Here you will find tried and true steps to help you use this guide effectively and to get the best results while minimizing your study time. Please understand that as you go through the real estate questions we have prepared for you, you may come across a few that you have never seen before. Do not be alarmed. These are questions that are on the state exam, but were never given to you in the real estate class you took or in your class textbooks. This is why there is such a high failure rate for the real estate exam. The actual questions on the state or national real estate exams are NOT created by the same agency that created the college courses or text books. These college courses are designed by regional college accreditation agencies and the state real estate exams are created by the individual state’s department of real estate or real estate commissions. It is very frustrating, we know. That is why there publishers like us who create exam cram courses and applications to “bridge the gap” of knowledge for the real estate exams.
STEP 1: Read and understand the VOCABULARY section first. These are very important terms. The key to successful knowledge of real estate is understanding and knowing the vocabulary used. Review them until you are confident to go onto the questions. Do not continue to the questions until you know these terms well.
STEP 2: Now go to the STUDY SECTION and read all the real estate questions with their correct answers and explanations in each exam. There are a lot of questions. Pace yourself and allow time to understand and memorize the correct answers.
STEP 3: Go back to the VOCABULARY section and review. Again, they are VERY important. You must know these forwards and backwards.
STEP 4: Repeat step 2 until you feel you are scoring 90% or better. Then review the VOCABULARY section again.
STEP 5: Now begin the MATH only portion of the STUDY SECTION. Read the questions with the answers and explanations until you have mastered them just as you did with the regular real estate questions. Make sure you set aside a separate time of the day to ONLY study the math. The reason for this is that the analytical/math function of the human brain works on math problems from different areas of the brain than word problems. When studying it takes approx. 10 min. for the brain to fully switch to a pure analytical/math function. If you are studying word problems and math problems in the same study session, you will be wasting a lot of time and overworking your brain. Time is key here, especially when it comes to the day of the exam, more about that later.
STEP 6: Repeat the MATH ONLY portion in the STUDY SECTION until you feel you are scoring at least 90% or better.
STEP 7: Now you are ready to go on to the TEST SECTION of this book. These questions will simulate what you will find on the actual state exam. You will have a limited time to complete the exam. Set a timer to the amount of time that your state allows for you to complete the state exam. Begin taking one of the exams and write your answers on a blank sheet of paper. When you are finished, check your answers with the correct answers shown in the same exams from the STUDY SECTION and score yourself. Now continue to Step 8.
STEP 8: Did you score 90% or better? If so, congratulations! You are ready to take the actual state exam and pass on your first try. If you did not score 90% or better, review the questions you missed using the STUDY SECTION. Study them, and retake the corresponding exam in the TESTING SECTION. Continue doing this and review the Vocabulary, if needed, until you are scoring 90% or better.
IMPORTANT!!!
REMEMBER THIS ON THE DAY YOU TAKE YOUR STATE EXAM…
DO NOT ANSWER, OR EVEN READ, THE FIRST 5 QUESTIONS OF THE EXAM. DO THOSE SECOND TO LAST AND ANY MATH RELATED QUESTIONS, VERY LAST!!!
Write the numbers to these questions on a piece of paper to remember to do them later. The reason is that they have placed the hardest questions in the first 5 spots to distract you, make you nervous and frustrated while taking the test. So, do those just before doing the math questions. Do the math questions very last because as we explained earlier, psychologically it takes the brain about 5-10 minutes to go from comprehensive thinking to analytical mathematical thinking. You only have a limited amount of time to complete the real estate exam. Therefore, your time will be very valuable. Do not leave any question unanswered. An unanswered question will be scored as a wrong answer.
Be sure to read the section “Secrets to Passing the Real Estate Exam” this section was developed by ex-real estate exam proctors. It will give you more detailed steps and inside information on how to use the above method on the day of your exam. It will also show you how to answer a question correctly even if you have completely forgotten the answer.
Good luck and study well!