Idaho Real Estate Exam: Everything You Need to Know

This article will cover everything you need to know about and how to pass the Idaho real estate exam. Here’s a list of what you can expect to gain as you read on:

• How to schedule the Idaho Real Estate Licensing exam 
• The requirements to register for the exam
• The cost of the exam
• Where you can take the exam 
• What is covered on the exam 
• The difficulty level of the exam 
• Best tips to pass the exam 

How to Schedule the Idaho Real Estate Licensing Exam

To qualify to schedule the Idaho real estate salesperson exam, all aspiring candidates must: 

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have at a minimum, a high school diploma or its equivalent 
• Complete 90 hours of pre-licensing education
• Make a fingerprint reservation

If you meet the requirements above, you can schedule your examination by visiting the Pearson VUE website. If you’re a first-time user, you’ll be required to create an account to create a candidate ID and be assigned a password. Follow the step-by-step instructions provided on the website to book your exam reservation. 

You can also make a reservation over the telephone by calling (877) 540-5833. Before making a reservation, make sure you have the following: 

• Full legal name
• Address
• Social Security number
• Daytime telephone number
• Date of birth
• School code and course completion date
• Email address
• The name of the examination 

All exam reservations must be made at least 24 hours before the desired exam date. You’ll be required to pay an examination fee of $80 at the time of reservation. This fee can be paid via credit card, debit card, or voucher. 

Where Do You Take the Idaho Real Estate License Exam?

Candidates for the Idaho real estate licensing exam are to take their exams at any of the designated Pearson VUE test centers located in Idaho or in other regions in the US. The table below shows these locations and their respective exam schedule:

• Boise, ID
• Coeur d’Alene, ID
• Nampa, ID (Fingerprinting not available at this location)
• Pocatello, ID
• Twin Falls, ID
• Las Vegas, NV
• Reno, NV
• Draper, UT
• Spokane, WA
• Ogden, UT

Can You Take the Exam Online?

No, you cannot take the Idaho real estate licensing exam online. Candidates for this exam will be required to go to Pearson VUE testing centers located around the U.S. to take the exam.

What to Bring on the Day of Your Exam

On the day of your Idaho real estate exam, you are expected to bring two forms of VALID, non-expired signature identification. This ID must contain your signature and photo and must match the name you scheduled your exam with.

The primary identification must be government issued, and can be any of the following: 

• Government-issued Driver’s License
• U.S. Department of State Driver’s License
• U.S. Learner’s Permit (plastic card only with photo and signature)
• National/State/Country Identification Card
• Passport
• Passport card
• Military ID
• Military ID for spouses and dependents
• Alien Registration Card (Green Card, Permanent Resident Visa)

The secondary identification can be any of the following:

• U.S. Social Security Card
• Debit (ATM) or Credit Card
• Any form of ID on the Primary ID list

What is on the Idaho Real Estate Exam?

The Idaho real estate exam is made up of two sections, which are: 

• The national portion, comprising questions based on national real estate principles and practice
• The Idaho state exam, comprising questions based on laws, regulations, and practice of real estate in Idaho

National Portion 

Here are the topics you will come across in the national portion of the salesperson exam, with the number of questions you can expect from each topic:

• Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use; 9
• Forms Of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording Of Title; 8
• Property Value and Appraisal; 11
• Real Estate Contracts and Agency; 16
• Real Estate Practice; 14
• Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues; 8
• Financing and Settlement; 7
• Real Estate Math Calculations; 7

State Portion 

Here are the topics you will come across in the state portion of the salesperson exam, with the percentage of questions you can expect per topic

• Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission; 5%
• Licensing Requirements; 10%
• License Law and Rules Of the Idaho Real Estate Commission; 40%
• Brokerage Representation (Agency Law); 25%
• Calculations and Closing Costs; 5%
• Idaho Principles and Practices; 15%

Will There Be Math on the Exam?

Yes, there will be 7 math questions on the Idaho real estate salesperson licensing exam. These math questions will be related to basic mathematical skills involved in real estate calculations, including:

• Property area calculations
• Property valuations
• Commission/Compensation
• Loan financing costs
• Settlements and closing costs
• Investments
• Property management calculations

Candidates may use the following information in making mathematical calculations on the general section of the real estate examinations unless otherwise stated in the text of the question:

• 43,560 square feet/acre
• 5,280 feet/mile
• Round off calculations (where applicable)

Keep in mind that solving these math problems could be difficult and time-consuming. It is, therefore, best to save these questions for later while you continue to answer the other questions unless the answers are easy. This allows you to answer more questions and maximize your allocated time. 

Is the Idaho Real Estate Exam Hard?

As can be expected of any professional certification exam, the Idaho real estate exam is hard, and will only get harder for candidates who are not well prepared. This is why studying hard and getting all the help you can before taking the exam is important. 

How Many Questions Are on the Idaho Real Estate Exam?

The Idaho real estate salesperson exam has a total of 120 scored questions. 80 of these questions fall under the national portion, while the remaining 40 fall under the state-specific portion. Candidates are given 4 hours to complete the exam: 2 ½ hours for the national section and 1 ½ hours for the state section.

Note that 5-10 ‘pretest’ questions may be added to a candidate's test. These questions are used to evaluate the quality of the exam and develop future licensing examinations. These questions will not be scored, and neither will the time used to answer them count against the testing time.

Candidate performance on the exam is reported as a scaled score that can range from 0-100. To pass this exam, you must have a passing score 70. This scaled score should not be interpreted as the percentage or number of questions answered correctly on the examination. However, numeric scores are reported to failing candidates to avoid misuse of score information. 

After completing the exam, you’ll receive a score report marked ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. If you fail, your score report will consist of a numeric score and diagnostic information about the examination, as well as information about reexamination.

What is the Passing Rate for the Real Estate Exam in Idaho?

The passing rate of the real estate exam in Idaho is about 70% for first-time takers. This implies that if 1,000 people take the exam, an average of 700 people are expected to pass. 

Note that this passing rate may be affected over time due to changes in the exam content and its difficulty level.

How Many Times Can You Take the Real Estate Exam?

Candidates who fail the Idaho real estate exam are allowed to retake it. If a candidate passes one section and fails the other, only the failed portion must be retaken. The failed portion can be taken as many times as needed and must be passed within one year of the passed portion. Otherwise, both parts of the exam must be retaken. 

Candidates must wait twenty-four hours after failing an examination before making a reservation to retake it. To schedule a retake, follow the regular reservation procedures and provide your failing score report.

Note that every attempt to take this exam will cost you an exam fee of $80.

How to Pass the Idaho Real Estate Exam

While the Idaho real estate exam is challenging, passing is not impossible. To pass the exam on the first trial, candidates must thoroughly study and understand all the topics listed above, from which questions will be set. While you can obtain most of the knowledge you need during the mandatory pre-educational program, there are also certain practical study tools that you can adopt in your preparation to increase your chances of passing. They include: 

Create a Study Schedule 

When preparing for an exam like the Idaho real estate exam, creating a study schedule can be very helpful in helping you balance your study sessions with your other daily commitments. A well-planned study schedule will improve your daily time management by ensuring that every minute of your time is accounted for, and will also help you make the most of your study periods.

Ensure you input frequent breaks into your study schedule to prevent burnout. It's also best to set your study time to periods of the day when you are less busy or distracted, such as early in the morning and late at night. We recommend studying for a little bit every night or every other night.

Use Acronyms and Mnemonic Devices

Acronyms and mnemonic devices are memory aids that break down complex information into smaller and simpler chunks that are easier for the brain to process and remember. Acronyms are formed by taking the first letters of each word in a phrase and forming a word with it. An excellent example of a real estate acronym is CCIM, which stands for Certified Commercial Investment Member. 

Similarly, mnemonic devices are formed by associating a piece of information with something that can be easily related to it. A suitable mnemonic device detailing a property's four essential characteristics to have value would be “Don’t Utter Silly Things.”

• Don’t for Demand
• Utter for Utility
• Silly for Scarcity
• Things for Transferability

Join a Study Group 

Joining a study group can significantly increase your chances of success in the Idaho real estate exam by improving your learning process. It provides like-minded people to be accountable to, boosts your motivation to study, and helps to breed a healthy competition within you that gears you to do more.

Get Guided Help

When you are preparing for the real estate exam, you have to go through excessive notes, textbook pages, finding terminology you think could show up on the exam, and so on. It can get messy and overwhelming.

That’s why we put together an online real estate exam prep package to help you prepare for the Idaho exam. It makes studying and preparation easy and quick, and students who use our exam prep package have a 90% passing rate.

The prep package comes with:

• 1,500 Idaho real estate exam practice questions
• Customizable practice state exams
• Vocabulary flashcards
• Video explanations
• E-book study guide

You can add real estate crash course videos. It's 8+ hours of video content that teaches you the concepts, vocabulary, historical events, and more. Led by our head instructor, Robert Rico, our crash course videos teaches you everything you need to know to pass on your first try.

Final Thoughts on the Real Estate Exam in Idaho 

The Idaho real estate exam is compulsory for all individuals who want to be licensed real estate salespersons in the state. Passing this exam requires careful preparation and a solid understanding of real estate concepts and practices. To increase your chances of succeeding on this exam, follow the tips above and enroll in a reputable real estate school.