Massachusetts Real Estate Practice Exam

Massachusetts salesperson candidates take a General Real Estate Principles and Practices section and a Massachusetts State Real Estate Laws and Board Rules section during one computer-based appointment administered by PSI. The General portion includes 80 scored multiple-choice questions in 150 minutes. The Massachusetts State portion includes 40 scored multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes. PSI schedules both sections in one 240-minute appointment when you register for the full exam. You must achieve at least 70% on the General portion and at least 70% on the State portion to pass. PSI may include five to ten unscored experimental questions that do not count toward your score but do count against your time. Failing one portion means failing the exam for that attempt even if you pass the other section.

PSI publishes separate General and Massachusetts State content outlines in the Candidate Information Bulletin. Use both outlines when building a study plan because you must pass each section independently at 70%.

• General portion: property ownership and land characteristics, land use controls, valuation and CMA concepts, financing and lending laws (RESPA, TILA, ECOA), contracts and lease agreements, agency relationships and disclosures, property and environmental disclosures, property management basics, title transfer and closing, practice of real estate including fair housing and antitrust, and real estate calculations.
• Massachusetts State portion: Board of Registration duties and powers including sanctions, fines, and license suspension or revocation (2 items).
• Licensing requirements: activities requiring a license, active and inactive license status, renewal and continuing education, and Board notification rules (4 items).
• Requirements governing licensees: advertising, broker and salesperson relationships, commissions, consumer and conflict-of-interest disclosures, agency relationships, document handling, and handling of client funds (13 items).
• Consumer protection laws, environmental issues (lead, private sewage, smoke and carbon monoxide detection, wetlands), Massachusetts fair housing law including protected classes beyond federal law, and landlord-tenant law covering rental deposits and the State Sanitary Code (4 items each on several topics).

The Board licenses salespersons after education, application review, examination, and licensing fee payment. Confirm current forms and fees on Mass.gov and in the PSI bulletin before you apply because rules can change.

• Be at least 18 years old and provide a valid Social Security number or Tax Identification number as required on the Board application.
• Complete 40 hours of Board-approved pre-licensing salesperson education and obtain a Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Educational Certificate of Completion from an approved school.
• Submit three candidate endorsements from individuals unrelated to you; classmates from your real estate course may not sign endorsements. Endorsers do not need to be Massachusetts residents.
• Apply through the eLIPSE portal with your certificate, endorsements, DOL CORI authorization form, and other required documents; pay the $31 Board application fee when you submit.
• Apply for and pass the PSI exam within two years of completing your required salesperson education; allow time within that window to schedule both exam portions.
• After passing both PSI sections, pay the prorated license fee through eLIPSE to receive a digital license; PSI charges $54 per exam registration separate from Board application and licensing fees.

If you pass one PSI portion and fail the other, retake and pass only the failed portion before your Educational Certificate expires. You must complete the failed portion within two years from the completion date on your Educational Certificate; if the certificate expires, the partial pass expires and you must retake both portions after obtaining a new certificate. You cannot schedule a new exam appointment on the same day you tested; PSI typically allows retesting as soon as the next available day depending on seat availability. Each retake requires a new $54 PSI registration. Because each section uses a 70% threshold scored independently, strong General performance cannot offset a failing State score. Weight timed practice toward Massachusetts fair housing, landlord-tenant law, Board advertising rules, and licensee fund-handling topics for the 40-item state block, then review national contracts, agency, and financing for the 80-item General block. When you want interactive reps today, use Casa Academy's free practice tool with the Florida demo disclosure visible on every launch.