- The DC-RE-S exam has 110 scored questions (80 general, 30 state) in 210 minutes; you need 75% correct.
- Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees alone makes up 67% of the state portion.
- Total upfront cost includes a $79 exam fee, $65 application fee, $130 license fee, and $60 Guaranty and Education Fund assessment.
- You must apply within six months of passing and affiliate with a District-licensed broker before you can practice.
What Is the DC-RE-S?
DC-RE-S stands for the District of Columbia Real Estate Salesperson Exam, the licensing test that anyone who wants to practice as a real estate salesperson in the District of Columbia must pass. It's not a voluntary industry credential you add to a resume for prestige - it's the legal gateway to earning commissions, representing buyers and sellers, and using the title "real estate salesperson" anywhere within DC jurisdiction.
If you've landed here after seeing "DC-RE-S" used in other contexts, note that this article - and this entire site - refers specifically and only to the District of Columbia's salesperson licensing exam. Every fee, domain weight, and requirement described below comes from the actual PSI candidate handbook governing this test, not from any other credential that happens to share a similar-looking abbreviation.
For a broader look at how this exam fits into a licensing career, see our overview of the DC-RE-S Certification and our plain-language explainer on DC-RE-S Meaning.
Who Governs and Administers the Exam
The District of Columbia Real Estate Commission, housed within the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, sets the rules for who can hold a salesperson license and under what conditions. Actually delivering the exam, however, is handled by PSI, a third-party testing vendor that runs computer-based exams at dedicated test centers.
This split matters for candidates: the Commission decides eligibility rules, continuing education requirements, and license terms, while PSI controls test-day logistics, question content updates, and scoring. The current PSI candidate bulletin governing this exam is dated June 3, 2026, so if you're studying from older material, double-check it against the latest bulletin before test day.
Exam Format and Scoring
The DC-RE-S is a closed-book, computer-based exam split into two portions:
- General portion: 80 scored questions covering national real estate principles and practice (Domains 1-11).
- State portion: 30 scored questions covering DC-specific law and licensee obligations (Domains 12-14).
That's 110 scored questions total, delivered in 210 minutes. PSI may also insert up to 10 additional non-scored (pretest) items that look identical to scored questions but don't count toward your result - you won't know which ones they are, so treat every question with equal seriousness.
To pass, you need at least 75% correct on each portion you're attempting. PSI provides an on-screen calculator for the exam, so you don't need to bring your own - but you also can't bring notes, reference sheets, or personal devices, since the exam is fully closed-book.
For the exact scoring mechanics and what a 75% threshold actually means in raw question counts, see our dedicated breakdown: DC-RE-S Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. And if you're trying to gauge how tough this test really is relative to your background, our guide on How Hard Is the DC-RE-S Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down where most candidates lose points.
Key Takeaway
You don't need a perfect score, but you do need 75% on both the 80-question general portion and the 30-question state portion independently - strong performance on one side won't offset weakness on the other.
The 14 Domains You'll Be Tested On
The DC-RE-S is organized into 14 domains split across the general and state portions. Weighting is not evenly distributed - some domains carry far more exam weight than others, and knowing this changes how you should allocate study time.
General Portion (Domains 1-11)
Domain 5: Contracts (19%)
The single heaviest domain in the general portion. Expect detailed questions on contract formation, contingencies, remedies for breach, and the lifecycle of a purchase agreement.
- Know the difference between void, voidable, and unenforceable contracts
Domain 6: Agency (13%)
Covers fiduciary duties, types of agency relationships, and disclosure obligations between licensees and clients.
- Be able to distinguish designated agency scenarios from dual agency
Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Day-to-day operational rules governing how licensees conduct business, advertise, and handle client funds.
- Focus on escrow handling and advertising compliance
Rounding out the general portion: Property Ownership (10%), Financing (10%), Valuation (8%), Property Disclosures (7%), Real Estate Calculations (7%), Transfer of Title (6%), Land Use Controls (5%), and Property Management (3%).
State Portion (Domains 12-14)
Domain 14: Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (67%)
This single domain accounts for roughly two-thirds of the entire state portion - making it, by far, the most consequential topic on the DC-specific side of the exam. It covers the statutes that dictate exactly how licensees must behave in transactions, disclosures, recordkeeping, and client dealings under DC law.
- Treat this domain as non-negotiable study priority for the state portion
Domain 12: Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission (20%)
Covers the Commission's authority to license, discipline, and regulate real estate professionals in DC.
Domain 13: Licensing Requirements (13%)
Covers the mechanics of obtaining, maintaining, and renewing a DC salesperson license.
Because Domain 14 alone carries 67% of the state portion's weight, underestimating it is one of the most common - and costly - mistakes candidates make. For a full walk-through of every domain with study priorities baked in, read DC-RE-S Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 14 Content Areas.
| Portion | Scored Questions | Domains | Passing Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 80 | Domains 1-11 | 75% |
| State | 30 | Domains 12-14 | 75% |
| Combined | 110 | All 14 | 75% each portion |
Fees and Application Mechanics
Budgeting for the DC-RE-S involves several separate line items, not one flat fee:
- Exam fee: $79 for one or both portions
- State application fee: $65
- License fee: $130
- Guaranty and Education Fund assessment: $60
These add up before you're even actively practicing, so it's worth planning for the full total rather than just the exam fee in isolation. For a line-by-line cost breakdown with context on when each fee is due, see DC-RE-S Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Timing matters too: once you pass, you must submit your license application within six months. If you pass one portion but fail the other, you have six months from your first attempt to pass the remaining portion - miss that window and you may need to retake the portion you already passed.
Eligibility Requirements
Before you can even sit for the DC-RE-S, you need to meet several baseline requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Hold a high school diploma or equivalency
- Be able to read, write, and understand English
- Complete 60 hours of approved salesperson prelicensing education
After passing, you'll also need to affiliate with a District-licensed broker before your license becomes active - you cannot practice independently as a newly licensed salesperson. These prerequisites are straightforward on paper, but the prelicensing education hours and broker affiliation step trip up candidates who assume the exam is the only hurdle. For the full checklist with explanations of each step, see DC-RE-S Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
After You Pass: License and Renewal
Passing the exam is a milestone, not the finish line. Once licensed, your salesperson license expires on August 31 of odd-numbered years, regardless of when during the cycle you were originally licensed. Renewal ordinarily requires 15 continuing-education hours per two-year cycle.
There's one notable exception worth knowing early: the first renewal of a license granted by examination is CE-exempt. That means new licensees get a one-cycle grace period before continuing education obligations kick in - useful to know as you plan your first couple of years in practice.
If you want a condensed reference for these dates and deadlines alongside the exam's own scheduling windows, check DC-RE-S Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Who Hires DC-RE-S License Holders
A passed DC-RE-S and an active license open the door to working under a District-licensed broker at a residential or commercial real estate brokerage, property management firms that need licensed leasing agents, and new-development sales teams representing condo or townhome projects across the District. Because DC's market includes federal relocation activity, dense condo stock, and a large renter population, salespeople often specialize early - some lean into residential resale, others into rentals or new construction sales.
Because your license is tied to broker affiliation, the brokerage you choose shapes your day-to-day work far more than the exam itself does. Many candidates start researching brokerages and specialty niches before they even finish prelicensing coursework. If you're weighing whether the licensing path is worth the time and fees involved, our analysis in Is the DC-RE-S Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and the practical outlook in DC-RE-S Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis are useful starting points. For active openings and how brokerages evaluate newly licensed candidates, see DC-RE-S Jobs.
How to Approach Preparation
Given the domain weighting, a sensible study sequence front-loads the heaviest-weighted domains first rather than moving through the content list in order. Contracts (19%) and Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (67% of the state portion) deserve disproportionate attention relative to lighter domains like Property Management (3%) or Land Use Controls (5%).
General Portion Heavy-Hitters
- Contracts (Domain 5) and Agency (Domain 6) - together nearly a third of the general portion
- Practice of Real Estate (Domain 10) for operational rules
Remaining General Domains
- Property Ownership, Financing, Valuation, Disclosures, Calculations
- Lighter domains: Transfer of Title, Land Use Controls, Property Management
State Portion Concentration
- Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (67% of state portion) as top priority
- Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission and Licensing Requirements
Practice questions modeled on the real 80/30 split help you get comfortable with pacing across 210 minutes - you don't want to discover your timing habits for the first time on test day. Working through timed practice sets on our practice test platform is one direct way to simulate that pressure before you're sitting in a PSI test center.
For a more complete step-by-step plan, including how to sequence review sessions and target weak domains, see DC-RE-S Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And if you want a fast final review the night before your exam, bookmark DC-RE-S Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Key Takeaway
Study time should mirror exam weight - spend proportionally more hours on Contracts and Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees than on Property Management or Land Use Controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 110 scored questions total - 80 on the general portion and 30 on the state portion - delivered in 210 minutes. PSI may add up to 10 unscored pretest items that are indistinguishable from scored questions.
You need at least 75% correct on each portion separately. Passing the general portion doesn't offset a failing score on the state portion, and vice versa.
Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees makes up 67% of the state portion, making it the highest-leverage domain to master. Contracts, at 19% of the general portion, is the next priority.
Beyond the $79 exam fee, candidates pay a $65 state application fee, a $130 license fee, and a $60 Guaranty and Education Fund assessment. See our full cost breakdown for how these fees fit together.
No. Salesperson licenses expire August 31 of odd-numbered years and normally require 15 CE hours per two-year cycle, but the first renewal of a license granted by examination is CE-exempt.