Pass Realty Exam

California Real Estate Broker Examination study guide

California Real Estate Broker Examination, administered by California Department of Real Estate (DRE), is mapped here as 7 topic areas; the heaviest are Practice of Real Estate & Mandated Disclosures (25%), Laws of Agency & Fiduciary Duties (17%) and Property Ownership & Land Use Controls (15%).

About this course: You already passed the salesperson exam — this is only what changes when the buck stops with you. Trust-account math with every step shown, the supervision rules that flip direction, closing-statement debits and credits, and the broker-vs-salesperson traps the exam loves. No rehash. Broker depth, working-agent pace.

California Real Estate Broker Examination at a glance

Questions
200
Time allowed
4 hours, one session (arrive 30 min early)
Passing standard
≥75% = 150 of 200
Format
computer-based (electronic), five DRE exam centers (Fresno, La Palma, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego)
Standard / edition
California DRE Broker Examination Content and Taking the Exam
Administered by
California Department of Real Estate (DRE)

Source: California DRE Broker Examination Content and Taking the Exam, California Department of Real Estate (DRE). Confirm current details with the exam owner before you book.

Topic areas and weights

Topic areaWeightConceptsGuide
Practice of Real Estate & Mandated Disclosures25%0Section below
Laws of Agency & Fiduciary Duties17%0Section below
Property Ownership & Land Use Controls15%1Section below
Property Valuation & Financial Analysis14%2Section below
Contracts12%0Section below
Financing9%0Section below
Transfer of Property8%0Section below

Study plan in this course

  1. The Trust Account — Deposit Rules to Reconciliation — 8 cards · free
  2. Supervision and Discipline — the Broker's Accountability Layer — 5 cards · free
  3. Mandated Disclosures — Advertising to Fair Housing — 4 cards · free
  4. Fiduciary Duty and Agency — the Core Layer — 6 cards · full course
  5. Liability and Compensation — the Broker-Delta Layer — 5 cards · full course
  6. Concurrent Ownership and Estates — 4 cards · full course
  7. Land Use Controls — Easements to Environmental Law — 6 cards · full course
  8. Value, Sales Comparison, and Cost — Worked — 4 cards · full course
  9. Income Approach — NOI, IRV, GRM, Cash-on-Cash — 5 cards · full course
  10. Contracts — Essentials to Advance Fees — 8 cards · full course
  11. Financing — Deed of Trust to Loan Brokerage — 6 cards · full course
  12. Transfer and Closing Math — Debits, Credits, Prorations — 6 cards · full course
  13. Skip the Rehash — Broker vs Salesperson Traps — 12 cards · full course
  14. Exam Logistics — Eligibility and Official Statistics: Exam Logistics — Eligibility to the Honest Pass Rate — 5 cards · full course
  15. The Volatile Layer — Fees, Prereqs, and Scheduling — 10 cards · full course

Practice of Real Estate & Mandated Disclosures

Practice of Real Estate & Mandated Disclosures carries 25% of the California Real Estate Broker Examination blueprint used in this course, the largest of its 7 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 3 study units: The Trust Account — Deposit Rules to Reconciliation, Supervision and Discipline — the Broker's Accountability Layer and Mandated Disclosures — Advertising to Fair Housing.

Official references for Practice of Real Estate & Mandated Disclosures

  • RE 13 p.2
  • B&P: 10145, 10148, 10176/10177
  • RE 13 p.5
  • RE 13 p.3 + B&P: 10145
  • 10 CCR: 2725
  • B&P 10474 + B&P: 10475
  • B&P 10131 + 10137 + DRE outline subtopic
  • B&P 10140.6 + 10 CCR: 2773
  • Civil Code 1102 ff. +: 2079
  • Civil Code 1103 ff
  • 10 CCR 2725 + Gov C 12955 framework

In the app this area comes with 17 memory cards and 17 module-quiz questions and is part of the free starting modules.

Laws of Agency & Fiduciary Duties

Laws of Agency & Fiduciary Duties carries 17% of the California Real Estate Broker Examination blueprint used in this course, the second-largest of its 7 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 2 study units: Fiduciary Duty and Agency — the Core Layer and Liability and Compensation — the Broker-Delta Layer.

Official references for Laws of Agency & Fiduciary Duties

  • Civil Code 2079.16 + common-law agency
  • Civil Code 2079.13–2079.24
  • Civil 2079.21 + B&P: 10176
  • 10 CCR 2725/2726 + B&P: 10177
  • B&P: 10159.2
  • B&P 10137 + Sherman Act 15 USC: §1
  • Civil Code 1670.50 + DRE rulemaking docs
  • Civil Code agency principles + Civil 2079.13 definitions
  • B&P 10176 + DRE outline
  • Civil Code 2079–2079.5
  • 12 USC: 2607

In the app this area comes with 11 memory cards and 11 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Property Ownership & Land Use Controls

Property Ownership & Land Use Controls carries 15% of the California Real Estate Broker Examination blueprint used in this course, the third-largest of its 7 weighted areas. It spans 1 concept. The course teaches it in 2 study units: Concurrent Ownership and Estates and Land Use Controls — Easements to Environmental Law.

What Property Ownership & Land Use Controls covers

  • Easements: appurtenant vs in gross; created by express grant/reservation, implication, necessity, or prescription — Civil Code 801 ff. + CCP 321 ff

Official references for Property Ownership & Land Use Controls

  • Civil Code 683 ff
  • Family Code 760/1102 + Civil Code: 682.1
  • common-law estates + Civil Code 761 ff
  • Civil Code 801 ff. + CCP 321 ff
  • Civil Code 8000 ff. + common-law framework
  • Public Land Survey System + DRE outline
  • Cal/US constitutional framework + DRE outline
  • Gov C 65000 ff. planning law framework
  • Water Code 100 ff
  • Pub Res C 21000 ff. + 42 USC 9601 ff

In the app this area comes with 10 memory cards and 10 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Property Valuation & Financial Analysis

Property Valuation & Financial Analysis carries 14% of the California Real Estate Broker Examination blueprint used in this course, the 4th-largest of its 7 weighted areas. It spans 2 concepts. The course teaches it in 2 study units: Value, Sales Comparison, and Cost — Worked and Income Approach — NOI, IRV, GRM, Cash-on-Cash.

What Property Valuation & Financial Analysis covers

  • Sales comparison approach — sales-comparison method
  • Reconciliation = weighted judgment, NOT averaging: weight the approach that fits the property. — appraisal reconciliation convention

Official references for Property Valuation & Financial Analysis

  • appraisal theory per USPAP framework + DRE outline
  • sales-comparison method
  • cost-approach method
  • income-capitalization method + DRE outline
  • income-approach convention
  • GRM/GIM convention
  • investment-analysis convention + DRE outline
  • appraisal reconciliation convention
  • B&P 11300 ff. + FIRREA framework

In the app this area comes with 9 memory cards and 9 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Contracts

Contracts carries 12% of the California Real Estate Broker Examination blueprint used in this course, the 5th-largest of its 7 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Contracts — Essentials to Advance Fees.

Official references for Contracts

  • Civil Code 1550 ff
  • Civil Code 1624 +: 2309
  • B&P 10176/ + listing conventions
  • Civil Code: 1670.50
  • Civil Code 1585 ff. + 1675–1681
  • Civil Code option principles + DRE outline
  • Cal. Const. art. XV + B&P 10237 ff. framework
  • B&P 10026 + 10146 +: 10085/10085.6

In the app this area comes with 8 memory cards and 8 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Financing

Financing carries 9% of the California Real Estate Broker Examination blueprint used in this course, the 6th-largest of its 7 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Financing — Deed of Trust to Loan Brokerage.

Official references for Financing

  • Civil Code 2920 ff. + trust-deed convention
  • Civil Code 2924 ff. + CCP: 580b/580d/729
  • financing arithmetic conventions
  • Civil Code 2985 ff. + financing conventions + 12 USC: 1701j-3
  • 12 CFR 1026 + Civil 2956 ff
  • B&P 10131/10166.01 ff. + 10240 + 10242 ff

In the app this area comes with 6 memory cards and 6 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Transfer of Property

Transfer of Property carries 8% of the California Real Estate Broker Examination blueprint used in this course, the 7th-largest of its 7 weighted areas. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: Transfer and Closing Math — Debits, Credits, Prorations.

Official references for Transfer of Property

  • Civil Code 1091 ff. +: 1113
  • Civil Code 1213–1214
  • Financial Code 17000 ff
  • Ins C 12340 ff. + CLTA/ALTA policy convention
  • settlement-statement convention
  • R&T 11911 + Cal. Const. art. XIII A + IRC: 1031/FIRPTA

In the app this area comes with 6 memory cards and 6 module-quiz questions in the full course.

Official references

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