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Real estate license · Massachusetts

Massachusetts real estate exam practice test

As of October 26, 2026, the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons requires 40 hours of salesperson education at a Board-approved real estate school before the license exam.

The Massachusetts real estate salesperson exam has a general portion with 80 questions and a state portion with 40 questions, 120 questions in all.

PSI gives Massachusetts salesperson candidates 150 minutes for the general portion and 90 minutes for the state portion, or 240 minutes when both are taken together (per mass.gov and test-takers.psiexams.com, checked on Oct 26, 2026).

Updated Oct 26, 2026Rules checked against psiexams.com and mass.govHow we check
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Massachusetts real estate exam at a glance

Pre-licensing education
40 hourssource, Oct 26, 2026
Scored on the exam
80 national + 40 statesource, Oct 26, 2026
To pass
70% correctsource, Oct 26, 2026
Exam time
4 hourssource, Oct 26, 2026
Exam fee
$56source, Oct 26, 2026
Minimum age
18source, Oct 26, 2026

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Free Massachusetts real estate practice test: 10 questions

OneTryPass wrote these questions from Massachusetts law, the commission's rules and the exam vendor's handbook. Pick an answer to see if you got it; each explanation names the section it comes from.

  1. Disclosures

    Question 1. A Massachusetts salesperson meets a prospective buyer at a coffee shop to talk about one specific listed house. When must the salesperson hand over the Board’s agency disclosure notice?

    Show answer

    Answer: A. At that first personal meeting about the specific property

    254 CMR 3.00(13)(a) requires the Board-developed notice at the first personal meeting with a prospective purchaser or seller to discuss a specific property. The licensee asks the consumer to sign and date it and keeps a copy for three years.

    From 254 CMR 3.00: Professional standards of practice (Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons) · 254 CMR 3.00(13)(a), Agency Disclosure

  2. Agency and brokerage

    Question 2. What must a Massachusetts broker obtain before acting as a dual agent in the sale of a three-family house?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. Informed written consent from both the seller and the buyer

    254 CMR 3.00(13)(b) allows dual agency in sales of one- to four-unit homes only with informed written consent from both the seller and the prospective purchaser, on a form stating that the agent will be neutral about their conflicting interests.

    From 254 CMR 3.00: Professional standards of practice (Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons) · 254 CMR 3.00(13)(b), Consensual Dual Agency Disclosure

  3. Agency and brokerage

    Question 3. A Massachusetts licensee is working as a non-agent facilitator. The buyer mentions she could pay $40,000 more than her offer. Which statement is correct?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. The facilitator has no duty of confidentiality for what the buyer says

    Under 254 CMR 3.00(13)(e), a facilitator represents neither party: the duties are to present property honestly, disclose known material defects and account for funds, with no duty of confidentiality for information from the seller or buyer.

    From 254 CMR 3.00: Professional standards of practice (Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons) · 254 CMR 3.00(13)(e), Non-agent Facilitator

  4. Licensing rules

    Question 4. A buyer hands a Massachusetts salesperson a $5,000 deposit check along with an offer. What must the salesperson do with it?

    Show answer

    Answer: D. Turn it over immediately to the employing broker

    254 CMR 3.00(10)(c) requires a salesperson to turn over all deposit money immediately to the employing broker, and says no salesperson may hold client funds at any time.

    From 254 CMR 3.00: Professional standards of practice (Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons) · 254 CMR 3.00(10)(c), Salespersons Prohibited from Holding Funds

  5. Disclosures

    Question 5. In 2026, a Boston landlord hires a broker to market and lease an apartment. Who pays that broker’s fee?

    Show answer

    Answer: A. The landlord who hired the broker

    Since August 1, 2025, a Massachusetts rental broker’s fee must be paid by whoever hired the broker or salesperson. A landlord who hires one pays the fee and cannot pass it to the tenant, under that name or as an admin, leasing or finder’s fee.

    From Frequently asked questions about residential rental broker’s fees | Mass.gov · Understanding the new law

  6. Disclosures

    Question 6. A seller lists a Massachusetts house built in 1962. When must the buyer receive the Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. Before signing the purchase and sale agreement

    Sellers and agents must give the notification before the buyer signs a purchase and sale agreement for a home built before 1978. The 90 days is a separate rule: an owner with a child under 6 living there must delead or reach interim control within 90 days of taking title.

    From Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification | Mass.gov · What sellers and real estate agents need to do

  7. Licensing rules

    Question 7. Which Massachusetts real estate agent may directly recommend a specific home inspector to a home buyer?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. The buyer’s broker

    All agents other than the buyer’s broker are prohibited from directly recommending a specific home inspector, and every agent must give buyers the Home Inspectors fact sheet during the home buying process.

    From Information for Real Estate Agents about Home Inspectors Licensure | Mass.gov · What information does a real estate agent need to share with a homebuyer about a home inspection?

  8. The license exam

    Question 8. How many questions are on the state portion of the Massachusetts salesperson exam, and how much time do you get?

    Show answer

    Answer: D. 40 questions in 90 minutes

    The PSI bulletin lists the salesperson state portion at 40 questions in 90 minutes. The general portion has 80 questions in 150 minutes, and PSI may add a few unscored experimental items that still use up time.

    From Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, effective 10/21/2026) · Examination Content Outlines for Salesperson and Broker

  9. Pre- and post-licensing education

    Question 9. A Massachusetts candidate finished the 40-hour salesperson course in March 2026. By when must the candidate pass the license exam before the education has to be repeated?

    Show answer

    Answer: B. March 2028

    Salesperson candidates must apply for and pass the exam within two years of completing the required education. When the Educational Certificate expires, any partial pass expires with it.

    From Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, effective 10/21/2026) · Real Estate Licensing Requirements

  10. Contracts and offers

    Question 10. A Massachusetts homeowner tells a broker: “I want $500,000; you keep anything above that.” May the broker take the listing on those terms?

    Show answer

    Answer: C. No, a net listing with an unspecified commission is prohibited

    254 CMR 3.00(11)(c) bars brokers and salespersons from accepting a “net” listing from an owner or landlord when the commission is unspecified.

    From 254 CMR 3.00: Professional standards of practice (Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons) · 254 CMR 3.00(11)(c), Conflicts of Interests

Massachusetts real estate exam questions people ask

How many questions are on the Massachusetts real estate salesperson exam?

PSI splits it in two. The general part tests real estate principles with 80 questions in 150 minutes; the state part tests Massachusetts law and Board rules with 40 questions in 90 minutes. Sitting for both at once takes 240 minutes.

On the state part, a dozen questions come from the rules that govern licensees (advertising, agency, disclosures, deposits) and six from Massachusetts fair housing law. PSI may also slip in up to ten experimental items that don’t count but do use the clock.

Source: Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, effective 10/21/2026)

How many hours of classes do you need for a Massachusetts real estate license?

Forty hours at a school the Board has approved. The school issues the Educational Certificate you attach to your application, and the certificate starts a two-year window to pass the exam.

Moving up to broker takes another 40 hours later on, plus at least three years affiliated with a broker at 25 hours a week or more.

Sources: Frequently Asked Questions: Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons · Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, effective 10/21/2026)

What happens if you fail the Massachusetts real estate exam?

You book the failed part again, for $56 under the bulletin in effect since October 21, 2026. PSI won’t take a new booking on the day you test: fail on a Wednesday, call on Thursday, and you could be back in a seat Friday if space allows.

The date that matters is on your Educational Certificate. A partial pass lasts only as long as the certificate, two years from the end of your course; after that, you redo the education, apply again and take both parts.

Sources: Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, effective 10/21/2026) · Frequently Asked Questions: Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons

Which agency relationships does Massachusetts allow?

Seller’s agent, buyer’s agent, designated agent, dual agent and non-agent facilitator are all permitted. In a sale of a one- to four-unit home, dual agency needs informed written consent from seller and buyer, and the dual agent stays neutral while still keeping confidences and accounting for funds.

Whatever the role, the Board’s written disclosure is due at the first personal meeting about a specific property. The consumer is asked to sign it, and the licensee keeps a copy for three years.

Source: 254 CMR 3.00: Professional standards of practice (Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons)

Every Massachusetts licensing rule we checked

Each line is one rule from an official page — the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons, Massachusetts law or the exam vendor's handbook — with the date we read it.

License exam
The Massachusetts real estate salesperson exam has a general portion with 80 questions and a state portion with 40 questions, 120 questions in all. source, Oct 26, 2026
PSI gives Massachusetts salesperson candidates 150 minutes for the general portion and 90 minutes for the state portion, or 240 minutes when both are taken together. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons requires a minimum score of 70% to pass the license exam. source, Oct 26, 2026
PSI may add one to ten unscored experimental questions to the Massachusetts exam, and the time spent on them counts against the time limit. source, Oct 26, 2026
On the Massachusetts state portion for salespersons, 12 of the 40 questions cover the rules governing licensees and 6 cover Massachusetts fair housing law. source, Oct 26, 2026
Pre-licensing education
The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons requires 40 hours of salesperson education at a Board-approved real estate school before the license exam. source, Oct 26, 2026
A Massachusetts salesperson candidate must apply for and pass the license exam within two years of completing the required education. source, Oct 26, 2026
Massachusetts pre-licensure course hours cannot be counted toward the 12 hours of continuing education due before a renewal. source, Oct 26, 2026
Who can apply
A Massachusetts salesperson applicant must be at least 18 and collect three candidate endorsements from people unrelated to the applicant; classmates known only from the real estate course cannot sign. source, Oct 26, 2026
Massachusetts real estate license applications go through the Division of Occupational Licensure’s eLIPSE portal, where applicants upload every required document, including a DOL CORI form. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons does not license applicants who are currently on probation or parole. source, Oct 26, 2026
A Massachusetts salesperson applicant must have filed all state tax returns and paid all state taxes owed, and must give a Social Security or tax identification number. source, Oct 26, 2026
Exam vendor
The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons approves license applications and has contracted with PSI to administer the exam. source, Oct 26, 2026
Since June 16, 2025, the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure has processed salesperson and broker applications in eLIPSE, while PSI only gives the exams. source, Oct 26, 2026
Massachusetts candidates can book a PSI test center or a remotely proctored exam, and test centers must be in Massachusetts. source, Oct 26, 2026
Since March 2, 2026, PSI has required Massachusetts real estate test takers to use a 7-digit Test Taker Code when creating an account and again at the test center. source, Oct 26, 2026
Fees
Under the PSI bulletin effective October 21, 2026, the Massachusetts salesperson exam fee is $56, paid by card when booking. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Massachusetts candidate bulletin lists a $31 application fee for salesperson applicants, separate from the exam fee. source, Oct 26, 2026
Massachusetts exam fees are not refundable or transferable and stay valid for one year from the payment date. source, Oct 26, 2026
A Massachusetts candidate who misses the exam or cancels less than two days ahead forfeits the fee and must pay the retake fee before booking again. source, Oct 26, 2026
If you fail
A Massachusetts candidate who passes one portion and fails the other retakes only the failed portion, within two years of the completion date on the Educational Certificate. source, Oct 26, 2026
When a Massachusetts Educational Certificate expires, a partial pass expires with it, and a candidate with a new certificate retakes both portions. source, Oct 26, 2026
PSI does not book a Massachusetts retake on the day of a failed exam; a candidate who fails on a Wednesday can call Thursday and retest as soon as Friday, if seats are open. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Massachusetts retake fee for salesperson candidates is $56. source, Oct 26, 2026
After you pass
A Massachusetts candidate who passes pays the license fee in eLIPSE and receives a digital license 24 hours after passing. source, Oct 26, 2026
Massachusetts Board rule 254 CMR 2.00 gives a passing candidate 30 days from the notice of passing to pay the license fee, or the candidate must be re-examined. source, Oct 26, 2026
A first Massachusetts real estate license runs from the exam pass date to the licensee’s birthday, for at least two and at most three years. source, Oct 26, 2026
Massachusetts licensees must finish 12 hours of continuing education before renewing, or the license is renewed as inactive and they can no longer practice. source, Oct 26, 2026
A Massachusetts salesperson must be engaged by a licensed broker and cannot run a separate real estate business. source, Oct 26, 2026
Commission
The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons is part of the Division of Occupational Licensure, at One Federal Street, Suite 600, in Boston. source, Oct 26, 2026

The full Massachusetts pack

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OneTryPass is not affiliated with the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons or PSI. Licensing rules are free at mass.gov.

Massachusetts real estate exam FAQ

Who gives the Massachusetts real estate exam, and can I take it online?

PSI, under contract with the Board. You apply to the Board in eLIPSE first; once approved, you book with PSI and pick either a test center in Massachusetts or a remotely proctored session. Source: official pages "Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, effective 10/21/2026)" and "Real Estate Exams Offered for Massachusetts Real Estate", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Can I start working as soon as I pass?

After you pay the license fee in eLIPSE, the digital license is issued 24 hours after you pass. To practice, a licensed broker has to engage you: Massachusetts does not let a salesperson run a business alone. Source: official pages "Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson Candidate Information Bulletin (PSI, effective 10/21/2026)" and "254 CMR 3.00: Professional standards of practice (Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons)", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Is dual agency legal in Massachusetts?

Yes, if both the seller and the buyer give informed written consent. Undisclosed dual agency is illegal, and a dual agent cannot give either side undivided loyalty. Source: official pages "254 CMR 3.00: Professional standards of practice (Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons)" and "Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons consumer fact sheet", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Who pays a rental broker’s fee in Massachusetts?

Whoever hired the broker, since August 1, 2025. A landlord who hires a broker pays that fee and cannot shift it to the tenant under another name; a tenant pays only a broker the tenant chose to engage. Source: official page "Frequently asked questions about residential rental broker’s fees", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Are these the real Massachusetts real estate exam questions?

No. OneTryPass writes its own practice questions from Massachusetts law, the commission's rules and the exam vendor's candidate handbook, and each question names the section it comes from so you can check the rule. Exam vendors do not publish their live questions.

Is OneTryPass affiliated with the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons or PSI?

No. OneTryPass is an independent practice site. Licensing rules and the candidate handbook are free on the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons and exam vendor websites, linked on this page.

Where this information comes from

Every rule on this page comes from the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons, Massachusetts statutes and rules, or the PSI candidate materials for Massachusetts. OneTryPass reads each page, writes the rule in plain English and records the date. A rule that passes its re-check date leaves this page on its own until it is read again.

How often each kind of rule is read again: license exam, 120 days; pre-licensing education, 180 days; who can apply, 180 days; exam vendor, 180 days; fees, 90 days; if you fail, 180 days; after you pass, 180 days; commission, 365 days.

Something wrong on this page? Tell us at [email protected] and include the link to the official page that changed. See how we check.