DEDelaware

Real estate exam prep

At a glance

The exam, in numbers.

Questions: 120 multiple-choice (80 national + 40 state)
Time: 240 minutes (4 hours)
Passing score: 70% on EACH section (56/80 national AND 28/40 state), scored independently
Pre-license education: 99 hours, Delaware Real Estate Commission-approved
License type: Real Estate Salesperson (entry-level; brokers take a separate exam)
Administered by: Pearson VUE on behalf of the Delaware Real Estate Commission
Format: computer-based testing at Pearson VUE centers in Delaware and the surrounding metro
Result: issued at the testing center; pass/fail per section with numeric score per section
Exam fee: $83 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE at scheduling
Retake wait: none; reschedule with Pearson VUE as soon as a slot is available
Score validity: a passed section stays valid for 12 months while you retake the other
Sponsorship: a Delaware-licensed broker must employ the salesperson before the license issues

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

Delaware requires 99 hours of pre-license education before a candidate can sit for the salesperson exam. The number is unusual: most state pre-license requirements are round numbers (40, 60, 75, 90, 120) or divisible into clean module sizes. Delaware's 99 hours is structured into specific content periods set by the Delaware Real Estate Commission's regulations under 24 DE Admin Code 2900, which specify the exact number of hours allocated to each topic area (real estate principles, contracts, agency, finance, license law, fair housing, and so on) such that the total comes out to 99. The number isn't a typo or rounding error; it's a curriculum-design choice. Candidates have to complete the full 99 hours at a Commission-approved school before scheduling the exam through Pearson VUE.

The exam is administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Delaware Real Estate Commission, which sits within the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation. The format is 120 multiple-choice questions over 240 minutes, scored as 80 national + 40 state. The passing standard is 70% on each section, scored independently (you need 56 correct of 80 national items AND 28 correct of 40 state items).

Written by

Chris Reese

May 9, 2026

§ 01 What's tested

Delaware runs the exam in two scored sections, with the national portion (80 items) covering general real estate principles and the state portion (40 items) covering Delaware-specific licensing law and regulations. The state portion is anchored on Delaware Code Title 24 Chapter 29 and the Commission rules at 24 DE Admin Code 2900.

National portion (80 scored items)

The national portion follows the Pearson VUE 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. Delaware candidates should know the state operates under a title-theory model with mortgages as the standard instrument, and the Delaware Seller's Disclosure of Real Property Condition layers on top of national disclosure content.

State portion (40 scored items)

The state portion is anchored on Del. Code Title 24 Chapter 29 and 24 DE Admin Code 2900. The major topic areas:

License Law and the Delaware Real Estate Commission. Title 24 Chapter 29, the Commission's structure within the Division of Professional Regulation, the salesperson-broker affiliation rules, license issuance and renewal cycles, continuing education requirements, and the standards for license suspension and revocation.
Agency in Delaware. Delaware recognizes seller agency, buyer agency, dual agency (with informed written consent), and designated agency. The Delaware Consumer Information Statement on Brokerage Relationships must be presented to a buyer or seller before specific real estate services are performed.
Delaware Seller's Disclosure of Real Property Condition. Required for most residential transfers under Del. Code Title 6 Chapter 25, with specific entries for known property defects, environmental hazards, and the seller's actual knowledge.
Trust accounts under Commission supervision. Delaware's escrow account rules require the broker to maintain a separate clients' funds account at a federally insured institution, with specific deposit-timing requirements under 24 DE Admin Code 2900.
Delaware fair housing. Federal Fair Housing layered with the Delaware Fair Housing Act (Del. Code Title 6 Chapter 46).

Standout state-specific content

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

The Consumer Information Statement on Brokerage Relationships timing. The form has specific delivery rules under Commission regulations, with consequences for late or omitted delivery that the exam tests directly.
The 99-hour curriculum structure as a license-law topic. The Commission's specific allocation of hours to each topic area is testable in license-law scenario questions on what content is covered where in the curriculum.

§ 03 How to study

Delaware's 99-hour pre-license course covers the national and state outlines in depth, but the exam tests applied judgment in scenario questions that pull from Title 24 Chapter 29, the Consumer Information Statement timing, and the trust account compliance requirements simultaneously.

What works in Delaware is volume on practice questions tied to both the national and state outlines, with extra reps on the Consumer Information Statement, the Seller's Disclosure mechanics, and trust account compliance. Most who pass have worked through somewhere in the low thousands of practice questions before sitting.

Passd's Delaware question bank is organized by both national and state content areas, with per-area accuracy tracked so you know whether your weak spot is the Consumer Information Statement, agency, the Seller's Disclosure, 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 Delaware:

Read the Consumer Information Statement on Brokerage Relationships form. The Commission publishes it. The before-specific-services timing rule is testable.
Plan for 4 hours of focused work. The Delaware exam is on the longer side relative to its 120-question count.
Drill the Delaware Seller's Disclosure entries. The form has specific required sections that the exam tests in scenario form.

§ 04 What to expect on exam day

The Delaware salesperson exam is administered at Pearson VUE testing centers in Delaware (Wilmington, Dover) and at additional Pearson VUE centers in nearby Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. You schedule directly through Pearson VUE after the Delaware 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 appointment. Late arrivals can be turned away.
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. Phones, smart watches, study materials, food, and bound notes stay outside the testing room.
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, showing pass or fail per section plus your numeric score on each. Candidates who pass move into the licensure phase: Commission application, broker employment confirmation, fingerprint and background check, and the license fee. Candidates who fail one section can retake just that section, paying the per-section fee.

§ 05 Common mistakes

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

Treating the 99-hour course as the entire study plan. The course is foundational, but the exam tests integration. Practice question volume bridges the gap.
Missing the Consumer Information Statement timing. The form must be presented before specific real estate services are performed. Late delivery is testable misconduct.
Skipping the Seller's Disclosure of Real Property Condition mechanics. Specific required entries and statutory exemptions are testable in scenario form.
Confusing dual agency with designated agency. Delaware recognizes both, with different consent rules. The exam tests the distinctions.
Underestimating the Delaware Fair Housing Act overlay. State-level protections layer on the federal Fair Housing Act with specific Delaware enforcement mechanisms.
Showing up without an unexpired ID or with a name mismatch. Pearson VUE turns candidates away for ID problems.

§ 02 Frequently asked questions

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

120 multiple-choice questions: 80 on the national portion and 40 on the Delaware state portion.

How is the exam scored?

70% required on EACH section, scored independently. You need 56 correct of 80 national items AND 28 correct of 40 state items.

How long is the exam?

240 minutes (4 hours) total.

Why is Delaware's pre-license requirement 99 hours?

The Delaware Real Estate Commission's regulations specify the exact number of hours allocated to each topic area in the curriculum (real estate principles, contracts, agency, finance, license law, fair housing, etc.). The total comes to 99 hours. The number is a curriculum-design choice, not a typo.

Where do I take the exam?

At a Pearson VUE testing center in Delaware (Wilmington, Dover) or at additional Pearson VUE centers in nearby Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

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

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

Can I retake just the section I failed?

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

What's the next step after passing?

Commission application, broker employment confirmation, fingerprint and background check, and the license fee. The license issues after the Commission verifies all requirements. New Delaware salespersons begin practicing under their employing broker's supervision and must complete the Commission's specified continuing education on the standard renewal cycle.

How does Delaware handle real estate transactions for properties straddling state lines?

Delaware shares borders with Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and metro-area transactions sometimes involve properties or buyers/sellers across state lines. Delaware-licensed salespersons can only conduct activities for which they hold a Delaware license; cross-state transactions typically require either a co-broker arrangement with a licensee in the other state or completion of that state's licensure separately.

What's the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation's role beyond the Commission?

The Division administers the Commission's day-to-day operations, processes applications, manages the licensee database, and handles complaint intake before referral to the Commission for adjudication. The Division-Commission split is common in states where the licensing function lives within a broader professional regulation agency rather than a stand-alone commission with its own administrative staff.

Can the salesperson exam be taken outside Delaware?

Yes. Pearson VUE's testing network includes centers in nearby Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey that accept Delaware exam authorization. The exam itself is the same regardless of which Pearson VUE center the candidate uses; the result reports back to the Delaware Real Estate Commission for licensure processing.

How much is the Delaware exam fee?

$83 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE when you schedule. Each retake is the same amount.

How long must I wait between retakes?

There's no statutory waiting period in Delaware. You can reschedule with Pearson VUE 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 Delaware-specific Passd Score plus which Real Estate Commission content areas need work. Free, no credit card.

Start the Delaware diagnostic