Educational Resources: Take Washington Real Estate Sample Tests, Application Steps and Tips

Before you earn your real estate certification in Washington, you must successfully complete the Washington Real Estate Broker Examination.

PSI Testing Excellence administers these exams on behalf of the state.¹

In order to complete the exams, you must have completed the 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course and 30-hour Real Estate Practices courses. You also must take the exam within two years of completing these courses.

Glimpse Into the Real Estate Examination

The Washington Real Estate Broker Examination is divided into two portions: the state broker portion and the national broker portion. In total, the exam takes 3.5 hours to complete.

Multiple choice questions include both state and national questions, and the exam structure intermixes these types of questions. The national portion of the exam touches on a range of topics, including:

• Property ownership, including land characteristics, legal descriptions, and types of ownership
• Land use controls, including government rights in land and private controls
• Valuation, including appraisals, estimating value, and comparative market analysis
• Financing, including types of loans and lending
• Contracts, including general contract law and purchase and lease contracts
• Agency, including relationships, duties, and disclosures
• Property disclosures, including property condition and environmental disclosures
• Property management, including responsibilities and landlord and tenant rights
• Transfer of title, including types of deeds and closing processes
• Practice of real estate, including anti-discrimination, legislation, and regulations
• Real estate calculations for transactions

The Washington state portion of the real estate exam focuses on these topics:

• General rules
• Licensing requirements
• Washington statutes and rules governing licensee activity
• Real estate brokerage relationships

The multiple-choice questions may focus on a variety of topics, with sample questions focusing on calculating acreage, defining common real-estate terms, such as homestead and eminent domain, and evaluating specific real-estate scenarios. Sample test questions are available from PSI Testing Excellence.

Completing the Washington real estate exam begins by registering for the test online at the PSI website.² Select Real Estate, Washington Real Estate Examination Program, and Broker to proceed.

Through this page, individuals can locate a Washington testing center, order practice tests, and register for the exam.³ Note that you will need to create an account before registering for the exam.

Once you’ve registered, your school must verify that you have completed the required courses to take the exam. You cannot complete exam registration until your school has electronically verified course completion.

The Washington Real Estate Examination Registration Form provides complete details on the information required to register.⁴

Exams are available by appointment only Monday through Saturday at 12 Washington testing centers. The examination fee is $210.

For more information or to register by phone, individuals may contact PSI Testing Service at (855) 746-8168.

Five Steps to Successfully Submitting Your Washington Department of Licensing Application

Ready to learn how to become a broker? Start with these five steps, and you’re on your way to obtaining your real estate license in Washington.

1. Ensure that you meet all requirements established by the state. These include being age 18 or older, having a high school diploma or equivalent, and completing 90 hours of approved real-estate courses within two years of registering for the exam.
2. Register as a student with PSI Testing Excellence during your real estate coursework. The organization will verify with your school that you’ve completed all necessary coursework and are ready to take the exam.
3. Successfully complete the Washington Real Estate Exam, earning a grade of 70% or higher to pass.
4. Submit your fingerprints for state and national background checks.
5. Process your real estate broker license application online through SecureAccess Washington (SAW) or by mail using the Real Estate License Application sent to the address below.^5,6

Real Estate Licensing
Department of Licensing
P.O. Box 3856
Seattle, WA 98124-3856

Be sure to include a check or money order made payable to the Department of Licensing for $223.

Membership Costs and Financial Obligations for the Washington Department of Licensing

Applying for your Washington real estate broker license comes with some fees. The Real Estate License Application costs $223 for a new license.

Looking to save a few dollars? Once the Department of Licensing issues it, you can access the digital copy of the license and print it for free.

Alternatively, you may choose to pay the $5 fee for the department to print and mail the license.

Requesting Inclusion in the National Association of Realtors® (NAR)

Once you’re a licensed real estate broker in Washington, you might want to network with other real estate agents in your industry, which can help you learn and grow in your career.

Membership in the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) gives real estate agents the designation of Realtors® and offers opportunities for networking and educational opportunities.⁷

The difference between a Realtor® and a real estate agent is that a Realtor® is a member of NAR.

To join this organization, you must first join a local association of REALTORS® in Washington.⁸ Real estate agents can expect to pay an application fee and annual dues for their local membership, and those fees vary by chapter.

Your local association can then help you join the National Association of REALTORS® for $150 a year, plus a $45-per-year special assessment fee.⁹

What’s the Standard Timeframe for Completing the Real Estate Application?

Once you have met the initial requirements for obtaining your real estate broker license, including being age 18 or older and having a high school diploma or equivalent, it’s time to focus on completing the rest of the application process.

First, focus on completing your required education, which you can do at your own pace. So, you can expect this step of the process to take a matter of weeks or months, depending on how quickly you get through the 90 hours of classes.

You also must take your real estate exam within two years of completing the courses and must apply for your license within one year of passing the exam. So, the complete process can range between several months and three years, depending on how quickly you move through the steps.

For questions on the processing of the real estate application, individuals can contact the Department of Licensing at [email protected].