Best Real Estate Courses & Schools in Minnesota (2026)

Minnesota requires 90 hours of pre-licensing education — three 30-hour courses (Course I, II, and III). Course I must be completed before you can sit for the state exam; Courses II and III can be completed before or after the exam, but must be done before you apply for your license.

Studying online at your own pace, you can potentially finish the coursework in about 3 weeks. Add a few weeks to get your exam appointment scheduled, plus time for the Commerce Department to process your application, and most agents are licensed within 3 to 6 months total — though it’s possible in as little as 8 weeks if you move quickly.

Most agents describe it as challenging. The exam has 120 questions split into an 80-question National section and a 40-question State section, and you’ll need at least 60 of 80 correct nationally and 30 of 40 correct on the state portion to pass — both add up to the required 75%.

You only need to retake the section you failed. You’ll wait 24 hours before you can schedule a retake, and pay the $65 fee again for that attempt.

Minnesota doesn’t publish a specific limit on retakes — you can keep retaking a failed section by paying the fee each time until you pass.

120 multiple-choice questions: 80 on the National section and 40 on the Minnesota State section. You’ll have 4 hours total — 2.5 hours for the national portion and 1.5 hours for the state portion.

75% on both sections — that’s 60 of 80 correct on the National section and 30 of 40 correct on the State section.

You have one year after passing to submit your license application through the PULSE Portal, which your sponsoring broker will need to submit on your behalf.

Most Minnesota-approved pre-licensing courses include practice exams as part of the coursework. For additional free practice questions, check YouTube for study walkthroughs, or ask your course provider whether sample questions are available. You can also buy exam prep + practice test packages – there are some affordable options out there.

Both — PSI offers in-person testing at locations throughout the state as well as remote online proctoring for the Minnesota exam.

Take as many practice exams as you can — repetition is what turns recognition into recall. The national section makes up the bulk of the exam (80 of 120 questions), so prioritize your study time there, but don’t neglect the state-specific section since you need to pass both independently. You can find free practice tests online, but you can also purchase them.