You asked (1) if there is a standardized national portion of the real estate salesperson licensing examination, (2) if the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) and the Connecticut Association of Realtors are developing revisions for the licensing test and process for real estate salespersons, (3) if the questions in the study guide consist of previously-used examination questions, and (4) what are the subcategories in the licensing examination and if scores are reported for each subcategory.

SUMMARY

There is a standardized national portion of the real estate salesperson licensing examination. It consists of 80 questions; an applicant must get 56 correct to pass it. DCP and the Connecticut Association of Realtors are not working together to revise the licensing and testing process. DCP is proposing legislation giving it the power to approve real estate course instructors. Under current law, it approves such courses. A license applicant must successfully complete an approved course to qualify to take the licensing examination.

DCP has a contract with a testing service to administer the examination. The service publishes an information bulleting about upcoming examinations. The bulletin includes eight sample questions. These are not previously used questions.

When an applicant fails the national portion of the licensing examination, PSI reports his scores in 11 different subcategories.

STANDARDIZED NATIONAL PORTION

The licensing examination has two parts, a national (general) portion and a Connecticut-specific portion. The national portion was developed by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO). Richard Hurlburt, Director of the Occupational and Professional Licensing Division in the Department of Consumer Protection, participates in ARELLO activities and contributed, in a broad way, in developing the national examination.

POSSIBLE REVISIONS

Under current law, someone who wishes to be licensed as a real estate salesperson must pass an examination. To qualify to take the examination, an applicant must show that he has either successfully completed a Real Estate Commission-approved 30-hour course in real estate principles and practices or has equivalent experience or education.

Anna Ficeto, DCP's chief counsel, reports that DCP is not seeking to revise the whole examination or licensing process. It is, however, proposing legislation that would allow the consumer protection commissioner to adopt regulations giving him the power to approve real estate course instructors in addition to its power to approve courses. A list of programs offering approved courses is attached. Ficeto reports that DCP is also contemplating legislation that would double, from 30 hours to 60, the length of the mandatory principles and practices course.

Crystal Soucy, of the Connecticut Association of Realtors, states that the association has concerns about the failure rate of people taking the real estate salesperson licensing examination. She said that the association, while it is not working with DCP to revise the testing or licensing process, is interested in being involved in a review of the process.

PREVIOUSLY USED QUESTIONS IN THE STUDY GUIDE

The real estate licensing examination is administered by a testing service under a contract with DCP. The company, PSI Examination Services, publishes an information bulletin that includes sample questions. The eight questions in the bulletin are not taken from earlier examinations but do represent the type of questions on the examination. A copy of the bulletin for examinations beginning on April 2002 is attached.

EXAMINATION SUBCATEGORIES

The state portion of the examination has 30 questions. An applicant must get 21 correct to pass. PSI does not report subcategory scores in the state portion.

The national portion of the examination has 80 questions. An applicant must get 56 correct to pass. When an applicant fails the test, PSI reports scores in 11 subcategories, as displayed in Table 1.

Table 1: Real Estate Salesperson Examination Score Reporting

An applicant can compare the number of questions he answered correctly to the number given in a subcategory and determine his area of weakness.

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