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

The numbers to remember

• National portion: 80 questions, 120 minutes, pass with 56 correct.
• State portion: 40 questions, 80 minutes, pass with 28 correct.
• Combined: 120 questions, 200 minutes, if you sit both portions together.
• Exam fee: $63 for both portions, $55 to retake one portion.
• Vendor: PSI Testing Services administers the exam.
• Application fee: $25 to the Commission; initial licensure fee: $50 once you pass.
• Minimum age: 18 years.
• Eligibility window: valid 1 year; you must pass both portions inside that year.
• Retakes: unlimited during the 1-year eligibility window.
• Scheduling lag: allow 48 hours after eligibility approval before PSI can schedule you.

Content domains and weights (state portion, 40 items)

• South Carolina Agency and Non-agency Relationships and Issues — 11 items
• Statutes Governing the Activities of Licensees and Non-Licensees — 11 items
• South Carolina Real Estate Commission and Licensing Requirements — 9 items
• Additional South Carolina Statutes and Topics — 6 items
• Closing Details — 3 items

The national portion is not broken into South Carolina-specific weights here — it follows PSI's general real estate content outline covering ownership, contracts, financing, and valuation topics common across states.

High-yield review areas

• Agency and non-agency relationships — the single biggest state-law topic at 11 items; know disclosure duties and who represents whom in a transaction.
• Licensee and non-licensee statutes — another 11-item area; focus on what licensed activity requires versus what does not.
• Commission structure and licensing requirements — 9 items; know how the Commission and DLLR oversee licensees.
• Two portions, two scores — study time should mirror the item-count weighting above rather than splitting evenly.

Top traps

• Treating this as one combined score. It is not — you must clear 56/80 on national AND 28/40 on state independently.
• Booking a test slot immediately after eligibility approval. PSI needs 48 hours to import your authorization first.
• Letting the 1-year eligibility clock lapse. Both portions must be passed inside that year, even with unlimited retakes available.
• Assuming a general real-estate answer applies on the state portion. South Carolina's own statutes can require a different answer than universal real estate practice.
• Forgetting the fee difference: retaking one failed portion costs $55, not the $63 full-sitting rate.