PassProfessor’s Colorado program. The 19,993-question Colorado practice bank is built to PSI’s published outlines, and enrollment is open. Use this guide to plan your path to the exam.
The Colorado broker exam, in one paragraph
The Colorado Real Estate Broker’s Exam is the licensing exam for Colorado’s entry-level real estate license — a broker license, held by new licensees as an associate broker under an employing broker — administered by PSI Services LLC for the Colorado Division of Real Estate, part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). It has two separately scored portions: a national portion of 80 questions (60 correct to pass, 120 minutes) and a Colorado state portion of 74 questions (53 correct to pass, 110 minutes). You must pass both, though not on the same day, and each passing score is good for one year. Before any of that counts, you complete 168 hours of approved pre-licensing education — and the order matters, because an exam taken before the education is finished does not count toward licensure.
Who can take the Colorado broker exam?
Colorado’s path to a first broker license runs through the Division of Real Estate’s published steps. For a first-time applicant qualifying by education and examination, the requirements are:
- Complete 168 hours of approved pre-licensing education (detailed below), or hold a degree from an accredited college or university with a major course of study in real estate as a substitute. Original transcripts are provided at application; unofficial transcripts may be submitted if you have not yet taken the exam.
- Pass both portions of the Colorado Real Estate Broker’s Exam — the national portion and the state portion. Exam results are good for one year from the date of each portion’s passing score.
- Complete a fingerprint-based background check. Before submitting a license application, each applicant submits a set of fingerprints to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history record check, and CBI forwards the results to the Real Estate Commission. CBI’s own published fee for the Real Estate Commission check is $39.50 for the Colorado and nationwide fingerprint-based search. Fingerprints are taken through CBI’s approved Colorado Applicant Background Services (CABS) vendors — IdentoGO and Colorado Fingerprinting — and the vendor charges its own separate service fee on top of CBI’s fee, so your total at the fingerprint appointment will be more than $39.50.
- Be at least 18 years old to apply for the license. The candidate bulletin is explicit that there is no age restriction on taking the examination — the age requirement attaches to licensure.
- Meet the Commission’s character standard. The Real Estate Commission is authorized to require proof of truthfulness, honesty, and good moral character. If you have been convicted of, pled nolo contendere to, or have pending charges for a felony, a misdemeanor, or a theft-related petty offense, you may request a no-cost preliminary advisory opinion (PAO) on the effect of the offense on licensure — before completing any education or examination requirements. The bulletin notes that PAO and application addendum reviews are individually considered and may take up to two months from receipt of a fully documented submission.
- Have errors and omissions (E&O) insurance in place before you hold an active license — the Division’s licensure steps require a current E&O policy before obtaining an active license.
Two ordering rules catch candidates out, and both are worth learning before you spend any money:
- Education before examination. Under Commission Rule 2.2.D, if you complete your exam before completing your pre-license education requirement, the exam will not be counted toward your license requirement and you will have to retake it. Your pre-licensing education certificates must display a completion date that is on or before your exam completion date for the result to be valid.
- Fingerprints before application — but not too far before. The CBI fingerprint submission comes before you submit the broker license application, and the Division notes that new broker applications depend on receipt of the fingerprint background information — an application can wait on the background check even after everything else is filed. Timing matters in the other direction too: the Division instructs applicants not to submit fingerprints more than 30 days before submitting the license application, because the Division destroys any fingerprint record where an application is not received within 60 days of the fingerprint results arriving.
About the 168 hours. The Division breaks the requirement into six named courses:
| Course | Hours |
|---|---|
| Real Estate Law and Practice | 48 |
| Colorado Contracts and Regulations | 48 |
| Trust Accounts and Recordkeeping | 8 |
| Current Legal Issues | 8 |
| Real Estate Closings | 24 |
| Practical Applications | 32 |
| Total | 168 |
Nothing in this guide — and nothing in the PassProfessor program — counts toward those hours. They are taken with a Division-approved school; this guide and our program are about the examination that follows them.
The exam, piece by piece
The examination is made up of two parts — PSI calls them the general part and the local (state) part. Both are multiple-choice, delivered by computer, and scored independently. The bulletin’s examination table for the broker exam:
| Portion | Questions | Passing score | Time allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| National portion | 80 | 60 correct | 120 minutes |
| Colorado state portion | 74 | 53 correct | 110 minutes |
The same 74-question / 53-correct / 110-minute state portion is also what reciprocal-licensure candidates and continuing-education candidates take when Colorado requires them to test on state content — the bulletin lists those examinations separately, and candidates in those categories must select the correct examination (Reciprocal License or Continuing Education) rather than the Broker State examination to receive the right credit.
The national portion (80 questions, 120 minutes)
PSI publishes the national outline for broker candidates as percentages of the portion. These are the weights the real exam is built to, and the weights our practice bank’s national topics follow:
| National outline area | Share of the portion |
|---|---|
| I. Property Ownership | 10% |
| II. Land Use Controls and Regulations | 5% |
| III. Valuation | 8% |
| IV. Financing | 9% |
| V. Contracts | 19% |
| VI. Agency | 13% |
| VII. Property Disclosures | 7% |
| VIII. Property Management | 5% |
| IX. Transfer of Title | 6% |
| X. Practice of Real Estate | 12% |
| XI. Real Estate Calculations | 6% |
Contracts, at 19%, is close to a fifth of the portion by itself; Contracts, Agency, and Practice of Real Estate together are 44% of it. The outline’s subtopics run from legal descriptions, encumbrances, and forms of ownership through financing law (RESPA, Regulation Z and TRID, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act), contract formation and remedies, agency creation and disclosure, environmental and property-condition disclosures, landlord-tenant and property-management duties, title and closing, fair housing and antitrust under Practice of Real Estate, and a calculations section covering seller’s net proceeds, buyer funds at closing, prorations, transfer fees, PITI estimates, capitalization rate, loan-to-value, and discount points.
The Colorado state portion (74 questions, 110 minutes)
PSI publishes the state outline as exact item counts. The state portion covers Colorado real estate statute, Commission rules and position statements, and the contracts and forms used in Colorado practice:
| Colorado outline area | Scored questions |
|---|---|
| Colorado Forms and Contracts | 23 |
| Brokerage Relationships | 11 |
| Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees | 11 |
| Closing and Settlement | 10 |
| Additional Topics | 7 |
| Licensing Requirements | 5 |
| Record Keeping and Trust Accounts | 5 |
| Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission | 2 |
| Total | 74 |
What those areas contain, per the bulletin outline:
- Colorado Forms and Contracts (23) — the single largest area on either portion: listing contracts and buyer representation agreements, the Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate including its addenda (foreclosure and short-sale addenda among them) and counterproposal form, closing instructions, seller financing, deeds of trust and promissory notes, use of standard forms, and disclosure documents.
- Brokerage Relationships (11) — brokerage relationship disclosure, transaction brokerage (Colorado’s default working relationship), single agency, and designated brokers.
- Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (11) — advertising and trade names; brokerage administration, including employer/employee relationships, place-of-business and office-policy requirements; commissions, rebates, referrals, fees, and inducements from settlement service providers; disclosure of conflicts of interest or licensed status; handling of documents; listings; practice of law and seller financing; unlicensed personal assistants; and sign crossing.
- Closing and Settlement (10) — computation of prorations, responsibility for the accuracy of closing statements, ensuring closing statements match contract instructions, the responsibilities of the parties at closing, and closing documents.
- Additional Topics (7) — property management and the Landlord Tenant Act; water rights and disclosures, including well change of ownership; Colorado taxes; the Colorado Fair Housing Act; and the Foreclosure Protection Act and foreclosure processes.
- Licensing Requirements (5) — types of licenses and corporations; acts requiring a license; license maintenance (renewal, changes, expiration, suspension, inactive status, continuing education); license qualifications and exemptions; and errors and omissions insurance.
- Record Keeping and Trust Accounts (5) — transaction record keeping, and trust accounts: account requirements, delivery of funds to the broker or title company, and trust account record keeping.
- Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission (2) — the Commission’s general powers, and investigations or audits, hearings and appeals, criminal violations, and license law violations.
Experimental questions
In addition to the items specified in the content outlines, the bulletin states that a small number (5 to 10) of experimental questions may be administered during the examinations. They are not scored, but they do count against your examination time. They are not identified. There is no strategy for them beyond the obvious one: answer every question as if it counts, and budget your pace for more questions than the 154 that are scored.
The reference behind the state portion
The bulletin names the Colorado Real Estate Manual — compiled by the Division of Real Estate — as the reference for the state portion. PSI also publishes a list of study materials for the national portion, with the explicit caution that the list identifies resources and does not constitute an endorsement by PSI or the Commission. The outlines themselves, PSI instructs, are the basis of study: do not schedule your examination until you are familiar with all topics in the outline.
The passing standard, explained
Colorado does not use a scaled score for this exam. The bulletin states the standard as a number correct, per portion:
- National portion: 60 of 80 correct — 75%.
- Colorado state portion: 53 of 74 correct — about 71.6%.
Three consequences follow from how PSI and the Division structure the result:
- Each portion stands alone. You must achieve the minimum on each part. The portions need not be passed on the same administration date — but in no event will a passing score on either part be accepted beyond one year.
- Your result is immediate. Your score is displayed on screen at the end of the examination and a score report is emailed to you. If you fail, the emailed score report includes a diagnostic report indicating your strengths and weaknesses by examination type — that diagnostic is the factual basis for a retake plan. A duplicate score report can be requested from PSI by email.
- A pass starts a clock, not a license. Passing both portions makes you eligible to apply; the license itself requires the completed application, the fingerprint results, and E&O insurance described in the next section.
Fees and registration, step by step
Keep the payments separate — they go to different places at different times, and one fee in this process is published differently by its two official sources, which we flag rather than smooth over.
| Payment | Amount | Paid to | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination fee | $44.95 per the Division’s published fee listing — see the note below | PSI | When you schedule |
| Broker license application | $83 | Division of Real Estate | When you apply (after passing) |
| Fingerprint background check | $39.50 CBI fee for the Colorado and nationwide fingerprint-based search, plus your fingerprint vendor’s own service fee | CBI, through an approved CABS vendor (IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting) | Before you submit your application |
All application fees are non-refundable, per the Division. Examination fees are likewise non-refundable and non-transferable, per the bulletin, and an examination fee is forfeited if you do not test within one year of the date PSI receives it.
A fee discrepancy you should know about. The Division of Real Estate’s fee page lists the Broker Examination Fee as $44.95. PSI’s Candidate Information Bulletin (updated October 1, 2023) lists an examination fee of $49.00 for a first attempt and $48.00 for a retake. Both are official publications; they do not agree. Confirm the amount PSI actually charges when you create your scheduling account, and budget for the higher figure so the difference cannot surprise you.
The sequence, in order:
- Finish your 168 hours first — with completion certificates dated on or before the day you will test (Rule 2.2.D, above). If you are qualifying by degree, have your transcripts ready.
- Schedule with PSI. PSI is the Division’s current exam vendor. Schedule online through PSI’s test-taker portal or call the PSI Candidate Care Center at 855-744-0313. When you create your account, your first and last name must match your current, valid, government-issued identification exactly. Choose your format at scheduling: test center or remote proctoring — the procedures differ, and the test-day section below covers both.
- Submit your fingerprints to CBI through an approved CABS vendor (IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting) for the state and national criminal history check, before you submit your license application — but not more than 30 days before you plan to apply, because the Division destroys fingerprint records not matched by an application within 60 days. CBI forwards the results to the Real Estate Commission.
- Take the exam. Arrive at least 30 minutes early at a test center, or launch your remote session inside its window (remote candidates must start within 15 minutes of the booked time or forfeit the fee). You receive your score on screen at the end.
- Acquire E&O insurance. You must have a current errors and omissions policy in place before obtaining an active license.
- Apply online to the Division of Real Estate — the broker application, with the $83 fee. The bulletin requires you to apply within one year of passing the entire examination; if your application is not received within one year, you must retake both portions of the exam. The Division states that applications can take up to ten business days from receipt of a complete application to process, and that new broker applications depend on receipt of the fingerprint background information and may take significantly longer.
Retakes and score validity
- Retake only what you failed. If one portion is failed, the bulletin provides that you may retake it at a subsequent time; you do not retake a portion you passed.
- Not the same day. It is not possible to make a new examination appointment on the same day you have taken an examination, because of score processing and reporting. PSI’s example: a candidate who tests unsuccessfully on a Wednesday can call on Thursday and retest as soon as Friday, depending on space availability.
- The one-year limit is the hard edge. A passing score on either portion is not accepted beyond one year, and the license application must be received within one year of passing — miss the window and both portions must be retaken.
- Rescheduling is different from retaking. You may cancel and reschedule an appointment without forfeiting your fee if your cancellation notice is received 2 days before the scheduled examination date. A voice mail message is not an acceptable form of cancellation — use the PSI website or speak to a customer service representative. Missing an appointment, arriving late, cancelling late, or arriving without proper identification forfeits the fee.
- Emergency closures are the exception. If severe weather or another emergency closes your examination site, PSI reschedules you at no additional charge.
Test day
- Arrive 30 minutes early at a test center. The extra time covers sign-in, identification, and orientation. If you arrive late, you may not be admitted and you will forfeit your registration fee.
- Bring one form of identification that matches the name you scheduled with and contains your signature and photo, and is valid and unexpired: a state-issued driver’s license, a state-issued identification card, a U.S. Government-issued passport, U.S. Government-issued military identification, a U.S. Government-issued alien registration card, or Canadian Government-issued ID. Failure to bring proper documentation means you cannot test as scheduled and the fee is forfeited.
- Colorado test centers listed in the bulletin are Denver (Centennial), Denver (Wheat Ridge), Fort Collins, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, and Durango. PSI also operates centers in many other regions of the United States, and the bulletin states you may take this examination at any of them.
- What is provided, and what is banned. At a test center you are given scratch paper and a pencil, which you return at check-out. Prohibited items include reference materials of any kind, electronic devices of any type (phones, cameras, laptops, tablets, earbuds, smart watches, handheld calculators, and more), hats or headgear not worn for religious reasons, bulky or loose outerwear, and personal items from backpacks and wallets to food, drinks, and chewing gum. Proctors inspect pockets, sleeves, eyeglass frames, and similar items during check-in, and prohibited items must go into secure storage or back to your vehicle.
- During the exam. One question appears on screen at a time, with minutes remaining displayed at the top; you may return to questions and change answers while time remains. An introductory tutorial of up to 15 minutes is provided before the exam and does not count against your examination time, and sample questions follow it. At a test center you may leave the room only to use the restroom, with proctor permission, and you receive no extra time.
- Remote proctoring is stricter, not looser. Remote candidates may not have scratch paper and may not take breaks — the bulletin advises candidates who cannot complete the examination without a break not to register for remote proctoring. Your computer must pass PSI’s audio, video, webcam, and system compatibility checks before test day, your web camera must be positioned for the proctor’s view, and you must keep your hands on the desktop and your eyes on the screen.
- Results before you leave the process. Your score displays on screen at the end of the examination, and the score report is emailed to you — with the diagnostic breakdown by examination type if you did not pass.
How to study for this exam
PSI’s own instruction is the right starting point: use the outline as the basis of your study, and do not schedule your examination until you are familiar with all topics in it. A plan built on the outline’s actual weights:
- Give Colorado Forms and Contracts its own study block — the biggest one. At 23 of 74 state questions it outweighs entire portions in other states. Learn the Commission-approved forms as working documents: what the Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate does section by section, when each disclosure is used, what the counterproposal and closing instructions accomplish, and how the addenda change the base contract.
- Treat the state portion as a separate exam, because it is scored as one. Brokerage relationships (transaction brokerage as Colorado’s default, single agency, designated brokers), trust-account handling and record keeping, closing-statement accuracy and proration computation, and licensee-conduct rules are Colorado statute and Commission rule — material that exists only here. The Colorado Real Estate Manual is the Division’s own reference for this portion.
- Weight the national portion by its percentages. Contracts (19%), Agency (13%), and Practice of Real Estate (12%) carry 44% of the national outline between them. Property Ownership (10%) and Financing (9%) come next. Land Use Controls (5%), Property Management (5%), Transfer of Title (6%), and Calculations (6%) are smaller — but each is still several questions, and the passing line is a fixed 60 of 80.
- Learn the calculations as procedures, not formulas in the abstract. The outline names them: seller’s net proceeds, buyer funds needed at closing, tax and other prorations, transfer fees, PITI estimates, equity, capitalization rate, loan-to-value, discount points and origination fees. On the state side, proration computation is tested again under Closing and Settlement — the same skill, examined twice.
- Practice each portion at its own pace and its own line. Eighty questions in 120 minutes nationally; 74 in 110 minutes for Colorado — about a minute and a half per question on either portion, with 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions somewhere inside your time. A blended practice score hides the only thing that matters: whether each portion clears its line.
- Use a failure diagnostically, if it happens. The emailed score report breaks performance down by examination type. A retake plan built on that breakdown — aimed at the areas that actually cost the passing score — is a different plan from simply re-reading everything.
This program’s Colorado practice bank (19,993 questions — 10,403 on the national topics and 9,590 on the Colorado portion) is built area-by-area on these same outlines, with the full coverage table on the Colorado Real Estate Exam Prep program page, where enrollment is open.
Verified questions
Every question in this program is original — written for PassProfessor from the official exam blueprint, never copied from a test bank or another provider’s materials. Before enrollment opened, each answer key was independently verified: reviewers re-answered sampled questions blind, disagreements were settled against the primary sources, and every numeric answer was recomputed from first principles. Questions whose facts could not be confirmed were removed, and the bank passed a text-overlap screen. Practice exams draw a fresh, blueprint-weighted set from the full bank on every attempt, so no two practice exams are the same.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Colorado real estate exam? 154 scored questions: 80 on the national portion and 74 on the Colorado state portion. Per the PSI candidate bulletin, a small number (5 to 10) of unscored experimental questions may also be administered; they do not count toward your score but do count against your time.
What do I need to pass each portion? 60 of 80 correct on the national portion (75%) and 53 of 74 correct on the Colorado state portion (about 71.6%). The standard is a number correct on each portion, stated in the PSI candidate bulletin — not a combined score and not a scaled score.
Do I have to pass both portions on the same day? No. The bulletin states that applicants who must pass both parts need not receive passing scores on the same administration date. If one part is failed, you may retake it at a subsequent time — but no passing score on either part is accepted beyond one year.
Why is there no Colorado salesperson exam? Because Colorado does not issue a salesperson license. Every new Colorado licensee is licensed as a broker — beginners hold the broker license as associate brokers under an employing broker — so the only entry-level licensing exam is the Colorado Real Estate Broker’s Exam covered in this guide. There is no separate salesperson test to take first and no salesperson credential to upgrade from later.
How long do I have to complete the 168 hours — and can I test first? The education must be complete before your exam result can count. Under Commission Rule 2.2.D, an exam completed before the pre-license education requirement is finished will not be counted toward licensure and must be retaken; your education certificates must show a completion date on or before your exam date.
What are the 168 hours made up of? Per the Division of Real Estate: 48 hours of Real Estate Law and Practice, 48 hours of Colorado Contracts and Regulations, 8 hours of Trust Accounts and Recordkeeping, 8 hours of Current Legal Issues, 24 hours of Real Estate Closings, and 32 hours of Practical Applications. A degree from an accredited college or university with a major course of study in real estate may be substituted.
How much does the Colorado broker exam cost? The Division of Real Estate’s published fee listing shows a Broker Examination Fee of $44.95. PSI’s candidate bulletin (updated October 1, 2023) lists $49.00 for a first attempt and $48.00 for a retake. The two official sources disagree; confirm the current amount with PSI when you schedule. The license application after you pass is $83, and application fees are non-refundable.
How do I schedule the Colorado real estate exam? Through PSI, the Division’s exam vendor: online through PSI’s test-taker portal, or by calling the PSI Candidate Care Center at 855-744-0313. Your account name must match your government-issued identification exactly.
Can I take the Colorado exam online? Yes — PSI offers both test-center and remote-proctored delivery. The remote format carries additional rules in the candidate bulletin: no scratch paper, no breaks, and a computer compatibility check (audio, video, webcam, and system) before your appointment. You must start a remote test within 15 minutes of the booked time or forfeit the fee.
What happens after I pass both portions? You apply for the broker license online through the Division of Real Estate, with the $83 application fee, your education proof, your CBI fingerprint results on file, and a current E&O insurance policy in place for an active license. The application must be received within one year of passing, or both portions must be retaken. The Division states that a complete application can take up to ten business days to process, and new broker applications may take significantly longer because they depend on the fingerprint background information.
How soon can I retake a failed portion? Not the same day — PSI cannot book a new appointment on the day you tested. Per the bulletin, a candidate who tests unsuccessfully on a Wednesday can call Thursday and retest as soon as Friday, depending on space availability. You retake only the portion you failed.
How long is my passing score valid? One year. The Division states that exam results are good for one year from the date of each portion’s passing score, and the bulletin bars acceptance of any passing score beyond one year.
What if I have a criminal history? The Commission may require proof of truthfulness, honesty, and good moral character, and convictions, nolo contendere pleas, deferred matters, or pending charges for felonies, misdemeanors, or theft-related petty offenses are relevant to licensure. You may request a no-cost preliminary advisory opinion (PAO) before completing any education or exam requirements; if you proceed to apply, an addendum to the broker application is required. The bulletin advises allowing up to two months for a fully documented PAO or addendum review.
I am licensed in another state. Do I take the whole exam? Not necessarily. The bulletin provides a Reciprocal Licensure examination consisting of the state portion only — 74 questions, 53 correct, 110 minutes — and instructs reciprocal candidates to select the Reciprocal License examination rather than the Broker State examination to receive credit. The Division’s application-requirements page sets out the certified-license-history and other documentation reciprocal applicants need; check your category there before scheduling.
Does PassProfessor’s program satisfy the 168-hour education requirement? No. PassProfessor is exam preparation only and provides no pre-licensing education credit. The 168 hours must be completed with a Division-approved education provider — and completed before you test, for your exam result to count.
Disclaimer
PassProfessor is an independent exam-preparation provider and is not affiliated with the Colorado Division of Real Estate, the Colorado Real Estate Commission, the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), or PSI Services LLC. This guide is general information about the Colorado broker licensing exam, current as of October 2026; Division of Real Estate and PSI publications govern if anything here differs from them.