Iowa Real Estate Exam Prep & Study Guide
What the Iowa exam actually asks, in the order worth studying it. The weightings below are not an estimate — they are each subject's share of the 2,196 Iowa questions in our bank.
Questions
120
Time limit
180 min
To pass
70%
Exam fee
$95
Source: IREC candidate handbook. Salesperson licence.
What to study first for the Iowa exam
Ordered by how many questions sit behind each subject. Studying front to back spends the same hours on a subject worth 7% as on one worth 13%.
- 113%296 questions
Practice of Real Estate
- 211%248 questions
Financing
- 311%243 questions
Contracts
- 411%239 questions
Property Ownership
- 510%226 questions
General Principles of Agency
- 610%211 questions
Real Estate Math
- 77%151 questions
Property Disclosures
- 87%149 questions
Valuation Market Analysis
The Iowa state portion, subject by subject
IA-specific law is where out-of-state study material stops helping. These are the subjects our bank covers, with real questions under each.
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:
Transfer of Property
114 questions- Under TRID rules, the lender must deliver the Closing Disclosure to the borrower at least how many business days before …
- A deed is properly recorded in the county records before a later purchaser checks title. Even if the later purchaser nev…
- At closing, the seller's existing mortgage balance of $185,000 must be paid off from the sale proceeds. On the seller's …
- An attorney examining the abstract of title discovers a gap in the chain where a deed from 1952 does not match the grant…
Mandated Disclosures
17 questions- Which statement best describes Iowa's Groundwater Hazard Statement requirement under Iowa Code §558A.6?
- Which statement most accurately describes flood disclosure requirements and flood insurance obligations in Iowa real est…
- Under Iowa law, what is a seller's obligation regarding methamphetamine lab contamination when selling residential prope…
- Which of the following transfers is typically exempt from Iowa's residential property seller disclosure requirement unde…
Valuation
16 questions- The sales comparison approach to appraisal is most appropriate for which type of property?
- The income approach to appraisal is most commonly used for which type of property?
- In Iowa, residential property is assessed for property tax purposes at what percentage of its actual (market) value?
- Iowa farmland valuation:
Land Use Controls & Regulations
7 questions- Building codes are primarily designed to establish which of the following?
- Which of the following best describes how agricultural land is treated under Iowa county zoning laws?
- Which of the following best describes the relationship between Iowa's tornado risk and real estate transactions?
- What is a zoning variance?
Counts are live from the Iowa question bank, which mixes the national portion with Iowa-specific law.
The national portion, subject by subject
Shared with every other state exam, and usually the larger half of the paper.
Practice of Real Estate
296 questions- Broker David's Iowa real estate license was revoked by the IREC two years ago following a fraud conviction. David has si…
- Which Iowa rule applies when support personnel provide information about real estate to others?
- A broker uses cloud-based transaction management software to store all transaction files, including contracts, disclosur…
- The Iowa Real Estate Commission wishes to adopt a new rule requiring all licensed brokers to maintain electronic trust a…
Financing
248 questions- A buyer wants to purchase a home but cannot qualify for a conventional loan. The seller agrees to carry the entire purch…
- 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…
- Lena Chen is buying a home for $350,000 and is making a 20% down payment. Her lender will charge 2 discount points on th…
Contracts
243 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…
Property Ownership
239 questions- A roofing contractor replaced shingles on a home for $18,400, but the owner refused to pay. After following the required…
- Elena owns a home in Iowa City as her primary residence on a city lot measuring 0.35 acres. She has an unpaid judgment l…
- An encroachment occurs when:
- 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…
Real Estate Math
211 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…
Leasing & Property Management
93 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 Iowa question bank, which mixes the national portion with Iowa-specific law.
Studying for the Iowa exam
How long should I study for the Iowa real estate exam?
Most candidates need four to eight weeks alongside a job. Working every Iowa question in our bank at a realistic 30 questions an hour is roughly 73 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 Iowa real estate exam?
Two portions. The national portion covers principles every state shares. The IA portion covers Iowa law — in our bank that is General Principles of Agency, Property Disclosures, Valuation Market Analysis, Land Use Controls Regulations and more.
Which Iowa topic should I study first?
Practice of Real Estate carries the most questions in our Iowa bank (296, about 13% 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 Iowa exam prep course required?
Pre-licensing education is required by IREC; 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 IREC handbook before buying either.
Iowa 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.