How to Clear the Texas Real Estate Exam in the First Go?

By Ciprian Morariu Published: November 22, 2023

If you pass the Texas real estate exam on your first try, then it is an achievement worth celebrating in full swing. It is not easy as it requires a lot of hard work, dedication, perseverance, discipline, and preparation from your side.  

Let us look at some tips and tricks on how to study for the real estate exam and increase your chances of passing it on the first attempt:

1. Understanding exam format: If you know the exam format and understand it well, half the battle is already won. The Texas real estate exam comprises of two sections- the national (85 questions in toto) and the state portions (40 questions in toto). Both sections are equally important to cover in the exam preparation.

2. Creating a study plan: Create a study plan which suits you the best. You must put in effort to create an achievable study plan schedule and target while preparing for the exam. You must avoid cramming and dedicate enough time to each topic. This method is the best way to study for the Texas real estate exam. 

3. Solve practice tests: Practice tests are the way to go. You must get familiarized with the exam format and practice tests which majorly help in identifying strong and weak preparatory areas.  

4. Stay calm and focused: You must always think positively and not worry about the outcome. It is the best way to face this exam. Just trust the process and your preparation and stay calm throughout the exam. Do your best and the best will come.

Texas Real Estate Exam

Importance of Proper Exam Preparation. How important is it?

The key to success in any field of challenge is sound preparation. So, let us learn about some facts about good preparation: 

  1. Increases confidence: Confidence is a power no one is born with. So, preparing well boosts your confidence and abilities to complete the task. This confidence boost can help you achieve better results any given day. 
  2. Better performance: You will perform better with proper preparation and be at your very best in this exam or anywhere else. It increases your focus on the task at hand and reduces distractions. 
  3. Reduces stress and anxiety: If you are not fully prepared, it usually leads to tension, the stress of not being well prepared, the anxiety of failure, and depression. When you are well-prepared, you can manage your stress better. This is a proven fact. 
  4. Saves time and resources: You must invest time in your preparation to takes less time to achieve your target. It is therefore beneficial to allocate time for preparation to avoid wasting it later.
  5. Goal achievement: It helps you in setting and achieving goals timely be it passing an exam or achieving a personal milestone or clearing a job interview. Good preparation always pays well.  

Importance of Understanding the Exam Format 

If you have a clear understanding and knowledge of the format of the exam, this can qualify it as one of the most important and known tips for passing the real estate exam. For example, if the exam has multiple-choice questions, you may need to focus more on memorizing facts and concepts, whereas if it has essay type questions, you may need to give more time to practice writing and organizing your thoughts clearly and eloquently. 

Familiarizing Yourself with the Exam Content 

This is the smart route to adopt while preparing for the Texas real estate exam and answering the question, how to study for the Texas real estate exam. If you know the exam content well beforehand, you can design a study plan that focuses on the most demanding topics and areas that you need to improve. Additionally, it will positively help you optimize your study time and if there are any knowledge gaps, it will help identify them as well. Then you can easily fill those gaps in your preparation before the exam day.

If you are brainstorming about what comprises and how to study for the real estate course in Texas, here are some topics that you must focus on: 

  1. Real estate principles 
  2. Real estate Practice 
  3. Real estate Finance 
  4. Real Estate Law 
  5. Property Management 
  6. Ethics and code of conduct 
  7. Real Estate Investment 
  8. Real Estate Appraisal 

How to Create a Study Schedule?

  1. Determine exam date: It is the first step in analyzing the road to creating a well-planned study schedule for yourself. It aids you to plan your study time accordingly and ensure that you are well-prepared and ready for the exam. 
  2. Break down exam content: The next step after determining the exam date is narrow down the content of the exam into manageable sections. This will guide you to break down the topics that you need to focus the most on. 
  3. Topic-wise time allocation: After you have divided sections, you must allocate enough time to complete the study on each section as per its technical demand. This will ensure you cover all the required topics timely and effectively. 
  4. Revision plan: Revision is known as a study technique that helps you solidify what you have already studied in your mind. It is a key practice in any kind of preparation. Revision is the real hero of preparation.
  5. Setting achievable goals: You must set practically achievable goals for yourself. What will boost your confidence? Regular practice and only practice. It will help you stay motivated during the preparation as well as on the exam day.  
  6. Be consistent: You must be consistent as consistency is key when it comes to studying for the Texas real estate exam. You must not miss any step or part of your preparation process to achieve the desired goal. 
Real Estate Exam in Texas

Utilizing study materials in the most effective way

Let us learn some tips that can help you make the most of your study materials and resources at hand: 

  1. You must procure and gather all the materials that you need to kick-start your exam preparation. 
  2. You must take your own sweet time to understand the material thoroughly. Try to segregate the material in order of most important to least valuable as per exam syllabi. 
  3. You must make use of available smart technology and use learning apps, flashcard apps, online quizzes, and websites to keep you on your toes during preparation.  
  4. You must inculcate the habit of taking down notes and scribbling important points so that you can revisit them during revision.  
  5. You must solve as many sample papers and test papers you can gather to get a better understanding of the subject topics. 

The following books cover all the important topics and concepts related to the Texas real estate exam. They also provide practice test along with them. 

1. Principles of Real Estate Practice in Texas (Authored by Stephen Mettling and David Cusic)

2. Modern Real Estate Practice in Texas (Authored by Fillmore Gallaty, Wellington J. Allaway, and Robert C. Kyle)

3. Texas Real Estate License Exam Prep (Authored by Stephen Mettling and David Cusic)

4. Texas Real Estate Law (Authored by Charles J. Jacobus)

5. Texas Real Estate Contracts (Authored by D. Scott Horne)

Credible online resources and practice exams are important for your preparation 

There are numerous online resources and practice tests available that can aid you prepare for the Texas real estate exam. Some of the well-known ones are: 

  1. Real Estate Express: This resource includes interactive learning tools, practice exams, and interactive guidance for you. 
  2. Texas Real Estate Commission: This is the official website of the Texas Real Estate Commission which provides a wide range of information related to the real estate exam. This information will come in handy and relevant during your preparations.
  3. Exam Prep Master
  4. PSI Online: This website provides access to practice exams and study materials for the Texas real estate exam. You can get all sorts of practice tests based on current exam pattern. 

Pro tip: You must engage in using a combination of study materials and practice exams to help you better prepare for the exam. This will help you cover every corner of your preparation and leave no stone unturned. 

Use of flashcards and mnemonic devices for smart preparation 

If you incorporate flashcards as study tools, then you must know that they are of great help in memorizing important terms, and definitions of different topics. Something known as mnemonic devices on the other hand help remember complex and large formulae and difficult concepts which is a mammoth task to remember otherwise. You can use acronyms or rhymes to recall a long list of such elements and make your preparation journey interesting. 

Combining effective study techniques with smart work 

Do you want to maximize your retention and learning ability? The best way to study for the Texas real estate exam is to follow some learning techniques that will come in handy during your rigorous preparation days. 

  1. Take breaks: You must take short time-to-time breaks regularly. It will help you to avoid frequent burnout. Also, you must engage in taking breaks every hour or so to stay refreshed and focused. 
  2. Teach someone else: You must know that this technique is by far the most effective in reinforcing what you have already learnt. By doing this, you can enrich your learnings by explaining concepts to a friend or family member to help you better understand the material.
  3. Rest: You must try and get enough sleep before exam day and days prior to the exam to avoid fatigue and an unorganized chain of thoughts because sleep is very important for memory consolidation.

In addition to the above study techniques, you must also consider some of those which are mentioned below:

  1. Active Reading and Note-making: You must actively take and write notes, solve quizzes, and use time-bound practice tests to stay active throughout the days of your preparation. 
  2. Visual and Auditory Learning Strategies: You must try to involve study tools like charts, graphs, pictures, mind maps, videos, and diagrams which will help you retain information in a more pictured form in your brain. On the other hand, some may use auditory tools like audio recording, audiobooks, lectures, discussions, etc. to learn concepts. 
  3. Practice Questions and Mock Exams: You must take mock tests through your course provider and use a variety of materials from a good source to ensure you are fully prepared for the test. Also, you must make sure to check for any feedback with each question to fully understand the concepts and reasoning behind them. This practice will never let you mark a wrong answer for the same question twice.
  4. Joining study groups or online forums: The motive behind study groups and community learning is to connect with other people and exchange ideas and resources on the same topics. This will greatly enrich your learning journey.  
  5. Getting a mentor or tutor: If you have someone to seek support and guidance from, then it is always a good option. An expert in the field can always tell you where you lack and have mastery. You must make sure you connect with a mentor from a credible source who knows what he is doing and guide you properly. 
  6. Utilizing exam prep courses or workshops: If you are familiar with the course outlines and subject matters, you can easily develop strategies that suit your preparation. This will help you confidently answer typical questions in the exam. 

In conclusion, passing the Texas real estate exam on the first try requires a lot. If you are properly prepared, then be ready to achieve success in any field. You must genuinely put efforts to understand the exam format and familiarize yourself as they are considers the most basic and essential steps in cracking the exam in the first go.