California Real Estate Exam Prep & Study Guide
What the California exam actually asks, in the order worth studying it. The weightings below are not an estimate — they are each subject's share of the 3,605 California questions in our bank.
Questions
150
Time limit
180 min
To pass
70%
Exam fee
$100
Source: DRE candidate handbook. Salesperson licence.
What to study first for the California exam
Ordered by how many questions sit behind each subject. Studying front to back spends the same hours on a subject worth 6% as on one worth 11%.
- 111%402 questions
Practice of Real Estate Disclosures
- 211%397 questions
Contracts
- 311%389 questions
Financing
- 49%327 questions
Property Ownership Land Use Controls
- 59%321 questions
Laws of Agency Fiduciary Duties
- 67%254 questions
Transfer of Property
- 77%237 questions
Property Valuation Financial Analysis
- 86%226 questions
General Principles of Agency
The California state portion, subject by subject
CA-specific law is where out-of-state study material stops helping. These are the subjects our bank covers, with real questions under each.
Practice of Real Estate Disclosures
402 questions- A buyer in California receives the TDS from the seller of a home in Sacramento. The TDS was hand-delivered to the buyer …
- A licensed California broker intends to open a branch office in a city different from the main office. Under Cal. B&P Co…
- A seller in Santa Cruz, California, provides the NHD to a buyer. The NHD shows the property is in both a Seismic Hazard …
- A California listing agent conducts a visual inspection and notices no visible defects. However, the agent knows from a …
Property Ownership Land Use Controls
327 questions- A California neighbor has used a strip of an adjacent owner's land to access a hiking trail for seven continuous years. …
- A California licensed land surveyor (regulated under the Professional Land Surveyors' Act, Business & Professions Code §…
- A property owner in California holds a fee simple absolute estate. Which of the following BEST describes the owner's rig…
- A neighbor's fence has stood two feet over an adjacent property line in California for six years. The fence location has…
Laws of Agency Fiduciary Duties
321 questions- A California real estate broker represents both the buyer and the seller in a residential transaction. The broker explai…
- Under California law, which of the following statements about net listings is NOT accurate?
- A California real estate salesperson wants to change from Broker A to Broker B. Under California law, what must happen?
- A California salesperson is sued by a buyer for negligent misrepresentation regarding a property's condition. The salesp…
Transfer of Property
254 questions- An investor in California holds title to a commercial property through an LLC. The investor wants to sell the property. …
- Richard wants to convey his California property to his business partner. His attorney prepares a deed that includes cove…
- A licensee is concerned about a construc- tion project going on next to a property she is selling. Where would she be BE…
- A California real estate agent explains to a client that California is a 'race-notice' recording state. This means that …
Property Valuation Financial Analysis
237 questions- A California appraiser needs to determine the appropriate cap rate using the band of investment method. The property wil…
- An appraiser in California is estimating external obsolescence for a residential property adjacent to a state-designated…
- A California property has been identified as a former methamphetamine manufacturing site and has received a decontaminat…
- In using the cost approach in California, an appraiser must estimate the land value separately from the improvements. Wh…
General Principles of Agency
226 questions- Without prior permission, Quinn Brooks signs a small repair authorization on behalf of the owner. The owner later approv…
- A buyer under a buyer-representation agreement receives an earnest money refund after a failed deal. The agent deposits …
- A buyer representation agreement should specify:
- Jamie Cruz signs a listing agreement with Skyler Simmons. In the resulting sale, whose interests does the listing broker…
Property Disclosures
151 questions- A 1978 ranch home is on the market. During inspection, the buyer's environmental specialist samples the wall insulation …
- Which of the following is NOT a hidden condition?
- A Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) must be provided by:
- The purpose of the Closing Disclosure under TILA-RESPA is to:
Valuation Market Analysis
149 questions- In October 2026, appraiser Caleb Moore is reviewing an income statement for Oak Place. The property's NOI is $67,500, th…
- Under USPAP, what is the purpose of the Competency Rule?
- An example of functional obsolescence is:
- In August 2026, appraiser Omar Lewis is valuing a small retail strip. Potential gross income is $96,000, vacancy and col…
Land Use Controls Regulations
128 questions- A homebuyer purchases a lot in a planned community. The deed references a recorded declaration of covenants, conditions,…
- A board of adjustment is reviewing an owner's request for relief from a zoning ordinance. All of the following are commo…
- A homeowner in an HOA community wants to install solar panels on her roof. The CC&Rs do not address solar panels. The HO…
- Seeking an exemption from zoning requirements requires a:
Counts are live from the California question bank, which mixes the national portion with California-specific law.
The national portion, subject by subject
Shared with every other state exam, and usually the larger half of the paper.
Contracts
397 questions- After a property inspection reveals minor cosmetic issues, the buyer demands $20,000 in credits. The seller refuses, and…
- A buyer wants to demonstrate serious intent when submitting an offer. What financial deposit typically accompanies the o…
- Under a traditional contract for deed, what risk does the buyer face if the seller has an existing mortgage on the prope…
- Under a contract for deed, the buyer defaults after making five years of payments. In some jurisdictions, what protectio…
Financing
389 questions- A buyer wants to purchase a home but cannot qualify for a conventional loan. The seller agrees to carry the entire purch…
- A California buyer purchases a newly built home in a subdivision that has supplemental property taxes. What triggers the…
- During the annual escrow analysis on Priya's loan, the servicer wants to maintain an escrow cushion equal to three month…
- Before the scheduled foreclosure sale, Lena Howard pays the past-due installments, late fees, and allowed expenses so th…
Property Ownership
200 questions- A roofing contractor replaced shingles on a home for $18,400, but the owner refused to pay. After following the required…
- Emma owns only a life estate in a rural tract, with title to pass to her nephew at Emma's death. Without the nephew's co…
- In February 2026, title examiner Rachel noticed that a metes and bounds description ended at a different point than wher…
- In June 2026, Jared sold the oil and gas rights under his ranch to Mesa Energy but kept the surface estate. After record…
Real Estate Math
199 questions- A county charges $40 to record the first page of a deed and $7 for each additional page. If a deed is 3 pages long, what…
- A property sells for $300,000 with a 6% commission split equally between the listing broker and the selling broker. The …
- A buyer is purchasing a property for $450,000 with an 80% LTV loan. Buyer closing costs are $9,500, the earnest money de…
- A transfer tax is charged at $1.00 per $500 of sale price (rounded up to the nearest $500). If the property sells for $3…
Practice of Real Estate
145 questions- A broker uses cloud-based transaction management software to store all transaction files, including contracts, disclosur…
- Two competing brokerages agree that each will refer commercial clients to the other and neither will compete for the oth…
- A landlord refuses to rent to a family with children, claiming the property is 'adults only.' This is legal ONLY if:
- A mortgage ad states 'Only 5% down and payments from $1,950 per month.' Which advertising concept explains why extra fed…
Leasing & Property Management
80 questions- A written apartment lease begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year with no need for notice to terminat…
- A property management agreement authorizes the manager to spend up to $500 on emergency repairs without prior owner appr…
- A property manager deposits tenant security deposits into the manager's personal checking account and uses the funds to …
- All of the following are landlord-tenant law concepts EXCEPT
Counts are live from the California question bank, which mixes the national portion with California-specific law.
California exam guide (PDF)
The format, fees and requirements on one page, checked against the DRE handbook. Download it from the California guide.
Studying for the California exam
How long should I study for the California real estate exam?
Most candidates need four to eight weeks alongside a job. Working every California question in our bank at a realistic 30 questions an hour is roughly 120 hours — but the useful measure is not hours, it is whether your practice scores sit above the pass mark on questions you have not seen before.
What is on the California real estate exam?
Two portions. The national portion covers principles every state shares. The CA portion covers California law — in our bank that is Practice of Real Estate Disclosures, Property Ownership Land Use Controls, Laws of Agency Fiduciary Duties, Transfer of Property and more.
Which California topic should I study first?
Practice of Real Estate Disclosures carries the most questions in our California bank (402, about 11% of it), so it is the highest-leverage place to start. After that, work down the list below rather than studying front to back.
Is a California exam prep course required?
Pre-licensing education is required by DRE; exam prep is not. They are different purchases and people often conflate them — the course satisfies the legal hours, prep is practice on questions. Check the current requirement in the DRE handbook before buying either.
California practice exam
Ten questions with explanations, free, no account.
Full-length mock exam
Timed and scored against the real pass mark.
Exam-day checklist
What to bring, what to expect, what disqualifies you.