Educational Resources: Take Missouri Real Estate Sample Tests, Application Steps and Tips

Graphic showing Missouri map with a red house icon indicating the median house cost of $373,323, alongside an upward trending arrow and a smaller figure of $91,200.

The Missouri real estate exam is mandatory if you want to get your license, and you will receive the exam handbook when the commission approves your application to take the test.1 It is the next step when you are done with the courses and have adequately revised them.

Normally, the exam features a total of 14 questions, and out of that, 100 are more nation-wide based while the rest are for the state. The minimum score is around 75%, and for you to take the exam, you have to pay $62, which is for each and every attempt.2

You are given 4 hours to complete the entire test. Immediately after you get your score, you will know whether you have passed or failed (for which you will get the breakdown of how you scored in each area of the test).

So, what are the most commonly tested areas?

  • Financing
  • Property ownership
  • Property disclosures
  • Contracts
  • Real estate practice
  • Calculations
  • General rules
  • Licenses
  • Brokerage relationships
  • Educational requirements
  • Business conduct
  • Disciplinary proceedings

5-Step Roadmap to Missouri Division of Professional Registration Real Estate License Application

Anyone that is keen on starting their career in real estate wonders how to become a listing agent. You may feel that there is a lot of paperwork or that it all seems daunting, but it really isn’t.

To prove this, the following are the five steps to become a real estate agent in Missouri:

Step 1: Take the Pre-Licensing Courses

Unlike in other states where the prerequisite real estate education takes longer, you only need 72 hours of courses to get your license in Missouri. This is actually the very first step to take if you don’t have a degree in real estate.

You can choose to either take the courses online, in person, or a combination of the two, whatever suits you, just as long as it is from a recognized institution where you will get certification.

Step 2: Take and Pass the Main Exam

When you are done going through the courses, the next step is to apply and sit for the main exam. This will prove that you indeed took the pre-licensing classes and are knowledgeable when it comes to real estate in Missouri.

If you get the 75% pass mark, you will have passed and will be clear to go to the next step of the application. If you fail a section, you will have to redo it until you get it right, and fortunately, there are no restrictions on the maximum number of retakes.

Step 3: Complete Background Checks

There is one important thing that you have to prove: the fact that you don’t have a felony that would get in the way of you becoming a licensed real estate agent. To do this, IndentoGO will take your fingerprints as the MREC vendor, but before that, make sure that you register under the MACHS (Missouri Automated Criminal History Site).3

Note that there are some grave offenses that would lock you out of the approval process, denying you a license, so look out for that.

Step 4: Choose a Sponsoring Broker

When you have passed your exam, you will need to find a firm that will hold your hand through the initial years after your licensure. This is exactly why you have to find a broker who is reputable and very experienced, one that will offer you the required tools and tell you what is expected of you as a real estate agent in Missouri.

So, with so many of them in the market, how do you settle for one? Simply find a broker that offers you great rates when it comes to commissions and one that specializes in a particular location or niche that you are more interested in.4

Step 5: Complete Your Real Estate Licensure Application

Have you met all the legal and fundamental education requirements? Have you gone through all the recommended courses, the 72 hours of it, passed the exam, completed the background checks, and finally enlisted in a brokerage firm?

Then, the very last step involved is to go ahead with applying for the Missouri real estate agent license.5

How Long Will the Real Estate Application Process Last?

Considering that the course hours are less than in other states, you will be glad to know that it doesn’t really take that long to get your real estate certification in Missouri. Typically, you may have to wait for 2 or so months in order to get your license and start working as a real estate agent, but still, it could take longer depending on so many factors.

How dedicated you are to seeing the process through ensures that you take the shortest time possible, and of course, how fast the online checks are will also come into play.

You may also ask, can I get my real estate license online? Of course, you can.

If you are on a tight schedule, you can always take the courses entirely virtually, only that you will have to sit for the exam in person. But, otherwise, almost everything else can be done online.

Applying for National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Membership, If You Choose

Did you know that a Realtor® and a real estate agent are not the same thing?

Some people use them interchangeably, but they are two different concepts. Yes, the two are professionals at helping clients buy and sell properties, but Realtors® stand out for being members of the NAR (National Association of REALTORS®).

This is the difference between Realtor® and real estate agent, and many, after licensing, opt to upgrade their status to Tealtors®. This means being part of an exclusive group of experienced real estate agents and paying a membership fee in exchange for connections and better opportunities.

So, you may want to consider becoming a Realtor® later on in your career.


References

1Missouri Division of Professional Registration. (2023, October 1). REAL ESTATE CANDIDATE HANDBOOK. MISSOURI REAL ESTATE COMMISSION. Retrieved November 1, 2023, from <https://pr.mo.gov/boards/realestate/MOREP-handbook.pdf>

2Rodriguez, K. (2023, September 5). How to Get Your Missouri Real Estate License. StateRequirement. Retrieved October 31, 2023, from <https://staterequirement.com/real-estate/Missouri-real-estate-license/>

3Missouri State Highway Patrol. (2023). Missouri Automated Criminal History System. Missouri Automated Criminal History Fingerprint Portal. Retrieved November 1, 2023, from <https://www.machs.mo.gov/home.html>

4Baker, G. (2023, February 7). How to Get Your Missouri Real Estate License. Fit Small Business. Retrieved October 31, 2023, from <https://fitsmallbusiness.com/real-estate-license-Missouri/>

5State of Missouri. (2024). Real Estate Commission. Missouri Division of Professional Registration. Retrieved October 31, 2023, from <https://pr.mo.gov/realestate-application-forms.asp>