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CHEAT SHEET · CONNECTICUT REAL ESTATE

Connecticut Real Estate Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.

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Weighted to the current exam outline·15-minute scanVerified against the official content outline
By Vincent Ruan, EA, CFP®Published August 11, 2026
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The numbers to remember

These figures define the exam's shape more than any single content fact — lock them in first, before you re-check any topic details.

  • General portion: 80 questions / 120 minutes
  • State portion: 35 questions / 45 minutes
  • Combined: 110 questions / 165 minutes
  • 5-10 unscored experimental questions may appear in either portion
  • Passing score: 70% on EACH portion separately
  • Exam fee: $59.00 first attempt; $51.00 per retake
  • Application fee: $80.00 (separate from exam fee)
  • Prelicense course: 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices
  • Minimum age: 18
  • Pass both portions within 1 year of eligibility; unlimited retakes in that window
  • License activation deadline: 2 years from most recently passed portion
  • License activation fee: $590.00 (requires broker supervision)
  • License expires: May 31 of even-numbered years

Content domains and weights

General portion (national):

  • Contracts — 19%
  • Agency — 13%
  • Practice of Real Estate — 12%
  • Financing — 10%
  • Property Ownership — 10%

State portion (Connecticut, by item count out of 35):

  • Connecticut Laws Governing the Activities of Licensees — 11 items
  • Connecticut Real Estate Agency — 9 items
  • Connecticut-Specific Real Estate Laws — 8 items
  • Connecticut Real Estate Licensing Requirements — 7 items

High-yield review areas

  • Contracts and Agency together carry the largest share of the General portion — review these last the night before
  • Licensee-activity rules are the single largest State-portion block; don't assume national agency knowledge covers Connecticut's version
  • Financing and Property Ownership are smaller but still worth a quick pass since each is 10% of the General portion
  • Remember the State portion is scored separately from the General portion — a strong General score cannot offset a failed State portion

Top traps

These are the mistakes that trip up otherwise well-prepared candidates on exam day.

  • Treating the exam as one combined score instead of two separately-graded portions requiring 70% each
  • Confusing national agency/contract rules with their Connecticut-specific counterparts on the State portion
  • Losing track of the one-year eligibility window to pass both portions
  • Forgetting the application fee ($80.00) is separate from the exam fee ($59.00)
  • Running out of time on the General portion's 80 questions by over-analyzing early items instead of pacing evenly across 120 minutes
  • Assuming a passing average score exists across both portions combined — each portion must independently clear 70%
  • Skipping review of the smaller State-portion blocks (Licensing Requirements, Specific Laws) just because they carry fewer items — every item still counts fully toward that portion's 70% threshold

Frequently asked questions

What should I review the night before the Connecticut real estate salesperson exam?

Focus on the numbers and structure first: 80 General questions in 120 minutes plus 35 Connecticut State questions in 45 minutes, with a 70% passing score required on each portion separately. Then do a quick pass over Contracts and Agency (the two heaviest General-portion topics) and Connecticut Laws Governing the Activities of Licensees (the heaviest State-portion topic).

How long is the real Connecticut salesperson exam?

The full exam runs 165 minutes combined: 120 minutes for the 80-question General portion and 45 minutes for the 35-question Connecticut State portion, for 110 scored questions total. A small number of unscored experimental questions (5-10) may also be mixed in.

What score do I need to pass?

You need at least 70% on the General portion and at least 70% on the State portion — each portion is graded independently, so a strong score on one cannot make up for a failing score on the other.

How much does the prelicense course and exam cost?

The exam fee is $59.00 for a first attempt (retakes are $51.00), and there is a separate $80.00 application fee. The Connecticut prelicense course itself is a 60-hour Real Estate Principles and Practices course required before you can sit for the exam.

Is the cheat sheet free and printable?

Yes — the cheat sheet is a free, printable one-page summary of the key numbers, content weights, and common traps, meant to be reviewed the night before your test date rather than during it.

How many times can I retake the exam if I fail a portion?

You can retake either portion an unlimited number of times, as long as you pass both portions within one year of becoming eligible. Each retake costs $51.00.

Sources

  1. 1.Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Real Estate Salesperson and Broker Licensing Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI Services LLC, Updated 11/13/2025) -- official vendor bulletin, candidate portal https://test-takers.psiexams.com/ctreConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), License Services Division (accessed Aug 10, 2026)
  2. 2.Real Estate Salesperson - Initial/Exam Application | CT.gov Department of Consumer ProtectionConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), License Services Division (accessed Aug 10, 2026)
  3. 3.Real Estate Salesperson | CT.gov Department of Consumer ProtectionConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), License Services Division (accessed Aug 10, 2026)
  4. 4.Real Estate Regulatory Agencies DirectoryARELLO
  5. 5.Real Estate Licensing Practice TestsPearson VUE
  6. 6.PSI Real Estate Exam SchedulingPSI

Official sources

Every exam fact on this page traces to a primary document published by the body that administers the exam.

Last verified against the official exam content outline: