NDNorth Dakota

Real estate exam prep

At a glance

The exam, in numbers.

Questions: 110 multiple-choice (80 national + 30 state)
Time: 240 minutes (4 hours)
Passing score: 70% on EACH section, scored independently
Pre-license education: 90 hours, North Dakota Real Estate Commission-approved
License type: Real Estate Salesperson (entry-level; brokers take a separate exam)
Administered by: Pearson VUE on behalf of the North Dakota Real Estate Commission
Format: computer-based testing at Pearson VUE centers in North Dakota
Result: issued at the testing center; pass/fail per section with numeric score per section
Exam fee: $95 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: an ND-licensed broker must employ the salesperson before the license issues

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

North Dakota's Bakken Formation produced the most active oil-and-gas mineral leasing market in the United States during the past 15 years. The Bakken play, centered on the western part of the state, has driven hundreds of thousands of mineral lease executions in the current decade alone. The North Dakota Real Estate Commission tests the licensee's role in active leasing scenarios on the salesperson exam: identifying active mineral leases tied to a parcel under contract, distinguishing surface-use rights from mineral-extraction rights, recognizing pooling and unitization implications for residential parcels in the Bakken footprint, and confirming whether the seller actually owns the mineral estate they purport to convey. The exam tests current-active leasing scenarios in particular, distinct from older states' century-old coal-era severance content. The mineral leasing layer is the single most distinctive component of North Dakota state-portion content.

The exam is administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the North Dakota Real Estate Commission. The format is 110 multiple-choice questions over 240 minutes, scored as 80 national + 30 state. The passing standard is 70% on each section, scored independently.

Written by

Chris Reese

May 9, 2026

§ 01 What's tested

North Dakota 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 North Dakota-specific licensing law and regulations. The state portion is anchored on North Dakota Century Code Chapter 43-23 and the Commission rules at NDAC Title 70.

National portion (80 scored items)

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

State portion (30 scored items)

The state portion is anchored on NDCC Chapter 43-23 and NDAC Title 70. The major topic areas:

License Law and the North Dakota Real Estate Commission. NDCC Chapter 43-23, 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 North Dakota. ND recognizes seller agency, buyer agency, dual agency (with informed written consent), and disclosed dual agency. The Real Estate Brokerage Disclosure must be presented to a buyer or seller before specific real estate services are performed.
North Dakota Property Disclosure. Required for most residential transfers under NDCC Chapter 47-10. Statutory exemptions apply.
Trust accounts under Commission supervision. ND's escrow account rules require the broker to maintain a separate clients' funds account at an ND-chartered or federally chartered insured institution.
North Dakota fair housing. Federal Fair Housing layered with the North Dakota Human Rights Act (NDCC Chapter 14-02.4).
Mineral rights and active oil-and-gas leasing. ND's Bakken-driven leasing market is testable: identifying active leases tied to a parcel, distinguishing surface from mineral estate ownership, recognizing pooling and unitization, and confirming that the conveying party owns what they claim to convey.

Standout state-specific content

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

Active Bakken-era mineral leasing scenarios. Most national materials cover surface-vs-mineral severance at a high level. North Dakota's exam tests the active-leasing layer: which mineral interests are under lease, who the lessee is, what royalty interests apply, and how the licensee discloses lease status to a buyer. The current-decade scope distinguishes ND from older severance regimes.
The 30-item state portion's narrow margin. ND's state portion at 30 items requires 21 correct of 30 to clear 70%. Each item is worth proportionally more than on a 40 or 50-item state portion. Candidates who skim any topic on the state side give up recoverable points fast.

§ 03 How to study

North Dakota's 90-hour pre-license course covers the national and state outlines, but the exam tests applied judgment in scenario questions that pull from NDCC Chapter 43-23, the active mineral leasing layer, and the Property Disclosure regime simultaneously.

What works in North Dakota is volume on practice questions tied to both the national and state outlines, with disproportionate study time on Bakken-era active mineral leasing scenarios, NDCC Chapter 43-23 license law mechanics, and the narrow-margin 30-item state portion. Most North Dakota candidates who pass have worked through somewhere in the low thousands of practice questions before sitting, with concentrated reps on active vs dormant lease identification, pooling and unitization, royalty interests, and the Real Estate Brokerage Disclosure timing.

Passd's North Dakota question bank is organized by both national and state content areas, with per-area accuracy tracked so you know whether your weak spot is mineral leasing, agency disclosure, the Property 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 North Dakota:

Drill mineral leasing scenarios. Active vs dormant leases, royalty interests, pooling and unitization, surface-use agreements, and the licensee's disclosure obligations are testable in scenario form.
Read the Real Estate Brokerage Disclosure form. The Commission publishes it. The before-specific-services timing rule is testable.
Treat the 30-item state portion as no-margin. Each item is worth proportionally more than on a larger state portion. Practice question volume should weight toward the state side.

§ 04 What to expect on exam day

The North Dakota salesperson exam is administered at Pearson VUE testing centers in North Dakota (Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks) and at additional Pearson VUE centers in nearby states. You schedule directly through Pearson VUE after the Commission has approved your pre-license course completion and authorized you to test.

On exam day at the Bismarck, Fargo, or Grand Forks Pearson VUE center:

Arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment. Late arrivals can be turned away. Winter travel in North Dakota can disrupt scheduling, especially for candidates driving to Bismarck or Grand Forks from rural counties; build buffer.
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 North Dakota Real Estate 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 North Dakota licensure phase: Real Estate Commission application, broker employment confirmation with a North Dakota-licensed broker, fingerprinting and background check, and the license fee. The Commission verifies the file before the salesperson license issues. Candidates who fail one section can retake just that section through Pearson VUE, paying the per-section fee.

§ 05 Common mistakes

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

Skimming the active mineral leasing content. ND's Bakken footprint creates active leasing scenarios that don't appear in generic national materials. The exam tests them in detail.
Treating the 30-item state portion as low-stakes. With 30 items at 70%, missing 10 fails the section. The narrow margin punishes inconsistency.
Missing the Real Estate Brokerage Disclosure timing. The form must be presented before the licensee provides specific real estate services. Late delivery is testable misconduct.
Confusing dual agency with disclosed dual agency. ND recognizes both, with different consent rules. The exam tests the distinctions in scenario form.
Skipping the Property Disclosure exemptions. Statutory exemptions apply for certain transfers under NDCC Chapter 47-10.
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 North Dakota real estate salesperson exam?

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

How is the exam scored?

70% required on EACH section, scored independently. Pearson VUE applies the scoring per the Commission's published methodology.

How long is the exam?

240 minutes (4 hours) total.

Why does North Dakota test mineral leasing so heavily?

The Bakken Formation has produced the most active oil-and-gas mineral leasing market in the United States during the past 15 years. North Dakota residential and commercial parcels in the Bakken footprint commonly have active mineral leases attached, and the licensee's role in identifying lease status, disclosing it to buyers, and distinguishing surface from mineral estate ownership is testable in detail. The current-decade scope distinguishes North Dakota's mineral content from older severance regimes elsewhere.

Where do I take the exam?

At a Pearson VUE testing center in North Dakota (Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks) or at additional Pearson VUE centers in nearby states.

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

90 hours of North Dakota 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.

How does an active mineral lease affect a North Dakota residential transaction?

If the parcel under contract has active mineral leases attached, the seller's mineral estate may be partially or fully under lease to an oil-and-gas operator. The buyer needs to understand: whether the surface estate is encumbered by access rights tied to extraction infrastructure, what royalty interests run with the mineral estate, whether pooling or unitization affects the parcel's mineral interests, and whether the seller actually owns the mineral estate they purport to convey (mineral estates are commonly severed in North Dakota, and the surface owner may not own the minerals beneath). The licensee's role is to identify lease status and disclose what they know; specialty title and lease analysis involves attorneys and landmen.

What's the next step after passing the North Dakota salesperson exam?

Submit the North Dakota Real Estate Commission application, secure broker employment confirmation, complete fingerprinting and background check requirements, and pay the license fee. The license issues after the Commission verifies all requirements. New salespersons begin practicing under their employing broker's supervision and complete continuing education on the Commission's standard renewal cycle.

Why is North Dakota's pre-license requirement 90 hours?

The 90-hour requirement reflects the North Dakota Real Estate Commission's view that the integration of national real estate principles with state-specific licensing law and the active mineral-rights content takes substantial coursework to cover at depth. Several neighboring states cluster in the 60-90 hour range; North Dakota sits at the upper end of that band, consistent with the depth of state-specific content the exam tests.

How does North Dakota's exam compare to neighboring states?

The 110-question total with an 80/30 national/state split places North Dakota near the median for total question count among Plains states, with a smaller-than-typical state portion. The 70% pass threshold on each section is standard. The distinguishing factor is the active mineral-leasing content on the state portion; candidates studying from generic national materials underperform on those scenario questions specifically.

How much is the North Dakota exam fee?

$95 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 North Dakota. 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 North Dakota-specific Passd Score plus which Real Estate Commission content areas need work. Free, no credit card.

Start the North Dakota diagnostic