Massachusetts Real Estate Exam Prep & Study Guide
What the Massachusetts exam actually asks, in the order worth studying it. The weightings below are not an estimate — they are each subject's share of the 2,341 Massachusetts questions in our bank.
Questions
120
Time limit
240 min
To pass
70%
Exam fee
$56
Source: MBRRE candidate handbook. Salesperson licence.
What to study first for the Massachusetts 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 15%.
- 115%358 questions
Practice of Real Estate
- 212%279 questions
Contracts
- 311%265 questions
Financing
- 411%255 questions
Property Ownership
- 510%226 questions
General Principles of Agency
- 69%199 questions
Real Estate Math
- 76%151 questions
Property Disclosures
- 86%149 questions
Valuation Market Analysis
The Massachusetts state portion, subject by subject
MA-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…
Agency
82 questions- Under Massachusetts regulations (254 CMR 3.00), which of the following is NOT one of the four agency relationship types …
- Salesperson James works for Realty Group, Inc. He is showing a property to buyer couple Tom and Lisa. James provides the…
- Under Massachusetts law and 254 CMR 3.00, which fiduciary duty requires a real estate licensee acting as a seller's agen…
- Licensee Chen works for a large Boston brokerage firm. Her colleague, Licensee Torres, represents the seller of a Back B…
Valuation
25 questions- A Massachusetts municipality sets its property tax levy and then divides that total levy by the total assessed value of …
- Under Massachusetts law, all of the following property owners may be eligible for a property tax exemption or reduction …
- The Springfield Board of Assessors denies Thomas's Application for Abatement on his commercial warehouse. Thomas disagre…
- A property in Quincy is assessed at $480,000 for fiscal year 2025. The residential tax rate is $12.00 per $1,000 of asse…
Mandated Disclosures
25 questions- How does Massachusetts lead paint law differ from the federal Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act with res…
- Tom is selling his home in Worcester, which was built in 1952. His listing agent, Susan, advises him that under Massachu…
- Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 21E, which state agency is primarily responsible for overseeing the cleanup of …
- A condominium unit in a building originally constructed in 1970 is being sold. The unit was completely renovated in 2015…
Counts are live from the Massachusetts question bank, which mixes the national portion with Massachusetts-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
358 questions- A Massachusetts real estate broker, Angela, operates as a sole proprietor. She lists a property for a seller and, during…
- Olivia owns a home in Salem, Massachusetts worth $650,000 with no mortgage. She recorded a Declaration of Homestead five…
- Marcus is a Massachusetts real estate salesperson whose license expired 45 days ago. He wants to reactivate his license …
- A homeowner in Concord, Massachusetts wants to build a new deck on the back of her house. After measuring, she discovers…
Contracts
279 questions- Kevin and Amy are purchasing a commercial property in Worcester, Massachusetts. Their broker recommends including a Phas…
- After a property inspection reveals minor cosmetic issues, the buyer demands $20,000 in credits. The seller refuses, and…
- Robert signs a Purchase and Sale Agreement to buy a property in Salem, Massachusetts. The P&S contains no mortgage conti…
- A buyer wants to demonstrate serious intent when submitting an offer. What financial deposit typically accompanies the o…
Financing
265 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…
Property Ownership
255 questions- A roofing contractor replaced shingles on a home for $18,400, but the owner refused to pay. After following the required…
- Thomas conveys his Boston property to his son David by quitclaim deed in January. Thomas does not record the deed. In Ma…
- Patricia owns a home in Lowell, Massachusetts as her primary residence and has recorded a Declaration of Homestead at th…
- 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
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…
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 Massachusetts question bank, which mixes the national portion with Massachusetts-specific law.
Studying for the Massachusetts exam
How long should I study for the Massachusetts real estate exam?
Most candidates need four to eight weeks alongside a job. Working every Massachusetts question in our bank at a realistic 30 questions an hour is roughly 78 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 Massachusetts real estate exam?
Two portions. The national portion covers principles every state shares. The MA portion covers Massachusetts law — in our bank that is General Principles of Agency, Property Disclosures, Valuation Market Analysis, Land Use Controls Regulations and more.
Which Massachusetts topic should I study first?
Practice of Real Estate carries the most questions in our Massachusetts bank (358, about 15% 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 Massachusetts exam prep course required?
Pre-licensing education is required by MBRRE; 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 MBRRE handbook before buying either.
Massachusetts 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.