If you want to enjoy a flexible career with unlimited earning potential, real estate is a great option. But before you can get your foot in the door and become a real estate agent, you have to pass the licensing exam.
What follows are several helpful tips for passing the exam the first time around.
Choose the right course
In order to prepare for the exam (and to be legally allowed to sit for the exam), you must take a real estate salesperson course for your state. But with dozens of options, how do you know which one is right for you?
The first step is to look for online courses. For example, this New York online real estate license course makes it easy for students to study from their own personal device anywhere and at any time. This is much better than having to attend a specific class at a specific time in a physical location.
Secondly, make sure the course has everything you need to learn. This should include video resources, PDF downloads, practice exams, and support for questions you may have.
The course might seem like a formality, but it’s actually a very integral part of your preparation. If you take a good course and pass those exams, you can feel pretty confident about passing the real thing.
Take practice exams
Practice exams are your friends. These exams typically pull questions from previous versions of the real estate exam and/or include questions inspired by the content that’s on the current version of the exam.
Practice exams are important for two specific reasons. First, they help you get familiar with the content that will be on the actual exam. Second, they help you get familiar with the format and style of questions so you’re better prepared for the exam day experience.
Show up prepared on exam day
When exam day rolls around, you need to do everything you can to put your mind and body in a place where it can be successful. Here are several suggestions:
- Get at least eight hours of sleep the night before.
- Wake up an hour earlier to give yourself plenty of time to prepare.
- Eat a substantial breakfast, but avoid greasy and/or sugary foods.
- Show up to the exam center at least 30 minutes before your start time.
When you arrive at the exam center, be sure to leave everything in your vehicle. Pay careful attention to what you’re allowed to bring in. Typically, you’re restricted to nothing more than your ID and maybe a bottle of water.
Work backward on tricky questions
You’ll encounter some easy questions, and you’ll also come across some that are more tricky. When you find one of the latter questions, it’s often helpful to work backward.
Working backward means plugging the answer back into the question and using a process of elimination. Start by reading the question. Next, read through each of the answers in order. Finally, eliminate one answer at a time until you find the correct answer.
If you still can’t make an educated guess based on this process, skip the question. There’s no sense in wasting precious minutes on a question that you might not get right in the first place. Once you finish the exam, you can return to unanswered questions and make an attempt at the correct answer.
Never change an answer
Going back and changing an answer after the fact is rarely a good idea. In most cases, changing an answer actually increases your chances of getting the question wrong. Unless you have a very good reason to believe the answer should be changed (like seeing helpful information in a future question), you’re better off letting it ride.
Avoid competing with other applicants
You’ll be in the exam room with other applicants. Some people will be taking the exam for the first time, while others will be taking it for the third or fourth time. Some people will be experienced test takers, while others will be taking their first test since high school. We all work at our pace. Avoid competing with other applicants to finish first. It doesn’t matter if you’re the first one done or the last – passing is all that you care about.
Pass with flying colors
The real estate exam can be rigorous and difficult. However, it’s far from impossible. If you put in the time and take your coursework seriously, there’s nothing stopping you from passing the first time around. Use this article as a launching pad to get your career moving in the right direction.
Story by Darren Wilson
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