State Practice Exam
North Carolina Real Estate Practice Exam
40 questions covering North Carolina real estate licensing topics with detailed explanations.
Question 1 of 40
What must a broker disclose if they have a personal interest in a transaction?
This North Carolina Real Estate Salesperson Practice Exam is designed for the June 2025 test. Our page provides a 140-question practice test, eligibility requirements, a breakdown of exam topics, detailed law updates and key exam prep. Start the free practice test below to measure your current knowledge.
Who is eligible to take the North Carolina Real Estate Salesperson license exam?
To qualify for the North Carolina Salesperson license exam, candidates must meet specific educational and legal requirements:
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Hold U.S. citizenship or be a qualified alien.
- Possess a valid Social Security number.
- Complete 75 hours of pre-licensing education at an accredited real estate school in North Carolina and provide proof of completion.
What’s on the North Carolina Real Estate Salesperson exam?
The North Carolina Real Estate Salesperson exam contains 140 scored multiple-choice questions, split into 80 national and 60 state-specific questions. The national section tests agency relationships, property ownership, contracts, math, and more. The state section focuses on local laws, brokerage practice, licensure, and landlord/tenant issues.
North Carolina Real Estate exam topics
The table below are major licensing topics you’ll need to study:
National Section Exam Topics
| Main Topic | Number of Questions |
| Real Property | 9 |
| Ownership | 8 |
| Valuation | 11 |
| Contracts & Agency | 16 |
| Real Estate Practice | 14 |
| Property Disclosures | 8 |
| Financing | 7 |
| Real Estate Math | 7 |
State Section Exam Topics
| Main Topic | Number of Questions |
| Licensure | 3 |
| Agency | 16 |
| Supervision/Compensation | 4 |
| Brokerage Practice | 12 |
| Taxes/Insurance | 4 |
| Contracts/Closing | 7 |
| Landlord/Tenant | 3 |
| Other NC Laws | 11 |
What is the exam passing score?
A passing score on the North Carolina Salesperson exam requires a minimum of 75% on both sections. You must answer at least 60 out of 80 questions correctly on the national portion, and 30 out of 60 on the state portion.
What 2025 North Carolina Real Estate Laws should you know for the Salesperson exam?
North Carolina's 2025 real estate updates include simplified and clarified state-approved forms, a new vacant land disclosure, a wholesaling protection act with new licensure and cancellation rules, and upcoming training mandates for vacation rental managers. These changes appear prominently in the state exam’s Contract Law, Agency, Disclosure, and License Law sections.
Below is a summary of the key 2025 laws:
Law / Rule | Brief Description | 2025 Changes | Exam relevance |
| NC REALTORS® Form Updates | Standard residential forms (Listing, Buyer Agency, Showing Agreements) have been simplified/redrafted | Revised in January 2025—forms shortened and clarifications added (e.g., negotiable fees, improved dual agency language) | Covers Contract Law, Agency, Disclosure |
| Vacant Land Disclosure (Form 142) | Sellers must provide a disclosure statement for vacant land transactions | New requirement in 2025 | Laws & Regulations, Property Disclosures |
| H 797 – Wholesale Protection Act | Clarifies that property wholesaling requires a license and gives 30-day cancellation rights | Effective Oct 1, 2025, adds licensure requirement and homeowner cancellation rights | License Law, Ethics, Contract Law |
| Human-Trafficking Training Rule | Vacation rental managers must complete training and adopt reporting practices | New training requirement from July 1, 2025 | License Law & Rules (as a continuing education update) |
| NC Income Tax / Property Tax Exemptions | Seniors/disabled homeowners get expanded tax exemptions; flat income tax cut | Effective Jan 1, 2025; could impact transaction taxes | Unlikely – Tax law lightly covered; may appear in continuing education |
| Insurance Rate Increase | Homeowners’ insurance base rates rising (+7.5% mid-2025, +7.5% mid-2026) | New rate schedule effective June 2025 | Insurance regulation not on salesperson exam |
How to prepare for the exam?
Improving your pass rate depends on understanding exam structure, reviewing trusted resources, and following a focused study plan.
Understanding North Carolina Salesperson exam details
North Carolina Real Estate exam structure and requirements is essential for effective preparation. Here is information you need to know:
- Time allotted: 4.5 hours total (2.5 hours for national section, 2 hours for state section)
- Exam format: Computer-based test
- Exam fee: $100
- Licensing authority: Pearson VUE
- Where to take the exam: Charlotte, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Greenville, Asheville
Learning from prep resources
Use trusted study guides and platforms that align with North Carolina’s exam outline. Quality resources include:
Prep books
- Modern Real Estate Practice in North Carolina by Fillmore W. Galaty, Wellington J. Allaway, and Robert C. Kyle: A widely adopted textbook for North Carolina prelicensing courses, this book covers all required topics, including state-specific law, agency, contracts, property ownership, and practice questions after each chapter.
- North Carolina Real Estate: Principles & Practices by Gerald R. Brown and J. William Veal: This trusted resource is used by pre-licensing schools and provides a thorough review of North Carolina real estate laws, key concepts, exam prep, and practice problems tailored to the state PSI exam.
Free practice test platforms
- Realtylicenseprep practice tests: offer national and 50-state exam simulations that mirror real test conditions and question types.
Other resources
- Video tutorials: explain complex topics step-by-step.
- Flashcards: effective for memorizing key terms and legal definitions.
- Joining a study group: provides discussion-based learning.
Follow study strategy
A structured study plan improves content retention and builds confidence under real exam timing. You can begin with core topics, then refine your approach based on past performance. The table below is a sample of 8‑week study plan:
| Week | Focus | Activities |
| 1 - 2 | Ownership & agency | Read outline, watch topic videos, flashcards |
| 3 - 4 | Valuation, financing, contracts | Practice questions + review wrong answers |
| 5 | Disclosures & ethics | Deep dive into cases & laws |
| 6 | Practice exams | Timed mock tests |
| 7 | Review weak areas | Re-study low-scoring sections |
| 8 | Final exam simulation | Full test practice under timed conditions |
Weak area analysis
- Review your score breakdown weekly.
- Focus additional study on areas below 70%.
- Review incorrect answers to understand mistakes deeply.
Mastering Real Estate math
There will be about 7math questions in the national section of the North Carolina Real Estate Salesperson exam. These questions focus on practical real estate calculations such as loan-to-value ratios, down payments, and other common financial metrics relevant to property transactions.
Candidates are permitted to use the following standard conversion data during the exam, unless a specific question indicates otherwise:
- 43,560 square feet/acre
- 5,280 feet/mile
- Round off calculations (where applicable)
For questions that involve prorated amounts, the exam will clearly state:
- Whether the calculation should be based on a 360-day or 365-day year, and
- Whether the day of closing is assigned to the buyer or seller
Since math questions can affect your result, focused practice is essential after reviewing the main topics. To prepare:
- Review formulas for commission, loan-to-value ratio, and property tax calculations.
- Solve sample problems with our practice tests.
- Use flashcards or guided quizzes to reinforce conversions and amortization steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much focus should I put on North Carolina-specific law?
The state portion is more challenging and often trips up candidates. Spend extra time mastering North Carolina laws: agency, contracts, brokerage practices, landlord/tenant regulations, especially using NC-focused prep resources or state outlines from Pearson VUE and NCREC.
How can I memorize math equations and concepts effectively?
Useflashcards or index cards for key formulas (LTV, ROI, credits/debits, taxes, valuation). Pair this with repeated practice exams to automate recall and application in test scenarios.
Any test-day strategies or habits to manage anxiety and boost success?
How should I pace my exam approach?
Use a two-pass method: quickly answer confident questions, flag the rest, then review flagged items. Take your time to read carefully, eliminate wrong choices, and ensure math accuracy.
How do I overcome test anxiety and second-guessing?
Label questions based on confidence (A – sure, B – unsure, C – math), complete the A group first, skip B and C, then return for review. Look for clues in later questions, you may find hidden answers.