Maryland (MD) Real Estate Exam Cheat Sheet 2026
MD: 110 questions, 120 minutes, 56 of 80 and 21 of 30, $44 in exam fees. Below are the 8 rules that decide pass or fail, each with its source.
The 8 rules worth memorising
Not subject knowledge — that comes from practice questions. These are the procedural rules candidates lose the exam to: how the threshold is applied, what a partial fail means, and the deadlines that void a pass.
- 1
The Maryland portion is 30 questions in 30 minutes
One minute per question, the tightest state portion in the country. The national portion gives you 90 minutes for 80 questions. Do not carry a slow pace out of the national half into the state half.
Source: PSI bulletin, Examination Summary Table
- 2
The bar is a count: 56 and 21
You need 56 of 80 national and 21 of 30 Maryland questions. On the state portion that means nine misses and no more — with only 30 questions, every single one is worth 3.3% of that portion.
Source: PSI bulletin, The Passing Score
- 3
Two one-year clocks, not one
Both portions must be passed within one year of finishing your 60-hour course, and then you must apply for the license within one year of passing or your score expires. Missing either one sends you back to the exam.
Source: PSI bulletin, Examination Eligibility and The Passing Score
- 4
The Guaranty Fund is named in the outline
Maryland calls it the Guaranty Fund, not a recovery fund, and it sits under Duties and Powers of the Commission — one of only four questions in that area. Know who it protects and how a claim is made.
Source: PSI bulletin, Maryland State Portion Content Outline
- 5
You may bring a calculator — a specific kind
Non-programmable, silent, battery-operated, no paper tape, no alphabet keyboard. Maryland allows it where several states do not. Bring one that qualifies rather than assuming the on-screen one is enough.
Source: PSI bulletin, Security Procedures
- 6
The 15-minute tutorial is free time
An introductory tutorial runs before the exam and up to 15 minutes of it does not count against your 120 minutes. Use it to learn how to flag and revisit questions before the clock starts.
Source: PSI bulletin, Tutorial
- 7
One to ten unscored experimental items
A small number of experimental questions are mixed in unmarked and do not count toward your score. If a question looks unlike anything in your course, answer it and move on.
Source: PSI bulletin, Experimental Questions
- 8
No same-day rebooking
Scores need processing, so you cannot book a retake the day you test. The bulletin’s example: fail on a Wednesday, call Thursday, retest as early as Friday if a seat is free.
Source: PSI bulletin, Registering to Retake an Examination
What the Maryland state portion covers (30 scored items)
Straight from the official outline. Study the top of this list first.
Brokerage relationships
7 questionsListing agreements · Disclosure of brokerage relationship · Disclosure of interest in property · Conflict of interest disclosures
Business conduct
6 questionsOffers · Commissions including rebates · Advertising and signs · Fair housing laws and regulations · Summary suspensions and convictions
Supervision
5 questionsHandling monies including trust monies · Electronic recordkeeping requirements · Supervision requirements · Other Maryland laws — short sale, home improvements, PIFHA
Duties and powers of the Real Estate Commission
4 questionsGeneral powers · Investigations, hearings and appeals · Suspensions, revocations and penalties · Guaranty Fund
Licensing requirements
4 questionsActivities requiring a license · Change in license status · License renewals · Continuing education · Partnerships and corporations · Place of business
Ethics
4 questionsUnfair inducements · Dealings with other licensees · General ethics
If you fail
Call PSI or reregister online the day after your attempt — not the same day. Retesting within two or three days is common. Remember the one-year window from course completion still applies, so a long gap between attempts can cost you both portions.
Where these came from
- PSI Candidate Information Bulletin — Maryland Real Estate (bulletin 528)
- Maryland Real Estate Commission
Figures read from the source on 2026-09-18.
Questions
Is there a Maryland real estate exam cheat sheet PDF?
This page is the cheat sheet, and it stays on the web on purpose: every rule below cites the bulletin or commission page it came from, so you can check it against the current source. A printed PDF goes stale the moment PSI revises a figure, and most of the ones being sold do not say where their numbers came from.
What should I memorise for the MD state portion?
The rules that decide pass or fail rather than the ones that are merely interesting: how the 70% threshold is applied, what happens if you fail one portion, and the deadlines that void a pass. Those are the 8 below. Subject knowledge comes from practice questions, not from a list.
How current is this Maryland cheat sheet?
Every figure was read from the source on 2026-09-18, and each rule names its source below. Where MREC has revised something since, the source link is the authority — not this page.