Having been a real estate instructor for almost 30 years, I’ve seen students struggle as they tried to pass the class and then the state exam. I’ve never once had a student say, “wow, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” Instead, students come up to me during the second class to tell me that they had no idea how difficult the class was going to be. This will probably be the hardest class and exam that you take for the rest of your life – unless of course, you decide to become an attorney. By the way, if attorneys want to practice real estate, attorneys have to pass the class and the state exam too! And do attorneys have to study for the exam – YES. Attorneys may know real estate law, but they are clueless when it comes to license law and real estate commission rules. I’ve seen students with masters degrees and doctorates fail the NC Real Estate Exam.
In this game, you are always looking to improve your percentage. To pass the class exam you must get 75%, and on the state exam you must get a 70% to pass. Each tip below is proven to improve your percentage. Even if it’s only 5% per tip, they all add up to you passing your exam. This is what separates the ones who pass and the ones who fail.
- Commit: The students in the class for the second and even third time, did not commit in the beginning. Committing means deciding no matter what, you are going to pass. It means doing everything in your power, to be as prepared as possible to pass the exam.
- Join a Study Group: Joining a study group creates accountability, and support. I’ve seen joining a study group improve students results by at least double, especially if they were having a hard time.
- Buy a Decent Calculator: This may seem simple, and it is.. but it’s also very effective. Getting familiar with your own decent calculator will bring a sense of familiarity to both the class and state exam.
- Do the Cram Course: Take your class cram course. They’re usually around $100 but are worth every penny. They get you ready to take the exam and let you know where you are currently at.
- Do lots of Practice Questions: The questions will tell you how you are doing. In your mission to pass your exams, you don’t need to know only what the material is, you need to know what it is not. The questions can be very tricky and you need to know the material front to back if you plan on passing.
- Show up to Every Class: You’re allowed to miss a certain number of hours, but not many. The ones that pass, are at every class and have done the studying before hand.
- Ask Questions: If the teacher says something you don’t understand, ask them to clarify. Being engaged in your class is not only good for your overall retention of the material, it makes the class more enjoyable for your classmates and your instructor.
- Study the Material: Read the chapters and do the questions. You must know the material front to back to pass the exam. If you’re having a hard time finding the time to study the book, we created an audiobook to help people study on the go. You can learn more about our audiobook here.
- Create a Cheat Sheet: Write down any problem areas you have on a single piece of paper. Whether it’s the sq ft in an acre, or the gross rent multiplier formula, having a single sheet with all of your tough areas to look at before you go in to take your exam will improve your percentage.
- Get Solid Rest: Don’t stay up super late the night before trying to cram, if you show up for your test without energy, it’s going to make it much harder on you.
