Format, scoring and rules
The California salesperson examination
150 multiple choice questions, 3 hours, 70% to pass. In person only, at one of 5 state centres. What follows is what DRE publishes, with the page each fact came from.
150
questions
4 options each
3 hrs
session length
About 72 seconds a question
70%
to pass
105 correct answers
5
centres
In person only, no remote option
How the form is built
DRE publishes the approximate weight of each content area, which means the shape of the paper is not a secret. Multiplying each weight by 150 gives the derived counts below.
| Content area | Weight | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures | 25% | ~38 | |
| Laws of Agency and Fiduciary Duties | 17% | ~26 | |
| Property Ownership and Land Use Controls and Regulations | 15% | ~23 | |
| Property Valuation and Financial Analysis | 14% | ~21 | |
| Contracts | 12% | ~18 | |
| Financing | 9% | ~14 | |
| Transfer of Property | 8% | ~12 |
Question counts are derived by multiplying each published weight by 150 and rounding. Because each rounds independently they sum to 152 rather than 150, which is why every count is described as approximate.
Scoring, and the asymmetry that matters
If you pass
You are told you passed. You are not told your score, at all. DRE's reasoning is that the examination is qualifying in nature, so the only fact that matters is whether you cleared the threshold.
“Since the examination is qualifying in nature, examinees who pass are not informed of their final score.”
If you fail
You receive your actual score plus the percentage of questions answered correctly in each subject area. That per-area breakdown is the single most useful diagnostic document in the whole process, and passing candidates never see one.
“You will be notified of the actual score, and the percentage of questions answered correctly in each of the subject areas, only when unsuccessful.”
You cannot average the per-area percentages
HOWEVER, the overall score cannot be obtained by averaging the percentages. The areas carry different weights, so an average of seven percentages is not a score. Reconstructing an estimate correctly means multiplying each area's percentage by that area's question count and summing, which is what the retake worksheet does.
Retaking
- No limit on the number of examinations during the two-year period following the filing of the original application
- DRE, Re-taking the Examination · checked 2026-08-27
After two years you must file a new application, requalify against all statutory requirements, and pay the fee again.
- Do not reapply or seek a new date before your results arrive
- DRE, Re-taking the Examination · checked 2026-08-27
“Failure to follow these instructions will cause your exam record to be flagged and your test results to be withheld while additional fees are assessed.”
- 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
Do not reapply before your results arrive
Failure to follow these instructions will cause your exam record to be flagged and your test results to be withheld while additional fees are assessed. This is the most expensive procedural mistake available at this stage, and it is entirely avoidable: wait for the result notice, then file.
Salesperson and broker, compared
| Salesperson | Broker | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 150 | 200 |
| Time | 3 hours | 4 hours |
| Pass mark | 70% | 75% |
| Sessions | One | Two, morning and afternoon |
| Courses required | 3 | 8 |
What we do not publish
No pass rate appears anywhere on this site
Figures near 50 percent circulate widely and are attributed to DRE statistics. We have not located the DRE page that states a first-time salesperson pass rate, so we publish none. DRE does publish Licensee and Examinee Statistics, and that is where a verified figure would have to come from.