Minnesota Real Estate Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.
Download the PDFThe numbers to remember
- Combined exam: 130 questions in 4 hours
- General portion alone: 80 questions in 2.5 hours
- State-law portion alone: 50 questions in 1.5 hours
- Passing score: 75% correct on each portion
- Combined exam fee: $68 (each portion alone: $45)
- Prelicense education: 90 hours total across Course I, II, and III (30 hours each)
- Exam vendor: PSI Services LLC, contracted by the Minnesota Department of Commerce
- Passing results are valid for 1 year
- Fees are not refundable/transferable and are forfeited if unused after 1 year
- 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions may appear, unlabeled, mixed into the real ones
- A candidate who fails can typically arrange a retest within a few days, space permitting
Content domains and weights
- Real Estate Brokerage License Law — 20 items (largest domain by far)
- Conveyance Procedures and Protection of Parties — 8 items
- Interests in Real Property — 8 items
- Financial Instruments: Obligations, Rights, Remedies — 4 items
Licensing path essentials
- Minimum age: 18
- Course I required before the exam; Courses II and III required before filing the license application
- Application must include completion certificates for Courses 1, 2, and 3
- Path: education → exam → broker association → state approval
- Initial license fee: $100 total (includes $30 to the education/research/recovery fund)
- Renewal fee: $60; reactivation fee: $20
High-yield review areas
- License law: agency duties, broker supervision, disciplinary grounds — the single biggest scoring opportunity given its 20-item weight
- Conveyance: deeds, closing mechanics, disclosure obligations
- Property interests: estates, easements, encumbrances — watch for near-identical terminology
- Financial instruments: mortgage types, remedies on default, rights of parties — smallest domain, still worth mastering
Top traps
- Treating the combined score as one average — each portion is evaluated against the same 75% bar separately
- Assuming a refund or fee transfer is possible — it is not, and unused fees expire after a year
- Trying to spot the 5-10 experimental questions — you can't, so answer everything with full effort
- Scheduling the exam before finishing Course I, or applying for the license before finishing Courses II and III
- Letting one under-studied domain (often the smaller ones like financial instruments) quietly cost you enough points to slip below the 75% passing bar
- Forgetting the licensing fees that come after the exam — the $100 initial fee and its $30 recovery-fund component are separate from exam fees
Frequently asked questions
What should I review the night before the Minnesota real estate salesperson exam?
Focus on Real Estate Brokerage License Law first since it carries the most items (20) on the exam, then run through Conveyance Procedures and Interests in Real Property (8 items each) and Financial Instruments (4 items). A quick pass over the numbers on this cheat sheet — question counts, time limits, and the 75% passing score — helps you walk in calm rather than guessing at logistics.
How long is the real Minnesota salesperson exam?
The combined general and state-law exam runs 130 questions in a 4-hour time limit. If taken separately, the general portion is 80 questions in 2.5 hours and the state-law portion is 50 questions in 1.5 hours.
How long is the prelicense course, and can I take the exam without finishing it?
Minnesota requires 90 hours of prelicense education split into three 30-hour courses (Course I, II, III). You must finish Course I before sitting the exam, but Courses II and III only need to be complete before you file your license application, not before the exam itself.
What score do I need to pass?
You need 75% correct to pass, and this threshold applies to the general and state-law portions separately, so treat each as its own pass/fail target rather than averaging them together.
Is this cheat sheet free and printable?
Yes — this cheat sheet is free to view and formatted for printing, so you can keep a physical copy of the key numbers and domain weights on hand for a final review before your appointment.
How much does the exam cost, and can I get a refund if I miss my appointment?
The combined exam costs $68, or $45 per portion if taken separately. Exam fees are not refundable or transferable, and an unused fee is forfeited if you don't test within one year of paying.
Sources
- 1.Real Estate Salesperson, Broker and Abstracter Examination — Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI Services LLC, for the Minnesota Department of Commerce) — Minnesota Department of Commerce (accessed Aug 10, 2026)
- 2.Guide to Real Estate Licensing (Minnesota Department of Commerce) — Minnesota Department of Commerce (accessed Aug 10, 2026)
- 3.Study Guide for Section VIII of the Real Estate License, Minnesota 2024-2025 Required Module (Minnesota Department of Commerce) — Minnesota Department of Commerce (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.
- Real Estate Salesperson, Broker and Abstracter Examination — Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI Services LLC, for the Minnesota Department of Commerce)Minnesota Department of Commercetest-takers.psiexams.com
- Guide to Real Estate Licensing (Minnesota Department of Commerce)Minnesota Department of Commercemn.gov
- Study Guide for Section VIII of the Real Estate License, Minnesota 2024-2025 Required Module (Minnesota Department of Commerce)Minnesota Department of Commercemn.gov
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