North Dakota · Real estate exam prep
20 free North Dakota practice questions with no signup required. When you're ready for more, the full RealReady bank has 1,030 questions for the 2026 exam that cover both national principles and North Dakota law.
Practice
Use this like a free North Dakota real estate practice test: read the question, commit to an answer, then tap to reveal the correct answer and a plain-English explanation. The ones you miss tell you where to focus next.
Correct: C Investigate the complaint
The NDREC has authority to investigate complaints against licensees. Investigation is the first step before any disciplinary hearing or action takes place.
Correct: B A broker associate works under another broker
A broker associate holds a broker license but chooses to work under the supervision of another designated broker rather than operating independently.
Correct: B Commingling client funds with personal funds
Commingling trust funds (mixing client money with personal or business funds) is specifically listed as grounds for discipline under North Dakota Century Code 43-23-11.1.
Correct: D Compensate aggrieved persons and fund education
The ND Recovery Fund under NDCC 43-23.2 serves two purposes: (1) compensating persons financially harmed by licensee misconduct, and (2) funding real estate education and research.
Correct: C Seller's agent relationship
When a licensee represents only the seller's interests, this is a seller's (owner's) agent relationship. North Dakota recognizes seller's agents, buyer's agents, dual agents, and appointed agents as the primary types of agency.
Correct: C The brokerage's licensed trade name
NDAC 70-02-03 requires that all advertising be conducted under the brokerage agency's licensed trade name. This ensures the public can identify the responsible brokerage behind every advertisement.
Correct: B Active supervision of all licensees
The designated broker is responsible for active supervision of all licensees in the firm, including trust account management, compliance with license law, proper document handling, and maintaining E&O insurance coverage.
Correct: C Exclusive right to sell
An exclusive right to sell listing guarantees the broker a commission no matter who procures the buyer, including the seller themselves. This provides the strongest protection for the listing broker's compensation.
Correct: B No, compensation must flow through her broker
In North Dakota, a salesperson may receive compensation ONLY through their designated broker. Direct payment from a client or customer to a salesperson is prohibited regardless of the transaction amount.
Correct: B When a licensed agent represents a party
In North Dakota, the seller's disclosure requirement is triggered when a LICENSED agent represents or assists a party in the transaction. Without a licensed agent, the disclosure is not required.
Correct: B Before any lots are sold in the state
Under NDCC 43-23.1, subdivisions must be registered with NDREC BEFORE any lots are offered for sale in North Dakota. This applies to both in-state and out-of-state subdivisions.
Correct: B The seller retains legal title
In a North Dakota contract for deed, the seller retains legal title until the buyer completes all required payments. The buyer holds equitable interest during the contract period.
Correct: B Prosecuting criminal violations in court
The NDREC sets educational standards, licenses practitioners, enforces the license law, investigates complaints, disciplines licensees, and administers the Recovery Fund. Criminal prosecution is handled by county or state prosecutors, not the Commission.
Correct: D Salesperson license
The salesperson license is the entry-level license in North Dakota. Salespersons must work under the supervision of a licensed broker.
Correct: C Undisclosed dual agency
Under NDCC 43-23-11.1, acting for more than one party in a transaction without proper disclosure to all parties is a specific ground for disciplinary action.
Correct: A A one-time $20 fee at initial application
The Recovery Fund is funded by a one-time $20 fee collected from each licensee at the time of their initial license application. No additional contributions are required at renewal.
Correct: A Appointed agent for the seller
In North Dakota dual agency, the designated broker may appoint individual salespersons to act solely for one client. Each appointed agent represents only their assigned party, to the exclusion of the other party in the transaction.
Correct: C No, the brokerage name must be equal or larger
Under NDAC 70-02-03, all advertising must include the brokerage agency's licensed trade name at a size equal to or greater than the name of any salesperson, associate broker, or team. The salesperson's name cannot be more prominent.
Correct: C Destroy the license and remove the name
Upon revocation of a licensee's license, the designated broker must destroy the license and remove the licensee's name from the brokerage website. This prevents the public from believing the person is still licensed.
Correct: B No, the seller is not obligated to pay
Under an exclusive agency listing, the broker earns a commission only if the broker or another agent procures the buyer. If the seller finds the buyer independently, no commission is owed to the listing broker.
The RealReady app has all 1,030 questions covering both national real estate principles and North Dakota-specific law. The full app also includes:
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About the exam
The North Dakota real estate salesperson exam is a harder test than its quiet reputation suggests. The North Dakota Real Estate Commission, known as the NDREC, licenses agents and scores the national and North Dakota state-law portions separately, so a strong national score won't carry you if your grasp of North Dakota law is thin. That gap is exactly why North Dakota-specific preparation matters as much as the national material.
North Dakota tests its own rules in ways a national course never touches, from the five-member NDREC and the powers it uses to investigate and discipline licensees, to the four agency relationships the state recognizes including the appointed agent a designated broker assigns to each side of an in-house deal, the written agency disclosure that must be a separate signed document handed over at first substantive contact under NDAC 70-02-03, the seller's property disclosure that is triggered whenever a licensed agent is involved and only covers residential buildings of four units or fewer, and the oil and gas, radon, and flood-zone facts that come up across the Bakken and the rest of the state. None of that looks like the material a candidate in a neighboring state studies. A generic real estate practice test won't cut it. You need North Dakota-specific practice questions.
FAQ
The North Dakota Real Estate Salesperson Examination has 140 scored multiple-choice questions, split into a 100-question national portion and a 40-question North Dakota state-law portion. PSI delivers both portions in one computer session and mixes in five to ten unscored experimental questions that look just like the scored ones, so the time spent on those does not count against your result.
The two portions are scored separately. You need 70 percent on the national portion, which is 70 of 100, and 75 percent on the North Dakota portion, which is 30 of 40. If you pass one portion and fail the other you only retake the portion you failed, and you may keep testing for a full year after you register.
PSI charges $134 to sit the salesperson exam, and that one fee covers both portions whether you take them together or separately. A retake is also $134 for one or both portions. The fee is not refundable or transferable, and it is forfeited if you do not test within one year of paying it.
Four hours total. PSI allows two and a half hours for the 100-question national portion and an hour and a half for the 40-question North Dakota portion, taken in one sitting. PSI runs North Dakota test centers in Bismarck, Minot, Grand Forks, and Fargo, and your score report prints at the test site before you leave.
The North Dakota Real Estate Salesperson Examination is administered by PSI for the North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC). You register and schedule your exam date through PSI.
It is a serious test, and the part that catches people off guard is the 40-question North Dakota portion. The national half covers the same principles taught in every state, but the state questions reward candidates who actually studied North Dakota's agency rules, the NDAC 70-02-03 disclosure requirements, the seller's property disclosure exemptions, and the powers of the NDREC. Most people who struggle leaned too heavily on national material and underprepared on North Dakota law. Honest reps on North Dakota-specific practice questions are the difference between a first-time pass and a $134 retake.
The 100-question national portion covers property ownership, land-use controls, valuation, financing, agency, contracts, property disclosures, transfer of title, the practice of real estate, property management, and real estate math, with contracts and agency carrying the most weight on PSI's content outline. The 40-question North Dakota portion covers the duties and powers of the NDREC, licensing rules, the statutes that govern advertising, the broker and salesperson relationship, commissions, conflicts of interest, the handling of offers and listings, cooperative transactions, the code of ethics, and the Real Estate Education, Research, and Recovery Fund. Agency and disclosure are the heaviest state topics, so they are worth extra attention.
After you finish North Dakota's required pre-license education, the highest-leverage move is grinding North Dakota-specific practice questions with honest feedback on every miss. National principles you can pick up from any course, but the 40-question state portion rewards repetition on NDREC rules, the four agency relationships and the appointed agent, the first-substantive-contact disclosure under NDAC 70-02-03, and the seller's property disclosure exemptions. The RealReady app gives you the full North Dakota question bank plus the national bank, detailed explanations, a missed-question drill mode, and per-category progress tracking so you can see exactly where you are weak.
The 20 North Dakota practice questions on this page are free, no account or signup needed. Unlocking the rest of the North Dakota bank is a single in-app purchase you pay once and own, with no recurring charge and no time limit on access.
Yes. RealReady has a dedicated North Dakota question bank built for the North Dakota real estate exam, covering the national principles every candidate sees plus the North Dakota law that trips people up, like the four agency relationships including the appointed agent, the written agency disclosure under NDAC 70-02-03, and the seller's property disclosure.
No. RealReady is exam practice, not a pre-license course, so it doesn't count toward North Dakota's required pre-license education hours. Use it after or alongside your coursework to drill realistic practice questions and find your weak spots before exam day.
