Real estate exam courses and prep classes
Real estate exam courses come in two kinds: the pre-licensing education your state requires before you may test, and optional exam prep. The required part is fixed by law, for example 180 classroom hours in Texas, 90 hours in Washington and Minnesota, 77 in New York and 60 in Mississippi and DC. Prep courses are your choice and do not replace those hours.
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Pre-licensing education vs real estate exam prep courses
Pre-licensing education is a legal requirement. Your state approves the schools, sets the hours and topics, and usually needs proof of completion before it approves you for the exam. Real estate exam prep courses and real estate exam prep classes are different: they focus on the test itself and are not required by any of the agency pages we checked.
Texas shows the required side clearly. TREC lists six 30-hour qualifying courses, 180 classroom hours in total: Principles of Real Estate I and II, Law of Agency, Law of Contracts, Promulgated Contract Forms and Real Estate Finance.
Source: Texas Real Estate Commission — Sales agent. Checked 19 October 2026.
Required course hours by state
Every state sets its own number. These are examples from official sources; confirm with your own commission before you enrol.
- Texas: 180 classroom hours in six courses (TREC)
- California: three college-level courses, Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice and one elective (California DRE)
- Washington: 90 hours, a 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course and a 30-hour Real Estate Practices course (Washington DOL)
- Minnesota: 90 hours in three 30-hour courses, with Course I completed before the salesperson exam (PSI bulletin, 1 October 2023)
- New York: 77 hours of approved qualifying education (NY Department of State)
- Mississippi: 60 classroom hours (Mississippi Real Estate Commission bulletin)
- Washington DC: 60-hour salesperson pre-licensing education (PSI bulletin, updated 3 June 2026)
- New Hampshire: 40 hours, completed within 6 months before the exam (PSI bulletin, updated 1 July 2025)
Source: PSI — Minnesota Real Estate Examination Bulletin. Checked 19 October 2026.
Real estate exam class or online course?
Check your state’s rules on format before you pay. New Hampshire requires at least 32 of the 40 hours as classroom attendance and allows no more than 8 hours of distance education. Texas and Mississippi describe their requirements as classroom hours. A real estate exam class that your state does not approve will not count toward eligibility.
If you choose live real estate exam classes, make sure the provider is on your commission’s approved list and that completions are reported correctly. In Washington, for example, you register as a student with PSI before you finish your course, and your school sends the completion to PSI.
Source: PSI — New Hampshire Real Estate Commission Candidate Information Bulletin. Checked 19 October 2026.
When courses are required again
A real estate license exam prep course can also become mandatory after repeated failures. In Texas, if you fail either exam three times, you must complete additional education before you can test again. New Hampshire requires an additional accredited pre-licensing course if you do not pass both portions within 6 months or reach eight attempts.
Source: Texas Real Estate Commission — Sales agent. Checked 19 October 2026.
Is a crash course for real estate exam preparation worth it?
No agency we checked offers its own crash course, and a crash course cannot replace required pre-licensing hours. It can help in the final weeks if it follows your state’s official content outline and drills the topics where you are weakest.
Texas gives you a free way to find those topics: each quarter, Pearson VUE publishes reports on the success rates for exam questions grouped by topic, and TREC posts the last five years. Use them to decide what any short course should cover.
Source: Texas Real Estate Commission — Exam Topic Reports. Checked 19 October 2026.
Practice after your course
Courses teach the material; practice shows whether you can apply it under time pressure. Certsqill’s real estate exam practice questions are expert-developed, explain every answer option and give you a readiness score per content area.
Real Estate Exam training & courses: questions people ask
Are real estate exam courses required?
Pre-licensing courses are: for example 180 classroom hours in Texas, 90 hours in Washington, 77 in New York. Separate exam prep courses are optional. Checked 19 October 2026.
What courses does California require before the real estate exam?
Three college-level courses: Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice and one elective from the DRE list. Source: California DRE, checked 19 October 2026.
Can I take real estate exam classes online?
It depends on the state. New Hampshire allows at most 8 of 40 hours as distance education; Texas and Mississippi describe classroom hours. Check your commission’s rules. Checked 19 October 2026.
Do I need more courses if I fail the real estate exam?
In Texas, after three failed attempts on either exam, yes. In New Hampshire, after 6 months without passing both portions or eight attempts. Checked 19 October 2026.
Does a crash course for the real estate exam count toward required hours?
Only if your state approves it as pre-licensing education. A review course that is not on your commission’s approved pre-licensing list does not count toward the required hours.
