No matter how much you study, there's always that little nagging voice in the back of your head that asks the same question over and over: But did I study enough?

To help quiet the voices in your head (and to get you really, really prepared), we compiled our best study tips for prioritizing, memorizing, and more so that you can ace your real estate exam the first time.

1. Memorize the basics.

   There are some concepts that are for sure going to show on the exam, and those are the things you need to make sure you know inside, outside, upside down, and every which way. Here's the short list of things you should focus on:

   • Types of property conveyance
   • Fair housing rules
   • Types of licensees and agents
   • Deeds and titles
   • Forms of ownership
   • Types of listings and agent agreements
   • Contract types and elements
   • Fiduciary duties

   Pro-tip: Your Georgia real estate exam is definitely going to have state-specific questions so make sure you spend time reviewing the details of your sales prelicense course that apply only in Georgia.

2. Learn how to deal with your stress in a healthy way.

   Everyone gets nervous — it's just a fact of life. The key to being a successful studier is in learning how to study despite the stress, or more importantly, knowing when your brain needs to take a little break. If you're one to cram an evening with 4+ hours of constant studying, make sure you break it up with a walk, a swim, a dance class, anything to get those endorphins pumping. If you're also studying continuously every night for weeks on end, make sure you schedule a few free nights in there, too — it's not that you're slacking, it's that you're allowing your brain to soak up all that good information and find a place to store it for easy recall.

   Pro-tip: Get a good night's sleep for the few days leading up to the exam if you can, but especially the night before. Don't try to pull an all-nighter — your brain is really going to need the extra charge.

3. Sign up for our CRAM course as often as you feel necessary.

   Capitus's CRAM course is a non-credit weekend review that will challenge you to focus on exactly what you need to know once and for all. With real estate instructors that really know their industry, this course will include lectures and practice tests to give you the extra practice you need before the big day. Sign up for the course that best fits your schedule here.

4. If you struggle with math, make sure you get the tutorial help you need.

   Math may not be the most fun part of everyone's day, but the math on the real estate exam is actually super helpful for your real estate career once you're licensed — and you'll use it a lot, if not every day. To help you prepare for that, handy math tutorial videos are available for purchase so that all of those math avoiders out there can get the extra practice they need. Check them out here.

5. Know the basic test strategies that will help you make a decision.

   Like most other exams, your sales prelicense real estate test will have lots multiple choice questions. Other than reading everything really carefully (this will help highlight those trick questions), here are a few tips for making the right choice, even when you're not 100% sure what the right answer is:

   • Narrow down your choices by selecting the answers that are obviously wrong and eliminate them immediately.
   • Studies show that more than half the time, "all of the above" or "none of the above" are the correct answers, so don't automatically assume those choices are incorrect.
   • If an answer isn't grammatically correct when applied to the test question (i.e. the answer has "an" instead of "a"), it's probably not the right answer.

6. Make sure you pre-register for your testing date.

   Now that you've got the tips and tricks, we've got one last piece of wisdom to share: Pre-register for your exam to plan your study schedule 8-14 days out from the date you intend to test. Just don't forget to build in those necessary break days, good night's of sleep, and an essential CRAM course weekend!

In addition to the resources listed above, we sell various study guides at our Capitus Bookstore located at the Atlanta REALTORS® Center in Sandy Springs. Stop by to peruse our selection.

With this actionable checklist, we hope you'll feel more prepared for the test ahead of you, but more importantly, for the career that awaits on the other side. We're here to help you through every step of your real estate process — from sales prelicense to advanced education — so feel free to reach out if you're wondering what's up next in your real estate journey. We'd be more than happy to help.