Washington Real Estate Practice Test (Free)
The Washington real estate broker exam has 130 questions and a 4 hours limit. Below are the exact numbers the WA exam uses, and a free practice test to see where you stand.
The Washington exam at a glance
- License
- Real Estate Broker
- Administered by
- PSI Services LLC (PSI), under contract with the Washington Real Estate Commission and the Department of Licensing
- Total questions
- 130 (100 national and 30 Washington-specific)
- Time limit
- 4 hours
- Passing score
- A minimum scaled score of 70 is required on EACH portion (national and state) of the broker examination, per WAC 308-124A-760(1). This is a scaled score, not a raw percentage, so there is no fixed number of correct answers published. A 70 scaled score does not equal 70 percent correct. You must pass both portions, and a passing score on one portion is valid for only six months (WAC 308-124A-760(3)). The managing broker examination requires a scaled score of 75 on each portion instead.
- How it is taken
- In person at PSI test centers across Washington (Bellevue, Bremerton, Ellensburg, Everett, Kennewick, Spokane, Tacoma, and Richland) or by remote online proctoring through PSI. Bring two current forms of identification, at least one with a photograph.
- If you fail
- You only retake the portion(s) you failed, but you must pass both portions within six months of each other or you must sit the entire examination again (WAC 308-124A-760(3) and the PSI candidate bulletin). Each attempt, including a reexamination, costs the full $210 examination fee, which is set by WAC 308-124A-775 and the DOL fee schedule. No statutory waiting period between attempts is published; the six-month rule is the binding deadline. For reciprocity applicants, exam approval is good for six months and retakes are allowed as scheduling permits.
What Washington requires before you can sit the exam
- Minimum age
- 18+
- Pre-license education
- 90 hours
- Real Estate Fundamentals, 60 clock hours. RCW 18.85.101(1)(c) requires the fundamentals course to include three hours of instruction on fair housing and consumer protection issues.
- Real Estate Practices, 30 clock hours. The two courses total the 90 hours of director-approved instruction required by RCW 18.85.101(1)(c).
- Exam / application fee
- $210
- License term
- 2 years
- Background check
- Fingerprints and a criminal history check are required.
Free Washington practice questions
10 questions written for the Washington exam, drawn from 12 in the ApexAgent bank. The correct answer and the reasoning are under each one.
1. What is the entry-level real estate license called in Washington?
- A. Salesperson license
- B. Broker license ✓
- C. Associate broker license
- D. Real estate agent license
Why: Washington does not issue a salesperson license; the entry-level credential is the real estate broker license, whose minimum requirements are set by RCW 18.85.101. The higher credential is the managing broker license under RCW 18.85.111, and a broker must work under a designated or managing broker and is licensed to one firm at a time (RCW 18.85.101(3)).
2. Besides the director, how many members serve on the Washington Real Estate Commission?
- A. Four
- B. Five
- C. Six ✓
- D. Seven
Why: RCW 18.85.021 establishes the real estate commission as the director, who serves as chair, plus six commission members who act in an advisory capacity to the director. The governor appoints the six members, with at least two selected from west of the Cascade mountain range and at least two from the area east of the range.
3. How long is each appointed Washington Real Estate Commission member's term?
- A. Two years
- B. Four years
- C. Five years
- D. Six years ✓
Why: RCW 18.85.021 provides that the governor appoints the six commission members for terms of six years each and fills any vacancy by appointment for the unexpired term. It also requires each member to have at least five years of experience performing real estate brokerage services in the state, or at least three years of similar investigative experience.
4. What are the minimum age and education requirements for a Washington real estate broker license?
- A. 16 years old with no diploma requirement
- B. 18 years old and a high school diploma or its equivalent ✓
- C. 21 years old and a bachelor's degree
- D. 18 years old and two years of prior sales experience
Why: RCW 18.85.101(1)(a) and (b) require a broker license applicant to be at least 18 years of age and to have a high school diploma or its equivalent. No college degree and no prior real estate sales experience are required for the entry-level broker license.
5. How many clock hours of pre-license instruction does Washington require for a broker license?
- A. 45 clock hours
- B. 60 clock hours
- C. 90 clock hours ✓
- D. 135 clock hours
Why: RCW 18.85.101(1)(c) requires the applicant to complete 90 hours of instruction in real estate before applying for the broker examination. The Department of Licensing breaks this into a 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course and a 30-hour Real Estate Practices course, and the applicant must pass a course examination for each.
6. Under RCW 18.85.101, the Real Estate Fundamentals course must include how many hours of instruction on fair housing and consumer protection issues?
- A. One hour
- B. Three hours ✓
- C. Six hours
- D. Eight hours
Why: RCW 18.85.101(1)(c) states that the prescribed fundamentals course shall include three hours of instruction on fair housing and consumer protection issues. Washington reinforces this fair housing focus at renewal, where RCW 18.85.211 requires three of the 30 biennial continuing education hours to cover fair housing education and the prevention of unfair practices.
7. Within what period before applying for the Washington broker examination must the pre-license courses be completed?
- A. Within the previous five years
- B. Within the previous two years ✓
- C. Within the previous six months
- D. There is no time limit
Why: RCW 18.85.101(1)(c) requires each required course to be completed within two years before the applicant applies for the broker's license examination. This two-year validity window is distinct from the separate rule that both exam portions must be passed within six months of each other (WAC 308-124A-760(3)).
8. What score is required to pass each portion of the Washington real estate broker examination?
- A. A raw score of 70 percent on each portion
- B. A minimum scaled score of 70 on each portion ✓
- C. A minimum scaled score of 75 on each portion
- D. A raw score of 60 percent on each portion
Why: WAC 308-124A-760(1) requires a minimum scaled score of 70 on each portion of the broker examination, meaning the national portion and the Washington state portion separately. A scaled score of 75 on each portion applies to the managing broker examination under WAC 308-124A-760(2). Because the score is scaled, it is not a raw percentage.
9. After passing one portion of the Washington broker examination, how long does that passing score remain valid for passing the other portion?
- A. 30 days
- B. Six months ✓
- C. One year
- D. Two years
Why: WAC 308-124A-760(3) provides that a passing score for a portion of an examination is valid for a period of six months. Under the PSI candidate bulletin and the Department of Licensing, a candidate who passes only one portion must pass the other portion within six months of passing the first, or both must be retaken.
10. What licensed experience does Washington require for a managing broker license?
- A. One year of full-time broker experience within the previous three years
- B. Three years of full-time broker experience within the previous five years ✓
- C. Five years of full-time broker experience within the previous ten years
- D. Seven years of full-time broker experience with no time limit
Why: RCW 18.85.111(1)(c) requires a minimum of three years of licensed experience as a full-time real estate broker within the five years previous to applying for the managing broker examination, or other qualifying practical experience in a business allied with real estate as prescribed by rule. RCW 18.85.111(1)(d) adds 90 hours of instruction including brokerage management, business management, and advanced real estate law, each course completed within three years before applying.
Want more Washington-specific questions? Practice the full Washington state-law set.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Washington have a real estate salesperson license?
- No. Washington does not issue a salesperson license. The entry-level credential is the real estate broker license, and the higher credential above it is the managing broker license. RCW 18.85.101 sets the requirements for the broker license and RCW 18.85.111 sets the requirements for the managing broker license. If you learned the salesperson-then-broker ladder in another state, that ladder does not exist here: in Washington a newly licensed person is a broker, must work under a designated or managing broker, and is licensed to only one firm at a time (RCW 18.85.101(3)).
- What score do you need to pass the Washington real estate broker exam?
- A minimum scaled score of 70 on each of the two portions, the national portion and the Washington state portion (WAC 308-124A-760(1)). It is a scaled score, not a percentage, so you cannot read it as 70 correct out of 100. There is no published raw cut score, because the scaled score adjusts for the difficulty of each test version. You must pass both portions, and once you pass one portion you have only six months to pass the other or both results lapse (WAC 308-124A-760(3)).
- How many questions are on the Washington broker exam, and how long is it?
- 130 scored questions in two separately timed portions: 100 national questions in 150 minutes and 30 state questions in 90 minutes, for about four hours of testing (PSI candidate bulletin). A small number of unscored experimental questions, typically 5 to 10, may be added and they count against your time but not your score. The 30 state questions cover Washington real estate law and rules, including general rules, licensing requirements, statutes and rules governing licensee activity, and brokerage relationships.
- How much does the Washington broker exam and license cost, and how soon can you retake a portion?
- The examination fee is $210, set by WAC 308-124A-775 and listed on the DOL fee schedule, and it is paid to PSI when you schedule. The original broker license fee is $233, which includes a mandatory $20 real estate research fee. If you fail a portion you retake only that portion, paying $210 again, but you must pass both portions within six months of each other or you must retake the whole examination. There is no published waiting period beyond the six-month deadline.
- What education and other requirements does Washington set before you can sit the broker exam?
- You must be at least 18, have a high school diploma or its equivalent, and complete 90 clock hours of director-approved pre-license instruction, a 60-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course (including three hours on fair housing and consumer protection) and a 30-hour Real Estate Practices course, passing a course examination for each under RCW 18.85.101(1)(a) through (d). Both courses must be completed within two years before you apply for the broker examination. After you pass the examination you submit fingerprints for a background check through the Washington State Patrol and the FBI (RCW 18.85.171(1)(d)), then apply for the license within one year of passing.
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- PSI Services LLC, Washington Real Estate Commission Candidate Information Bulletin (Broker national portion 100 items/100 points/150 minutes, state portion 30 items/30 points/90 minutes; pass a scaled score of 70 on each broker portion and 75 on each managing broker portion; a passing portion score is valid six months; 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions; examination fee $210; state content outline covering general rules, licensing, statutes and rules, and brokerage relationships; requires 60-hour Fundamentals plus 30-hour Practices) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Washington Department of Licensing, Exam: Real estate brokers (PSI Testing Excellence administers the exam; register as a student with PSI before course completion; pass both the state and national exams within 6 months of each other; exam approval expires 2 years from course completion; results valid 1 year; apply for the license within 1 year of passing; fingerprints submitted after passing; PSI system will not schedule a retake more than 6 months after passing the other portion) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Washington Department of Licensing, Fees: Real estate (take the exam $210; retake the exam $210; original broker license $233; broker renewal $233; late renewal with penalty $273; reinstatement $100; original license and renewal fees include a mandatory $20 real estate research fee) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Washington Administrative Code, Chapter 308-124A, Real Estate: Licensing and Examination (WAC 308-124A-760 grading of examinations: scaled score 70 required on each broker portion, scaled 75 on each managing broker portion, passing portion score valid six months; WAC 308-124A-765 reexamination; WAC 308-124A-775 real estate fees: application/examination $210, original broker license $233 including the $20 research fee; WAC 308-124A-720 examination for applicants licensed in another jurisdiction) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Revised Code of Washington, Chapter 18.85, Real Estate Brokers and Managing Brokers (RCW 18.85.021 commission created: director as chair plus six members appointed for six-year terms; RCW 18.85.101 broker license: age 18, high school diploma, 90 hours including fundamentals with three hours of fair housing and consumer protection plus practices, each course within two years before applying, one firm at a time; RCW 18.85.111 managing broker: three years full-time licensed experience within the previous five years plus 90 hours of brokerage management, business management, and advanced real estate law; RCW 18.85.171 fingerprint-based background check through the Washington State Patrol and FBI; RCW 18.85.211 continuing education of 30 clock hours every two years including three hours of fair housing; RCW 18.85.285 trust accounts and interest to the Washington housing trust fund and real estate education program account) (verified 2026-10-03)
- Exam details are checked against the Washington State Department of Licensing, Real Estate Program, advised by the Washington Real Estate Commission and its testing vendor. Always confirm current requirements with the board before your exam.