California Real Estate Exam 21-day study plan

Day 1: Take a baseline and make an error log

Answer a mixed set without notes. Mark guesses, even when you get them right.
For each miss, write the rule or calculation, the fact you overlooked, and why your selected option fails.
Reserve time for every area. Give additional time to gaps in the areas with larger DRE weights.

Mixed practice Error review Weighted planning

Day 2: Review Practice and Disclosures

Read the lesson, including examples and tables. Check the complete topic list: Trust Account Management; Fair Housing Laws; Truth in Advertising; Record Keeping Requirements; Agency Supervision; Permitted Activities of Unlicensed Sales Assistants; DRE Jurisdiction and Disciplinary Actions; Licensing, and Continuing Education Requirements and Procedures; California Real Estate Recovery Fund; General Ethics; Technology; Property Management; Commercial/Industrial/Income Properties; Specialty Areas; Transfer Disclosure Statement; Natural Hazard Disclosure Statements; Disclosure of Material Facts Affecting Property Value; Need for Inspection and Obtaining/Verifying Information; Reports; Servicing Diverse Populations.
Answer a short topic set without notes. Review the explanation for every alternative, not only the correct answer.
Work one math problem and revisit one earlier mistake. If you need more time, extend the schedule rather than omitting an area.

Practice and Disclosures lesson Topic practice Math drill

Day 3: Review Agency and Fiduciary Duties

Read the lesson, including examples and tables. Check the complete topic list: Law, Definition and Nature of Agency Relationships, Types of Agencies, and Agents; Creation of Agency and Agency Agreements; Responsibilities of Agent to Seller/Buyer as Principal; Disclosure of Agency; Disclosure of Acting as Principal or Other Interest; Termination of Agency; Commission and Fees; Responsibilities of Agent to Non-Client Third Parties.
Answer a short topic set without notes. Review the explanation for every alternative, not only the correct answer.
Work one math problem and revisit one earlier mistake. If you need more time, extend the schedule rather than omitting an area.

Agency and Fiduciary Duties lesson Topic practice Math drill

Day 4: Review Ownership and Land Use

Read the lesson, including examples and tables. Check the complete topic list: Classes of Property; Property Characteristics; Encumbrances; Types of Ownership; Descriptions of Property; Government Rights in Land; Public Controls; Environmental Hazards and Regulations; Private Controls; Water Rights; Special Categories of Land.
Answer a short topic set without notes. Review the explanation for every alternative, not only the correct answer.
Work one math problem and revisit one earlier mistake. If you need more time, extend the schedule rather than omitting an area.

Ownership and Land Use lesson Topic practice Math drill

Day 5: Review Valuation and Analysis

Read the lesson, including examples and tables. Check the complete topic list: Value; Methods of Estimating Value; Financial Analysis.
Answer a short topic set without notes. Review the explanation for every alternative, not only the correct answer.
Work one math problem and revisit one earlier mistake. If you need more time, extend the schedule rather than omitting an area.

Valuation and Analysis lesson Topic practice Math drill

Day 6: Review Contracts

Read the lesson, including examples and tables. Check the complete topic list: General; Listing Agreements; Buyer Broker Agreements; Offers/Purchase Contracts; Agreements; Promissory Notes/Securities; Purchase/Lease Options; Advanced Fee.
Answer a short topic set without notes. Review the explanation for every alternative, not only the correct answer.
Work one math problem and revisit one earlier mistake. If you need more time, extend the schedule rather than omitting an area.

Contracts lesson Topic practice Math drill

Day 7: Review Financing

Read the lesson, including examples and tables. Check the complete topic list: General Concepts; Types of Loans; Sources of Financing; Government Programs; Mortgages/Deeds of Trust/Notes; Financing/Credit Laws; Loan Brokerage; Types of Loan Originators.
Answer a short topic set without notes. Review the explanation for every alternative, not only the correct answer.
Work one math problem and revisit one earlier mistake. If you need more time, extend the schedule rather than omitting an area.

Financing lesson Topic practice Math drill

Day 8: Review Transfer of Property

Read the lesson, including examples and tables. Check the complete topic list: Title Insurance; Deeds; Escrow; Tax Aspects; Special Processes; Transfer through Court Supervision; Types of Vesting.
Answer a short topic set without notes. Review the explanation for every alternative, not only the correct answer.
Work one math problem and revisit one earlier mistake. If you need more time, extend the schedule rather than omitting an area.

Transfer of Property lesson Topic practice Math drill

Day 9: Apply Practice and Disclosures

Return to Practice and Disclosures with changed facts. Choose a direct rule, an exception and a scenario from your error log; explain which fact controls each answer.
Answer different questions without notes. For a negative stem, identify the exception; for a BEST-answer stem, explain why the closest alternative is less complete. Familiarity with an old answer is not new evidence.
Work one math problem and revisit one earlier mistake. If you need more time, extend the schedule rather than omitting an area.

Practice and Disclosures lesson Topic practice Math drill

Day 10: Apply Agency and Fiduciary Duties

Return to Agency and Fiduciary Duties with changed facts. Choose a direct rule, an exception and a scenario from your error log; explain which fact controls each answer.
Answer different questions without notes. For a negative stem, identify the exception; for a BEST-answer stem, explain why the closest alternative is less complete. Familiarity with an old answer is not new evidence.
Work one math problem and revisit one earlier mistake. If you need more time, extend the schedule rather than omitting an area.

Agency and Fiduciary Duties lesson Topic practice Math drill

Day 11: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Choose two weak concepts from recent practice. Start with the one that affects the larger weighted area.
Change one fact in an example and explain whether the result changes. Check the controlling source if the distinction is legal.
Recall yesterday's correction before reading it. Keep gaps visible instead of treating a familiar answer as proof of understanding.

Mixed practice Saved mistakes All seven areas

Day 12: Check your pace with fresh mixed practice

Choose a mixed set you have not recently repeated. Use the timer and answer without notes.
Review misses, skips and guesses after submission. Compare your method with the worked solution.
Short public sets build pace; use a full 150-question, three-hour simulation when you have access to one. A short-set percentage does not establish readiness.

Mixed practice Saved mistakes All seven areas

Day 13: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Choose two weak concepts from recent practice. Start with the one that affects the larger weighted area.
Change one fact in an example and explain whether the result changes. Check the controlling source if the distinction is legal.
Recall yesterday's correction before reading it. Keep gaps visible instead of treating a familiar answer as proof of understanding.

Mixed practice Saved mistakes All seven areas

Day 14: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Choose two weak concepts from recent practice. Start with the one that affects the larger weighted area.
Change one fact in an example and explain whether the result changes. Check the controlling source if the distinction is legal.
Recall yesterday's correction before reading it. Keep gaps visible instead of treating a familiar answer as proof of understanding.

Mixed practice Saved mistakes All seven areas

Day 15: Check your pace with fresh mixed practice

Choose a mixed set you have not recently repeated. Use the timer and answer without notes.
Review misses, skips and guesses after submission. Compare your method with the worked solution.
Short public sets build pace; use a full 150-question, three-hour simulation when you have access to one. A short-set percentage does not establish readiness.

Mixed practice Saved mistakes All seven areas

Day 16: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Choose two weak concepts from recent practice. Start with the one that affects the larger weighted area.
Change one fact in an example and explain whether the result changes. Check the controlling source if the distinction is legal.
Recall yesterday's correction before reading it. Keep gaps visible instead of treating a familiar answer as proof of understanding.

Mixed practice Saved mistakes All seven areas

Day 17: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Choose two weak concepts from recent practice. Start with the one that affects the larger weighted area.
Change one fact in an example and explain whether the result changes. Check the controlling source if the distinction is legal.
Recall yesterday's correction before reading it. Keep gaps visible instead of treating a familiar answer as proof of understanding.

Mixed practice Saved mistakes All seven areas

Day 18: Check your pace with fresh mixed practice

Choose a mixed set you have not recently repeated. Use the timer and answer without notes.
Review misses, skips and guesses after submission. Compare your method with the worked solution.
Short public sets build pace; use a full 150-question, three-hour simulation when you have access to one. A short-set percentage does not establish readiness.

Mixed practice Saved mistakes All seven areas

Day 19: Check your pace with fresh mixed practice

Choose a mixed set you have not recently repeated. Use the timer and answer without notes.
Review misses, skips and guesses after submission. Compare your method with the worked solution.
Short public sets build pace; use a full 150-question, three-hour simulation when you have access to one. A short-set percentage does not establish readiness.

Mixed practice Saved mistakes All seven areas

Day 20: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Choose two weak concepts from recent practice. Start with the one that affects the larger weighted area.
Change one fact in an example and explain whether the result changes. Check the controlling source if the distinction is legal.
Recall yesterday's correction before reading it. Keep gaps visible instead of treating a familiar answer as proof of understanding.

Mixed practice Saved mistakes All seven areas

Day 21: Keep the last review light

Recall a short list of corrected rules and formulas without opening your notes first.
Check your appointment, accepted identification, arrival time and route. Follow the testing center's instructions about calculators.
Leave room for food, rest and travel. Avoid repeating familiar questions just to raise a practice percentage.

Exam-day checklist Math reference Review sheets

21-day study plan

Your daily work

Day 1: Take a baseline and make an error log

Day 2: Review Practice and Disclosures

Day 3: Review Agency and Fiduciary Duties

Day 4: Review Ownership and Land Use

Day 5: Review Valuation and Analysis

Day 6: Review Contracts

Day 7: Review Financing

Day 8: Review Transfer of Property

Day 9: Apply Practice and Disclosures

Day 10: Apply Agency and Fiduciary Duties

Day 11: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Day 12: Check your pace with fresh mixed practice

Day 13: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Day 14: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Day 15: Check your pace with fresh mixed practice

Day 16: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Day 17: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Day 18: Check your pace with fresh mixed practice

Day 19: Check your pace with fresh mixed practice

Day 20: Repair mistakes and change the facts

Day 21: Keep the last review light

If the plan stops fitting