Hey, if you’re wondering how to pass your Michigan real estate exam, or you just want to know how to study for it properly so that you can pass your real estate exam the first time, this post is going to tell you how to do exactly that!
It can feel a bit overwhelming trying to pass your Michigan real estate exam. Especially when you’ve never taken the test before. It’s almost impossible to really develop a solid test and study strategy.
On top of that, it might have been some time — maybe two decades or more — since you opened up a book and had to crack down and study.
That’s okay! You’re not alone. The average age of a real estate agent is around 53.
In fact, many people chose to start in real estate as a second career. It’s common to find retired policemen or military veterans.
Through my own experience and working with potential real estate agents, I have learned a few critical steps for passing your Michigan real estate exam the first time around. These tips will help you pass your exam.
Here’s how to study and prepare for your Michigan real estate exam.
Step 1: Pick The Right Real Estate Pre-Licensure Course
Before you can sit down to take your Michigan real estate exam and get your Michigan real estate license, you are required to take a 40-hour pre-licensure course.
Personally, this is a good thing! It forces you to learn the material and study. Plus, it’s much better to have help and support when studying for the real estate exam. Imagine if you were left alone to study all of it on your own.
You have a lot of options when it comes to your Michigan pre-licensure real estate class — from online options to local in-person classes.
But, the reality is that not all courses are the same and of equal quality. You will have to do some research to find the one that best supports you, your schedule, and your learning style.
If you’re in the Lansing area, we have reviewed a few options for Lansing real estate classes.
We recommend that you check out Aceable Agent. They have a wide variety of options — from less supportive more do-it-yourself study to more intensive work-with-a-coach study plan.
They really give you options that fit you. Plus, in this Covid environment you can learn at your own pace without disruption. That’s critical if you’re still working another job and have plans to do real estate part time.
Step 2: Create a Study Schedule
For most people, you’ll need to do some additional studying outside of the 40 hour credit pre-licensure course. Unless you’re an intelligent sponge who absorbs and retains a ton of information, you will need to put in a few weeks worth of studying.
Specifically, you should plan on studying for your real estate exam for about two weeks. It’s super important to develop and stick to a solid study schedule. I recommend taking the pre-licensure course then doing some follow up study and practice exams.
For example, as you’re studying Fair Housing Laws in your real estate class, it’s worth it to study Fair Housing for 15 minutes a day for two weeks. Spacing your studying and frequency has been shown to be a better study strategy than trying to cram information.
This is the reason I love self-paced options like Real Estate Express. You can move at your pace and a pace that is more conducive to studying and how we learn.
An important component to your study plan is to review the information daily so you don’t dump it. Near the end, you will spend a lot of time reviewing all of the information.
Step 3: Follow The Study Process
Plan for your real estate course to take about one to two weeks to complete. Most traditional real estate classes occur in a single week, — about 8 hours a day.
There are some multiple weekend options and you can always pace yourself online. Just know that you have to complete 40 clock-hours. So how fast you finish, if you’re self-pacing, is really up to you and how much time you spend each day.
It really is going to depend on how many hours you devote to studying a night. If you’re like most people we chat with, like nurses or teachers who feel underpaid taking care of people, then you will likely have limited time to study.
Next, plan for about one week to review once you have gone through all of the study material for the first time. During the week it’s important to fully understand anything you felt you had difficulty in. When uncertain, take a practice exam to find the topics you may be deficient in.
Do tons of practice exams and quizzes! This is really, really important. Online courses like Real Estate Express have some great options or you can find practice exams on places like Amazon.
If you get any questions wrong, make sure you understand the solution before you move on. Refresh yourself with the content about that topic. This really makes your studying a bit more fun than simply reading a textbook or listening to a lecture.
The biggest benefit to practice exams is that some of the questions will be very similar to questions you can expect on the exam. Of course, that’s never a guarantee, but by taking practice exams, you get really close to taking the Michigan real estate exam.
Finally do practice exams in exam conditions, which means no notes, no breaks, and no distractions just like on exam day. Treat it like the real thing!
Step 4: Prepare For Real Estate Exam Day
A top reason people fail their Michigan real estate exam is because they wait too long after finishing their real estate class to take the exam.
You should try to schedule your exam no more than two to three weeks after finishing your 40-hour pre-licensure course. This is the spot where we found most agents succeed.
The information will be fresh in your brain and give you sufficient time to study. The longer you wait, the more you risk losing the information. All of the little tips and tricks the instructor teaches a student, start to fade away and are forgotten.
Lastly, have a strategy for exam day. You will need an ID but don’t bring any personal items. Your personal items won’t be allowed in the exam room. Pencils and paper are provided for you.
For more information about what to expect on the exam, you can read what PSI, the test administrator, says. They put out an extensive bulletin for Michigan test takers.
Second, make sure to relax. It can feel stressful, but don’t be too stressed. Read each question carefully and when in doubt, guess. You’re not penalized for guessing.
Keep in mind, too, that you only need a C. You only need 70% of the questions right to pass your Michigan real estate exam.
Plus, no broker will know whether you passed with a 70.0% or a 100% (and neither will you!). Nobody is ever going to ask you how many times it took to pass your real estate exam or what score you got on the exam.
Conclusion
There you have it. These seemingly simple techniques, when understood and executed, will help you pass your Michigan real estate exam the first time. Develop a solid study strategy and stick to it! Make sure to take your exam shortly after finishing your real estate class.
However, we know life can be distracting. Things pop up. If you really want to stay on top of your studying and to make sure you don’t fall behind, you need someone to keep you accountable to the schedule you set. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a coach.
If you’re looking to get started, our partnership with Aceable Agent means you can GET 20% OFF your Michigan real estate class. Get started on your real estate agent journey for as little as $155.
