Use this free Pennsylvania real estate practice exam to check how ready you are for the salesperson licensing exam. It has 25 questions covering the topics that come up most often: property ownership, agency, contracts, fair housing, finance, valuation, real estate math and Pennsylvania license law. Each answer comes with a short explanation, so you learn something even when you get one right.
Try each question before you open the answer. Keep a tally: if you get fewer than 19 right (75%), go back over the topics you missed before you book your exam.
How the Pennsylvania salesperson exam works
The Pennsylvania exam has two portions: a national portion on general real estate principles and a state portion on Pennsylvania law and practice. You must pass both. The exam is delivered by Pearson VUE, and salesperson candidates first apply for eligibility through Clarus. Booking both portions on the same order costs $52; see our Pennsylvania real estate license cost guide for every fee.
You can sit the exam only after completing the required 75 hours of pre-license education: Real Estate Fundamentals (30 hours) and Real Estate Practice (45 hours).
Part 1: Property ownership and land use
1. Which form of ownership gives the owner the most complete rights in real property?
A. Life estate
B. Fee simple absolute
C. Leasehold estate
D. Fee simple defeasible
Show answer
B. Fee simple absolute. It is the most complete form of ownership. It has no time limit and no conditions, and it can be sold or passed on to heirs.
2. Two co-owners hold title with a right of survivorship. When one dies, the deceased owner’s share passes to the surviving owner. What kind of ownership is this?
A. Tenancy in common
B. Joint tenancy
C. Severalty
D. Leasehold
Show answer
B. Joint tenancy. The right of survivorship is the defining feature of joint tenancy. Tenants in common do not have it; their shares pass to their heirs.
3. In Pennsylvania, which form of co-ownership is available only to married couples?
A. Tenancy in common
B. Tenancy by the entirety
C. Joint tenancy
D. Tenancy at will
Show answer
B. Tenancy by the entirety. Pennsylvania recognizes tenancy by the entirety for spouses. Each spouse owns the whole property, with a right of survivorship.
4. A local government restricts the uses of land in a neighborhood through zoning. This is an exercise of which government power?
A. Eminent domain
B. Escheat
C. Police power
D. Taxation
Show answer
C. Police power. Zoning, building codes and similar rules protect public health, safety and welfare under the police power. Eminent domain is taking private property for public use, with just compensation.
5. A recorded right for a neighbor to cross your lot to reach their own property, which transfers with the land when either lot is sold, is:
A. An easement appurtenant
B. A license
C. An encroachment
D. An easement in gross
Show answer
A. An easement appurtenant. It benefits one parcel (the dominant estate) and burdens another (the servient estate), and it runs with the land. A license is personal and can usually be revoked.
Part 2: Agency and Pennsylvania practice
6. Under Pennsylvania rules, when must a licensee give a consumer the Consumer Notice?
A. At settlement
B. When the agreement of sale is signed
C. At the first substantive contact or discussion
D. Only if the consumer asks for it
Show answer
C. At the first substantive contact. The Consumer Notice explains the business relationships a licensee can have with a consumer. It must be given before any substantive discussion about the consumer’s real estate needs.
7. A Pennsylvania licensee helps a buyer and seller complete a transaction without representing either one as an agent. This licensee is acting as a:
A. Dual agent
B. Transaction licensee
C. Subagent
D. Designated agent
Show answer
B. Transaction licensee. Pennsylvania allows licensees to provide services without an agency relationship. A transaction licensee must still act honestly and with reasonable professional skill.
8. One broker’s firm represents both buyer and seller, and the broker appoints a different licensee to represent each party. This arrangement is called:
A. Designated agency
B. Subagency
C. Ostensible agency
D. Universal agency
Show answer
A. Designated agency. The broker designates one or more licensees for the seller and different licensees for the buyer within the same firm.
9. A licensed salesperson in Pennsylvania may accept a commission:
A. Directly from the seller
B. Directly from the buyer
C. Only from their employing broker
D. From any party to the transaction
Show answer
C. Only from their employing broker. A salesperson works under an employing broker and may be paid only through that broker, never directly by a consumer or another broker.
10. Under Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law, when must the seller of a home usually provide the property disclosure statement?
A. Before the agreement of sale is signed
B. At settlement
C. Within 30 days after settlement
D. Only if the buyer requests it in writing
Show answer
A. Before the agreement of sale is signed. The disclosure statement tells the buyer about known material defects so they can decide before they are bound by the contract.
11. Which fiduciary duty requires an agent to put the client’s interests ahead of their own?
A. Accounting
B. Loyalty
C. Obedience
D. Disclosure
Show answer
B. Loyalty. An agent may not put their own interests, or anyone else’s, ahead of the client’s.
Part 3: Contracts and transfer of title
12. Which of the following is NOT one of the basic requirements for a valid contract?
A. Offer and acceptance
B. Consideration
C. Recording at the county courthouse
D. Legally competent parties
Show answer
C. Recording. Recording gives public notice of a deed or mortgage, but it is not needed to form a valid contract. The essentials are offer and acceptance, consideration, competent parties and a lawful purpose. Real estate contracts must also be in writing to be enforceable.
13. A contract signed by a minor is generally:
A. Void
B. Voidable by the minor
C. Valid and fully enforceable against the minor
D. Illegal
Show answer
B. Voidable by the minor. The minor may choose to cancel it. A void contract, by contrast, has no legal effect from the start.
14. Which type of deed gives the buyer the greatest protection?
A. Quitclaim deed
B. Special warranty deed
C. General warranty deed
D. Bargain and sale deed
Show answer
C. General warranty deed. The grantor guarantees the title against defects arising at any time, not only during the grantor’s own ownership. A quitclaim deed gives no warranties.
15. A notice recorded to warn that a lawsuit affecting a property’s title is pending is called a:
A. Lis pendens
B. Mechanic’s lien
C. Writ of execution
D. Certificate of occupancy
Show answer
A. Lis pendens. It warns potential buyers and lenders that the property’s title may be affected by the outcome of the lawsuit.
Part 4: Fair housing, disclosures and finance
16. Which of the following is NOT a protected class under the federal Fair Housing Act?
A. Familial status
B. Disability
C. Occupation
D. National origin
Show answer
C. Occupation. The federal protected classes are race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status and disability. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act adds further protections.
17. A licensee directs buyers toward or away from certain neighborhoods based on a protected characteristic. This illegal practice is:
A. Blockbusting
B. Steering
C. Redlining
D. Puffing
Show answer
B. Steering. Blockbusting is persuading owners to sell by playing on fears about people of a protected class moving in. Redlining is refusing loans in certain areas.
18. The federal lead-based paint disclosure rules apply to residential housing built before:
A. 1960
B. 1970
C. 1978
D. 1990
Show answer
C. 1978. For homes built before 1978, sellers and landlords must disclose known lead-based paint hazards and give buyers or tenants the required pamphlet.
19. Which federal law prohibits kickbacks and unearned fees for referring settlement services?
A. Truth in Lending Act
B. RESPA
C. Equal Credit Opportunity Act
D. Fair Housing Act
Show answer
B. The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). It bars paying or accepting anything of value for referrals of settlement services such as title insurance or mortgage lending.
20. Which appraisal approach is usually the most reliable for a church or school?
A. Sales comparison approach
B. Income approach
C. Cost approach
D. Gross rent multiplier
Show answer
C. Cost approach. Special-purpose properties rarely sell and rarely produce rent, so value is estimated from land value plus the cost of building the improvements, minus depreciation.
Part 5: Real estate math
21. A home sells for $250,000 with a 6% commission. The listing and selling brokerages split the commission equally, and the selling agent receives 60% of their brokerage’s share. How much does the selling agent earn?
A. $4,500
B. $7,500
C. $9,000
D. $15,000
Show answer
A. $4,500. $250,000 × 6% = $15,000 total. Half to each brokerage = $7,500. 60% of $7,500 = $4,500.
22. A buyer borrows $180,000 to buy a home appraised at $225,000. What is the loan-to-value ratio?
A. 75%
B. 80%
C. 85%
D. 90%
Show answer
B. 80%. $180,000 ÷ $225,000 = 0.80.
23. A property is assessed at $120,000 and the tax rate is 25 mills. What is the annual property tax?
A. $300
B. $2,500
C. $3,000
D. $30,000
Show answer
C. $3,000. One mill is $1 per $1,000 of assessed value, or 0.001. 25 mills = 0.025, and $120,000 × 0.025 = $3,000.
24. A rectangular lot measures 150 feet by 200 feet. About how many acres is it? (1 acre = 43,560 square feet)
A. 0.52 acre
B. 0.69 acre
C. 1.00 acre
D. 1.45 acres
Show answer
B. About 0.69 acre. 150 × 200 = 30,000 square feet, and 30,000 ÷ 43,560 ≈ 0.69.
25. An investment property produces net operating income of $36,000 a year. If buyers in the market expect an 8% capitalization rate, what is the property’s estimated value?
A. $288,000
B. $360,000
C. $450,000
D. $480,000
Show answer
C. $450,000. Value = net operating income ÷ capitalization rate. $36,000 ÷ 0.08 = $450,000.
How did you do?
- 22 to 25 correct: you have a solid base. Keep practicing timed questions and review Pennsylvania-specific rules.
- 19 to 21 correct: close. Find the section where you lost the most points and study it again.
- 18 or fewer: spend more time on the core topics before booking. A structured review will save you the cost of a retake.
Next steps to pass the first time
- Follow our Pennsylvania real estate exam study plan for the weeks before your test.
- Read the exam day checklist so nothing surprises you at the test center.
- Join a live Pennsylvania exam prep class to work through harder questions with an instructor.
- Still need your 75 hours? See the salesperson license bundle and the class schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Pennsylvania real estate exam hard?
Many candidates find it challenging because it tests both national principles and Pennsylvania law, and you must pass both portions. Candidates who complete their coursework, practice with realistic questions and review the state-specific rules carefully give themselves the best chance of passing the first time.
Are these the actual exam questions?
No. These are original practice questions written to cover the same kinds of topics. The real exam questions are confidential. Use practice questions to find your weak areas, not to memorize answers.
What happens if I fail one portion?
You retake only the portion you failed, and you pay the fee for that portion again. Check Pearson VUE’s current Pennsylvania candidate handbook for the retake rules and time limits that apply to you.