CTConnecticut

Real estate exam prep

At a glance

The exam, in numbers.

Questions: 110 multiple-choice (80 national + 30 state)
Time: 165 minutes (2 hours 45 minutes)
Passing score: 70% on EACH section (56/80 national AND 21/30 state), scored independently
Pre-license education: 60 hours, Connecticut Real Estate Commission-approved
License type: Real Estate Salesperson (entry-level; brokers take a separate exam)
Administered by: PSI Services LLC on behalf of the Connecticut Real Estate Commission
Format: computer-based testing at PSI centers in Connecticut, OR remote online proctoring (added May 2025)
Result: issued at the testing center (or on-screen for remote proctoring); pass/fail per section
Exam fee: $59 per attempt, paid to PSI at scheduling
Retake wait: none; reschedule with PSI as soon as a slot is available
Score validity: a passed section stays valid for 12 months while you retake the other
Sponsorship: a CT-licensed broker must employ the salesperson before the license issues

Connecticut real estate exam: format, score, what to expect in 2026

In May 2025, the Connecticut Real Estate Commission and PSI Services LLC added remote online proctoring as a delivery option for the salesperson and broker exams. Before the change, every candidate had to travel to one of a small number of PSI testing centers concentrated in the Hartford / New Haven / Bridgeport corridor. After the change, a candidate with a quiet room, a webcam, and a stable internet connection can sit for the exam from home, with PSI proctors monitoring the session in real time. The shift broadened access to candidates outside the I-91 / I-95 corridor and to candidates whose schedules don't accommodate weekday-business-hours travel to a testing center. The exam content didn't change. The pacing didn't change. The passing standard didn't change. What changed is whether you have to drive somewhere on a Tuesday morning to take it, and that turns out to matter quite a bit for some candidates.

The exam is administered by PSI Services LLC on behalf of the Connecticut Real Estate Commission, which sits within the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. The format is 110 multiple-choice questions over 165 minutes, scored as 80 national + 30 state. The passing standard is 70% on each section, scored independently (you need 56 correct of 80 national items AND 21 correct of 30 state items).

This guide walks through the Connecticut Real Estate Commission content outline, how to study, and what exam day looks like at a PSI center or via remote proctoring.

Written by

Chris Reese

May 9, 2026

§ 01 What's tested

Connecticut runs the exam in two scored sections, with the national portion (80 items) covering general real estate principles and the state portion (30 items) covering Connecticut-specific licensing law and regulations. The state portion at 30 items is one of the smaller in the country, which means each item carries proportionally more weight per question.

National portion (80 scored items)

The national portion follows PSI's standard national real estate outline. Topic areas: real property characteristics, ownership and title, value and appraisal, contracts and agency, real estate practice, disclosures and environmental issues, financing and settlement, and math. Connecticut candidates should know the state operates under a title-theory model with mortgages as the standard instrument, and the Connecticut Residential Property Condition Disclosure Report layers on top of national disclosure content in many scenario questions.

State portion (30 scored items)

The state portion is anchored on Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 392 and the Department of Consumer Protection regulations at RCSA § 20-328. The major topic areas:

License Law and the Connecticut Real Estate Commission. CGS Chapter 392, the Commission's structure and powers, the salesperson-broker affiliation rules, license issuance and renewal cycles, continuing education requirements, and the standards for license suspension and revocation.
Agency in Connecticut. Connecticut recognizes seller agency, buyer agency, dual agency (with informed written consent), and designated agency. The Connecticut Real Estate Agency Disclosure Notice must be presented to a buyer or seller before any specific real estate services are rendered. The exam tests the disclosure timing and the duties owed under each relationship.
Connecticut Residential Property Condition Disclosure Report. Required under CGS § 20-327b for most residential transfers. The form has a $500 credit-at-closing remedy for non-delivery (the buyer is entitled to a $500 credit if the seller doesn't deliver the form). Statutory exemptions apply.
Trust accounts and brokerage operations. The Connecticut Real Estate Commission's trust account rules require that broker-held funds be segregated and subject to specific deposit-timing requirements under RCSA § 20-328. Connecticut requires the broker to maintain a separate clients' funds account (the "escrow account") for each broker-held deposit. The exam tests the segregation rules and the deposit-timing in scenario form.
Connecticut fair housing. Federal Fair Housing layered with the Connecticut Discriminatory Practices statute (CGS § 46a-64c), which adds protected classes including sexual orientation, gender identity, and lawful source of income.
Common interest community / condominium law. Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 828 (Common Interest Ownership Act) governs condominiums and other common-interest communities. Pre-purchase resale certificate requirements are testable.

Standout state-specific content

Two Connecticut content areas almost always confuse candidates who studied from generic national materials:

The May 2025 remote proctoring option. Most candidates studying from materials published before May 2025 assume in-person testing only. The remote option requires its own preparation: webcam check, environment scan, ID verification through the platform, no-break-allowed proctored session.
The $500 credit-at-closing remedy for non-delivery of the Property Condition Disclosure Report. Connecticut's specific dollar-amount remedy for late or omitted delivery is unusual and testable in scenario form.

§ 03 How to study

Connecticut's 60-hour pre-license course covers the national and state outlines, but the exam tests applied judgment in scenario questions that pull from CGS Chapter 392, the agency disclosure rules, and the trust account compliance requirements simultaneously.

What works in Connecticut is volume on practice questions tied to both the national outline and the CT state outline, with extra reps on the small state portion (30 items at 70% means 21 correct, a tight margin). Most who pass have worked through somewhere in the low thousands of practice questions before sitting.

Passd's Connecticut question bank is organized by both national and state content areas, with per-area accuracy tracked so you know whether your weak spot is agency disclosure, the Property Condition Disclosure Report, IOLTA-style escrow rules, or finance before booking the exam. Your Passd Score updates as you answer and gives a single read on whether the test is in reach yet. Tier details are on the pricing page.

A few specific things help in Connecticut:

Read the Connecticut Real Estate Agency Disclosure Notice. The Commission publishes it. The before-specific-services timing rule is testable in scenario form.
Memorize the $500 credit-at-closing remedy. It's a specific dollar-amount consequence tied to non-delivery of the Property Condition Disclosure Report. Knowing the report exists isn't enough; the dollar amount comes up in scenario questions.
Decide between in-person and remote proctoring. The May 2025 remote option is genuinely useful for candidates outside the Hartford / New Haven / Bridgeport corridor, but requires a quiet room and stable internet. Failing the environment check at log-in costs an appointment.

§ 04 What to expect on exam day

The Connecticut salesperson exam is administered at PSI testing centers in Connecticut (Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, and a handful of smaller-city locations) or via PSI's remote online proctored option. You schedule directly through PSI after the Connecticut Real Estate Commission has approved your pre-license course completion and authorized you to test.

On exam day:

Arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled in-person appointment, or log in to the PSI remote proctoring platform with the lead time PSI specifies.
Bring two forms of valid signature identification, one of them government-issued with photo (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID). Names must match the Commission application.
Personal items go in a locker at PSI centers. Phones, smart watches, study materials, food, and bound notes stay outside the testing room. The remote proctoring rules cover the same items in the testing space.
Calculators are permitted with restrictions: silent, battery-operated, non-printing, and without an alphabetic keypad.
The exam is closed-book.

Results print at the testing center after the exam (or display on screen for remote proctoring). The report shows pass or fail per section plus your numeric score on each. Candidates who pass move into the licensure phase: Commission application, broker employment confirmation, and the license fee. Candidates who fail one section can retake just that section, paying the per-section fee.

§ 05 Common mistakes

Connecticut candidates who fail the exam tend to fail in a handful of specific ways:

Studying from materials that predate May 2025. Old materials assume in-person-only testing and may not cover the remote proctoring environment requirements. Confirm publication date on every study resource.
Underestimating the small state portion's per-item weight. 30 items at 70% means 21 correct is the threshold, and any 10 missed items fails the section.
Skimming the $500 credit-at-closing remedy. The specific dollar amount is testable. Generic "the seller has to deliver a disclosure" study notes miss the consequence-specific scenario questions.
Confusing dual agency and designated agency. CT permits both, with different consent rules. The exam tests the distinctions.
Picking remote proctoring without a quiet room. PSI's remote option works well in a dedicated quiet space, less well in a shared apartment or office. Failing the environment check at log-in costs an appointment.
Underestimating the Common Interest Ownership Act resale certificate. CGS Chapter 828 requires specific pre-purchase disclosures for condominium and common-interest community transfers.

§ 02 Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on the Connecticut real estate salesperson exam?

110 multiple-choice questions: 80 on the national portion and 30 on the Connecticut state portion.

How is the exam scored?

70% required on EACH section, scored independently. You need 56 correct of 80 national items AND 21 correct of 30 state items. Failing one section means failing the exam.

How long is the exam?

165 minutes (2 hours 45 minutes) total.

Can I take the exam remotely?

Yes, since May 2025. Connecticut added PSI's remote online proctored option that month as an alternative to in-person testing at a PSI center.

Where do I take the exam in person?

At a PSI testing center in Connecticut (Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, and additional smaller-city locations).

What pre-license education do I need before the exam?

60 hours of Connecticut Real Estate Commission-approved coursework, completed at an approved school before submitting the salesperson application.

What's the $500 credit-at-closing rule?

If the seller fails to deliver the Connecticut Residential Property Condition Disclosure Report, the buyer is entitled to a $500 credit at closing. The remedy is statutory under CGS § 20-327b. The exam tests it in scenario form.

Can I retake just the section I failed?

Yes. PSI allows retakes of the failed section only, with a per-section fee.

How much is the Connecticut exam fee?

$59 per attempt, paid to PSI when you schedule. Each retake is the same amount.

How long must I wait between retakes?

There's no statutory waiting period in Connecticut. You can reschedule with PSI as soon as a slot is available.

How long is my passing score valid?

A passed section stays valid for 12 months. If you pass national but fail state (or vice versa), you have 12 months to pass the failed section before you have to re-test everything.

Ready to see how prepared you are?

The Passd diagnostic is 20 questions across every major topic, and shows your Connecticut-specific Passd Score plus which Real Estate Commission content areas need work. Free, no credit card.

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