Basic Study Tips Each student retains information differently. Some prefer reading while others rely on hearing and still others by doing. Because it is hard to know what your best learning style is, here are some general suggestions that you might find helpful in studying and retaining the information in the course. 1. Time Management It is not the amount of time you spend studying that matters. It s what you can accomplish during that time. Spending 40 hours to prepare for an exam and only earning a C clearly was a waste of your time. Develop a study plan and learn how to manage your time effectively to maximize your results. 2. Motivation If you are not motivated and have a poor attitude, your study session will not be very productive. You have just one opportunity to pass your exam the first time. Pick a time of day where you can get motivated to prepare for tests. 3. Concentration The ability to concentrate is one of the more important study skills you need to develop. You won t always be able to study in absolute silence or be able to spend as much time as you would like on a particular project. Learn how to overcome distractions so you can focus all your attention on your studies. 4. Study less, but do it more often Don t try and learn everything in extended last-minute sessions. Your brain prefers regular repetition. Studying for one hour a day for ten days is better than ten hours the night before the test. 5. Learn actively Studying is much more effective when you force yourself to learn actively. Utilize your online instructor when you need help understanding a topic or concept. The explanation process will help you retain information better. 6. Schedule your study activity Block out study times in 2 3hour increments on your calendar for studying. Make those times a priority. If distracted or tempted to do something else, just say, I have other obligations for those days/times.
7. Relate learning to your life When reading, try to turn theory into your daily practice. If your study topic is real estate, consider how different laws, concepts and techniques will work in your particular life circumstances. 8. Read it, write it Make sure that you take notes. This is essential for memory retention. Write down chapter headings and briefly summarize the key points as they appear. Jot down any questions that arise, or disagreements you have with the material. This is another way to make your learning active. 9. Be realistic Before embarking on new learning, set a realistic target, then create a manageable study plan. Factor in some extra time to help you cope with busy work periods or potential delays as well. 10. Check with an expert You invest a lot of time before an important exam. You ve never studied so comprehensively and you are sure you will perform well, but then your results arrive and you are disappointed. It appears that your understanding of the course was off track. It happens. To make sure that you are grasping concepts correctly, check with your instructor before your test. 11. Study yourself Learning sometimes feels like a burden. But without it you may find yourself under equipped to shine. Test yourself with a practice test. Go over your weak areas and then study them again. Try testing the practice test again. You will find as you complete this process that your scores will improve. 12. Use testing as an opportunity If you have not been in the study mode for a while, the results of your first tests may disappoint. Use testing as an opportunity to improve. Testing will identify those areas or concepts which require added study. It is important to focus on the areas or concepts needing attention. Studying test questions alone is not the answer and does not appreciably increase deductive reasoning. It is analogous to the difference between memorizing a math problem or learning a formula. 13. Review and summarize Review and summarize your accomplishments. Periodically, summarize what you have learned/accomplished so far. It s like monitoring your miles traveled on a trip, by knowing how far you have gone; you know how close you are to your destination. This will help keep your goal in sight, provide positive reinforcement, encouragement and will build confidence.
Tips for Reducing Test Taking Anxiety Test anxiety is when a student excessively worries about doing well on an exam. This can become a major hindrance on exam performance and cause extreme nervousness and memory lapses among other symptoms. The following tips on reducing anxiety may be very helpful: Being well prepared is the best way to reduce test taking anxiety. Space out your studying and continually review class material. Don t try to learn everything the night before an exam. Try to maintain a positive attitude while preparing for and during the exam. Get a good night s sleep the night before the exam. Show up at the testing center early so you won t have to worry about being late. Stay relaxed, if you begin to get nervous take a few deep breaths slowly to relax Read the directions slowly and carefully. If you don t understand the directions on the exam, ask the tester or exam monitor to explain it to you. Know the number of questions you will be tested on and plan accordingly; in other words, determine how much total time you have and figure out how much time you can spend on each question. Monitor this as you test you should have the ability to mark questions for review at the end, but always try to choose the best answer in case you run out of time. Upon sitting at your testing station, write down important formulas, facts, definitions and/or keywords in the margin or on scratch paper first so you won t worry about forgetting them. If you are unsure of an answer, use the other questions to help you. Many times the same topic or concept is mentioned in multiple questions. Use the other questions to eliminate wrong answers or provide the correct one. Don t worry about how fast other people finish their exam; just concentrate on your own exam. Focus on the question at hand. Don t let your mind wander to other topics or questions you think you answered incorrectly. If you re still experiencing extreme test anxiety after following these tips, seek help from your instructor. 1
Final Exam Study Tips Our final test is a comprehensive exam requiring both the application of the concepts in addition to memorization of terms and laws. The finals, because of the type of questions they are, require a more analytical and interpretive reading. It may seem on the first reading that more than one answer is correct but that s where the complete understanding of the material comes in, there are differences that make one answer correct and the other wrong. The purpose is to pass those students who do demonstrate a thorough knowledge of all the material both presented and assigned. All course objectives are tested over, but each objective is not given the same level of detail when an exam is developed. That means that there may be an overlap of the questions from exam to exam but not necessarily. Remember that this is a concept course and that means that you have to be able to take a concept and apply it to a situation and, like life, not every situation is the same. You have to know the material and how it would pertain to the specific situation. It s also important to understand definitions. They are critical in this business. At the time of the final you are not in the learning mode anymore. You are in the elimination mode, meaning you should eliminate the least likely questions and focus on choosing the best answer based on the question. Please remember that multiple choice questions are one of the hardest tests to pass and this will not reflect on the type of salesperson you will be. The most commonly missed questions usually contain the words Except, None of the above or All of the above. These are excluding or including words and change the meaning of what is being asked. Read the questions very carefully. One little word makes all of the difference in multiple choice questions, i.e. all, none, except. So you should try to read the question once and then reread the question looking at each word individually. 2
Please note that our brains really group words together and thus our eyes need to focus on all of the words. Then look at all of the possible answers and by deductive reasoning eliminate the answers you know are incorrect. Normally if it is a choice between 2 answers your first response is generally the correct one. Sometimes we become overzealous in reviewing our answers and change the correct answer. Remember that this course is not all about practice exams and quizzes. If you concentrate on quizzes and tests alone, you will not pass the state exam on the first try. The important issue is that you understand definitions and concepts, and that you apply them to any questions that you might be asked on the state exam. Try to identify your content and topic weaknesses and then strengthen them. If you are weak in any known subject area, you may not be ready for the state exam. As you study, identify your problem areas and focus on them intensively until your quiz and test scores improve in those areas. We are training you to take and pass a state exam. When you have passed this course, passed the licensing exam, received your license the most important decision you will make is the broker and company with whom you choose to place your license. They will teach you how to be a broker in the "real world of real estate". Our goal as a school is to provide a solid groundwork for you to pass the exam in order to make the important decisions that will lead you to a successful real estate career. We unfortunately cannot teach you all the other important facets of your career in such a limited period of time. Again, this is where your Broker training will play a huge role in your development, in addition to involvement in local trade associations. 3
Your first quizzes test memory or memorization of information. Just as a teacher, you start easy with your students and by the time they take their final exams they are expected to perform at a much higher level we too expect the same from our students. We are monitored by ARELLO (Association of Real Estate License Law Officials) and they set our parameters for questions, course work, etc. Everything we do is approved by them in order to be certified. HERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS FROM YOUR INSTRUCTOR TO ASSIST YOU IN STUDYING FOR YOUR FINAL EXAMINATION: 1. Read and study the online textbook. 2. Study the State Rules and Regulations that were provided for you. 3. Re-take any unit quiz or section exam you feel weak on. Once you have passed, you can take these quizzes and exams over and over without affecting your original passing score. 4. Do not just study questions, but learn concepts. If you understand concepts there is not a question that we can ask or that the state test can ask that you should not be able to answer correctly. 5. When taking quizzes, practice exams, and/or final exams read each question and answer twice. 6. Eliminate the two answers you know are wrong, and pick the BEST answer without asking yourself WHAT IF or playing ATTORNEY. 7. Do not think that we are trying to trick you. There is only one best answer to every question. 4
Preparing for your Second Final Exam Attempt If you don t pass your first attempt on your final course exam, you will want to review the following tips to better prepare you for a successful second attempt. Unfortunately were not allowed to share with students the questions that were missed. It s a state regulation that we, as an educator, have to follow. Don t take as much time over each question while preparing for your next effort. Three hours should give you enough time to complete the final without having to rush. Below are some test taking suggestions. 1. Read each question 2 3 times before you choose the answer. There is usually one answer that is very wrong, one which you think might be wrong, and then there are those two that look like they are right. How do you choose?? Go with what you believe is the MOST CORRECT ANSWER. Try to rationalize the answer. Treat it as if it were a true and false is this one right? No Is B right? No Is C right?? Maybe 2. Know the general terminology. Definitions are critical in this business. Know the math formulas. While there may not be a lot of math on the exams, it's important to know it. 3. This is a concept course. That means you have to be able to take a concept and apply it to a situation. Not every situation is the same. You have to know the law and how it pertains. 4. RTDQ read the darned question. What are they asking for? Do not read into the question. Just read the question and answer what is being asked. Avoid the 'what if's'. 5. If you are unsure of an answer, use the other test questions to help you. Many times the same topic or concept is mentioned in multiple questions. Use the other questions to eliminate wrong answers or provide the correct one. 5
6. Lastly do not change your answers unless you KNOW it is wrong. Students have the tendency to go back over the test and second-guess their work. Your first answer is usually the correct one. If you don't know it, wait take a deep breath, and then try it. Make a note on scratch paper as to the questionable question. THEN come back to it later. BUT when you are done with the test and you are CERTAIN you are correct with your answers, and then submit it. Don't go back over and over and maybe change a correct answer to a wrong one. IF YOUR SECOND ATTEMPT REQUIRES WAIT TIME, HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR PREPARATION WHILE YOU RE WAITING: Be sure that you have read the State Statutes and Rules from the links we provided you. Be sure that you have reviewed the Candidate Handbooks outline of what will be covered on the State exam. Read every link in the supplemental materials checklist found in Licensing Support Materials on the homepage of your course. Remember this course is not all about practice exams and quizzes. When you study, concentrate on concepts and definitions and apply them to the test. It s like math, if you know the formula and apply it to the question correctly, you ll get the right answer. Take notes, and then memorize your notes. There are also chapter-end summaries in the supplemental text. Use the quizzes to identify the topics which need improvement, then study to improve. You should take the state exam when you are knowledgeable and confident in all areas. Finally if you can t identify and explain with confidence the different types of contracts, deeds and agency law, you need to go back and study some more. 6
State Exam Testing Tips 1. Prior to testing students should go to the exam provider website or the course supplemental materials and print out or read the candidate testing handbook. 2. Read the sections on preparation on the exam day which will review what you will need to bring with you, rules for the exam, which personal belongings are allowed and general examination restrictions. 3. While on the exam provider website review testing instructions and take the practice test to familiarize yourself with the format. 4. Read the questions at face value. What are they asking? 5. Exclude answers you know to be wrong and select the most correct of those remaining. 6. First go through the test and answer the questions for which you are certain you have the correct answer. Then return to the beginning and answer the rest. If you have no idea as to which answer is correct, guess. An unanswered question always counts against you. A guess has a one in four chance in being right. 7. You can take breaks but the clock will still run. 8. No cell phones in the testing area. To minimize confusion among examinees, most states now partition the test into a National Portion and a state specific portion and grade the test collectively. Students can pass one section and fail another and are only required to retest the portion failed. Some ways to differentiate between Agency and Broker Relations: 1. If the questions says agency, it s an agency question. 2. If the question says In [state name], it s a broker question. 3. If a question says single party or transaction broker, it s a broker question. 4. If a question does not say [state name], single party or transaction broker, it s an agency question. 7
Additional Tips Read each question and the answer options carefully. Be sure you understand what the question is asking before you choose an answer. Weed out the non-essential information. If possible, put the question into a category. For example, is the question about contract law, license law, or forms of ownership? Sometimes selecting a category will help you eliminate an answer option. If you are not certain, skip the question and come back to it. Do not let the questions intimidate you; understand that you will miss some. Today, questions require that you use your knowledge in a new way. The questions on the exam are called higher order questions and they are meant to duplicate real world situations. Remember that you are obtaining a state issued license and you will be tested on the license requirements: the types, renewal, expiration and issuing authority. Be sure you have read the statue and rules from the links we provide. Pay attention to the prohibited acts and violations. Look for the larger penalties contained in the statute. Use the Candidate handbook provided by your state s exam vendor. This booklet contains valuable information about the testing process and content. Remember that this course is not all about practice exams and quizzes. If you concentrate on quizzes and tests alone, you will not pass the state exam on the first try. The important issue is that you understand definitions and concepts. Please use ALL of our supplemental materials; the links contain valuable information mentioned above. Don t forget chapter 23 in the online textbook is an entire unit of quizzes organized by topic and you can sort out your weakest areas for review fairly quickly by using those practice questions and the answer explanation contained in chapter 24. 8