State Practice Exam
South Carolina Real Estate Practice Exam
40 questions covering South Carolina real estate licensing topics with detailed explanations.
Question 1 of 40
A property is listed at $250,000 and sells for $240,000. If the listing broker receives a 6% commission, how much is the commission?
This free South Carolina Real Estate Salesperson Practice Exam helps you prepare for the official state licensing test. Inside, you’ll find a 120-question practice test, a breakdown of exam topics, details on eligibility, key laws updates and effective exam prep. Start the practice test below to gauge your knowledge.
Who is eligible to take the South Carolina Real Estate Salesperson exam?
To qualify for the South Carolina Salesperson license exam, candidates must meet specific educational and legal requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Complete 90 clock hours of pre-licensing education at an accredited real estate school in South Carolina.
- Finish an additional 30 hours of advanced coursework before applying for a license.
What’s on the South Carolina Real Estate Salesperson exam?
The South Carolina Real Estate Salesperson exam includes 120 scored multiple-choice questions, split into 80 national and 40 state-specific questions. Each section evaluates your understanding of real estate concepts and South Carolina laws.
The national portion covers agency relationships, property ownership, contracts, real estate math, financing, and professional practices.The state portion tests knowledge of licensing requirements, South Carolina statutes, agency laws, and closing procedures.
South Carolina Real Estate exam topics
Below are major licensing topics you’ll need to study:
National Portion Topics
- Practice of Real Estate
- Property Ownership
- Contracts
- General Principles of Agency
- Land Use Controls and Regulations
- Real Estate Calculations
- Financing
- Property Disclosures
- Transfer of Title
- Valuation and Market Analysis
- Leasing and Property Management
- Commercial, Industrial, and Income Properties
State Portion Topics
- South Carolina Real Estate Commission and Licensing Requirements
- South Carolina Agency and Non-Agency Relationships and Issues
- Statutes Governing the Activities of Licensees and Non-Licensees
- Additional South Carolina Statutes and Topics
- Closing Details
What is the Salesperson exam passing score?
A passing score requires correctly answering at least 56 out of 80 questions on the national portion and 21 out of 40 on the state portion.
What 2025 South Carolina Real Estate Laws should you know for the Salesperson exam?
For the 2025 South Carolina Real Estate Salesperson (Associate) exam, you should focus on updated laws around licensing terminology, advertising, broker-in-charge (BIC) responsibilities, trust account management, and property management.
Key changes include stricter advertising rules, a higher experience requirement for BICs, explicit bans on unlicensed wholesaling, and clarified regulations on handling offers and tenant relations. All these areas are tested on the state-specific portion of the exam, especially under agency, licensing, advertising, and trust account topics.
Below is a summary of the key 2025 laws:
| Law/Rule | Brief Description | 2025 Status | Exam Relevance |
| Licensing Terminology | “Salesperson” renamed as “Associate” or “Supervised Licensee” | Changed – New terminology | Licensing and definitions |
| Broker-in-Charge Requirement | Associates may only have one BIC, BICs need 5 years’ experience | Changed – Experience increased from 3 to 5 years | Agency, Broker responsibilities |
| Advertising & Marketing | Requires written permission to advertise, clear brokerage/team attribution | Changed – Stricter permission and disclosure rules | Advertising, Agency |
| Trust Account & Offer Handling | Escrow/trust fund oversight by BIC, offer rejection forms required in 48 hours | Changed – Tighter documentation and timelines | Trust accounts, Transaction handling |
| Office Compliance Inspections | Routine LLR inspections for record/trust account/advertising compliance | New/Expanded – More inspections | Brokerage operation, Compliance |
| Property Management & Tenant | Security deposit returns, eviction procedures, lease requirements | Clarified – More specifics on timelines and rules | Property management, Landlord-tenant |
| Contractor Licensing | Licensed builder required for residential work, with owner exemptions | Clarified – Details on owner-built exemptions | Construction and licensing |
| Wholesaling Ban | Prohibits unlicensed wholesaling (assignment of contract without ownership) | New – Now explicitly illegal | Agency law, Illegal practice |
How to prepare for the exam?
Improving your pass rate depends on understanding exam details, using trusted resources, and following a targeted study plan.
Understanding South Carolina Salesperson exam details
South Carolina Real Estate exam structure and requirements are essential for effective preparation. Here is information you need to know:
- Time allotted: 200 minutes total (120 minutes for national, 80 minutes for state section)
- Exam format: Computer-based
- Exam fee: $63
- Licensing authority: PSI
- Where to take the exam: Greenville/Spartanburg, Columbia, North Charleston, Beaufort/Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte
Learning from prep resources
Use trusted study guides and platforms that align with South Carolina’s exam outline. Quality resources include:
Prep books
- South Carolina Real Estate License Exam Prep: All-in-One Review and Testing to Pass South Carolina’s PSI Exam by Stephen Mettling, David Cusic, and Ryan Mettling: A comprehensive prep guide that covers South Carolina-specific law, over 500 national and 100 state practice questions, and a full-length sample state exam.
- Modern Real Estate Practice in South Carolina, 13th Edition by Mary Ella Shearouse: This foundational textbook is used by many South Carolina real estate schools and covers all key state and national topics, including agency, contracts, licensing, property ownership, and chapter review questions.
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 bemath questions in the national section of the South Carolina Real Estate Salesperson exam. Expect several real estate math questions on the exam. Typical topics include:
- Credits and debits in transactions
- Property tax calculations
- Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratios
- Property valuation measurements
- Determining market sales price
- Calculating Return On Investments (ROI)
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
What kind of tricky questions should I expect on the South Carolina real estate exam?
SC’s exam mixes topics (like Agency + Disclosures) and uses scenario-based prompts. Focus on understanding concepts deeply, not just memorizing definitions, to avoid traps.
Are there typical math questions I should focus on in the South Carolina real estate exam?
SC’s exam concentrates on essential real estate math: acreage conversion (sq ft), prorations, LTV ratios, property taxes, and differences between earnest vs. option money. Make sure to drill those metrics.
Should I use test-taking strategies in addition to studying content for the South Carolina exam?
Yes, employ strategies like skipping & returning, reading carefully (watch out for absolutes!), and process of elimination. Combine that with strong vocabulary understanding and scenario practice.
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.