Compare Delaware’s top pre-licensing and continuing education providers — by format, focus, and value — so you can pick the right one whether you’re getting licensed or renewing.
Delaware at a Glance
Everything you need before you enroll
We only recommend courses and providers we believe are genuinely valuable and well-regarded — based on independent research into their curriculum, format, and student support, not on which schools pay us the most. Building Better Agents may earn a commission when you enroll through some of the links on this page, at no additional cost to you. You can read our full Affiliate & Editorial Disclosure for more detail.
Quick Snapshot
Jump to any school below for the full breakdown.
| School | Best For | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| AceableAgent | Affordability | A slick, modern app for studying on the go. |
| The CE Shop | One-Stop Shop | Handles your licensing, continuing ed, and exam prep all in one place. |
| Central Delaware Real Estate Academy | Local, small class sizes | Dover-based, capped at 18 students per class. |
Our picks, based on curriculum quality, flexibility, and student outcomes — updated for 2026.
AceableAgent
A genuinely well-built mobile app makes this the easiest option to study on the go, at the lowest starting price of the group. PrepAgent exam prep is included on select packages, plus in-app chat and email support.
Best for affordabilityThe CE Shop
The CE Shop covers the full lifecycle of a Delaware license — prelicensing, continuing education, and standalone exam prep are all available under one account, which makes it an easy default if you don’t want to juggle providers as you renew down the road.
Best for overall valueCentral Delaware Real Estate Academy
A small, Dover-based school that caps its 99-hour classes at 18 students, so you’re not just a number in a large online cohort. Classes run in-person evenings with a hybrid option, taught by a small team of dedicated sales, law, and math instructors.
Best for local, small class sizesNew to all this? If terms like “self-paced,” “hybrid,” or “livestream” are throwing you off, we’ve put together a quick glossary to clear things up.
Delaware’s course providers tend to lean on the same handful of terms — self-paced, live, hybrid — without explaining what they mean in practice. We put together a glossary and a checklist of what actually separates a strong course from a mediocre one: What to Look for When Choosing a Real Estate Course →
Before you spend extra on a standalone exam prep subscription, it’s worth knowing whether it’ll actually move the needle for Delaware’s exam. We cover the honest tradeoffs here: Is Real Estate Exam Prep Worth It? →
Delaware requires 99 hours of pre-licensing education — one of the heavier requirements in the country — through a school approved by the Delaware Real Estate Commission.
Studying online at your own pace, most students finish the 99-hour course in 6 to 12 weeks. Add time for your fingerprint background check, exam scheduling, and license application processing, and most people are licensed within 2 to 4 months total.
120 multiple-choice questions: 80 on the national section and 40 on the Delaware-specific section. You’ll have 4 hours to complete the exam, administered by Pearson VUE in person.
A minimum score of 70%.
Only about 62% of candidates pass on the first try, so most agents describe it as genuinely challenging. The exam has 120 questions (80 national, 40 Delaware-specific), and you’ll need a minimum score of 70% to pass.
Delaware bases retakes on attempt count rather than a fixed time window — you get up to 3 attempts to pass both the national and state portions. If you don’t pass within those 3 attempts, you’ll need to retake the entire 99-hour pre-licensing course before testing again.
Take as many practice exams as you can — repetition is what turns recognition into recall. Since Delaware’s retake rule is based on attempt count rather than time, treat each attempt seriously rather than banking on unlimited chances, and lean on your school’s numeric score breakdown if you don’t pass to focus your restudy where it matters most.
Yes — and it’s genuinely generous. Delaware has reciprocity with all other states, meaning if you’re already licensed elsewhere, you won’t have to take Delaware’s 99-hour pre-license course. You’ll still need to pass the state-specific portion of the exam or meet certain experience requirements.
Most Delaware-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 before purchasing standalone exam prep.
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