Test-Taking Strategy & DC Exam-Day Logistics
Key Takeaways
The salesperson exam is 110 items — 80 general (120 minutes) plus 30 state (90 minutes) — for 210 minutes total, and you need 75% on EACH portion
Up to 10 non-scored pretest questions may be added with extra time; you cannot tell which items are scored, so answer every question
Budget roughly 1.6 minutes per general item and 3 minutes per state item, flag-and-return on hard questions, and never leave a blank — there is no penalty for guessing
PSI provides a calculator and scratch paper at check-in; memorize 43,560 sq ft per acre and 5,280 feet per mile
Concentrate study time on the heaviest general topics: Contracts (17%), General principles of agency (13%), and Financing (10%)
Knowing the material is only half the battle; the other half is managing a timed, computer-based PSI exam. This section converts everything you have studied into a concrete test-day strategy.
Exam Structure and Timing
| Portion | Items | Time | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| General (national) | 80 | 120 minutes | 75% |
| State (DC law) | 30 | 90 minutes | 75% |
| Combined | 110 | 210 minutes | 75% on each portion |
Up to 10 non-scored pretest items may be embedded, with extra time added for them. You cannot identify which questions are scored — so treat every item as if it counts.
Key Point: You must reach 75% on both portions separately. Scoring 90% on the general portion will not rescue a 70% on the state portion. If you fail only one portion, you retake only that portion, but it must be passed within 6 months of the first attempt.
Time Budgeting
- General portion: 120 minutes ÷ 80 items ≈ 1.5 minutes per item.
- State portion: 90 minutes ÷ 30 items = 3 minutes per item — generous, so the state portion is about depth, not speed.
- First pass: answer everything you know quickly; flag anything that takes more than your per-item budget and return to it.
- You may mark and revisit questions and change answers until time runs out.
What to Study Hardest (General-Portion Weights)
The PSI content outline tells you exactly where the general-portion points are. Study to the weights:
| Topic | Salesperson Weight |
|---|---|
| Contracts | 17% |
| General principles of agency | 13% |
| Financing | 10% |
| Property ownership | 8% |
| Valuation & market analysis | 7% |
| Property disclosures | 6% |
| Land use controls & regulations | 5% |
| Leasing & property management | 3% |
Strategy: Contracts, agency, and financing together are about 40% of the general portion. If your time is limited, master those three before polishing the smaller topics.
Math You Must Memorize
The testing center provides an on-screen calculator and scratch paper, but it does not give you conversion factors. Memorize these:
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Square feet per acre | 43,560 |
| Feet per mile | 5,280 |
| Proration basis | The question states 360-day or 365-day and whether the closing day belongs to buyer or seller |
Common DC math
- Commission: sale price × commission rate, then apply the split between brokerages and agents.
- Transfer/recordation tax: DC charges roughly 1.1% (residential under $400,000) or 1.45% (≥ $400,000 and commercial) of price or fair-market value, whichever is higher.
- Area: length × width for rectangles; convert to acres by dividing square feet by 43,560.
- Proration: read whether the problem uses a 360- or 365-day year — the question will specify; do not assume.
Attacking the 30-Item State Portion
The state portion is where this guide pays off. With 3 minutes per item you have time to reason carefully. Most state questions test a handful of recurring DC facts:
DC Cram List (memorize cold)
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total / general / state items | 110 / 80 / 30 |
| Passing score (each portion) | 75% |
| Exam fee (PSI) | $61.50 |
| Total license fees | $295 = $65 app + $170 license + $60 Guaranty Fund |
| Pre-license education | 60 hours (incl. 3-hr Fair Housing) |
| Continuing education | 15 hours per 2-year cycle |
| Salesperson license expiry | Aug 31 of odd-numbered years |
| Broker / property-manager expiry | Feb 28 of odd-numbered years |
| Escrow deposit deadline | within 7 days of receipt |
| Escrow interest begins | 91st day if held 90+ days |
| Guaranty Fund cap (single transaction) | $50,000 |
| Max DCREC fine per violation | $2,500 |
| Commission members | 9 |
Elimination and Guessing Strategy
- Eliminate obviously wrong options first; on a 4-option item, removing two doubles your odds.
- Watch for absolute words ("always," "never") — they are often wrong, except for hard DC rules like "a payout from the Fund always suspends the license."
- Never leave a blank. There is no penalty for guessing — an unanswered item is simply wrong, so always select an answer even if you must guess.
- On DC fair-housing items, remember the District protects more traits than federal law — when in doubt, the conduct is usually prohibited in DC.
Test-Day Logistics
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Arrive | 30 minutes early |
| Identification | 2 forms — one government-issued photo ID with signature, one signed secondary ID |
| Tutorial | A 15-minute tutorial runs first and does not count against exam time |
| Provided | On-screen calculator and scratch paper (returned at the end) |
| Results | Immediate pass/fail score report; a topic-level diagnostic report if you fail |
After you pass: apply for your license through Access DC within 6 months of the passing date, pay the $295 in fees, and affiliate with a sponsoring DC broker before practicing.
On the DC salesperson exam, a candidate scores 92% on the general portion but 71% on the state portion. What is the result?
Pass — the average exceeds 75%
Pass — only the general portion must reach 75%
Fail both portions and must retake the entire exam
Fail the state portion; must retake only that portion within 6 months
Which conversion factor must a DC candidate memorize because it is NOT provided at the test center?
43,560 square feet per acre
The current mortgage interest rate
The DC transfer-tax exemption amount
The number of days in the proration year
Why should a DC candidate answer every question on the PSI exam, even when unsure?
Blank answers reduce the time limit
Guessing earns partial credit
Unanswered questions count as pretest items
There is no penalty for guessing, so a blank can only hurt the score
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.