If you're preparing for your real estate licensing exam, practice questions are one of the most effective ways to study — they show you exactly how concepts are tested, not just what they mean. At The Real Estate School, these are the areas we see trip up first-time test takers most often on the national and Maryland state portions of the PSI exam, each with a full explanation so you understand the reasoning, not just the correct letter.
Work through them honestly before checking the answers — that's what actually builds exam-day confidence.
Why Practice Questions Matter More Than Rereading Notes
Maryland's real estate exam has a first-attempt pass rate of roughly 50–55%, and the most common reason candidates fail isn't lack of studying — it's studying the wrong way. Rereading course materials feels productive, but it doesn't train you to recognize how the exam phrases questions or how it tests your ability to apply a concept, not just recall it. Practice questions close that gap.
10 Real Estate Exam Practice Questions
1. Agency Relationships
Question: A seller's agent owes which of the following duties to a buyer who is not their client? A) Loyalty B) Confidentiality C) Honesty and fair dealing D) Full negotiation representation
Answer: C. A seller's agent still owes honesty and fair dealing to all parties in a transaction, even those they don't represent. Loyalty, confidentiality, and full representation are owed only to the agent's actual client.
2. Types of Deeds
Question: Which deed offers the buyer the least protection against title defects? A) General warranty deed B) Special warranty deed C) Quitclaim deed D) Grant deed
Answer: C. A quitclaim deed transfers whatever interest the grantor has, with no guarantees about the title's condition or history — it offers no warranty protection at all.
3. Contract Law
Question: For a real estate contract to be legally enforceable, it must include all of the following EXCEPT: A) Offer and acceptance B) Consideration C) Legal purpose D) Notarization
Answer: D. Notarization is not required for a contract to be valid in most states, including Maryland, though it's often used for recording purposes. Offer, acceptance, consideration, and legal purpose are the actual required elements.
4. Fair Housing
Question: Under the Fair Housing Act, which of the following is a protected class? A) Occupation B) Familial status C) Income level D) Credit score
Answer: B. Familial status (having children under 18, including pregnancy) is one of the seven federally protected classes. Occupation, income, and credit score are not protected classes under federal fair housing law.
5. Real Estate Math
Question: A property sells for $350,000, and the agent's commission is 6%, split evenly between the listing and buyer's agents. How much does the listing agent's brokerage receive? A) $10,500 B) $21,000 C) $17,500 D) $7,000
Answer: A. Total commission is $350,000 × 6% = $21,000. Split evenly between two sides, each brokerage receives $10,500.
6. Property Ownership
Question: Which form of ownership includes the right of survivorship? A) Tenancy in common B) Joint tenancy C) Tenancy at will D) Severalty
Answer: B. Joint tenancy includes the right of survivorship, meaning a deceased owner's share automatically passes to the surviving joint tenant(s) rather than through probate.
7. Maryland-Specific: Agency Disclosure
Question: In Maryland, when must an agent provide written agency disclosure to a prospective buyer? A) At the first substantive contact B) Only before signing a contract C) Only if the buyer asks D) At closing
Answer: A. Maryland law requires agents to provide written agency disclosure at the first substantive contact with a prospective buyer or seller, not just before contract signing.
8. Leasehold Estates
Question: A lease with no specific end date that continues until either party gives proper notice is called a: A) Estate for years B) Periodic tenancy C) Tenancy at sufferance D) Estate at will
Answer: B. A periodic tenancy (like a month-to-month lease) automatically renews until one party gives proper notice to terminate — unlike an estate for years, which has a fixed end date.
9. Financing
Question: What type of loan requires no down payment and is typically available to eligible veterans? A) FHA loan B) Conventional loan C) VA loan D) USDA loan
Answer: C. VA loans, guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, typically require no down payment for eligible veterans and active-duty service members.
10. Maryland-Specific: Guaranty Fund
Question: The Maryland Real Estate Guaranty Fund exists to: A) Pay agents' commissions if a deal falls through B) Compensate consumers harmed by licensee misconduct C) Fund state real estate advertising D) Cover a brokerage's operating costs
Answer: B. The Guaranty Fund compensates consumers who suffer financial loss due to a licensee's fraud, misrepresentation, or other misconduct — it's a consumer protection fund, not an agent benefit.
How to Use These Questions Effectively
Ten questions won't fully prepare you for exam day — the actual Maryland State PSI exam prep course covers the full range of state and national topics with a complete practice exam that mirrors the real test format. Think of the questions above as a diagnostic: if you missed more than two or three, that's a signal to go back and review those specific topics before moving forward, not just to keep memorizing new material.
If you haven't finished your required coursework yet, it's worth starting there first — the Maryland pre-licensing course covers all of these concepts in depth, so exam prep becomes reinforcement rather than learning everything from scratch under time pressure.
The Real State School
Phone: 3014564247
Email: info@therealestateschool.us
Address: 4301 Garden City Drive, Suite 301, Landover Maryland, 20785
FAQs
How many questions are on the actual Maryland real estate exam?
The Maryland PSI exam includes 110 scored questions — about 80 covering national real estate principles and 30 covering Maryland-specific law — plus a small number of unscored pretest questions.
What score do I need to pass?
Maryland requires a passing score on both the national and state portions separately; check your current PSI candidate handbook for the exact percentage, as passing thresholds can be updated by the state.
Are these questions the same as what's on the real exam?
No. These are original practice questions written to reflect the topics and difficulty level of the real exam, not actual exam content, since real exam questions are confidential and protected by PSI.
How many practice questions should I do before test day?
Most successful candidates work through several hundred practice questions across all major topic areas, not just ten — the goal is repeated exposure to how concepts are tested, not memorizing specific answers.
What if I keep missing questions in the same topic area?
That's a strong signal to revisit that section of your pre-licensing coursework directly rather than continuing to guess on practice questions — understanding the underlying concept matters more than memorizing one right answer.
Conclusion
Practice questions work because they force you to apply what you've learned instead of just recognizing it when you see it — and that's exactly what the real exam demands. If you struggled with any of the ten questions above, treat it as useful information about where to focus next, not a discouraging sign. Combined with a complete exam prep course and your required pre-licensing hours, consistent practice testing is the most reliable way to walk into exam day prepared.