The real estate agent pre-licensing exam in Minnesota needs to be supervised by a proctor.1 The proctor can be a third party ie.
Someone who has no interest in whether you pass or fail the exam, or you can get a qualified virtual proctor.
In most cases, the pre-license education company will provide an exam to test your knowledge and as an indication that you have retained and completed the information in your pre-license education course.
Most of these exams are closed-note and closed-book to give you the same environment as the state exams. This means that you will not be allowed outside internet access or cell phones but you may get a scratch paper and a calculator.
You are allowed to take this test at home but you must have a proctor overseeing everything. When applying for your real estate pre-license course, check to see if a proctor is part of the package deal.
After completing this test, you are now ready to take the Minnesota real estate license exam. You will have to pay a $63 fee for each attempt.
This exam consists of 130 questions. The exam is divided into 50 State section questions and 80 general section questions.
The exam takes 240 minutes or 4 hours. The state section takes 90 minutes and the national section takes 150 minutes.
The passing score, or pass mark for the real estate salesperson exam in Minnesota is 38/50 for the state section and 60/80 for the national section.
You will get a scoring document immediately after the exam so you’ll know whether you passed or failed in an instant.
If the exam is marked ‘fail’ you will get a score breakdown in different areas of the exam. You can use this as a guide for your future studies.
For the Minnesota Real Estate Salesperson Exam, the passing rate is 75%. The test is made purposefully difficult but not entirely impossible.
All you have to do is put in the proper effort and study seriously. Despite its difficulty, many people pass in the first attempt.
3-Step Roadmap to Minnesota Commerce Department Real Estate License Application
There are only three steps you need to take to obtain a license in Minnesota. They include:
- Completing the pre-licensing education courses I to III. You can get the course offerings at PULSE,2 a website run by the Minnesota Commerce Department.
- Passing the required national and state portions of the license exams. You must apply for an agent’s license within a year after passing the exams.
- Get a licensed primary broker to apply for a license on your behalf. The license fee is about $130.
Costs and Dues To Join the Minnesota Commerce Department Association of Real Estate Agents
You will spend on average about $770 to become a real estate agent in Minnesota. The course will cost about $600, the exam fees will cost about $30 and the license fee will cost about $130.
As a real estate agent in Minnesota, there are several associations you can join. For example, if you live in Minneapolis, you can join the Minneapolis Area REALTOR® Association.
You can also join the Minnesota REALTORS® though both groups require a certain fee.
By law, there are very limited circumstances under which an individual can ask for a refund of the fee associated with real estate licensing. A refund is issued only when the person to whom the application was submitted is not qualified for the license.3
The refund must be requested within six months after the application.
Applying for National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Membership, If You Choose
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is an organization that serves its members who are real estate professionals, and buyers and sellers of real estate across the country. It has more than 1.5 million members and works in conjunction with about 1.400 local and state associations.
As a real estate agent, you can never go wrong with joining NAR.
To become an NAR member, you must first join the state’s real estate association. In this case, you’ll have to join the Minnesota REALTORS® Association.
Once you get the state-level membership you can gain access to local discounts, numerous advanced tech tools, and real estate contract forms at the local level. Once you join a local association connected to the NAR you are automatically connected to the organization.
What’s the General Duration of the Real Estate Application Procedure?
The duration of the Minnesota real estate license procedure varies significantly from person to person. Generally, it takes 4 to 6 months to complete the whole process.
The main hurdle is the 90-hour pre-licensing course because the rest of the application process only takes a few days.
How Long Does Real Estate School Last in Minnesota?
You need to complete 90 hours of real estate school in Minnesota
What Education Is Required To Be a Real Estate Agent?
You only need to take the 90-hour state licensing course.
How Long Does It Take To Become a Real Estate Agent?
About 4 to 6 months.
Where Can You Get Free Real Estate Courses?
Most websites offer paid real estate courses. It’s hard to find free ones.
Where Can You Get Real Estate Classes or Training for Real Estate Agents in Minnesota?
You can get training from online platforms registered in PULSE.
References
1Commerce Department. (2023). Guide To Real Estate Licensing. Minnesota Department of Commerce. Retrieved on October 27, 2023 from <https://mn.gov/commerce-stat/pdfs/re-license-guide.pdf>
2Vertafore, Inc. (2023). PULSE. MN Commerce Department. Retrieved October 30, 2023, from <https://www.pulseportal.com/default.jsp>
3Commerce Department. (2023). Guide To Real Estate Licensing. Minnesota Department of Commerce. Retrieved on October 27, 2023 from <https://mn.gov/commerce-stat/pdfs/re-license-guide.pdf>