South Dakota · Real estate exam prep
20 free South Dakota practice questions with no signup required. When you're ready for more, the full RealReady bank has 950 questions for the 2026 exam that cover both national principles and South Dakota law.
Practice
Use this like a free South 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: A Licensing and disciplining property managers
The SDREC has jurisdiction over brokers, broker associates, property managers, auctioneers, residential rental agents, and home inspectors. It does not regulate mortgage rates, property taxes, or zoning — those fall under other agencies.
Correct: D Broker associate
South Dakota uses the term 'broker associate' for the entry-level license, which is equivalent to 'salesperson' in most other states. This unique terminology is a common source of exam confusion.
Correct: D Writing insufficient funds checks
Writing NSF checks within the calendar year before application is specifically listed as grounds for denial under SDCL 36-21A-33. This reflects concerns about financial responsibility in handling client funds.
Correct: D $15,000
The SD Recovery Fund pays a maximum of $15,000 per transaction for actual and direct losses. This is lower than many other states' recovery fund limits and only covers cases where a licensee committed intentional, improper, or dishonest conduct.
Correct: D Before receiving the license
E&O insurance is a prerequisite for licensure in South Dakota under SDCL 36-21A-119. The policy must be in place BEFORE the license is issued, not after. This protects consumers from the very first transaction.
Correct: D Only one party with full fiduciary duties
A single agent (seller's or buyer's agent) represents only one party and owes full fiduciary duties including loyalty, utmost good faith, and fidelity. This is the most traditional form of agency in South Dakota real estate.
Correct: D First legal banking day after acceptance
Under SDCL 36-21A-80, earnest money must be deposited on the first legal banking day after acceptance of the contract, or as otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties. For a Thursday acceptance, this would typically be Friday.
Correct: B The responsible broker
The responsible broker is ultimately responsible for all real estate activities conducted by any licensee associated with them. This includes trust account management, compliance with license law, and proper handling of transaction documents.
Correct: D The responsible broker's name as licensed
South Dakota requires all advertising to include the responsible broker's name as it appears on their license. This applies to all media including print, internet, and social media. The purpose is to ensure the public knows which broker oversees the transaction.
Correct: D Residential real property of 1 to 4 units
South Dakota's seller disclosure requirement covers residential real property of 1 to 4 units. It applies whether the property is sold by the owner directly or through a licensed agent.
Correct: B Residential rental agent license
The residential rental agent license covers limited rental activities. It's unique because it requires no education or examination — only an application and approval. A full property management license (40 hours education + exam) is needed for broader PM duties.
Correct: C In writing and signed by the parties
The Statute of Frauds requires real estate contracts to be in writing and signed. South Dakota also requires licensees to use standard purchase agreements and to give copies of every offer and counteroffer to anyone signing.
Correct: C Title companies or attorneys
South Dakota closings are typically conducted by title companies or attorneys. They can take place at the broker's office, title company, or lending agency, and may be conducted as round-table (all parties present) or by mail/escrow.
Correct: B Prior appropriation
South Dakota follows the prior appropriation doctrine ('first in time, first in right') for water rights. This means the first person to put water to beneficial use has priority over later users. This is particularly significant in agricultural and western SD areas.
Correct: C The SDREC
The SDREC's jurisdiction includes home inspectors, in addition to brokers, broker associates, property managers, auctioneers, and residential rental agents. The commission can investigate complaints and discipline any licensee under its authority.
Correct: A Residential rental agent
The residential rental agent license is unique in SD — it requires only an application approval with no education or exam. By contrast, broker associates need 116 hours, property managers need 40 hours, and auctioneers need 116 hours plus an exam.
Correct: C Failure to maintain trust account records
Failure to maintain proper trust account records is one of the most common violations in South Dakota. Other common violations include incomplete agency agreements, missing disclosure forms, advertising violations, and failure to supervise licensees.
Correct: D A civil judgment against the licensee
The recovery fund is a last resort. A claimant must first obtain a civil judgment against the licensee and attempt to collect on it. Only when collection fails can they file a verified application in circuit court for fund payment.
Correct: B $100,000 per claim / $500,000 aggregate
South Dakota requires $100,000 per claim and $500,000 aggregate coverage for 2025. The deductible is $1,000 for damages and $500 for expenses. The SDREC offers a group policy program to help licensees obtain affordable coverage.
Correct: A Informed written consent from both parties
Limited agency (dual representation) requires informed written consent from BOTH buyer and seller. The limited agent must treat both parties equally with no partiality. This is South Dakota's version of dual agency.
The RealReady app has all 950 questions covering both national real estate principles and South Dakota-specific law. The full app also includes:
Unlike other real estate prep apps, we don't cut off access or charge a monthly subscription fee. It's a one-time $17.99, and it's yours forever.
About the exam
South Dakota grades its national and state-law portions separately, so a strong national score won't carry you if your grasp of South Dakota law is thin. Roughly a third of everything you are graded on is South Dakota law, and passing comes down to how well you know the rules the Commission actually enforces. That takes South Dakota-specific prep, not just national principles.
South Dakota tests you on the duties and disciplinary powers of the Real Estate Commission, the brokerage relationships and agency disclosures spelled out in state law, how a licensee must handle trust accounts and earnest money, the seller's property condition disclosure statement, and the licensing rules in SDCL chapter 36-21A and the Commission's administrative code. 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 South Dakota-specific practice questions.
FAQ
The South Dakota broker associate exam has 142 scored multiple-choice questions, split into a 90-question national portion and a 52-question South Dakota state portion. PSI may also add a handful of unscored experimental questions that don't count toward your result. The two portions are graded separately, so you have to pass both.
You need a scaled score of 75% on each portion. The national and state sections are scored independently, so a strong national score won't rescue a weak state score. If you pass one portion and fail the other, you only have to retake the section you failed, not the whole exam.
The South Dakota Real Estate Commission lists the registration fee at $105, paid to PSI when you schedule your appointment. The fee is not refundable or transferable, and it covers both the national and state portions of the combined broker associate exam.
You get 270 minutes total, broken into 150 minutes for the 90 national questions and 120 minutes for the 52 South Dakota questions. That is a four-and-a-half-hour testing block, so pacing matters. PSI delivers it on computer at test centers in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Madison, and your score is shown on screen before you leave.
The South Dakota Real Estate Broker Associate Examination is administered by PSI for the South Dakota Real Estate Commission. You register and schedule your exam date through PSI.
It has a reputation for being demanding, mostly because the South Dakota state portion is dense with statute-specific detail and you have to clear 75% on it on its own. The questions aren't tricky for the sake of being tricky. They are written to check whether you actually understand South Dakota real estate law and the duties the Commission enforces. Most people who fail didn't slack off. They over-prepared on national principles and underestimated how much South Dakota-specific material is on the test. Honest practice on South Dakota-specific questions is usually the difference between passing on the first try and paying to retake a portion.
The 90-question national portion covers contracts (about 19%), agency (about 13%), practice of real estate (about 12%), property ownership (about 10%), financing (about 9%), valuation (about 8%), property disclosures (about 7%), and smaller shares for transfer of title, land use controls, property management, and real estate math. The 52-question South Dakota portion breaks down into the duties and powers of the Real Estate Commission, licensing requirements, and the statutory rules governing how licensees operate, with that last group making up the bulk of the state questions.
After you finish your 116-hour pre-license course, the highest-leverage thing you can do is grind through South Dakota-specific practice questions with honest feedback on every miss. Generic national practice tests help with principles like contracts and financing, but they won't catch you on South Dakota's Commission rules, agency disclosures, and trust account requirements. The RealReady app gives you the full bank of South Dakota questions, plus progress tracking and a missed-question mode so you can drill what you're weak on. Most users study 30 to 60 minutes a day for two to four weeks before sitting the exam.
The 20 South Dakota practice questions on this page are free, no account or signup needed. Unlocking the rest of the South 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 South Dakota question bank built for the South Dakota real estate exam, covering the national principles every candidate sees plus the South Dakota law that trips people up, like the brokerage relationships and agency disclosures spelled out in state law, the seller's property condition disclosure statement, and the licensing rules in SDCL chapter 36-21A.
No. RealReady is exam practice, not a pre-license course, so it doesn't count toward South 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.
