California real estate exam
Questions, time and passing score for both license levels, quoted from the official handbook.
Last verified
2026-10-16
Read twice, independently, against the handbook text. Source:
- dre.ca.gov/Examinees/TakingExam.html · DRE web page fetched 2026-10-16; RE 4 Revised 2020
Salesperson level
Salesperson
The entry license. Holders must work under a licensed broker.
- Scored questions
- 150One exam
- Time
- 3 hr180 min
- To pass
- 70%correct
| Portion | Scored | Pretest | Time | To pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salesperson examination (single) | 150 | — | 180 min | 70% correct |
- Percent of scored questions answered correctly.
- How you pass
- One exam, one score.
- If you fail
- Retake the entire exam.
Show the handbook text behind every number7 quotes
- Salesperson examination (single) · scored questions
“Salesperson : 3 hours - 150 multiple choice questions.”
dre.ca.gov/Examinees/TakingExam.html, section Time (fetched 2026-10-16; saved verify/A-dl/ca-TakingExam.html) - Salesperson examination (single) · time
“The salesperson examination consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. You will be given three hours to complete the examination.”
re4.pdf (Revised 2020) p13 Section I.G - Salesperson examination (single) · passing score
“To pass the examination, you must correctly answer at least: 70% of the questions (Salespersons), or 75% of the questions (Brokers)”
dre.ca.gov/Examinees/TakingExam.html, Notification of Examination Results - Salesperson examination (single) · passing score
“NOTE : To pass the salesperson examination and become eligible for a license, examinees must correctly answer at least 70 percent of the questions on the test.”
dre.ca.gov/examinees/SalesExamContent.html - Salesperson examination (single) · unscored pretest items
“(no mention of pretest/unscored items)”
TakingExam.html, SalesExamContent.html, re4.pdfOur reading, not the handbook’s words: DRE sources do not mention unscored items - Exam vendor
“Examinations conducted in Fresno, La Palma, Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego are currently offered in an electronic format.”
TakingExam.html Format; ExamSites.html lists 'Department of Real Estate Electronic Exam Center' addresses - Retake rule
“Those who do not receive a passing grade may apply to re-take the examination.”
TakingExam.html
Full California Salesperson question bank, in English, Chinese and Spanish.
Broker level
Broker
The license that can run a brokerage and supervise others.
- Scored questions
- 200One exam
- Time
- 4 hr240 min
- To pass
- 75%correct
| Portion | Scored | Pretest | Time | To pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broker examination (single) | 200 | — | 240 min | 75% correct |
- Percent of scored questions answered correctly.
- How you pass
- One exam, one score.
- If you fail
- Retake the entire exam.
Show the handbook text behind every number5 quotes
- Broker examination (single) · scored questions
“Broker : 4 hours - 200 multiple choice questions.”
dre.ca.gov/Examinees/TakingExam.html, Time - Broker examination (single) · time
“The broker examination consists of 200 multiple-choice questions. You will be given four hours to complete the examination.”
re4.pdf (Revised 2020) p29 Section II.G - Broker examination (single) · passing score
“NOTE : To pass the broker examination and become eligible for a license, examinees must correctly answer at least 75 percent of the questions on the test.”
dre.ca.gov/examinees/BrokerExamContent.html - Broker examination (single) · passing score
“To pass the examination, you must correctly answer at least 75 percent of the questions.”
re4.pdf p31 - Retake rule
“If you fail the examination, you may apply to retake the examination”
re4.pdf p32
Full California Broker question bank, in English, Chinese and Spanish.
What the handbook leaves out
- CA is administered by DRE itself (state), not Pearson/PSI. Some third-party sites claim '3 hours 15 minutes' for the salesperson exam; DRE TakingExam.html and RE 4 both say 3 hours (Unverified claim not adopted).
FAQ
How many questions are on the California Salesperson exam?
150 scored questions.
What is the passing score for the California Salesperson exam?
70% correct. One exam, one score.
How long is the California Salesperson exam?
3 hours (180 min) in total.
What happens if I fail part of the California Salesperson exam?
Retake the entire exam.
How many questions are on the California Broker exam?
200 scored questions.
What is the passing score for the California Broker exam?
75% correct. One exam, one score.
How long is the California Broker exam?
4 hours (240 min) in total.
What happens if I fail part of the California Broker exam?
Retake the entire exam.