.
Official RE 413 accommodation requestPass California mobile app
Turn the first result into a stronger second attempt.
Work the seven DRE areas in their published proportions, understand every explanation, and bring missed questions back into review. The app is built to make the next study decision clear without inventing a pass guarantee.
Continue your retake plan
Take a weighted mock examinationPractice the official area mix and receive a clear area-by-area breakdown.MockReview missed questionsRevisit errors and give confident but incorrect answers special attention.Your missesBuild a retake study calendarWork backward from your next examination date and allocate study by need and weight.ToolUnderstand RE 418A and RE 415AChoose the correct retake route and avoid filing before DRE releases the result.Forms
California real estate exam retake questions
How many times can I retake the California real estate exam?
There is no limit during the two-year period following the filing of your original application. After two years you must file a new application, requalify against all statutory requirements, and pay the fee again.
How much does it cost to retake the California real estate exam?
$100 for each salesperson re-examination. This is separate from changing an existing appointment, which DRE lists as a $40 salesperson rescheduling fee. DRE states that fees are nonrefundable.
Can I average my per-area percentages to find my overall score?
No. DRE expressly says the overall score cannot be obtained by averaging the percentages. The areas carry unequal approximate weights. A weighted calculation may help prioritize study, but it also cannot reconstruct or replace the actual overall score DRE reports.
How soon can I retake the California real estate exam?
You may reapply after DRE notifies you that you failed. Do not apply, pay, reschedule, or try to obtain another date before the result is released. DRE warns that doing so can flag the examination record, withhold results, assess additional fees, and change, delay, or cancel a new date.
Which area should I study first after failing?
Not necessarily the area with the lowest percentage. Use approximate weighted loss to decide where fresh diagnosis begins, then test the official subtopics and error causes. Keep all seven areas in rotation because the published weights are approximate and a result row does not identify the missed concepts.
How do I apply to retake the California salesperson exam?
After notification of failure, use DRE eLicensing for expedited processing or apply using your Salesperson Examination Result Notice, RE 418A. If that notice is missing and you are not using eLicensing, use the Salesperson Examination Change Application, RE 415A.
What if I lost my RE 418A result notice?
Use eLicensing to review examination results and records or request a duplicate result notice. If you are applying by paper without the result notice, DRE permits RE 415A for re-examination after the result has been released.
What information appears when I fail the California real estate exam?
DRE provides the actual overall score and the percentage answered correctly in each subject area to unsuccessful candidates. The subject percentages cannot be averaged to obtain the overall score and do not identify the individual questions or subtopics missed.
What score do I need to pass a California real estate exam retake?
A salesperson candidate must earn 70% or higher. A retake uses the same qualifying standard as the original attempt. If you pass, DRE does not provide a numerical final score because the examination is qualifying in nature.
Will DRE tell me my score if I pass the retake?
No. DRE states that successful candidates are not informed of their final numerical score. The actual score and seven subject-area percentages are provided only when a candidate is unsuccessful.
Is a California real estate exam retake the same as rescheduling?
No. A retake follows a failed examination and costs $100 for a salesperson. Rescheduling changes an appointment you already hold and costs $40. DRE permits only one appointment at a time, and rescheduling removes the current date.
When does the two-year California real estate exam window begin?
DRE measures the two-year period from the filing date of the original examination application, not from the most recent failure. After that period, another examination requires a new application, current statutory qualification, and the appropriate fee.
Can I see the questions I missed on the California real estate exam?
No. DRE states that candidates cannot inspect the examination book or answer sheet after the session. The result notice gives broad subject percentages, so detailed diagnosis must come from fresh practice questions rather than reconstructed exam content.
How do I request reasonable accommodation for a retake?
Follow the current RE 413 instructions and submit the required supporting documents with the applicable examination paperwork and fee. DRE's RE 415A instructions say not to schedule a reasonable-accommodation examination through eLicensing.