Florida Real Estate Exam Dictionary Rules for ESL Candidates

If English is your second language, one of the first questions about the Florida Sales Associate exam is practical: can I bring a dictionary? The short answer is yes, but only a particular kind, and with conditions. This guide quotes the official rule, explains what languages the exam is offered in, and gives some advice on how to use the allowance without leaning on it.

Everything below about the test-day rules comes from the Florida DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the Real Estate Sales Associate Examination, effective January 2025 (the "CIB"). Rules can change, so check the current booklet on the DBPR examination information page before your exam date.

What the CIB says about dictionaries

The rule is on page 9 of the CIB, in the "What to Bring" section. It has five points. In the booklet's words:

1. It is allowed for ESL candidates. "To better serve our 'English as a second language' candidates, the Bureau of Education and Testing is permitting the use of foreign language translation dictionaries during the examination."
2. Only word-for-word translation. "Translation dictionaries shall contain word-for-word or phrase translations ONLY. Dictionaries that contain definitions of words, explanations of words, or handwritten notes may NOT be used."
3. Electronic dictionaries are discouraged. "Electronic translation dictionaries are NOT recommended as most will have more than word-for-word or phrase translations, an alphabetic keypad, have mathematical formulas and stored memory capabilities. Should these electronic translation devices have these capabilities; these devices WILL be rejected by the Proctor or Test Center Manager in NOT being suitable for the test site environment."
4. Staff inspect it, and you get one. "Testing Center staff will inspect and approve each dictionary before it can be used during the examination. To maintain security and to ensure fairness to all candidates, candidates are limited to the use of a single dictionary."
5. Questions go to the state. "If you have any questions concerning acceptable translation dictionaries, please contact the Bureau of Education and Testing at 850.487.1395."

Put together:

• Which kind can you bring? A foreign-language translation dictionary that gives word-for-word or phrase translations only. A dictionary that explains or defines words, or one with your handwritten notes in it, may not be used.
• How many? One.
• Is it checked? Yes. Test center staff inspect and approve it before you can use it, so the decision is made at the test center, not in advance.
• What about electronic ones? The CIB does not ban them outright, but it says they are not recommended, and any with more than word-for-word translations, an alphabetic keypad, math formulas, or stored memory will be rejected. Many electronic devices have exactly those features, so a paper dictionary is the safer choice. If you want to use an electronic one anyway, call the number above first.

A regular English dictionary is a different matter. Page 9 also has a "What not to Bring" list, and it includes "Dictionary, thesaurus, or other spelling aids." Reading the two sections together, the ESL translation dictionary is the exception and an ordinary dictionary is not allowed. The booklet also describes the exam as closed book (page 3) and says study materials, extra books, and papers may not be taken into the testing room (page 11), so the translation dictionary is the one reference you may be able to have.

Which languages is the exam offered in?

According to the DBPR examination information page, "Examinations developed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation are available in English and Spanish at no additional cost." So there is an English version and a Spanish version of the exam, and neither costs extra.

For other languages, the same page and Florida Statute 455.217 set out a different process. Under the statute, applicants who take an exam in a language other than English or Spanish "shall bear the full cost for the department's development, preparation, administration, grading, and evaluation" of that exam. A request for a translated exam, other than Spanish, "must be on file" with the board office or department "at least 6 months prior to the scheduled examination." The statute also says the board must consider the share of the population that speaks the applicant's native language. In practice, that is a petition, not a booking option, so if English and Spanish are not the languages you want, plan far ahead and ask DBPR what the process looks like today.

One more thing the CIB (page 2) tells you: reservations are made with Pearson VUE. If you want the Spanish version, confirm during booking how it is selected, since the booklet itself does not describe that step.

Practical advice for ESL candidates

These are our suggestions, not DBPR rules.

Bring a qualifying dictionary, but do not plan to use it much. The clock is not forgiving. The exam is 100 questions in 3.5 hours (CIB page 3), and per page 11 the time starts "the moment you look at the first question." The tutorial does not reduce your time, but looking up words does. At a little over two minutes per question, a few lookups on every item add up quickly.

Learn the legal vocabulary before test day. The exam is built around Florida law and real estate practice. Terms like transaction broker, single agent, fee simple, tenancy by the entireties, homestead, and easement appear in the CIB's content outline (pages 3 and 4). A word-for-word dictionary entry for a legal term may not capture what it means in Florida law, so learn the English term together with its meaning, and practise recognising it quickly in a question.

Practise with the dictionary rules in mind. If you plan to use a dictionary, buy it early, check that it contains only word or phrase translations, remove any handwritten notes, and take a timed practice exam with it so you know how much time it costs you.

Watch for small words. Mistakes on exams taken in a second language often come from missing a single word such as "except," "not," or "least." Read the question stem once carefully, then check the options.

Take timed mock exams in the exam language even if you studied in your first language, because the exam you will face will be in English or in Spanish, and you want the timing to feel familiar.

Who to ask

For anything the booklet does not answer, the CIB (page 15) gives these official contacts:

• Application policies and fees: DBPR Customer Contact Center, 2601 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0791, 850.487.1395. For acceptable translation dictionaries, page 9 sends you to the Bureau of Education and Testing at the same number.
• Scheduling, grade notification, and reviews: Pearson VUE Customer Care, 1.888.204.6289, home.pearsonvue.com.

If the booklet and anything you read elsewhere disagree, including this article, go with the booklet and confirm with DBPR.

Where Realty Prep fits

Realty Prep is an iOS app for the Florida Sales Associate exam. Every question has an explanation in four languages: English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Spanish. Florida questions are available in English and Spanish, and a Spanish question can be switched to the English original in one tap. Florida questions also have term cards to help with legal vocabulary. The app is free to download with a set of free practice questions, and Pro unlocks the full question bank and full timed mock exams in the Florida format. Download it here or see the Florida exam page.

Realty Prep is an independent study tool. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Florida DBPR, the Florida Real Estate Commission, or Pearson VUE.