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Best California DRE Salesperson Practice Exams (2026)

Compare the 5 best California real estate practice exam tools for 2026: Day One, PrepAgent, CompuCram, Kaplan, and CE Shop — pricing, pros, and who each is for.

·8 min read

The short answer

Disclosure: Day One is the product behind this site. We have included it alongside four competitors with the same level of detail — honest comparison is what makes this list useful. The California DRE salesperson exam has 150 questions, a 3-hour time limit, and a 70% passing score (105 correct). Fewer than half of first-time test-takers pass. A well-matched practice exam is the single highest-ROI study tool available. At a glance, five tools stand out for 2026: Day One — $49 one-time — Best for: first-time takers who want AI-generated questions that never repeat PrepAgent — $59/week, $79/month, or $99/year — Best for: video learners who want live instructor access CompuCram — $109 for 6 months — Best for: candidates who need to build vocabulary before exam questions click Kaplan Drill and Practice QBank — approximately $99 standalone — Best for: learners who want a classic question-drill format from a legacy brand The CE Shop Exam Prep Edge — included in pre-licensing packages — Best for: CE Shop pre-license students who want adaptive performance tracking at no extra cost

What makes a good California practice exam

Not all real estate practice exams cover California correctly, and a generic national question bank will leave you underprepared. The DRE weights its 150-question salesperson exam across eight content categories: Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures (28 questions — the heaviest single category), Property Ownership and Land Use Controls (17 questions), Finance (14 questions), Contracts (14 questions), Agency (14 questions), Mandated Disclosures (14 questions), Appraisal and Market Analysis (10 questions), and Transfer of Property (9 questions). California-specific content — including the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) and California's fair housing law extensions beyond the federal Fair Housing Act — appears directly on the exam and is missing or handled incorrectly in out-of-state product builds. Three factors separate a reliable California practice exam from a mediocre one: Question freshness. The DRE never publishes its item pool. Tools that recycle a fixed bank of 500 verbatim questions train memorization rather than understanding. When a familiar concept appears in a new context on test day, memorizers freeze. Weighting accuracy. A product that overrepresents Finance and underrepresents Mandated Disclosures creates false confidence in one area and leaves you exposed in another. The eight-category DRE distribution should be explicit in how the tool builds each session. Explanation depth. A wrong answer with no explanation is nearly worthless as a study tool. The best products explain not only the correct choice but why each other option is wrong — and link it back to the California rule or statute at issue.

Day One — AI-generated exams, no repeat questions

Day One is the best pick for first-time California test-takers who want a single, no-subscription purchase with questions that do not go stale. Price: $49 one-time — covers both California and Texas, lifetime access Best for: First-time takers; retakers who need fresh material after failing with a memorizable question bank Pass guarantee: Complete the course and fail the DRE exam, and you receive a full refund Pros: The AI generates new questions every session, weighted to California's eight DRE categories — you cannot memorize your way through the bank. Full-length 150-question timed practice exams replicate the DRE format exactly. A built-in AI Tutor answers follow-up questions about fiduciary duties, the OLD CAR framework, and agency law 24 hours a day — not a static paragraph, but a conversation that lets you probe until the concept clicks. A weak-area tracker identifies categories where you score below 70% and prioritizes them in subsequent sessions. Audio study mode covers every chapter for review away from a screen. Both California and Texas are included under one purchase. Cons: Newer brand without the multi-decade track record of Kaplan or The CE Shop. No live instructor webinars. Verdict: At $49 with a pass guarantee, Day One offers the best risk-adjusted value on this list. The AI generation mechanic directly solves the biggest structural flaw in traditional practice exams — question memorization — which is especially valuable for retakers returning after failing with a static question bank.

PrepAgent — video-led prep with live webinars

PrepAgent is the best pick for learners who absorb material better through video and want scheduled live instructor access during their study period. Price: Basic $59 for one week — Deluxe $79 for one month — Premium $99 for one year Best for: Visual learners; candidates doing a focused final-week push before their exam date Pros: Over 1,000 state-specific practice questions with written explanations covering both national and California content. Exam prep videos accompany key concepts — useful when reading dense explanatory text alone is not landing. The Premium tier includes five live online webinars per week — more live instructor access than any other product at this price point. Each tier is a one-time payment for the access window, with no recurring charges. The weekly plan is specifically designed for candidates within one to two weeks of their exam date who want a high-intensity final sprint. Cons: The question bank is static — no adaptive generation, no automatic weak-area prioritization. You manage your own topic rotation manually. No pass guarantee at any tier. The weekly plan costs more per day than the annual plan if your study period extends longer than anticipated. Verdict: PrepAgent is the strongest video-forward option in this price range. The five live webinars per week in the Premium tier make it the best choice for candidates who want a real instructor explaining California-specific rules like contract fundamentals and offer-acceptance mechanics rather than working through static text alone.

CompuCram — vocabulary, practice tests, and a readiness meter

CompuCram is the best pick for candidates whose obstacle is not lack of practice volume but unfamiliarity with real estate vocabulary — they struggle to parse exam questions because the terminology itself is new. Price: $109 for 6 months (one package, no upsells) Best for: Vocabulary-deficient candidates; structured learners who want a single quantitative readiness signal before scheduling their exam Pros: CompuCram's three-module structure leads with flashcards (vocabulary) before moving into practice tests (application) and then full simulated exams (stamina), with all three feeding a single readiness meter. CompuCram advises candidates not to schedule their DRE exam until the meter reaches 100%, providing a concrete go/no-go signal most other tools lack. 86.5% of CompuCram users pass their licensing exam on the first attempt, compared to a California statewide first-attempt pass rate near 47%. The 180-day access window accommodates candidates who need a longer preparation ramp. Fully accessible on mobile, tablet, and desktop. Cons: No live instruction at any price — explanations are static text only. No prep books. At $109 it costs more than Day One's lifetime purchase and more than PrepAgent's annual plan. The readiness meter is CompuCram's proprietary metric and does not map one-to-one to the DRE's exact category weighting. Verdict: CompuCram's vocabulary-first pipeline is genuinely differentiated. If you open a practice exam and do not recognize the terminology before you can even evaluate the answer choices, this is the right starting point.

Kaplan and The CE Shop — established names worth knowing

Kaplan and The CE Shop are the two largest national real estate education providers, with millions of licensed agents in their combined alumni base. Neither tops this list as a standalone practice exam tool in 2026, but both fit specific situations well. Kaplan Drill and Practice QBank Price: approximately $99 standalone (check kapre.com for current pricing; Kaplan frequently runs 10-20% discount promotions) Best for: Learners who prefer a traditional question-drill format from a nationally recognized provider Kaplan's California Salesperson QBank includes hundreds of state-specific practice questions, a diagnostic tool, timed practice simulations, and an AI Tutor for explanations (not a live instructor). A 7-day free trial is available before you commit. Kaplan also offers a Live Online Hub upgrade for scheduled live sessions, at a higher price point. The QBank alone is competitive; the primary limitation is a fixed question pool. The CE Shop Exam Prep Edge Price: Included in Standard and higher pre-licensing packages — check theceshop.com for current standalone rates Best for: Candidates already enrolled in a CE Shop California pre-licensing course Exam Prep Edge categorizes your performance into three buckets — focus here, needs work, and good — giving a clear roadmap for targeted review. As a bundled inclusion in a pre-licensing package, it is an excellent free upgrade with no redundancy. As a standalone purchase, it competes in a price range where Day One and CompuCram offer more for the cost. Combined verdict: Kaplan at approximately $99 suits test-takers who want a free trial period and a well-recognized brand. CE Shop Exam Prep Edge is most efficient when it is already included in your pre-licensing package.

How to choose: four buyer profiles

There is no universal best practice exam — the right tool depends on where you are in the preparation process. Budget-conscious first-time taker: Day One at $49 one-time gives you AI-generated California-weighted questions, a pass guarantee, and no subscription to track or cancel. The financial downside is zero if you complete the course. Visual learner with one to two weeks before the exam: PrepAgent's Basic plan ($59 for one week) is built for a concentrated final push. The question bank, video explanations, and live webinar schedule are dense enough for a high-intensity sprint. Candidate who freezes on vocabulary: CompuCram at $109 for 6 months leads with flashcards before practice questions. The readiness meter provides a concrete signal that you have internalized the material, not just seen enough questions. Already enrolled in a CE Shop pre-licensing course: use Exam Prep Edge — it is already included in your package, and the performance dashboard tracks the same DRE categories the exam tests. One universal mistake worth naming: most candidates spend the majority of their time on topics they already know. California's Practice of Real Estate and Disclosures category carries 28 of the exam's 150 questions — the largest single section — yet it consistently receives less focused study time than Finance or Contracts. Whichever tool you choose, weight your practice sessions toward your weakest categories, not your most comfortable ones. For a detailed breakdown of all eight DRE exam categories and guidance on how to allocate study time, see what is on the California real estate exam. For context on the statewide passing bar, the California real estate exam pass rate guide covers the full DRE data. Day One generates fresh, full-length 150-question practice exams calibrated to the DRE's exact category weighting — a useful checkpoint at any stage of preparation, and a strong final-week verification before exam day.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The California DRE salesperson exam has 150 questions and a 3-hour time limit. You need to answer at least 105 correctly — a 70% score — to pass. Results are displayed immediately at the Pearson VUE testing center after you submit.

How many practice questions should I complete before the California DRE exam?

Most first-time passers report completing 500 to 1,000 practice questions across multiple sessions, plus at least two or three full-length 150-question timed practice exams in the final week before their exam. Quantity matters less than understanding: reviewing the explanation for every wrong answer is more valuable than accumulating correct ones.

Do California real estate practice exams actually match the DRE exam?

No practice exam perfectly replicates the DRE's question pool, which is never publicly released. A reliable California practice exam matches the official eight-category weighting and tests California-specific rules — the Transfer Disclosure Statement, trust deeds, California fair housing extensions — rather than national content alone. Avoid tools that rely on verbatim-recycled DRE questions; those banks become stale and train memorization over genuine understanding.

What happens if I fail the California real estate exam?

There is no limit on retakes for the California DRE salesperson exam. You must wait 18 days between attempts, and each retake fee is $60. Your original approved application remains valid for two years from the DRE approval date, giving you multiple attempts within that window before you need to reapply.

Which California real estate practice exam has the best pass guarantee?

Day One offers a full refund if you complete the course and still fail the DRE salesperson exam. Most other tools on this list — PrepAgent, Kaplan, CompuCram — do not offer a conditional money-back guarantee tied to the actual exam result. Always read the exact conditions of any guarantee before counting it into your buying decision.

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