Connecticut Real Estate Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.
Download the PDFThe 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.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/ctre — Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), License Services Division (accessed Aug 10, 2026)
- 2.Real Estate Salesperson - Initial/Exam Application | CT.gov Department of Consumer Protection — Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), License Services Division (accessed Aug 10, 2026)
- 3.Real Estate Salesperson | CT.gov Department of Consumer Protection — Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), License Services Division (accessed Aug 10, 2026)
- 4.Real Estate Regulatory Agencies Directory — ARELLO
- 5.Real Estate Licensing Practice Tests — Pearson VUE
- 6.PSI Real Estate Exam Scheduling — PSI
Official sources
Every exam fact on this page traces to a primary document published by the body that administers the exam.
- 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 Divisiontest-takers.psiexams.com
- Real Estate Salesperson - Initial/Exam Application | CT.gov Department of Consumer ProtectionConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), License Services Divisionportal.ct.gov
- Real Estate Salesperson | CT.gov Department of Consumer ProtectionConnecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), License Services Divisionportal.ct.gov
Last verified against the official exam content outline: