North Carolina Real Estate Practice Exam
A free practice test for the North Carolina salesperson exam, for the weeks before your test date, with an explanation on every answer.
Take the full test. Answers and explanations are shown when you submit, as on exam day.
A North Carolina settlement services company with no supervising lawyer wants to run an advertisement saying "We handle your home closing." Under Advisory Opinion 2002-1, the advertisement is:
This practice exam is a study aid, not the real exam. Our questions are written by us to match the published content outline. They are not actual exam questions, no score here predicts a pass, and this site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by PSI, Pearson VUE, ARELLO, any state real estate commission, or any government agency. Your state commission and your candidate handbook are the only authoritative sources.
North Carolina real estate exam at a glance
| National questions | 80 scoredsource |
|---|---|
| State-law questions | 60 scoredsource |
| Passing score | 75%source |
| Time limit | 4 hours 30 minutessource |
| Exam fee | $63.00 per attemptsource |
| Test provider | Pearson VUEsource |
| Retake wait | 10 dayssource |
| Pre-licence education | 75 hourssource |
Figures verified against official sources on . Exam fees and rules change. Check the linked source before you book.
10 sample questions, with answers explained
Every question above with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Read the explanations for the ones you answered correctly too. A lucky guess and knowing the rule look identical on a score report. These are sample questions from our larger bank.
1. A North Carolina settlement services company with no supervising lawyer wants to run an advertisement saying "We handle your home closing." Under Advisory Opinion 2002-1, the advertisement is:
Why: Even though an unsupervised nonlawyer may perform some ministerial closing tasks, such as receiving and disbursing funds, the opinion says that does not mean the nonlawyer is handling the closing, and nonlawyers may not advertise that they will handle it.
2. A North Carolina landlord holds a residential security deposit. When must the tenant receive the institution's name and address or bonding-insurer information?
Why: Under G.S. 42-50, the landlord or agent must notify the tenant within 30 days after the lease term begins of the name and address of the institution holding the deposit or the bonding insurer. The deposit-location notice is due early in the tenancy, not only when a refund dispute arises.
3. A North Carolina buyer's agent contacts a seller's agent for the first time. When must the buyer representation be disclosed?
Why: Under 21 NCAC 58A .0104(f), a buyer's agent must disclose buyer representation at initial contact with the seller or seller's agent and, except in auctions, confirm it in writing no later than delivery of an offer. Initial disclosure and the later written-confirmation deadline are related but distinct duties.
4. To renew on active status, how much continuing education must a North Carolina broker complete in each license period?
Why: NCREC requires eight CE hours each license period: four from the Commission’s General Update course and four from an approved elective. North Carolina runs an annual cycle, so a biennial 12-hour figure describes other states.
5. An out-of-state broker applying in North Carolina decides not to take the State section of the exam. What is the result?
Why: NCREC lets the applicant waive the State section, be issued a broker license on provisional status, and be subject to postlicensing education. Passing the State section instead gets a status equal to her home license. Calling the State section mandatory is a common error.
6. A North Carolina tenancy ends and possession is returned, but the tenant's address is unknown. After applying the deposit as permitted, how long must the landlord hold the balance for collection?
Why: Under G.S. 42-52, if the tenant's address is unknown, the landlord applies the deposit after 30 days and holds the balance for the tenant for at least six months. An unknown address does not allow immediate forfeiture of the remaining deposit.
7. Which of the following is NOT a requirement for a North Carolina provisional broker license?
Why: North Carolina sets the minimum age at 18, requires the prelicensing course and requires a criminal record report from the Commission’s designated provider. It does not require a high school diploma or GED; that requirement has been removed.
8. A North Carolina broker’s license expired, and she now applies to reinstate it. Under G.S. Chapter 93A, the reinstatement fee equals:
Why: The statute sets the fee to reinstate an expired, revoked or suspended license at two times the renewal fee in effect when the reinstatement application is filed. The trap is measuring it at the expiration date or from the application fee.
9. Nineteen months after initial licensure, a North Carolina provisional broker has completed only two of the three postlicensing courses. A broker at another firm offers her a referral fee for sending over a client. Which is correct?
Why: Missing the 18-month postlicensing deadline puts the license on inactive status. An inactive licensee may not do brokerage or collect brokerage fees, and NCREC names referral fees specifically. The license is not revoked, and there is no automatic grace period.
10. A North Carolina listing agreement says it "renews automatically for successive 90-day terms unless the seller cancels in writing." Under 21 NCAC 58A .0104(a), this clause is:
Why: Every written brokerage agreement must be for a definite period, include the broker’s license number, and terminate without prior notice at the end of that period. A listing that runs until the seller cancels defeats that rule. The narrow exception is a landlord agency agreement to procure tenants or collect rents, which may renew automatically if the landlord can end it with notice at the end of any period.