North Dakota Real Estate Exam Overview

Welcome to OpenExamPrep's FREE North Dakota Real Estate Salesperson exam-prep guide. This resource focuses on the facts North Dakota tests: the structure of the PSI examination, the licensing pipeline run by the North Dakota Real Estate Commission (NDREC), and the state-specific law that fills the 40-question state portion. Every number below is drawn from the current PSI Real Estate Salesperson and Broker Examination Candidate Information Bulletin and the North Dakota Century Code, so you can study with confidence.

How the Exam Is Built

North Dakota law (NDCC Chapter 43-23) makes it illegal to act as a real estate broker or salesperson without a license issued by NDREC. To earn that license you must pass a two-part examination delivered by PSI Services LLC at computer-based test centers. The exam confirms a minimum level of knowledge of real estate principles, practices, statutes, and rules.

Exam Structure at a Glance

Critical exam fact: The state passing score is 30 of 40 (75%), which is higher than the national 70%. Many candidates wrongly assume both portions require 70% — budget extra preparation for the state law portion. The two portions are graded independently: if you pass one and fail the other, you only retake the section you failed.

When both portions are taken on the same appointment, PSI mixes the questions and gives you the combined 3.5 hours. In addition to the 140 scored items, PSI embeds 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions that look identical to scored ones — you will not know which is which, so answer every question seriously.

Fees, Eligibility, and Retakes

The non-refundable PSI examination fee is $134, paid by credit card, money order, or cashier's check, and it is the same whether you sit one portion or both. There are no eligibility prerequisites to schedule the exam — you do not have to finish education first to register — but you do need the education to get licensed.

Tip: Your $134 fee is forfeited if you do not test within one year of PSI receiving it, or if you miss your appointment without canceling at least two days in advance.

Testing Centers and Exam-Day Logistics

PSI lists four North Dakota test centers: Bismarck (PSI, 120 N. 3rd Street), Bismarck (North Dakota Safety Council), Minot (Minot State University), and Fargo (Fargo Training and Testing Center). You may also sit the North Dakota exam at PSI centers in other states. Note there is no Williston center in the current bulletin — older guides that list one are out of date.

On exam day, arrive 15 minutes early for check-in. You need one valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID that matches your registration name and bears your signature (driver's license, state ID, passport, U.S. military ID, alien registration card, or Canadian government ID). Phones, smartwatches, notes, and personal calculators are prohibited; PSI provides scratch paper and an on-screen calculator. A 15-minute tutorial precedes the exam and does not count against your time, and you may flag and revisit questions until time expires.

North Dakota Pre-License Education

North Dakota raised its pre-license requirement to 90 hours effective January 1, 2021 (up from 45 hours), placing it among the more rigorous states. If you do not apply for licensure within two years of finishing the course, you must repeat the education.

The Licensing Pipeline

1. Complete 90 hours of NDREC-certified pre-license education.
2. Register and pass the PSI exam — 70/100 national and 30/40 state.
3. Obtain E&O insurance from an admitted carrier (group policy via Rice Insurance is ~$187/year).
4. Submit the "Request to Issue Real Estate Salesperson License" through NDREC Online Services with your score reports.
5. Pay the fees — $150 application, $13 credit-history check, $40 Attorney General criminal-history check, and a one-time $20 Real Estate Education, Research, and Recovery Fund contribution.
6. Affiliate with a sponsoring broker — a salesperson's license cannot be active without one.

Fee correction: The credit-history fee is $13 and a separate $40 criminal background check is conducted by the ND Office of Attorney General. Earlier "$8 credit check" figures are outdated.

Continuing Education and Renewal

North Dakota licenses run on an annual cycle that expires November 15 each year; the CE cycle runs November 16 through November 15.

Correction: North Dakota requires 12 CE hours annually, not 9. The number of mandatory topic hours changes by cycle — for the current cycle all 12 hours may be electives — so always confirm the active requirement on realestatend.org.

What This Guide Covers

This guide concentrates on the state portion content — the law NDREC writes and enforces. The state outline tests four areas: (1) duties and powers of the Real Estate Commission; (2) licensing requirements; (3) statutory requirements governing licensee activities (agency, disclosure, trust accounts, advertising); and (4) additional ND topics.

Exam strategy: With about 1.5 minutes per question, answer the easy items first, flag the tricky ones, and reserve the last ten minutes to revisit flags and verify you have not left blanks.