Maryland real estate exam
Format, passing score, fees and what to study — compiled from the official candidate handbook and state sources, with a link and a confidence level for every fact. Last verified 2026-10-31.
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Maryland exam format and requirements
| Fact | Value | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulator | Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC), Dept. of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing | Official source | Link |
| Exam provider | PSI Services LLC | Official source | Link |
| National-portion questions | 80 80 questions (80 points) on the salesperson national portion; PSI adds ~1-10 unscored experimental items (~10%). | Official source | Link |
| State-portion questions | 30 30 questions (30 points) on the Maryland state portion; experimental items may be added. | Official source | Link |
| Exam time (minutes) | 120 National 90 min + State 30 min = 120 min (110 questions total). | Official source | Link |
| Passing score | 70%: 56 of 80 national and 21 of 30 state MREC page also states 70% on each portion. Passing score expires - must apply for license within 1 year. | Official source | Link |
| Exam fee (USD) | $44 $44 per registration (also on https://labor.maryland.gov/license/mrec/mrecexam.shtml); non-refundable/non-transferable. | Official source | Link |
| Pre-licensing hours | 60 MREC Licensing FAQ: 60-hour pre-licensing course from an MREC-approved provider before scheduling the PSI exam. | Official source | Link |
| Languages | English Handbook/bulletin describes no non-English exam version; English presumed. | Secondary source | Link |
| Active licensees | 36757 Active salespersons per Executive Director report in MREC July 15, 2026 minutes (June 2026 data); also 3,838 brokers and 2,956 associate brokers. Sept 2025 figure was 37,399; trend is declining ~2-4%/yr. | Official source | Link |
“Official source” = read in a state agency page or the exam provider’s candidate handbook on 2026-10-31. Anything marked “Vendor claim” or “Not verified” should be confirmed before you rely on it. Fees and formats change.
What this means for your study plan
- Time per question: about 1.1 minutes each (120 minutes ÷ 110 questions). Practice at that pace.
- Both portions count: you must reach the pass mark on each portion — a strong national score does not make up for a weak Maryland score.
- Where people lose points: math word problems, wording traps (NOT/EXCEPT), and state rules that differ from the national rule. Our formula sheet covers the math.
- Good to know: Scoring is by raw points per portion (56/80, 21/30); portions can be passed separately but score validity is limited by the course-completion-date deadline. PSI no longer processes paper applications (since 3/31/2025). Remote proctoring available via PSI. Maryland state portion is short (30 Q) so each question carries ~3.3% weight.
State-portion topics published for Maryland
- Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission (4 items)
- Licensing Requirements (4 items)
- Brokerage Relationships (7 items): listing agreements, disclosure of brokerage relationship, conflict-of-interest disclosures
- Supervision (5 items): trust monies, recordkeeping, other Maryland laws (short sale, home improvements, PIFHA)
- Business Conduct (6 items): offers, commissions incl. rebates, advertising and signs, fair housing laws, summary suspensions/convictions
- Ethics (4 items): unfair inducements, dealings with other licensees, general ethics
Sample Maryland practice questions
Original questions written from the law, each with an explanation and a citation. Maryland-specific questions are coming soon; these samples come from the national portion.
An eager buyer offers listing agent Jo a private $3,000 payment to make sure his offer is the one the seller accepts. Jo
- may accept it, because the buyer rather than the seller is the one who would be paying her the money
- may accept it as long as she reports the payment as income on her taxes
- may not accept it without her seller's informed consent, since it is a benefit from her position
- may accept it if she shares it equally with the buyer's agent at closing
Answer: C. An agent has a duty not to acquire a material benefit from a third party in connection with transactions conducted for the principal (Restatement (Third) of Agency § 8.02). A secret payment meant to influence which offer the seller takes directly conflicts with Jo's duty of loyalty. Only the seller's informed consent after full disclosure could make it permissible, and license laws may further restrict such payments.
Topic: Agency & Brokerage Relationships · Source: Restatement (Third) of Agency § 8.02 (material benefit arising out of position)
Under Regulation B, a creditor must notify an applicant of action taken on a completed credit application within how many days?
- 30 days
- 10 days
- 60 days
- 90 days
Answer: A. Regulation B generally requires notification within 30 days after receiving a completed application, whether the credit is approved, counteroffered or denied. A denial must include a statement of the specific reasons or the right to request them.
Topic: Real Estate Finance · Source: 12 C.F.R. § 1002.9 (notifications)
At a dinner he hosts for leading local brokers, Broker Hale announces that his firm will raise its listing fee and says he does not care what anyone else does. Within weeks, most of the guests' firms adopt the same higher fee and pressure holdouts to follow. In a Sherman Act prosecution, a court
- must dismiss, because Hale said he did not care what the other firms did
- must dismiss, because the firms never signed or exchanged any written agreement
- may find only Hale liable, since he is the one who announced the increase
- may infer a conspiracy from these circumstances, even without an express agreement
Answer: D. Proof of a Section 1 conspiracy need not be direct; agreement may be inferred from circumstantial evidence such as an announcement to competitors, parallel adoption, and efforts to enforce the new rate. In United States v. Foley (4th Cir. 1979), a broker's announcement of a commission increase at a dinner with competing brokers, followed by their adoption of the same rate and pressure on others, supported conspiracy convictions. A statement like 'I don't care what you do' does not prevent that inference.
Topic: Agency & Brokerage Relationships · Source: United States v. Foley, 598 F.2d 1323 (4th Cir. 1979)
Try the full 20-question Maryland quiz
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Maryland real estate exam?
The Maryland exam format we found is 80 national questions plus 30 Maryland questions (110 in total) in 120 minutes. Confirm in the official handbook before exam day.
What is the passing score for the Maryland real estate exam?
70%: 56 of 80 national and 21 of 30 state (Official source).
How much does the Maryland real estate exam cost?
The exam fee we found is $44, paid to PSI Services LLC. Fees change, so check the current handbook.
How many pre-licensing hours does Maryland require?
60 hours for the entry-level license, according to the sources below. Pre-licensing education must come from a state-approved school; GablePrep is exam prep and is not an approved course.
Official sources for Maryland
- Regulator: Maryland Real Estate Commission (MREC), Dept. of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
- Exam provider: PSI Services LLC
- Official candidate handbook / content outline
Independent exam prep. Not affiliated with any state real estate commission or testing provider. Not an approved pre-licensing course. Not legal advice.