The Utah Real Estate Sales Agent License Exam is hard. It’s easy. It’s tricky. It’s straight forward. I’ve heard the exam described all of these ways and more. The best preparation is, of course, to take a high quality course. I would also suggest that you complete the course in a relatively short period of time. Most students complete the pre-license course in 2-3 months, which is excellent, because all the information from the early classes is still fairly fresh in your mind.
But once you’ve completed the course, and you are preparing to take the state exam, here are some strategies to get yourself ready.
1. Take Notes on What You Don’t Know
When you take a practice exam, take note of the questions you get wrong, and find the information in your course or textbook. If you can find exams that link you directly to a textbook chapter, that is helpful. You can also use textbook PDFs to search on keywords. Then review that chapter and determine if you missed the question because you didn’t know the information, or if you missed the question for another reason. Was the question worded in a certain way to lead you to a different answer, or were you simply unprepared? Discover the correct answer, then write a few sentences explaining to someone else what the correct answer is.
2. Don’t Memorize the Quizzes
Don’t repeat a practice exam more than a few times. If you review it too often, you will start to remember the language that the question is written in, instead of the important principles. You need to be able to answer questions correctly no matter how they are asked, so be wary of memorizing questions, and focus instead on understanding the answers in context.
3. Rewrite the Correct Answers
Try writing the correct answers to questions as a statement. This will reinforce your understanding of the correct answer, instead of always being presented with various false answers.
4. Take a Break Before Test Time
On test day, don’t study anymore. Get a good night’s rest, and come to the test relaxed and ready to go. A good sleep can do a lot for your memory, and waiting until you sit for the test to broach the topic will have your mind at peak efficiency. We often are conscious of how energetic or tired we are physically, but we get mentally tired the same way. Take a break from studying the evening before the exam, and let your mind rest until you see the test answers in front of you.
5. Answer What You Know
When you are answering questions on the exam, quickly go through and answer all the questions that you immediately know the answer to first. On your first time through, don’t waste any time thinking about questions that you are unsure of. Wait until you have everything answered that you are sure of, then go back and answer the questions that require more consideration. Read each question carefully before you look at the answers, so that you are sure of what is being asked. You can then select an answer with confidence. Avoid the temptation to change your answers on questions when you review. Most often you will find that your first instinct is usually correct.
The Sales Agent License Exam is a requirement of getting licensed, and once you’ve completed it, you can take the next steps to starting your career as a real estate agent.