About the California Real Estate exam
California Real Estate Commission. Like every state, California adopts the federal standards as a baseline and adds state-specific requirements, fees, and procedures.
- Exam / licence fee: approximately $60 exam fee; $245 license fee (first 4 years).
- California requires 135 hours of pre-licensing education across three 45-hour courses; the DRE administers the exam.
To get started, read the official California handbook (linked above), practice with the tests on this page until you consistently score above 75%, and then schedule your exam with the California Real Estate Commission.
What's in the California exam: Practice tests covering the national portion of state real estate licensing exams plus state-specific law portions. Topics include property ownership, contracts, financing, agency law, fair housing, and real estate math.