Standalone Coverage Map
Key Takeaways
- The DC salesperson exam has two scored portions, National (~100 questions) and District-specific (~40 questions), and both must be passed in the same window.
- National content is jurisdiction-neutral fundamentals; District content covers the DC Licensure Act, Commission rules, transfer/recordation taxes, fair housing, and rent control.
- Study national chapters 1-10 first, weighting contracts and agency, then District chapters 11-15 anchored on the Licensure Act.
- Real estate math is low-count but high-leverage and fully earnable with practice; do not defer it.
- Verify current PSI fees and DLCP application steps separately because administrative details change more often than the tested law.
How This Guide Maps to the DC Salesperson Exam
The District of Columbia real estate salesperson licensing exam is delivered by PSI on behalf of the DC Real Estate Commission, which operates under the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). Like every PSI state exam, it is built in two distinct parts: a National portion that tests the principles common to all U.S. jurisdictions, and a District-specific (State) portion that tests DC statutes, regulations, and Commission rules. You must pass both portions in the same testing session window to earn your license, so a study plan that neglects either half is a plan to retake the exam.
This chapter is your routing table. It shows exactly which exam topics live in the national bucket, which live in the DC bucket, and where each is covered inside this guide so you never wonder whether a subject has been addressed.
National vs. District of Columbia: The Split
The National portion contains roughly 100 scored questions and covers jurisdiction-neutral fundamentals: property ownership and land-use controls, valuation and market analysis, financing, general agency law, mandated disclosures, contracts, transfer of title, leasing, and real estate calculations. Nothing here is unique to DC; the same content appears on the New York, Texas, or Maryland exams in different proportions.
The District of Columbia portion contains roughly 40 scored questions drawn from the DC Code Title 47 and Title 42 provisions, the Real Estate Licensure Act of 1982 as amended, the Commission's published rules, DC-specific agency disclosure obligations, the recordation and transfer tax structure, fair housing as enforced by the DC Office of Human Rights, and District landlord-tenant and rent-control law.
This is where candidates who studied only generic national prep materials get surprised. DC layers obligations on top of federal baselines: its Human Rights Act protects more categories than federal fair housing, and its rent-control and tenant-purchase rights have no national equivalent. Treat the District portion as a separate subject, not an afterthought to the national material.
Blueprint-to-Chapter Map
This guide organizes the tested material into eight National chapters and four District of Columbia chapters. Use the table to route any blueprint topic straight to the chapter that covers it.
| Exam Blueprint Area | Portion | Guide Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Real property, legal descriptions, land-use controls & encumbrances | National | National Ch. 1 |
| Estates, co-ownership, deeds, recording & title transfer | National | National Ch. 2 |
| Property value, the appraisal process & valuation approaches | National | National Ch. 3 |
| Contracts, listing/sales agreements & general agency | National | National Ch. 4 |
| Brokerage practice, federal fair housing, advertising & risk | National | National Ch. 5 |
| Property condition disclosures & environmental hazards | National | National Ch. 6 |
| Financing instruments, loan types, RESPA/TILA/TRID & settlement | National | National Ch. 7 |
| Real estate math (area, commission, interest, proration, investment) | National | National Ch. 8 |
| DC Real Estate Commission, licensing & license maintenance | District | DC Ch. 1 |
| DC agency disclosure, relationships, property disclosures & fair housing | District | DC Ch. 2 |
| DC contract requirements & District property law | District | DC Ch. 3 |
| DC trust/escrow accounts, license violations & the guaranty fund | District | DC Ch. 4 |
Recommended Study Sequence
Work the eight National chapters first, in order. Contracts and agency (National Ch. 4) and brokerage practice and fair housing (National Ch. 5) carry heavy weight, so budget extra repetitions there. Real estate math (National Ch. 8) is small by count but high-leverage because the calculations are predictable and fully earnable with practice; do not leave it to the last night.
After the National block, pivot to the four District chapters. Treat DC Ch. 1 on the Commission and licensing as your DC anchor, since Commission rules thread through agency, contracts, and trust-account topics. Pay close attention to DC Ch. 4 on trust accounts, violations, and the guaranty fund, which rewards memorization of deposit deadlines and dollar thresholds rather than reasoning.
In the final week, alternate full-length National and DC practice sets, then review only the items you miss. Track your accuracy per blueprint area so you can see whether your weak spots are National reasoning topics or District memorization topics, and redirect your remaining hours accordingly.
Confirm current PSI fees, the candidate handbook, and DLCP application steps before your test date, because administrative details change more often than the tested law. Rates, score-release timing, and re-examination policies are the items most likely to have shifted since any prep book was printed, so always cross-check them against the official PSI and DLCP pages rather than relying on a study guide alone.
Key Takeaways
- The DC exam has two scored portions: National (~100 questions) and District-specific (~40 questions); you must pass both.
- National content is jurisdiction-neutral; District content is DC Code, the Licensure Act, Commission rules, trust-account and fair-housing rules, and the guaranty fund.
- This guide covers the National portion in eight chapters and the District portion in four chapters.
- Study the eight National chapters first, then the four District chapters, anchoring on the DC Commission and licensing chapter.
- Always verify current PSI fees and DLCP procedures separately, since administrative details change frequently.