DCDistrict of Columbia

Real estate exam prep

At a glance

The exam, in numbers.

Questions: 110 multiple-choice (80 national + 30 state)
Time: 210 minutes (3 hours 30 minutes)
Passing score: 75% on EACH section (60/80 national AND 23/30 state), scored independently
Pre-license education: 60 hours, DC Real Estate Commission-approved
License type: Salesperson (entry-level; brokers and property managers take separate exams)
Administered by: PSI Services LLC on behalf of the DC Real Estate Commission
Format: computer-based testing at PSI centers in DC and the surrounding metro
Result: issued at the testing center; pass/fail per section with numeric score per section
Exam fee: $96 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 DC-licensed broker must employ the salesperson before the license issues

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

The District of Columbia is not a state. It's a federal district whose real estate licensing framework operates under DC Code (passed by the DC Council, subject to Congressional review) rather than a state legislature, and whose property market is shaped by the federal presence: substantial portions of the District's land are federally owned (the National Mall, military installations, federal office complexes, the Capitol grounds) and exempt from the licensing regime entirely. The DC Real Estate Commission, operating within the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), licenses salespersons and brokers for the privately held residential and commercial market, which is dominated by rowhouses, condominiums, and cooperatives in roughly equal measure across the major neighborhoods. The exam reflects this density: the state portion at 30 items focuses on DC-specific licensing law and the disclosure rules that apply to DC's distinctive housing stock, with proportionally more weight per question because of the small portion size.

The exam is administered by PSI Services LLC on behalf of the DC Real Estate Commission. The format is 110 multiple-choice questions over 210 minutes, scored as 80 national + 30 state. The passing standard is 75% on each section, scored independently (you need 60 correct of 80 national items AND 23 correct of 30 state items).

This guide walks through the DC Real Estate Commission content outline, how to study for the dense DC-specific framework, and what exam day looks like at a PSI center.

Written by

Chris Reese

May 9, 2026

§ 01 What's tested

The District of Columbia 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 DC-specific licensing law and regulations. The state portion is anchored on DC Code Title 47 Chapter 28 and the DC Real Estate Commission rules at 17 DCMR Chapter 26.

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. DC candidates should know the District operates under a title-theory model with deeds of trust commonly used as the security instrument (similar to many surrounding states), and the DC Residential Property Disclosure Statement layers on top of national disclosure content in many scenario questions.

State portion (30 scored items)

The state portion is anchored on DC Code Title 47 Chapter 28 and 17 DCMR Chapter 26. The major topic areas:

License Law and the DC Real Estate Commission. DC Code Title 47 Chapter 28, the Commission's structure within DLCP, the Salesperson / Broker / Property Manager license categories, license issuance and renewal cycles, continuing education requirements, and the standards for license suspension and revocation.
Agency in DC. The District recognizes seller agency, buyer agency, dual agency (with informed written consent), and designated agency. The DC Brokerage Relationship Disclosure must be presented to a buyer or seller before specific real estate services are performed. The exam tests the disclosure timing and the duties owed under each relationship.
Cooperative housing under DC Code. DC's cooperative housing law (DC Code Title 42 Chapter 19) governs cooperative associations, share transfers, and the boards' authority over unit transfers. The exam tests cooperative-specific scenarios because of the District's significant coop housing stock.
DC Condominium Act. DC Code Title 42 Chapter 19A governs condominiums. The Public Offering Statement, the Resale Certificate, and the buyer's right to receive specific pre-purchase disclosures are testable.
Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). DC Code Title 42 Chapter 34 gives existing tenants of multi-family rental properties a right of first refusal when the owner sells. TOPA notice requirements, tenant association formation, and the licensee's role in TOPA-affected transactions are testable in scenario form.
Trust accounts under DC Real Estate Commission supervision. The Commission's trust account rules require the broker to maintain a separate clients' funds account at a federally insured DC-area institution, with specific deposit-timing requirements under 17 DCMR.
DC fair housing and the DC Human Rights Act. Federal Fair Housing layered with the DC Human Rights Act (DC Code Title 2 Chapter 14), which has one of the broadest protected-class lists in the country (including source of income, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, family responsibilities, place of residence or business, and several others).

Standout state-specific content

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

The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). TOPA gives existing tenants of multi-family rental property a statutory right of first refusal when the owner sells, with specific notice requirements that vary by tenant count. Most other US jurisdictions don't have an equivalent tenant-side right; the licensee's role in TOPA-affected transactions is testable in scenario form and frequently confuses candidates.
The DC Human Rights Act protected-class list. DC's protected classes are among the broadest in the country, including categories most state-level fair housing laws don't cover. Candidates who studied federal Fair Housing alone miss the DC-specific scenario questions on what protected class applies.

§ 03 How to study

DC's 60-hour pre-license course covers the national and state outlines, but the exam tests applied judgment in scenario questions that pull from DC Code Title 47 Chapter 28, the cooperative housing rules, the Condominium Act, TOPA, and the trust account compliance requirements simultaneously.

What works in DC is volume on practice questions tied to both the national outline and the DC state outline, with extra reps on TOPA, the cooperative housing rules, and the DC Human Rights Act protected classes. Most who pass have worked through somewhere in the low thousands of practice questions before sitting.

Passd's DC question bank is organized by both national and state content areas, with per-area accuracy tracked so you know whether your weak spot is TOPA, agency disclosure, the cooperative housing framework, 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 DC:

Read the DC Brokerage Relationship Disclosure form. The Commission publishes it. The before-specific-services timing rule is testable in scenario form.
Study TOPA's notice requirements by tenant count. TOPA's procedural mechanics differ depending on whether the building has 1, 2-4, or 5+ tenant units. The exam asks scenario questions that turn on which TOPA tier applies.
Memorize the DC Human Rights Act protected classes. The DC list is broader than federal Fair Housing's. Generic federal Fair Housing study materials don't cover DC-specific protections.

§ 04 What to expect on exam day

The DC salesperson exam is administered at PSI testing centers in DC and the surrounding metro (DC, Maryland, and Virginia PSI centers). You schedule directly through PSI after the DC 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 or DC 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, fingerprinting, and the license fee. Candidates who fail one section can retake just that section, paying the per-section fee.

§ 05 Common mistakes

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

Skipping TOPA in study. The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act has no equivalent in most US jurisdictions, and out-of-state study materials don't cover it. The exam asks scenario questions about TOPA timing, notice, and licensee roles that catch candidates off guard.
Underestimating the cooperative housing rules. DC's cooperative housing stock is significant, and DC Code Title 42 Chapter 19 governs share transfers, board authority, and the lessee's rights. Generic national condo study material doesn't cover coops.
Missing the DC Human Rights Act protected-class breadth. Family responsibilities, place of residence, source of income, and several other categories beyond federal Fair Housing are protected in DC. Candidates who studied federal Fair Housing alone miss state-specific scenario questions.
Treating dual agency as forbidden. DC permits dual agency with informed written consent. Out-of-state mental models that treat dual agency as automatically prohibited miss the consent mechanics tested in scenario form.
Underestimating the small state portion's per-item weight. 30 items at 75% means 23 correct is the threshold, and any 7 missed items risks the section.
Showing up without an unexpired ID or with a name mismatch. PSI turns candidates away for ID problems.

§ 02 Frequently asked questions

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

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

How is the exam scored?

75% required on EACH section, scored independently. You need 60 correct of 80 national items AND 23 correct of 30 state items. Failing one section means failing the exam.

How long is the exam?

210 minutes (3 hours 30 minutes) total.

Where do I take the exam?

At a PSI testing center in DC or the surrounding metro (DC, Maryland, and Virginia PSI centers).

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

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

What's TOPA?

The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (DC Code Title 42 Chapter 34). It gives existing tenants of multi-family rental property a statutory right of first refusal when the owner sells, with specific notice requirements that vary by tenant count. The exam tests TOPA in scenario form.

Why is DC's protected-class list so broad?

The DC Council, exercising the District's home-rule legislative authority, has expanded the DC Human Rights Act to include more protected categories than the federal Fair Housing Act covers. The list includes source of income, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, family responsibilities, place of residence or business, and several others.

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 DC exam fee?

$96 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 DC. 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 DC-specific Passd Score plus which Real Estate Commission content areas need work. Free, no credit card.

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