Michigan Real Estate Exam Day Tips

You've completed 40 hours of pre-license education and weeks of targeted prep. Here's how to perform your best on exam day for the 115-question Michigan salesperson exam.

Before Exam Day

Schedule within 2–4 weeks of finishing your course. Material is freshest in the days and weeks after completing your pre-license education. Don't wait months between coursework and the exam.

Locate the PSI testing center in advance. Know exactly where to go, where to park, and how long the drive takes. Arriving stressed erodes performance.

Sleep and eat. The exam is 3 hours. A full night of sleep and a proper meal before the exam are not optional for optimal cognitive function.

Final review focus. The day before the exam, spend 1–2 hours reviewing Michigan-specific rules: - Transfer tax: $3.75 state + $0.55 county = $4.30 per $500 - Seller's Disclosure Act: residential 1–4 units, seller prepares it - LARA and the Michigan Board of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons - 3-year renewal cycle, 18 CE hours - Riparian rights and the 6-month redemption period

What to Bring to PSI

Two valid forms of ID — Primary must be government-issued with photo and signature. Name must match your registration exactly.
Exam confirmation number

Leave at home: - Notes or study materials - Cell phone (locked in a PSI locker) - Personal calculators (PSI provides an on-screen calculator)

Time Management

115 questions in 3 hours = approximately 1.57 minutes per question. This is manageable.

Strategy: 1. Answer questions you know confidently first. 2. Flag uncertain questions and skip them temporarily. 3. Return to flagged questions after completing the rest. 4. Never leave a question blank — there is no wrong-answer penalty.

State Section Mental Checklist

Before starting the Michigan state section (35 questions), mentally confirm key facts:

Michigan licensing authority = LARA / Michigan Board (NOT a commission)
Pre-license = 40 hours; renewal = 3 years; CE = 18 hours per 3-year cycle
Transfer tax = $4.30 per $500 (state $3.75 + county $0.55)
Seller's Disclosure Act = residential 1–4 units, seller fills it out
Riparian rights = property owners bordering water bodies
Right of redemption after foreclosure = typically 6 months
Michigan fair housing additions = marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity (Elliott-Larsen Act)

Handling Hard Questions

Eliminate wrong answers first. Eliminating two choices gives you 50% odds.

Watch for absolute language. "Always," "never," and "only" often signal a wrong answer in real estate law, which has many exceptions.

EXCEPT and NOT questions. Read these carefully — they flip the question. Many errors come from misreading these qualifiers.

Don't second-guess without reason. Changing answers based on test anxiety usually makes things worse.

After the Exam

PSI provides a preliminary pass/fail result immediately after completion. If you pass, follow the instructions for submitting your LARA license application. If you don't pass, review the content-area breakdown on your score report and focus your retake prep on the identified weak areas.

Final Prep

[CARealestate.com/states/michigan](https://carealestate.com/states/michigan) has full-length Michigan practice exams to build confidence before exam day. 5 free questions — no signup needed.

Michigan Real Estate Exam Day Tips