DC Real Estate Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.
Download the PDFThe numbers to remember
- Combo exam: 110 items / 210 minutes (110 points)
- General portion only: 80 items / 120 minutes (80 points)
- DC state portion only: 30 items / 90 minutes (30 points)
- Passing score: 75% on each portion taken
- Exam fee: $79 (one portion or both)
- Up to 10 non-scored items may appear unmarked
- Minimum age to test: 18 | Vendor: PSI Services LLC
- Pre-licensing education required: 60 hours
- Application fee: $65.00 | License fee: $130.00 | Guaranty fund fee: $60.00
- Apply within 6 months of passing | Retake window: 6 months for a failed portion
- Renewal cycle: 2 years, expires August 31 of odd years | CE required: 15 hours per cycle
Content domains and weights
The general portion tests national real estate principles; the state portion tests DC-specific statutes and Commission rules. Not every general-portion domain has a published weight, but the three that do account for a large share of the section.
- General portion: Contracts 19% · Agency 13% · Property Ownership 10% (of the domains with published weights)
- DC state portion: Statutory Requirements 67% (20 items) · Duties/Powers of the Commission 20% (6 items) · Licensing Requirements 13% (4 items)
High-yield review areas
- Statutory requirements governing licensee conduct — the single biggest chunk of the state portion by far, at 20 of 30 scored state items
- Contract mechanics: offer/acceptance, contingencies, breach remedies — the heaviest general-portion domain
- Agency relationships and fiduciary/disclosure duties between licensees and clients
- Property ownership basics: estates in land, forms of title, the bundle of rights
- Commission structure, its powers, and how licensing requirements are administered
Top traps
- Studying the general portion evenly instead of weighting toward Contracts and Agency, the two highest-weighted domains
- Assuming a hard-looking question is non-scored and rushing it — you can't tell which of the up-to-10 pretest items are unscored
- Forgetting you can retake only the failed portion, not both, if you split a combo attempt into general and state sittings
- Missing the 6-month application window after passing, or the 6-month retake window for a failed portion
- Letting CE hours pile up near the August 31 renewal deadline instead of pacing them across the full 2-year cycle
- Underestimating the state portion because it has fewer items — 30 items in 90 minutes is still a tight 3-minute-per-item pace
Frequently asked questions
What should I review the night before the DC Real Estate Salesperson exam?
Focus on the highest-weighted domains rather than trying to re-cover everything: Statutory Requirements makes up 67% of the state portion, and Contracts (19%) and Agency (13%) are the heaviest general-portion domains. A final pass through those, plus your cheat sheet's numbers section, is a better use of limited time than broad review.
How long is the real exam?
It depends on which sitting you register for: the combo exam (both portions) is 110 items in 210 minutes, the general portion alone is 80 items in 120 minutes, and the DC state portion alone is 30 items in 90 minutes.
What score do I need to pass?
You need a minimum of 75% correct on each portion you sit for. If you take the combo exam and only pass one portion, you'll need to retake and pass just the failed portion within six months.
Is the cheat sheet free and printable?
Yes, this cheat sheet is free to view and formatted as a simple text-and-list layout, so it prints cleanly on a single page for a quick final review.
How many questions are on the exam and how many can I miss?
The combo exam has 110 scored items, the general portion has 80, and the state portion has 30, with up to 10 additional non-scored items possible on top of those. Since the passing bar is 75%, you can afford to miss roughly a quarter of the scored items on whichever portion you take.
What happens if I don't apply for my license right after passing?
You have six months from your passing exam date to submit your license application, so don't let too much time pass after you clear the exam.
Sources
- 1.Real Estate License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin — District of Columbia (PSI Services LLC, Updated 6/3/2026) — District of Columbia Real Estate Commission (DCREC) — DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Occupational and Professional Licensing Administration (OPLA) (accessed Aug 11, 2026)
- 2.Real Estate Commission | dlcp (DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection) — District of Columbia Real Estate Commission (DCREC) — DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Occupational and Professional Licensing Administration (OPLA) (accessed Aug 11, 2026)
- 3.Real Estate Regulatory Agencies Directory — ARELLO
- 4.Real Estate Licensing Practice Tests — Pearson VUE
- 5.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.
- Real Estate License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin — District of Columbia (PSI Services LLC, Updated 6/3/2026)District of Columbia Real Estate Commission (DCREC) — DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Occupational and Professional Licensing Administration (OPLA)test-takers.psiexams.com
- Real Estate Commission | dlcp (DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection)District of Columbia Real Estate Commission (DCREC) — DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Occupational and Professional Licensing Administration (OPLA)dlcp.dc.gov
- 812 DC Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI Services LLC, Revised 10/1/2018 — SUPERSEDED by the 2026 bulletin above)District of Columbia Real Estate Commission (DCREC) — DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), Occupational and Professional Licensing Administration (OPLA)proctor2.psionline.com
Last verified against the official exam content outline: