How to Apply for the Real Estate Exam in California

Real estate exams? Live Scans? Mailing addresses? How does any of this work?

Submitting your real estate exam application to the Department of Real Estate (DRE) can stress you out! There’s a lot to include in your application.

And getting your application rejected because you forgot to add something can feel devastating. Not to mention the time you have to wait to get it re-approved.

We want to give you all the information you need to send in an amazing real estate exam application that will get you accepted.

So, let’s start with the requirements. What do you need to do to be eligible for the California real estate exam?

California Real Estate Exam Requirements

To be eligible to take the California real estate exam, you must first:

• Be 18-years old or older
• Collect 3-certificates from an accredited California real estate school
• Ability to take the real estate exam in person
• Eligible to work in the U.S.

The most important thing to remember is the 3-course certificates. You cannot take the California real estate exam without first completing your pre-licensing program.

Those certificates are proof that you completed your pre-licensing education and that you’re ready to take the next step.

Note: (Since Jan 1 2024 the Practice course must include implicit-bias training and an interactive fair-housing component)

How to Apply for the California Real Estate Exam

Recently, the Department of Real Estate has made it simple to apply for the California real estate exam online.

All you have to do is create your own eLicensing account and follow the instructions on your screen to complete this process. But, keep in mind, you must complete all three courses and collect the certificates within one year.

What You Need for Your Real Estate Exam Application

To apply for the real estate exam, you must send in an application to the Department of Real Estate containing:

• A valid photo ID
• Completed Live Scan form
• Associated Fees (State Exam & License)
• 3 Course Certificates

How to Fill out the Live Scan Service Request Form

This part confuses a lot of people. So, we want to clear the air.

Live Scan is a digital fingerprinting process that replaces traditional ink fingerprinting in states where it's available. An applicant's fingerprints are securely transmitted to a government agency, which performs a criminal history background check using an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).

To properly fill out the Live Scan Service Request Form RE 237, you must make 3 copies. One copy is kept by the Live Scan service provider, one copy is kept by you, and one copy is added to your real estate exam application.

That way, everyone has a copy and there is no confusion. The last thing you want in this application process is confusion!

How Much Does the Real Estate Exam Cost?

Option 1: Submit the RE 435 Combo Application (Fast-Track)

The Salesperson Exam/License Combo—Form RE 435 lets you apply for the state exam and your four-year license in a single packet.

• One payment: $450 total ( $100 exam + $350 license).
• Shortest queue: DRE is turning around RE 435 packets in roughly 2–3 weeks.
• Instant scheduling: Once approved, log into eLicensing and book a seat—even up to 6 a.m. on exam day if a cancellation pops up.
• Live-Scan tip: Do your fingerprints before or right after you mail/upload the packet so results arrive while the app is in review.

Broker track? Use Form RE 436; the combined broker fee is $600.

Option 2: File the Exam-Only Application First (RE 400A → RE 202)

Choose this two-step path if you’d rather pay the license fee only after you pass or you haven’t secured a broker yet.

1. Step 1 – Salesperson Exam Application (RE 400A):
   • Attach your three course certificates and pay the $100 exam fee.
   • Current approval time is about 3 weeks.
2. Step 2 – Salesperson License Application (RE 202):
   • After you pass, submit this form with proof of Live-Scan and the $350 license fee.
   • You have one year from your exam-pass date to file.

Pros (✓)

• Defer the $350 license payment until you’re sure you’ve passed.
• Extra time to finish fingerprints or choose a sponsoring broker.

Cons (✗)

• Two separate queues make the total timeline longer than the combo path.
• Background-check clock doesn’t start until you file RE 202.

When to choose Option 2: Use it if cash-flow is tight, you’re unsure you’ll pass on the first try, or you still need a broker. Otherwise, Option 1 usually shaves a few weeks off licensing.

How to Schedule Your Real Estate Exam

Once you applied for the real estate exam, all you have to do is wait for your application to get accepted. Once it is, you will be eligible to schedule your real estate exam date.

This step is simple and takes only a few minutes. When ready, the DRE will send you an email informing you that you can schedule your real estate exam date. Then, all you have to do is follow the instructions in the email to reserve your date.

New same-day option

Qualified applicants can now log in and self-schedule as late as 6:00 a.m. on the morning of the exam. That means if you see an opening pop up at the last minute, you can still claim it, print the bar-coded confirmation, and walk into the testing center a few hours later.

Because seats fill up fast, jump on the scheduling portal as soon as that approval email arrives (or any time you’re refreshing for cancellations). Rescheduling is also done in eLicensing—the first change costs $40 and can be made up to the 6 a.m. cutoff on test day.

How Long Does it Take to Get Your Real Estate Exam Testing Date?

After you send in your application, it takes around 2-3 weeks for the DRE to accept or reject your real estate exam application.

A good indicator of when the DRE is about to email you is when they withdraw the application fee from your bank account.

At that point, you can expect an email within the next week to two weeks.

You can check the real-time processing time here.

Where Do You Take the California Real Estate Exam?

When you schedule your testing date, you will notice that the DRE will give you a few location options for where you can take the real estate exam. These locations are:

• La Palma (Orange County)
• Fresno
• Oakland
• Sacramento
• San Diego

Please arrive 30-minutes early to when your exam starts. That way you can take your time finding parking, collecting yourself, and to get comfortable.

Some people wonder if you can take the real estate exam online. Unfortunately, you cannot take the real estate exam online. It must be done at one of the approved locations throughout California.

Passing the Real Estate Exam in California

Now that you have a date and location picked out, it’s time to pass the real estate exam.

Preparing for the real estate exam takes a lot of effort, but it can be done. The most important thing to remember is to not give up.

The California real estate exam has 150 questions with a time limit of 3 hours, as of August 2024. You must score a 70% or higher to pass the real estate exam.

The real estate exam will test you in the following categories:

• Property Ownership and Land Use Controls and Regulations
• Laws of Agency and Fiduciary Duties
• Property Valuation and Financial Analysis
• Financing
• Transfer of Property
• Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures
• Contracts

According to the DRE, in July 2024, there were 4,599 examinations administered and only 1,305 licenses issued. If we were to take this at face value, this data implies that the California real estate exam has a 28% passing rate – yikes!

But, it's important to know that you can pass the exam and not be issued a license because you have not sent in your real estate license application. Historically, the passing rate is around 51% for salesperson. Still a tough exam!

To make sure you pass the very first try, I recommend that you join our exam prep and real estate crash course program.

When you join, you will get access to our online student portal, which let's you use our unlimited customizable mock state exams, 1,000's of digital vocab flashcards, an eBook study guide, video explanations, and 2,000+ question & answer videos from our expert exam trainers.

Our crash course is a 2-day (8-hours per day) cram session taught by one of our expert exam trainers who will review the concepts, vocabulary, math, laws, and historical events on the California real estate exam.

This is the quickest, most affordable, and easy-to-use way to make studying and passing the exam easy.

Final Thoughts Applying to the Real Estate Exam in California

There’s a lot to include in your real estate exam application. That’s why it’s important to keep a checklist when you’re assembling all the materials. By taking your time now, you can save yourself a headache and a lot of waiting in the future.

Best of luck studying! If you need additional studying help, remember that CA Realty Training is the #1 real estate school in California and offers crash courses and study prep to help you pass the real estate exam on your first attempt.