- The DE-RE-S has 135 total questions: 80 scored national items and 40 scored Delaware items, in four hours.
- You need a scaled score of 70 on both the national and state portions to pass - not just an overall average.
- Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (Domain 11) is worth 42.5% of the state portion - the single biggest scoring target.
- Exam fee is $88; the state application runs $149 plus a $25 Guaranty Fund fee.
Exam Snapshot: Fees, Format, and Timing
If you only have five minutes before your Pearson VUE appointment, this is the section to reread. The Delaware Real Estate Salesperson Exam (DE-RE-S) is a closed-book, computer-delivered test administered at Pearson VUE test centers under authority of the Delaware Real Estate Commission, part of the Division of Professional Regulation.
- Total questions: 135 (80 scored + 5 unscored national/general items; 40 scored + 10 unscored Delaware-specific items)
- Time limit: four hours for the full exam
- Exam fee: $88, paid to Pearson VUE
- State application fee: $149
- Real Estate Guaranty Fund fee: $25
- Passing score: a scaled score of 70 on both the national portion and the state portion - separately
Notice that the unscored items (5 national, 10 state) don't count toward your result but are indistinguishable from scored questions on screen, so there's no way to "skip" them strategically. For a deeper dive into how this format compares to other licensing exams and where candidates tend to struggle, see How Hard Is the DE-RE-S Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
The 12 Domains at a Glance
The DE-RE-S candidate handbook (dated January 2026) organizes content into 12 domains. Domains 1-8 are weighted within the 80 scored national items; Domains 9-12 are weighted within the 40 scored state items. Percentages come directly from Pearson VUE's official item counts, not estimates.
| Domain | Weight | Portion |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use | 13.75% | National |
| 2. Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title | 11.25% | National |
| 3. Property Value and Appraisal | 13.75% | National |
| 4. Real Estate Contracts and Agency | 20% | National |
| 5. Real Estate Practice | 12.5% | National |
| 6. Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues | 11.25% | National |
| 7. Financing and Settlement | 8.75% | National |
| 8. Real Estate Math Calculations | 8.75% | National |
| 9. Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission | 10% | State |
| 10. Licensing Requirements | 7.5% | State |
| 11. Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees | 42.5% | State |
| 12. Additional State Topics | 40% | State |
Two things jump out immediately. First, Domain 4 (Real Estate Contracts and Agency) is the heaviest national domain at 20% - expect agency relationship scenarios, contract elements, and offer/counteroffer mechanics to dominate that section. Second, on the state side, Domain 11 is the largest state domain by a wide margin at 42.5%, followed by Domain 12 at 40%. Together, Domains 11 and 12 make up over 80% of the 40 scored state items - meaning nearly every state-portion question you see will touch statutory licensee conduct or Delaware-specific regulatory topics.
Domain 11: Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees
This is the domain worth the most points on the entire exam. It covers how licensees must conduct themselves under Delaware statute - disclosure duties, escrow handling, advertising rules, and conduct standards tied directly to the Real Estate Commission's authority.
- Prioritize this domain above all others when reviewing state-specific material
- Expect scenario-based questions testing what a licensee is required (or prohibited) to do
- Pair this with Domain 9 (Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission) since the two overlap conceptually
For a domain-by-domain breakdown with example question angles for all 12 areas, bookmark DE-RE-S Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas.
Registration and Eligibility Cheat Sheet
Before you can even schedule with Pearson VUE, Delaware requires a specific eligibility path. Miss a deadline in this sequence and you may have to repeat coursework.
- Minimum age: 18
- Prelicensing education: an approved 99-hour Delaware salesperson prelicensing course
- Application window: apply within 12 months of completing the prelicensing course
- Sponsorship: you need a sponsoring Delaware broker to obtain licensure after passing
- Attempt limit: no more than three attempts before you must repeat the prelicensing course
- Failed-portion deadline: any failed portion (national or state) must be passed within one year of completing prelicensing education
Key Takeaway
Track two clocks simultaneously: the 12-month window to apply after finishing your 99-hour course, and the one-year window to clear any failed exam portion from that same course completion date. They run from the same starting point but govern different actions.
For the complete prerequisite checklist including documentation and sponsoring-broker logistics, see DE-RE-S Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify. If you want a full cost breakdown covering the exam fee, application fee, Guaranty Fund fee, and prelicensing course pricing together, check DE-RE-S Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Test Day Rules and Calculator Policy
The exam is closed-book and computer-delivered at a Pearson VUE test center, which means the usual test-center rules apply: photo ID, no personal materials, and a proctored environment. The one item candidates ask about most is the calculator.
- A silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad is allowed
- Financial calculators are prohibited - leave anything with amortization, TVM, or similar finance functions at home
- Domain 8 (Real Estate Math Calculations) is only 8.75% of the national portion, but it's the domain most likely to slow you down if you haven't practiced basic proration, commission splits, and area calculations by hand or with a simple calculator
Scoring and Retake Rules
Because the DE-RE-S scores the national and state portions independently, it's possible to pass one and fail the other. Understanding what happens next matters as much as understanding the domains themselves.
- A scaled score of 70 is required on each portion - national and state - not a combined average
- You have up to three total attempts before the Delaware Real Estate Commission requires you to repeat the 99-hour prelicensing course
- Any portion you fail must be retaken and passed within one year of completing prelicensing education
- Retakes are scheduled through Pearson VUE like your original attempt, and the $88 exam fee applies again per sitting
For the exact scoring mechanics, including how scaled scores differ from raw percentage-correct, read DE-RE-S Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're trying to gauge your odds going in, DE-RE-S Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows walks through what's publicly known about outcomes.
One-Week Domain Priority Map
Generic study techniques only go so far on a licensing exam with this specific domain weighting. Rather than spreading review time evenly across all 12 domains, allocate time proportional to points available - and prioritize the domains that are both heavily weighted and commonly missed.
National Foundations
- Domain 4 (Contracts and Agency, 20%) - the single highest-weighted national domain
- Domain 1 and Domain 3 (13.75% each) - property characteristics, legal descriptions, and appraisal fundamentals
National Detail Work
- Domain 5 (Real Estate Practice, 12.5%)
- Domain 2 and Domain 6 (11.25% each) - ownership/title transfer and disclosure/environmental issues
- Domain 7 and Domain 8 (8.75% each) - financing, settlement, and math calculations
State Portion, Heavy Hitters
- Domain 11 (Statutory Requirements, 42.5%) - the largest domain on the entire exam
- Domain 12 (Additional State Topics, 40%) - nearly tied for largest state weight
State Portion Cleanup and Full Simulation
- Domain 9 (Commission Duties and Powers, 10%) and Domain 10 (Licensing Requirements, 7.5%)
- Full-length timed practice runs mimicking the 135-question, four-hour format
Notice that Domains 11 and 12 alone justify an entire dedicated week even though they're only two of twelve domains - together they represent the majority of the state portion's scored items. For a full walkthrough of study sequencing, review methods, and how to allocate practice-question time by domain, see DE-RE-S Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. You can also run domain-tagged practice questions on our practice test platform to see exactly where your weak spots are before test day.
After You Pass: Sponsorship, CE, and Renewal
Passing the exam is not the finish line - it's the point where Delaware's licensing mechanics kick in.
- Sponsoring broker required: you cannot activate a license without one
- Post-licensing education: new salespersons must complete 12 additional hours within 90 days of licensure
- Renewal date: licenses renew April 30 of even-numbered years
- Continuing education: 21 hours required per full biennial cycle
The 12-hour post-licensing requirement inside your first 90 days is easy to overlook while you're celebrating a passing score, but missing it can jeopardize your active license status. Mark it on your calendar the same day you get your exam results.
Once you're licensed, questions naturally shift from "how do I pass" to "what does this credential actually get me." If you're weighing career paths and compensation structures, DE-RE-S Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and Is the DE-RE-S Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 cover that territory, while DE-RE-S Jobs looks at where newly licensed salespersons typically find sponsoring brokers and entry-level roles. For scheduling logistics around your actual test date, DE-RE-S Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling lays out the Pearson VUE scheduling process in detail.
Key Takeaway
Print or save this cheat sheet alongside a domain checklist. On exam morning, your last review should be the numbers - fees, question counts, passing score, and the Domain 11/12 weight split - not new content.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 135 total questions - 80 scored plus 5 unscored national items, and 40 scored plus 10 unscored Delaware-specific items - administered in a four-hour session.
Yes. A scaled score of 70 is required on the national portion and a scaled score of 70 is required on the state portion; they are scored independently rather than averaged together.
Domain 11, Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees, carries 42.5% of the scored state items - the largest weight of any domain on the exam. Domain 4, Real Estate Contracts and Agency, is the heaviest national domain at 20%.
The Pearson VUE exam fee is $88, the state application fee is $149, and the Real Estate Guaranty Fund fee is $25, on top of your 99-hour prelicensing course tuition.
You may retake the exam up to three total attempts before you're required to repeat the 99-hour prelicensing course, and any failed portion must be passed within one year of completing that prelicensing education.