Free Colorado Real Estate Practice Exam
Colorado practice exam with real exam-style questions covering national content and Colorado-specific state law. No signup required.
Colorado Real Estate Exam
Practice by CO Real Estate Topic
Target a specific area, or launch the full exam below
Real Estate Principles
Property ownership, contracts, agency, deeds, fair housing, and appraisal. Core national content.
Real Estate Finance
Mortgages, loan types, RESPA, TILA, title insurance, and closing costs.
Colorado State Law
DORA/DRE rules, Colorado license law, transaction broker duties, promulgated contract forms, HOA disclosures, and Colorado-specific regulations.
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Full Colorado Real Estate Practice Exam
National and state-specific questions mixed to match the real NJ exam structure.
About the Colorado Real Estate Exam
The Colorado real estate licensing exam is administered by PSI for the Colorado Division of Real Estate (DRE). Colorado has no separate salesperson license: every license is a broker license, and an Associate Broker works under the supervision of an Employing Broker. Applicants complete 168 hours of qualifying education (or hold a degree with a real estate major), submit fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, pass both exam portions, and must have errors and omissions insurance in place before holding an active license. DRE's New Broker Handbook says no continuing education is required before the first renewal.
The exam has two separately timed portions: 80 national questions (120 minutes, 60 correct to pass) and 74 Colorado questions (110 minutes, 53 correct to pass), 154 in total, and a few unscored experimental items may also appear. That works out to 75% on the national portion and about 72% on the Colorado portion. The largest Colorado area is Colorado Forms and Contracts (23 items); brokerage relationships and licensee activities follow with 11 items each.
Colorado Real Estate Exam Topic Breakdown
| Section | Questions / Weight | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|
| I. Property Ownership | 10% | Real and personal property; conveyances; land characteristics and legal descriptions; encumbrances; types of ownership |
| II. Land Use Controls | 5% | Government rights in land; government controls on land use; private controls |
| III. Valuation | 8% | Appraisals; estimating value; comparative market analysis (CMA) |
| IV. Financing | 9% | Basic concepts and terminology; types of loans; financing and lending |
| V. Contracts | 19% | General contract law; purchase and lease contracts; handling of multiple offers and counteroffers |
| VI. Agency | 13% | Agency and non-agency relationships; agent duties; agency disclosures |
| VII. Property Disclosures | 7% | Property condition; environmental and government disclosures; material facts and material defects |
| VIII. Property Management | 5% | Duties and responsibilities; landlord and tenant rights and obligations |
| IX. Transfer of Title | 6% | Types of deeds; title insurance and searches; closing process; special processes |
| X. Practice of Real Estate | 12% | Antidiscrimination; legislation and regulations; duties and responsibilities; supervisory responsibilities |
| XI. Real Estate Calculations | 6% | Calculations for transactions; general concepts |
| CO — Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission | 2 | General powers of the Commission; investigations or audits, hearings and appeals, criminal violations, and license law violations |
| CO — Licensing Requirements | 5 | License types and corporations; acts requiring a license; license maintenance (renewal, changes, expiration, suspension, inactive status, continuing education); qualifications and exemptions; errors and omissions insurance |
| CO — Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees | 11 | Advertising and trade names; brokerage administration; commissions, rebates, referrals and fees; disclosure of conflicts of interest or licensed status; handling of documents; listings; practice of law and seller financing; unlicensed personal assistants; sign crossing |
| CO — Additional Topics | 7 | Property management and the Landlord Tenant Act; water rights, disclosures and well change of ownership; Colorado taxes; Colorado Fair Housing Act; Foreclosure Protection Act and processes |
| CO — Colorado Forms and Contracts | 23 | Listing contracts and buyer representation agreements; contracts to buy and sell, including new disclosures; use of standard forms; deeds of trust and promissory notes; disclosure documents; addenda; counterproposal form; closing instructions; seller financing |
| CO — Record Keeping and Trust Accounts | 5 | Transaction record keeping; trust account requirements, delivering funds to a broker or title company, and trust account records |
| CO — Closing and Settlement | 10 | Computing prorations; responsibility for closing statement accuracy; matching closing statements to contract instructions; responsibilities of parties at closing; closing documents |
| CO — Brokerage Relationships | 11 | Brokerage relationship disclosure; transaction brokerage; single agent; designated brokers |
National weights are percentages of the 80-question national portion and Colorado figures are item counts, both from PSI's Colorado broker candidate bulletin (updated 10/1/2023). Experimental items (5 to 10) may be added, are not scored, and count against exam time.
What Makes the Colorado Exam Different
Single agent or transaction-broker, never dual agent. A Colorado broker may act as a single agent or a transaction-broker, and "a broker shall not establish dual agency with any seller, landlord, buyer, or tenant" (C.R.S. §§ 12-10-403(1) and 12-10-406). Under Commission Rule 6.7, a properly disclosed broker may be a transaction-broker for both consumers.
Written agreement for either relationship. Under HB26-1426, effective August 12, 2026, a broker must establish a transaction-broker or single-agency relationship through a written agreement, completed before performing licensed activities, that conspicuously discloses the amount or rate of compensation (C.R.S. § 12-10-403(2) as amended, per a DRE advisory). Previously only agency relationships required one.
Brokerage disclosure timing. Written brokerage disclosure must be made "at the earliest reasonable opportunity and prior to eliciting or discussing confidential information" (Commission Rule 6.5). A broker who moves from single agent for one consumer to assisting both as a transaction-broker must give the Change of Status form no later than the time the consumer signs the contract (Rule 6.9).
Earnest money and trust accounts. Earnest money that is not property management funds must be deposited no later than three business days after receipt of the funds or mutual execution of the contract, whichever is later (Rule 5.7.B). A three-way reconciliation must be performed monthly (Rule 5.14.C).
Exam parts and validity. The exam has a national part and a Colorado part; a passing score on either part is valid for one year, and a failed part can be retaken without repeating the passed one (Rules 2.2.A, 2.2.E and 2.2.F).
Three-year license cycle. Licenses renew on or before December 31 of every third year; an initial license expires December 31 of the year it was issued (C.R.S. § 12-10-212(4)(a)). Renewal requires 24 hours of continuing education per cycle (§ 12-10-213(1)(a)), but not before the first renewal.
Sample Colorado Real Estate Exam Questions
1. Under Colorado Real Estate Commission rules, a broker who receives earnest money that is not property management funds must deposit it no later than:
2. Which of the following may a Colorado broker NOT establish?
3. Under Commission Rule 2.2, a passing score on one part of the Colorado real estate licensing examination is valid for:
Study Tips for the Colorado Real Estate Exam
Colorado Forms and Contracts is the biggest state area (23 of 74 items). It covers listing contracts and buyer representation agreements, contracts to buy and sell, addenda, deeds of trust and promissory notes, and closing instructions. Brokerage Relationships (11) and Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (11) come next.
Know the national weights. Contracts is the heaviest national area at 19% of the 80 questions, followed by Agency (13%) and Practice of Real Estate (12%). Closing and Settlement (10 items) and Record Keeping and Trust Accounts (5 items) on the Colorado side reward knowing proration math, the closing statement, and the deposit rules.
The two portions are passed separately: 60 of 80 on national and 53 of 74 on Colorado. A passing score on either part is good for one year, so you can retake only the part you failed. Colorado changed its brokerage-relationship rules effective August 12, 2026, so make sure your study materials reflect the written-agreement requirement.
Licensing in a nearby state? See the Arizona real estate practice exam or the Utah practice exam. National content is covered in our national real estate practice exam.
How to Get Your Colorado Real Estate License
There are four steps to get your Colorado real estate license.
Steps to Get Your Colorado Real Estate License
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1. Pre-License Education | Complete 168 hours of qualifying education (Real Estate Law and Practice 48, Colorado Contracts and Regulations 48, Trust Accounts and Record-Keeping 8, Current Legal Issues 8, Real Estate Closings 24, Practical Applications 32), or hold a degree with a real estate major. |
| 2. Licensing Exam | Reserve your exam with PSI and pass both the national and Colorado portions. Results for each portion are good for one year. |
| 3. Fingerprints & Insurance | Submit fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation no more than 30 days before you apply, and have errors and omissions insurance in place before you hold an active license. |
| 4. Apply to the Division | Submit the online application and the $83 fee to the Colorado Division of Real Estate. An Associate Broker works under an Employing Broker. |
Colorado Real Estate License Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 |
| License type | Broker license (Associate Broker, Independent Broker, or Employing Broker); there is no separate salesperson license |
| Pre-license education | 168 hours, or a real estate major degree |
| Exam | 80 national + 74 Colorado questions (154 total); 5 to 10 unscored experimental items may be added |
| Time limit | National 120 minutes; Colorado 110 minutes (separately timed) |
| Passing score | 60 of 80 national; 53 of 74 Colorado |
| Exam results valid | One year from each portion's passing score |
| Application fee | $83 (to DRE) |
| Background check | Fingerprints submitted to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation |
| Insurance | Errors and omissions policy required before an active license |
| License term / CE | Three-year cycle; 24 CE hours per cycle, none before first renewal |
| Exam provider | PSI |
| Licensing authority | Colorado Division of Real Estate |
Verified against PSI's Colorado broker candidate bulletin (updated 10/1/2023), the Colorado Division of Real Estate's licensing pages, fee page, New Broker Handbook and 2026 Real Estate Manual, and DRE's 2026 legislative notices. Exam fees are not listed because DRE and PSI figures differ; fees change, so confirm with DRE and PSI.
Our free Colorado real estate practice exam covers both national and state content. You can also try the national real estate practice exam or the real estate exam study guide.
Interested in where this license leads? See our guide to real estate careers — including salary ranges, how to break in, and what the career looks like day to day.
Frequently Asked Questions — Colorado Real Estate Exam
How many questions are on the Colorado real estate exam?
The exam has 80 national questions (120 minutes) and 74 Colorado questions (110 minutes), 154 in total, timed separately. PSI's bulletin says 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions may also be administered.
What is the passing score for the Colorado real estate exam?
You must pass both portions: 60 correct out of 80 on the national portion and 53 correct out of 74 on the Colorado portion. A passing score on either part is valid for one year.
Does Colorado have a salesperson license?
No. Colorado issues broker licenses. DRE's New Broker Handbook describes Associate Broker, Independent Broker, and Employing Broker levels, and an Associate Broker works under an Employing Broker.
How many pre-license hours does Colorado require?
Colorado requires 168 hours of qualifying education, or a degree with a real estate major. The hours are split among six courses: Real Estate Law and Practice (48), Colorado Contracts and Regulations (48), Trust Accounts and Record-Keeping (8), Current Legal Issues (8), Real Estate Closings (24), and Practical Applications (32).
Can a Colorado broker act as a dual agent?
No. C.R.S. § 12-10-406 says a broker shall not establish dual agency. A broker may act as a single agent or a transaction-broker, and since August 12, 2026 the relationship must be established through a written agreement.
How long do I have to apply after passing the Colorado exam?
DRE says exam results are good for one year from the date of each portion's passing score, so you should apply within that window.
Do I need insurance to get a Colorado real estate license?
Yes. DRE states that a current errors and omissions insurance policy must be in place before you obtain an active license.