5 Tips for PASSING the Real Estate Exam
February 25, 2020
Brad Barker
We have been preparing students for over 35 years now to take the real estate exam. Comments we hear from students all the time are things like, I'm just a bad test taker, or I'm just so nervous and anxious about taking this test. That's normal to be a little bit anxious. For most of us as adults, especially as an adult learner, many of us have not taken a test for years and years. So let's talk about a few tips today that will help ease our anxiety and make sure that we have every opportunity to pass that test the first time.
Tip 1- Multiple-Choice=True/False
As you go through the test and read the questions and multiple-choice answers, it's important that you go through all four answers every single time - A, B, C, and D. In other words, we don't want to look at answer A and think, Oh, that's the answer, and just kind of skim over B, C and D. Or maybe we don't even bother to look at them because many times A sounds good, but D may be a better answer. So, we're going to convert this multiple-choice test, which is what most of us take, into kind of a true/false test. So, as you read those questions, and as you read answer A, you should think in your mind, well that's either true or false. Then you go to B and decide if B is true or false and then C and D - true or false? You can then pick the right answer.
Tip 2- How to Work the Math Problems
You’re in very good company if you struggle with math problems! It's important to note that during the exam, when you come across a math problem, don't start at the very top where there's a long paragraph of lots of information. Rather, read the last sentence first because the last sentence would tell you what you're trying to figure out in this problem. Many times on these math problems, they give you all sorts of extra information that is not needed, but you don't know that as you read through and then the question might say what was the loan amount? But by that point your brain is kind of so muddy with all the facts that you kind of fall apart in reading that particular question. So, on the math problems, read the last sentence first, know what you're looking for. Then go back and read the entire question and you can figure out what items you need and what items you don't need.
Tip 3 – Don’t Second Guess Yourself
You've probably heard your whole life through school that your first guest is your best guess and that is still true. In other words, don't change a bunch of answers at the last minute on the examination. Most all of us as adults, when we take a test, if we change an answer on the test, 80% of the time we change a right answer to a wrong answer or a wrong answer to another wrong answer. So, the only time you want to change your answer is if you are sure you missed it the first time. Do not go back and reread and second guess or “what if” these questions to death. That is a problem. Your first guess is your best guess.
Tip 4 – Use “Mark for Review” Button Sparingly
Most of these exams have a Mark for review button on computer screen, so if you're confused about a particular question, you can hit Mark for review and go back and look at that question later. Use that Mark for review button sparingly so those 10 or 12 you weren't sure about, use the Mark for review button. Then as you go through the entire test at the end, you can go back and review just those few questions that you weren't sure about. One thing to never do, by the way, is if you're a fast test taker and you get through the whole exam, you literally might have time to go back and review every single question. Do not do that. If you review every question you've taken, all you're going to be prone to do is change answers, which is not good.
Tip 5 – RELAX!
Our final tip is simply this: Relax. You're going to pass this test. I can assure you that when you sit down and take the first 15 questions of this exam, you're not going to think to yourself, “Gosh, I have no clue about any of this. Nothing was on the test that I studied for.” That's not going to happen. Now, obviously, no one knows the exact questions word for word, so the wording is going to be a little bit different, but the concepts are there. The idea is this: You can simply go in with confidence knowing that you have all the information to pass this test the first time.
