You completed your courses and did all the things you need to do to become a licensed real estate agent in Arizona. Now you’re ready to take the licensing exam. If you’re wondering how to schedule your exam, what you can do to prepare, what happens if you don’t pass, or what your next steps are if you do pass, you’re in the right place.
Signing Up for the Arizona Real Estate Exam
Exams are administered in person at a local college or testing center. See where your local testing centers are and get scheduling information on the Arizona Department of Real Estate (DRE) website.
When you schedule, you’ll have to pay a fee for the licensure exam. Fees are currently $75 for a salesperson exam and $125 for a broker exam. If you require special accommodations — such as extra time — for your test, be sure to relay this to the scheduler. Test sites are available in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma by appointment only. After you schedule, add the testing date and location to your calendar.
Studying for the Arizona Real Estate License Test
By the time you sign up for the test, you’ve already completed at least 90 hours of coursework and have learned what it means to be an Arizona real estate agent. Now, it’s time to take everything you learned and put it to good use by securing your official state license.
When you sit down to take your test, you want to be confident in your ability to score 75% or higher. There are many resources available to help you study, including online video prep courses that you can complete on your own time.
It’s also a good idea to identify what kind of learner you are so you can cater your studying technique to your learning style. For example, if you’re a visual learner, consider taking notes as you study. Writing things down can help you commit them to memory.
It’s also wise to complete at least one practice exam and see how you score so that you can identify any areas of uncertainty. Be sure that you spend time refreshing your knowledge on topics related to questions you missed to ensure you pass your test.
Preparing for Your Real Estate License Test Day
Get ample sleep the night before your exam and schedule plenty of time to get to your testing location 30 minutes ahead of your test. Make sure you build in a buffer in case traffic or other hiccups come up along the way.
Before you leave, grab a couple of pencils, pack your calculator, make sure you have an acceptable form of identification on hand, and clear your mind. If you feel nervous, review your notes one last time before you head out.
Once you get to your testing location, it’s time to sign in and prove that you successfully learned all the things you’ve been studying these past few months!
What to Expect During the Arizona Real Estate License Test
There are two parts to the Arizona real estate exam. Part one contains general real estate questions designed to test your knowledge of the industry as a whole. Part two contains questions that cover state-specific laws, clauses, and real estate regulations.
You’ll have 300 minutes to complete the proctored test, and in that time, you’ll answer 180 scored multiple-choice questions and 15 non-scored questions. You must achieve a score of 75% or higher to pass the test, and you’ll leave the exam with a score report in hand.
After the Arizona Real Estate License Test
If you don’t pass, you can retake the test to achieve a passing score. Arizona doesn’t limit the number of times you can take the test, but it does require you to wait 24 hours from your prior test to schedule your next test. Be sure to do some additional test prep if you need to retake the exam to improve your chances of passing on your next attempt.
If you passed, the testing company will issue you a license application, which you have one year to complete and submit. Once processed, the state will issue you a DRE number, which proves your licensure. The fee is currently $60 for an original license, which includes a $50 licensing fee and a $10 real estate recovery fund contribution.
Once your license has been issued, you are officially a real estate agent! it’s time to start researching brokerages and exploring a variety of niches to focus your career on.