South Dakota Broker Associate Exam
At a glance
- Passing score
- 75% on each portion
- Governing body
- South Dakota Real Estate Commission
The South Dakota Broker Associate exam is the licensing test aspiring real estate broker associates in South Dakota must pass to practice under a responsible broker. It's administered by PSI on behalf of the South Dakota Real Estate Commission and is typically taken after completing the state's required prelicensing coursework.
Overview
The exam is split into a national portion and a South Dakota state law portion, each covering different content areas.
- National portion: Contracts (19%), Agency (13%), Practice of Real Estate (12%), and Property Ownership (10%), among other national real estate topics.
- State portion: Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (42 items), Licensing Requirements (6 items), and Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission (4 items).
Cost and registration
Fee reporting is inconsistent across official sources. The PSI candidate handbook lists a $98 fee per exam portion, the state's exam information page cites a $105 registration payment, and the South Dakota Real Estate Commission's fee schedule lists $294 total. Confirm current pricing directly with PSI and the South Dakota Real Estate Commission before registering. Beyond the exam itself, the Associate Broker license application runs $225, with renewal at $125 every two years.
Exam format
Candidates sit for two separately timed and scored portions: a 90-item national portion (150 minutes) and a 52-item South Dakota state portion (120 minutes). A score of 75% is required to pass each portion, and candidates who pass one portion but fail the other only need to retake the failed section. The exam follows completion of a 116-hour prelicensing course and is offered at PSI test centers in Madison, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls.
How the South Dakota Real Estate practice bank covers the outline
61 practice questions across 8 outline areas.
Counts are the live question bank, grouped by the outline area each question was written to.
Verified facts about the South Dakota Real Estate exam
7 statements, each bound to the official document it was taken from. The source link beside every line opens that document.
Requirements and rules
- Citizen of the United States or a resident of South Dakota
- South Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation)
- Madison, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls
- South Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation)
- Only the failed portion must be retaken, not the full combined exam
- South Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation)
- Cannot retest same day; earliest next business day depending on availability
- South Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation)
- Responsible Broker (requires 2 years active status as Broker Associate + 24-hour course)
- South Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation)
Numbers
Frequently asked questions
How is the South Dakota Broker Associate exam structured?
PSI administers the exam in two parts: a 90-item national portion (150 minutes) and a 52-item South Dakota state portion (120 minutes). Each portion is scored separately and requires a 75% passing score.
What does the exam cost?
Sources differ on the exact breakdown. PSI's candidate handbook lists a $98 fee per portion, while the state's exam information page cites a $105 registration payment and the Real Estate Commission's fee schedule lists $294 total across three portion charges. Check the current PSI bulletin and the South Dakota Real Estate Commission's fee schedule before paying.
What are the eligibility requirements to sit for the exam?
You must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or South Dakota resident, and you must complete the 116-hour prelicensing course before applying to test. The South Dakota Real Estate Commission oversees licensing eligibility.
What happens if I fail one portion of the exam?
If you pass one portion but fail the other, you only need to retake the portion you failed rather than sitting for the entire combined exam again. You can't retest the same day, but you may be eligible to schedule a retake as soon as the next business day, depending on availability.
How long do I have to apply for a license after passing?
You have 60 days from the date of your passing-exam notice to file a license application with the South Dakota Real Estate Commission.
How much does it cost to get and renew a Broker Associate license?
The Associate Broker application fee is $225, and renewal runs $125 every two years. Where you take the exam is also limited to a handful of testing sites — Madison, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls.
Sources
- 1.Real Estate Broker Associate Examination — Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI Services LLC) — South Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation) (accessed Aug 11, 2026)
- 2.South Dakota Real Estate Commission - Examination Information — South Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation) (accessed Aug 11, 2026)
- 3.South Dakota Real Estate Commission - Fee Schedule — South Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation) (accessed Aug 11, 2026)
- 4.South Dakota Real Estate Commission - License Types and Requirements — South Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation) (accessed Aug 11, 2026)
- 5.Real Estate Regulatory Agencies Directory — ARELLO
Official sources
The official documents our facts about this exam are taken from.
- Real Estate Broker Associate Examination — Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI Services LLC)South Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation)proctor2.psionline.com
- South Dakota Real Estate Commission - License Types and RequirementsSouth Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation)dlr.sd.gov
- South Dakota Real Estate Commission - Fee ScheduleSouth Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation)dlr.sd.gov
- South Dakota Real Estate Commission - Examination InformationSouth Dakota Real Estate Commission (SD Department of Labor and Regulation)dlr.sd.gov
Last verified against South Dakota Real Estate Commission's official sources:
More in this family
Real Estate Broker licensing
Each card collects one exam’s study resources with their counts, so you can see what every exam in the family offers.