- What the DE-RE-B Certification Actually Is
- Who Governs and Administers the Exam
- Broker Eligibility Requirements
- Exam Format, Timing, and Scoring
- Fees and Registration Mechanics
- The 13 Exam Domains
- Attempt Limits and Test-Day Rules
- Building a Domain-Based Study Schedule
- Licensure, Renewal, and Continuing Education
- Who Uses the DE-RE-B and Why
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The DE-RE-B has 145 total questions - 85 national items and 60 Delaware items - in a four-hour window.
- Candidates need a scaled score of 70 on both the national and state portions to pass.
- Broker applicants must be 23+, complete a 99-hour prelicensing course, and log five continuous years of licensure plus 30 transactions.
- Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees is the single largest domain at 34% of state-portion items.
What the DE-RE-B Certification Actually Is
The Delaware Real Estate Broker Exam (DE-RE-B) is the licensing exam that stands between a working Delaware salesperson and a broker license. It is not a voluntary industry credential - it is a state-mandated test administered on behalf of the Delaware Real Estate Commission, part of the Division of Professional Regulation. Passing it, combined with meeting experience and coursework requirements, is what allows an agent to supervise other licensees, open a brokerage, and take on the legal responsibilities that come with that authority.
If you're still trying to understand the basics of the credential before diving into prep materials, our overview articles on what the DE-RE-B is and what the acronym means are good starting points. This article focuses specifically on the structure, mechanics, and content you need to master to pass.
Who Governs and Administers the Exam
The Delaware Real Estate Commission sets licensing policy and enforces conduct rules, while Pearson VUE administers the actual exam. The test is closed-book and computer-delivered at Pearson VUE test centers - there is no online proctoring option and no open-book reference material allowed during the test itself. This matters for planning: you'll want to memorize statutory thresholds, disclosure timelines, and math formulas rather than expect to look anything up mid-exam.
The candidate handbook governing current test administration is dated January 2026. The national content outline took effect April 1, 2025, and the Delaware-specific outline has been in effect since June 1, 2020. Always confirm you're studying against the current handbook version before you schedule, since outline revisions can shift domain weighting.
Broker Eligibility Requirements
Delaware doesn't let just any licensed salesperson sit for the broker exam. The eligibility bar is intentionally higher than the initial salesperson license:
- Minimum age of 23
- Completion of an approved 99-hour Delaware broker prelicensing course
- Five continuous years of active licensure immediately preceding application
- Documentation of at least 30 eligible transactions completed within the preceding five years
Passing the exam itself doesn't automatically grant a full broker license, either. A full broker license additionally requires three years of active practice and compliance with office, supervision, and escrow account requirements set by the Commission. For a complete breakdown of every prerequisite and how documentation is verified, see DE-RE-B Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Key Takeaway
Start tracking your transaction count and licensure continuity years early - the 30-transaction and five-year requirements are the two most common reasons applications get delayed.
Exam Format, Timing, and Scoring
The DE-RE-B combines two distinct sections into one sitting:
- National/general portion: 80 scored questions plus 5 unscored pretest items (85 total)
- Delaware state portion: 50 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest items (60 total)
That's 145 total questions administered in a four-hour testing window. You won't know which items are unscored, so every question should be treated as if it counts. Candidates must pass both portions independently - a strong national score cannot offset a weak state score, and vice versa. Passing requires a scaled score of 70 on each portion.
For the exact scoring mechanics and what a scaled score of 70 actually represents in raw-question terms, read DE-RE-B Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're weighing how tough the format is compared to what you experienced on the salesperson exam, How Hard Is the DE-RE-B Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down the differences in depth.
| Portion | Scored Items | Unscored Items | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| National/General | 80 | 5 | 85 |
| Delaware State | 50 | 10 | 60 |
| Combined Exam | 130 | 15 | 145 |
Fees and Registration Mechanics
Budgeting for the DE-RE-B involves more than just the exam fee. The Pearson VUE exam fee itself is $88. Separately, the state application fee is $248, and applicants also pay a $25 Real Estate Guaranty Fund fee. These are distinct line items collected by different parties, so don't assume the exam fee covers your full path to licensure.
For a full cost breakdown - including how these fees stack against the prelicensing course investment - see DE-RE-B Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. Once you know your budget, you can check DE-RE-B Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling to plan when to schedule your Pearson VUE appointment relative to your application submission.
The 13 Exam Domains
The DE-RE-B outline splits into two tiers: Domains 1-8 are weighted within the 80 scored national items, and Domains 9-13 are weighted within the 50 scored state items. Percentages are calculated from Pearson VUE's official item counts, so treat these weights as your priority map for study time.
Domain 1: Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use (12.5%)
Covers land classifications, legal description methods, and use restrictions candidates must identify from property scenarios.
Domain 2: Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title (10%)
Tests understanding of ownership structures, deed types, and how title transfers and recording actually function.
Domain 3: Property Value and Appraisal (12.5%)
Requires comfort with valuation approaches and the factors appraisers weigh when establishing market value.
Domain 4: Real Estate Contracts and Agency (18.75%)
The largest national-portion domain. Expect scenario questions on agency relationships, contract elements, and fiduciary duties.
- Highest-weighted national domain - prioritize accordingly
Domain 5: Real Estate Practice (15%)
Day-to-day brokerage operations, listing and showing procedures, and practical transaction management.
Domain 6: Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues (11.25%)
Disclosure obligations and environmental hazard awareness that a broker must ensure agents follow correctly.
Domain 7: Financing and Settlement (10%)
Loan types, settlement procedures, and the closing process from a broker-oversight perspective.
Domain 8: Real Estate Math Calculations (10%)
Commission splits, proration, and area/valuation calculations - no financial calculator allowed, so formulas must be memorized.
Domain 9: Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission (8%)
How the Commission is structured and what authority it holds over licensees.
Domain 10: Licensing Requirements (6%)
Delaware-specific rules on obtaining, maintaining, and transferring licenses.
Domain 11: Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (34%)
The single largest domain on the entire exam. This is Delaware statute applied directly to broker and agent conduct.
- Nearly one-third of all state-portion items come from this domain alone
Domain 12: Additional State Topics (32%)
The second-largest state domain, covering Delaware-specific rules that don't fall under core statutory duties.
Domain 13: Broker Only (20%)
Content unique to broker responsibilities - supervision, escrow, and office management obligations that salesperson exams don't cover.
Together, Domains 11 and 12 account for the majority of the state portion's scored items, which is why generic national real estate prep won't get you across the finish line on its own. For a domain-by-domain study breakdown with example question styles, see DE-RE-B Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas.
Attempt Limits and Test-Day Rules
Delaware caps retakes: candidates get no more than three exam attempts before they must repeat the 99-hour prelicensing course entirely. This makes each attempt higher-stakes than exams with unlimited retesting, and it's a strong argument for a structured study plan over cramming.
On calculators: a silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad is permitted at the test center. Financial calculators are explicitly prohibited, so anything with preset real estate or amortization functions is off the table - you'll need to know your Domain 8 math formulas by hand, not by shortcut key.
Building a Domain-Based Study Schedule
Because Domains 11 and 12 alone make up 66% of the state portion, and Domain 4 is the heaviest single national domain, your study calendar should be built around weight, not alphabetical order in the outline.
National Foundations
- Domain 4 (Contracts and Agency) and Domain 1 (Property Characteristics/Legal Descriptions)
- Build a running glossary of agency and legal description terms
Valuation and Practice
- Domain 3 (Appraisal), Domain 5 (Practice), Domain 7 (Financing/Settlement)
- Drill Domain 8 math problems by hand daily
Statutory Core
- Domain 11 (Statutory Requirements) - the single biggest content block on the exam
- Cross-reference with Domain 9 (Commission Duties) since they overlap conceptually
State Wrap-Up and Broker-Only Content
- Domain 12 (Additional State Topics) and Domain 13 (Broker Only)
- Full-length timed practice runs mimicking the 145-question, four-hour format
This is deliberately a light structural template, not a generic study method - every week ties to actual domain weight. For a more detailed week-by-week plan with review checkpoints, see DE-RE-B Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. You can also run timed practice questions modeled on this same format at our practice test platform to get comfortable with the pacing before test day.
Licensure, Renewal, and Continuing Education
Passing the DE-RE-B is a milestone, not the finish line. Delaware real estate licenses renew on April 30 of even-numbered years, and license holders must complete 21 continuing-education hours per full biennial cycle to stay in good standing. Mark this renewal date now, since missing it can lapse a license you worked years to qualify for.
If you want a condensed reference sheet covering fees, domain weights, and renewal dates in one place for quick review the week of your exam, bookmark DE-RE-B Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Who Uses the DE-RE-B and Why
The broker license unlocked by this exam is what allows someone to open and run a Delaware brokerage, supervise agents, and hold escrow accounts under their own name rather than a managing broker's. That's a meaningfully different professional track than remaining a salesperson indefinitely. If you're evaluating whether the additional years of experience, coursework, and exam effort are worth it for your career goals, Is the DE-RE-B Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 walks through the tradeoffs, and DE-RE-B Jobs covers what broker-level roles actually look like day to day.
Before committing significant study time, it's also worth reviewing how the exam has historically been passed by candidates in your position - see DE-RE-B Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows for the numbers, and the practice test homepage to start building familiarity with the question format ahead of scheduling with Pearson VUE.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam has 145 total questions: 80 scored plus 5 unscored national/general items, and 50 scored plus 10 unscored Delaware-specific items, administered in a four-hour window.
You need a scaled score of 70 on both the national portion and the Delaware state portion. Passing only one section is not sufficient.
The Pearson VUE exam fee is $88. Separately, the state application fee is $248 and the Real Estate Guaranty Fund fee is $25.
Yes, but only a silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad. Financial calculators with preset real estate functions are prohibited.
Delaware allows a maximum of three exam attempts. After a third failure, candidates must repeat the 99-hour approved broker prelicensing course before testing again.