- The DE-RE-B has 145 total questions (80+5 national, 50+10 state) across a four-hour, closed-book Pearson VUE session.
- You must score at least 70 on both the national and Delaware portions to pass - one strong section can't rescue a weak one.
- Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees carries 34% of the state portion, making it the single highest-leverage domain to master.
- Broker eligibility requires five continuous years of prior licensure, 30 documented transactions, and a 99-hour approved prelicensing course.
What the DE-RE-B Exam Actually Tests
The Delaware Real Estate Broker Exam (DE-RE-B) is the licensing exam administered on behalf of the Delaware Real Estate Commission, part of the Division of Professional Regulation. Pearson VUE delivers the exam at computer-based test centers, and every attempt is closed-book - no notes, no reference sheets, nothing beyond what's issued at the center. That single fact changes how you should study: memorization and applied recall matter more than "look it up later" familiarity.
Unlike a general trivia test, the DE-RE-B is split into a national/general portion and a Delaware-specific portion, and each is scored independently. This guide walks through exactly what's on each portion, how registration and fees work, and how to sequence your prep so the highest-weighted domains get the most attention. For a deeper dive into each content area, pair this guide with our complete breakdown of all 13 content domains.
Eligibility and Registration Mechanics
Before you can even schedule a seat at Pearson VUE, Delaware requires you to clear several eligibility hurdles specific to broker candidates:
- Be at least 23 years old
- Complete an approved 99-hour Delaware broker prelicensing course
- Hold an active real estate license continuously for five years immediately before applying
- Document at least 30 eligible transactions completed within the preceding five years
Passing the exam gets you a broker license, but a full broker license additionally requires three years of active practice plus compliance with office, supervision, and escrow-handling requirements. These layered requirements trip up candidates who assume the exam is the only gate - it isn't. If you're still confirming whether you qualify to sit for the exam at all, review our detailed DE-RE-B requirements breakdown before you pay any fees.
Key Takeaway
Verify your five-year continuous licensure window and transaction count before registering - the exam fee is non-refundable if you're later found ineligible, so confirm eligibility with the Commission first.
Once eligibility is confirmed, the money side breaks down into three separate payments: a $248 state application fee, a $25 Real Estate Guaranty Fund fee, and an $88 Pearson VUE exam fee. These are paid to different parties at different points in the process, so budget for all three rather than assuming one lump sum covers everything. For a line-by-line accounting of where each dollar goes, see our full cost breakdown.
Exam Format, Timing, and Scoring
The DE-RE-B is a single sitting of four hours covering 145 total questions, split into two distinct portions:
| Portion | Scored Items | Unscored (Pretest) Items | Passing Scaled Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| National / General | 80 | 5 | 70 |
| Delaware State | 50 | 10 | 70 |
Note that both portions must be passed independently at a scaled score of 70 - there's no averaging across the two sections. A candidate who dominates the national portion but falls short on Delaware-specific statutes still fails the exam overall. This is exactly why generic national real estate study material is never sufficient prep on its own; you need Delaware-specific content layered on top. If you want a precise explanation of how the scaled score of 70 is calculated and what raw-score range typically produces it, read our dedicated passing score guide.
The unscored items exist to field-test future questions and are indistinguishable from scored ones during the exam, so treat every question - all 145 - with equal seriousness.
Domain-by-Domain Breakdown
Domain weights are calculated from Pearson VUE's official item counts, with Domains 1-8 weighted within the 80 scored national items and Domains 9-13 weighted within the 50 scored state items. Here's the full picture:
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1. Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use | 12.5% |
| 2. Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title | 10% |
| 3. Property Value and Appraisal | 12.5% |
| 4. Real Estate Contracts and Agency | 18.75% |
| 5. Real Estate Practice | 15% |
| 6. Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues | 11.25% |
| 7. Financing and Settlement | 10% |
| 8. Real Estate Math Calculations | 10% |
| 9. Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission | 8% |
| 10. Licensing Requirements | 6% |
| 11. Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees | 34% |
| 12. Additional State Topics | 32% |
| 13. Broker Only | 20% |
Domain 11: Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees
This is the largest domain on the entire exam by weight - 34% of the 50 scored state items. It covers the day-to-day statutory obligations that govern how licensees must behave with clients, other licensees, and the Commission.
- Advertising and disclosure obligations under Delaware statute
- Record-keeping and trust/escrow account handling rules
- Grounds for disciplinary action and license suspension
Domain 4: Real Estate Contracts and Agency
At 18.75%, this is the heaviest domain on the national portion. Expect scenario-based questions testing agency relationships, offer and acceptance mechanics, and contract contingencies rather than pure definitions.
- Types of agency and fiduciary duties owed to clients
- Contract formation, breach, and remedies
- Listing and buyer representation agreement terms
Because Domains 11, 12, and 13 combined make up the majority of the state portion's scored weight, candidates who shortchange Delaware-specific statute study in favor of general national topics tend to fail the state section even after passing the national one. Our domain-by-domain guide goes deeper into subtopics within each of these 13 areas if you want granular study checklists.
Who Hires Delaware Brokers
Passing the DE-RE-B and completing the full broker requirements opens roles that a standard salesperson license doesn't: managing a brokerage office, supervising affiliated agents, and holding escrow responsibility. Brokerages across Wilmington, Dover, and the beach markets around Rehoboth and Lewes routinely look for licensed brokers to run branch offices or oversee compliance for growing teams. Independent brokers who've cleared the three-years-of-active-practice requirement also open their own firms rather than working under another broker. If you're weighing whether the extra years, transactions, and exam effort translate into better long-term positioning, our ROI analysis and earnings guide unpack that decision without relying on invented numbers.
A Domain-Weighted Study Plan
Generic study techniques only help if they're pointed at the right material in the right order. Because Domain 11 alone is worth 34% of the state portion and Domain 4 is worth 18.75% of the national portion, your calendar should give those two domains disproportionate time rather than splitting hours evenly across all 13 areas.
National Foundations
- Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use (Domain 1)
- Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title (Domain 2)
- Property Value and Appraisal (Domain 3)
Heaviest National Weight
- Real Estate Contracts and Agency (Domain 4) - allocate extra drill time given its 18.75% weight
- Real Estate Practice (Domain 5)
Remaining National Topics
- Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues (Domain 6)
- Financing and Settlement (Domain 7)
- Real Estate Math Calculations (Domain 8) - practice without a financial calculator since only silent, non-alphabetic calculators are permitted
Delaware Statutes - the Highest-Stakes Section
- Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission (Domain 9)
- Licensing Requirements (Domain 10)
- Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (Domain 11) - the single largest domain on the exam
Final State-Specific Push
- Additional State Topics (Domain 12)
- Broker Only (Domain 13)
- Full-length timed practice runs on DE-RE-B Exam Prep's practice tests to simulate the four-hour session
Run at least two full 145-question timed simulations before your scheduled date so pacing across four hours feels routine rather than stressful. Our practice test platform mirrors the 80/50 scored-item split so you get accustomed to switching mental gears between national and Delaware content mid-exam.
Test Day, Calculators, and Retake Rules
On exam day, bring only what Pearson VUE's admission requirements allow. The calculator rule is worth repeating: it must be silent, handheld, non-printing, and free of an alphabetic keypad. Devices with financial functions or QWERTY-style keys will be confiscated at check-in, so buy a basic model well before test day rather than discovering the problem at the center.
If you don't pass on your first try, you get up to three total attempts before you're required to repeat the full prelicensing course. That's a meaningful limit - unlike exams that allow unlimited retakes, DE-RE-B candidates should treat each of the three attempts as a real cost in time and the $88 exam fee, not a casual do-over. Our one-page cheat sheet is designed as a final-review tool for attempts two and three, condensing the highest-weight statutory points into a quick scan the night before.
Once licensed, remember the maintenance side too: licenses renew April 30 of even-numbered years, and you'll need 21 continuing-education hours per full biennial cycle to stay active. Mark that renewal date now so it doesn't sneak up on you after you've already cleared the harder hurdle of the exam itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 145 total questions: 80 scored plus 5 unscored national/general items, and 50 scored plus 10 unscored Delaware-specific items, all within a four-hour session.
You need a scaled score of 70 on both the national portion and the Delaware state portion - passing one section doesn't offset a failing score on the other.
No. Only a silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad is permitted; financial calculators are explicitly prohibited.
You're allowed up to three exam attempts before you must repeat the approved 99-hour broker prelicensing course.
Budget for a $248 state application fee, a $25 Real Estate Guaranty Fund fee, and an $88 Pearson VUE exam fee, paid at different stages of the process.