Washington DC · Real estate exam prep
20 free Washington DC practice questions with no signup required. When you're ready for more, the full RealReady bank has 1,025 questions for the 2026 exam that cover both national principles and Washington DC law.
Practice
Use this like a free Washington DC 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: B Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
In 2022, DCRA was reorganized and replaced by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), which now oversees professional licensing in DC, including real estate.
Correct: C A licensed DC broker
DC salespersons must be sponsored by a licensed DC broker. Salespersons cannot operate independently and must work under broker supervision.
Correct: B Report the change to DLCP
Changes in broker affiliation must be promptly reported to DLCP. The licensee does not need to retake exams or complete additional education for a simple broker change.
Correct: B Commingling trust funds with personal funds
Commingling trust funds with personal or business operating funds is a serious violation that can result in discipline. Agents are free to set their own commission rates and can decline dual agency.
Correct: D Seller's agent
A seller's agent (listing agent) represents only the seller's interests. DC recognizes seller's agents, buyer's agents, and dual agents but does not formally use the term 'transaction broker.'
Correct: B A federally insured institution in the District
DC requires trust funds to be held in a separate trust or escrow account at a federally insured financial institution located in the District of Columbia.
Correct: C Only through their sponsoring broker
DC salespersons can only receive compensation through their sponsoring broker. They cannot accept direct payment from clients, other brokers, or any other party to the transaction.
Correct: B The broker's registered name
DC requires all real estate advertising to include the broker's name as registered with DLCP. The salesperson's name may also appear, but broker identification is mandatory.
Correct: A About 20 traits
The DCHRA protects approximately 20 traits in housing, including race, religion, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, sealed eviction records, and more.
Correct: A A Seller's Disclosure Statement
DC requires sellers to provide a Seller's Disclosure Statement disclosing known material defects and conditions affecting the property. This is a disclosure, not a warranty or inspection.
Correct: B A right of first refusal to purchase the property
TOPA gives DC tenants a right of first refusal when a landlord decides to sell a rental property. Tenants must receive written notice and have a defined period to express interest in purchasing.
Correct: A Seller pays transfer tax; buyer pays recordation tax
DC's two-tax system assigns the transfer tax to the seller and the recordation tax to the buyer. Both are paid at closing when the deed and deed of trust are recorded.
Correct: A December 31, 1975
DC's rent control primarily covers apartment buildings built before December 31, 1975. Buildings constructed after this date are generally exempt from rent stabilization.
Correct: A DLCP
DLCP handles complaint intake against real estate licensees. It investigates and may refer the matter to the Real Estate Commission for disciplinary action.
Correct: B Brokers can operate firms and hold trust accounts
DC brokers can operate their own firms, supervise salespersons, and hold trust accounts. Salespersons must work under a broker and cannot perform these functions independently.
Correct: C DLCP
Complaints against licensees are filed with DLCP, which investigates and may refer the matter to the Real Estate Commission for disciplinary action. The consumer may also pursue a private lawsuit.
Correct: B Disclosure
The duty of disclosure requires an agent to share all material facts that could affect the client's decision. Foundation problems are a material fact that must be disclosed to the buyer client.
Correct: C Within 7 days of receipt
Per D.C. Code § 42-1704, escrow funds must be deposited within 7 days in a financial institution located within the District. A contract can specify a shorter deadline that the broker must honor, but the 7-day statutory deadline is the default when the contract is silent.
Correct: A No, the broker must supervise salesperson activities
DC brokers are responsible for supervising their sponsored salespersons. Allowing a salesperson to work without oversight, especially a new licensee, violates the broker's supervisory obligations.
Correct: D No, all advertising must include the broker's name
DC advertising rules apply to all media including social media. Every ad must include the broker's name. Posting without broker identification is a 'blind ad,' which is prohibited.
The RealReady app has all 1,025 questions covering both national real estate principles and Washington DC-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
Washington, DC scores its national and DC-specific portions separately, so a strong national score will not rescue a weak DC portion. The DC Real Estate Commission (DCREC) sits within the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, and clearing the DC half on the first try comes down to DC-specific prep.
The DC portion leans heavily on the DCREC's own statutes and rules, including the Real Estate Guaranty and Education Fund, the DCREC advertising requirements at 17 DCMR § 2615, the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, rent control under the Rental Housing Act, and the broader fair-housing protected classes under the DC Human Rights Act of 1977. 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 Washington DC-specific practice questions.
FAQ
The District of Columbia Real Estate Salesperson Examination has 110 scored questions, split into an 80-item national portion and a 30-item DC-specific portion. PSI administers both portions in one sitting at a DC test site, and the two portions are scored separately.
75% on each portion separately. PSI uses scaled scoring rather than a literal raw percentage, but plan to clear roughly 60 of 80 on the national side and 23 of 30 on the DC side to be safely above the line. If you pass one portion and fail the other, you only need to retake the failed portion, and you have six months from your first attempt to clear it.
PSI charges $61.50 per examination attempt, and that single fee covers both portions whether you sit them together or retake one. After passing, the DC salesperson license fee is $130 for an initial two-year term per DCREC, with renewal also $130 on the same two-year cycle.
210 minutes of scored time total, broken into 120 minutes for the national portion and 90 minutes for the DC portion. PSI delivers both portions back-to-back at the DC testing center, and you find out whether you passed before you leave.
The District of Columbia Real Estate Salesperson Examination is administered by PSI for the District of Columbia Real Estate Commission (DCREC). You register and schedule your exam date through PSI.
The split-portion format is where most candidates trip up. They over-prepare on national real estate principles and underestimate the 30-question DC portion, which is densely DC-specific (DCREC enforcement powers, the Real Estate Guaranty and Education Fund, advertising rules under 17 DCMR, the DC Human Rights Act's expanded fair-housing protections, rent control, and the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act). The questions are written to test whether you actually understand DC real estate law, not to trick you. Honest practice on DC-specific questions is the difference between a first-time pass and a $61.50 retake.
The 80-question national portion covers ten content areas, with contracts (about 17%), practice of real estate (about 13%), general principles of agency (about 13%), financing (about 10%), and real estate calculations (about 10%) carrying the heaviest weights. The 30-question DC portion is heavier still on state law. Half of it tests statutory requirements governing licensee activity (advertising, handling of monies, agency, commissions, fair housing, tenant's right to purchase, property disclosures), and the remaining 50% splits between DCREC's duties and powers (about 25%) and DC licensing rules (about 25%).
After finishing your DCREC-approved pre-license course, the highest-leverage thing you can do is grind through DC-specific practice questions with honest feedback on every miss. Generic real estate practice tests will help with national principles but will not catch you on DC's unique rules, especially the half of the state portion that hangs on statutory requirements governing licensee activity. The RealReady app gives you the full bank of DC 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 2 to 4 weeks before sitting the DC exam.
The 20 Washington DC practice questions on this page are free, no account or signup needed. Unlocking the rest of the Washington DC 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 Washington DC question bank built for the Washington DC real estate exam, covering the national principles every candidate sees plus the Washington DC law that trips people up, like the Real Estate Guaranty and Education Fund, the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, and rent control under the Rental Housing Act.
No. RealReady is exam practice, not a pre-license course, so it doesn't count toward Washington DC'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.
