- The DE-RE-S exam has 12 domains split into an 80-item national portion and a 40-item Delaware portion.
- Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees is the single largest domain at 42.5% of the state portion.
- Real Estate Contracts and Agency is the heaviest national domain at 20% of scored general items.
- You need a scaled score of 70 on both the national and state portions separately to pass.
How the DE-RE-S Exam Is Structured
The Delaware Real Estate Salesperson Exam (DE-RE-S) is administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Delaware Real Estate Commission, part of the Division of Professional Regulation. It is closed-book and computer-delivered at a Pearson VUE test center, and it is organized into two distinct portions that are scored independently. The national/general portion carries 80 scored items plus 5 unscored pretest items, and the Delaware-specific portion carries 40 scored items plus 10 unscored items. That's 135 total questions delivered in a four-hour appointment.
Because the two portions are scored separately, you must reach a scaled score of 70 on the general portion and a scaled score of 70 on the state portion. Passing one and failing the other means you retake only the failed section - but that retake must happen within one year of completing your 99-hour prelicensing course, and you're allowed no more than three attempts before you're required to repeat the course entirely. For a full breakdown of how scoring works, see our dedicated guide on the DE-RE-S passing score.
Domains 1-8: The National Portion
Domains 1 through 8 make up the 80 scored general items and cover the broad real estate knowledge tested across most U.S. jurisdictions. Percentages below are calculated from Pearson VUE's official item counts within that 80-item pool.
Domain 1: Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use (13.75%)
Covers physical and legal characteristics of land, metes-and-bounds and lot-and-block descriptions, and land-use controls like zoning and easements.
- Know how to read a legal description and identify encroachments or encumbrances.
Domain 2: Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title (11.25%)
Tests tenancy types (joint tenancy, tenancy in common, tenancy by the entirety), deed types, and the recording process that establishes constructive notice.
- Distinguish general warranty deeds from quitclaim deeds and know what recording protects.
Domain 3: Property Value and Appraisal (13.75%)
Focuses on the three approaches to value, the appraisal process, and factors that influence market value versus assessed value.
- Be able to apply the sales comparison approach conceptually, not just define it.
Domain 4: Real Estate Contracts and Agency (20%)
The single largest national domain. Covers listing agreements, buyer representation, contract elements, offer/acceptance, and agency/fiduciary duties.
- Expect scenario questions on agency relationships and contract validity - this domain alone carries a fifth of the national score.
Domain 5: Real Estate Practice (12.5%)
Everyday licensee activities: showing property, handling offers, fair housing compliance, and advertising rules.
- Fair housing scenarios frequently appear here and overlap with statutory content tested later in Domain 11.
Domain 6: Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues (11.25%)
Seller disclosure obligations and environmental hazards such as lead-based paint, radon, and mold.
- Know federal disclosure triggers (like pre-1978 housing) as well as general environmental hazard categories.
Domain 7: Financing and Settlement (8.75%)
Loan types, the closing/settlement process, and basic finance terminology used in transactions.
- Understand the settlement statement structure and common financing terms conceptually.
Domain 8: Real Estate Math Calculations (8.75%)
Proration, commission splits, loan-to-value ratios, and area calculations.
- A silent, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad is permitted - financial calculators are prohibited, so practice manual formulas.
Key Takeaway
Domains 4, 1, and 3 together account for nearly half the national portion. If your review time is limited, prioritize Contracts and Agency, Property Characteristics, and Appraisal before spending equal time on lower-weighted domains like Financing or Math.
Domains 9-12: The Delaware State Portion
Domains 9 through 12 make up the 40 scored Delaware-specific items, weighted from Pearson VUE's item counts within that pool. This is where the exam diverges sharply from generic national real estate content, and it's also where candidates most often underestimate how much detail is required.
Domain 9: Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission (10%)
Covers the composition, authority, and disciplinary powers of the Delaware Real Estate Commission within the Division of Professional Regulation.
- Know what the Commission can investigate, sanction, and enforce.
Domain 10: Licensing Requirements (7.5%)
Tests eligibility criteria, education prerequisites, and the process for obtaining and maintaining a Delaware salesperson license.
- Includes the 99-hour prelicensing requirement and the need for a sponsoring Delaware broker.
Domain 11: Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (42.5%)
The largest domain on the entire exam. It governs how licensees must conduct themselves in transactions under Delaware statute - disclosure duties, trust account handling, advertising rules, and license law compliance.
- This domain alone is nearly half the state portion; underestimating it is the most common reason candidates fail the state section.
Domain 12: Additional State Topics (40%)
A broad catch-all covering remaining Delaware-specific practices not addressed in Domains 9-11, including state-specific forms, procedures, and regulatory nuances.
- Because this domain is broad, review the full state outline rather than relying on a narrow topic list.
Domain Weighting at a Glance
Because the national and state portions are scored separately, it helps to see weighting within each pool side by side rather than as one combined percentage.
| Portion | Scored Items | Unscored Items | Heaviest Domain | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National/General (Domains 1-8) | 80 | 5 | Domain 4: Contracts and Agency (20%) | Scaled 70 |
| Delaware State (Domains 9-12) | 40 | 10 | Domain 11: Statutory Requirements (42.5%) | Scaled 70 |
Total exam length across both portions is 135 questions in a four-hour window. For a deeper look at how the scaled score is calculated and what "70" actually represents numerically, read our full explainer on the DE-RE-S passing score.
Scheduling Your Review Around the Domains
Rather than treating all 12 domains equally, allocate review time proportional to weight. A simple four-week structure built around the domain percentages above looks like this:
Domains 4, 1, 3 - Heaviest National Content
- Master contracts, agency, legal descriptions, and appraisal approaches first since these carry the most national weight.
Domains 5, 2, 6 - Practice and Disclosure
- Work through agency scenarios, title transfer, and disclosure/environmental rules with practice questions.
Domains 7, 8 - Financing and Math
- Drill proration and commission calculations by hand since financial calculators aren't permitted.
Domains 11, 12, 9, 10 - Full Delaware State Portion
- Spend the most time here: Domains 11 and 12 alone make up over 80% of the state score.
This kind of spaced review - revisiting the heavy domains more than once rather than studying everything in a single pass - tends to work better than cramming, especially for statute-heavy material in Domain 11. For a more detailed week-by-week plan, see our full DE-RE-S study guide.
Fees, Eligibility, and Retake Rules
Understanding the domains matters less if you're not eligible to sit for the exam in the first place, so here's how the mechanics fit together. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and complete an approved 99-hour Delaware salesperson prelicensing course before applying. The Pearson VUE exam fee is $88, the state application fee is $149, and there's a separate $25 Real Estate Guaranty Fund fee.
- Apply to test within 12 months of completing your prelicensing course.
- Any failed portion (national or state) must be retaken within one year of finishing prelicensing education.
- You get up to three total attempts before you must repeat the prelicensing course.
- A sponsoring Delaware broker is required before your license can be activated.
- New salespersons must complete 12 additional hours of education within 90 days of licensure.
Once licensed, renewal falls on April 30 of even-numbered years, and each full biennial cycle requires 21 continuing-education hours. For the full cost picture including all three fees and what happens on a retake, read our DE-RE-S certification cost breakdown. If you're still confirming you meet the basic prerequisites, our DE-RE-S requirements guide walks through eligibility step by step, and our DE-RE-S exam dates guide covers scheduling windows and deadlines in more detail.
Key Takeaway
Because Domain 11 alone is 42.5% of the state portion, allocate proportionally more of your final review week to statutory requirements than to any other single domain - including the entire national portion combined.
Why Domain Weighting Should Drive Your Prep, Not Just Your Reading Order
It's tempting to study the 12 domains in numerical order and give each one equal attention. But since Domains 4 and 11 together carry a disproportionate share of the total exam score, spending equal time on Domain 8 (Real Estate Math, 8.75%) and Domain 11 (Statutory Requirements, 42.5%) is a poor use of limited study hours. Practice tests that break results down by domain - rather than a single overall score - let you see exactly which of the 12 areas need more repetitions before test day. If you're deciding whether the licensing path is worth the time investment at all, our ROI analysis of DE-RE-S certification and DE-RE-S salary guide cover what the credential opens up on the career side, while our DE-RE-S jobs overview looks at who typically hires newly licensed salespersons in Delaware.
You can also run full-length timed simulations on our practice test platform to get comfortable with the 135-question, four-hour format before your actual Pearson VUE appointment. Reviewing missed questions by domain - rather than just checking your overall score - is the fastest way to find out whether your gap is in national contract law or Delaware-specific statute. If you haven't yet nailed down exactly what separates a pass from a fail numerically, revisit our guide to the DE-RE-S passing score before your final week of review, and try another round of practice questions to confirm you're consistently clearing 70 on both portions.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 12 total domains: eight national/general domains (Domains 1-8) scored within the 80-item general portion, and four Delaware-specific domains (Domains 9-12) scored within the 40-item state portion.
Domain 11, Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees, is the largest single domain at 42.5% of the state portion. On the national side, Domain 4, Real Estate Contracts and Agency, is heaviest at 20%.
Yes. The national portion (80 scored items) and the Delaware state portion (40 scored items) are scored independently, and you need a scaled score of 70 on each to pass overall.
Yes, but only a silent, handheld, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad. Financial calculators are prohibited, so practice proration and commission math using basic arithmetic functions.
You retake only the failed portion, but it must be completed within one year of finishing your 99-hour prelicensing course, and you're limited to three total attempts before you must repeat the course.