North Carolina Real Estate Exam Prep & Study Guide
What the North Carolina exam actually asks, in the order worth studying it. The weightings below are not an estimate — they are each subject's share of the 3,354 North Carolina questions in our bank.
Questions
140
Time limit
270 min
To pass
75%
Exam fee
$63
Fee: both sections; $53 for one section; plus $105 NCREC application fee.
Source: NCREC candidate handbook. Salesperson licence.
What to study first for the North Carolina exam
Ordered by how many questions sit behind each subject. Studying front to back spends the same hours on a subject worth 5% as on one worth 30%.
- 130%990 questions
Practice of Real Estate
- 212%405 questions
Contracts
- 37%226 questions
General Principles of Agency
- 46%217 questions
Financing
- 56%209 questions
Agency
- 66%207 questions
Property Ownership
- 76%199 questions
Real Estate Math
- 85%151 questions
Property Disclosures
The North Carolina state portion, subject by subject
NC-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…
Agency
209 questions- In North Carolina practice, what term or document matches this description about dual agency and designated dual agency?…
- An office manager in Cary is updating the policy manual on dual agency and designated dual agency. Which statement best …
- A broker-in-charge in Gastonia is preparing an exam-prep note on buyer agency agreements and the written-agreement deadl…
- A closing-file reviewer in Wilmington is updating the policy manual on seller agency, listing agreements, and subagency.…
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:
Mandated Disclosures
150 questions- An office manager in Carrboro is preparing an exam-prep note on RPOADS timing, scope, and the "No Representation" choice…
- On a North Carolina exam item about lead-based paint and environmental disclosures, which concept is being defined? Desc…
- A Gastonia broker is training a new associate on Mineral and Oil and Gas disclosure timing, scope, and waiver limits. Wh…
- A broker-in-charge in Gastonia is preparing an exam-prep note on Mineral and Oil and Gas disclosure timing, scope, and w…
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…
Transfer of Title
129 questions- A training instructor in Boone is preparing an exam-prep note on North Carolina tax calculations, conveyance tax, and pr…
- A deed for property in Gastonia recites consideration of $349,999.00. Using North Carolina's statewide conveyance tax ru…
- An office manager in New Bern is answering a client question about the North Carolina conveyance tax at $1 per $500. Whi…
- A Greensboro broker is preparing an exam-prep note on North Carolina tax calculations, conveyance tax, and prorations. W…
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…
Counts are live from the North Carolina question bank, which mixes the national portion with North Carolina-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
990 questions- A firm owner in Apex is answering a client question about licensure scope, definitions, and exemptions. Which statement …
- A closing-file reviewer in Huntersville is preparing an exam-prep note on Commission rules structure and regulatory auth…
- A buyer representative in Huntersville is updating the policy manual on Commission rules structure and regulatory author…
- A closing-file reviewer in Wilmington is updating the policy manual on BIC eligibility, designation, and supervision. Wh…
Contracts
405 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…
- A transaction coordinator in Durham is preparing an exam-prep note on breach remedies, termination, and refunds. Which s…
Financing
217 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…
- In North Carolina, the foreclosure sale must be held:
- Before the scheduled foreclosure sale, Lena Howard pays the past-due installments, late fees, and allowed expenses so th…
Property Ownership
207 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…
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 North Carolina question bank, which mixes the national portion with North Carolina-specific law.
Studying for the North Carolina exam
How long should I study for the North Carolina real estate exam?
Most candidates need four to eight weeks alongside a job. Working every North Carolina question in our bank at a realistic 30 questions an hour is roughly 112 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 North Carolina real estate exam?
Two portions. The national portion covers principles every state shares. The NC portion covers North Carolina law — in our bank that is General Principles of Agency, Agency, Property Disclosures, Mandated Disclosures and more.
Which North Carolina topic should I study first?
Practice of Real Estate carries the most questions in our North Carolina bank (990, about 30% 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 North Carolina exam prep course required?
Pre-licensing education is required by NCREC; 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 NCREC handbook before buying either.
North Carolina 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.