- MD-RES Exam Overview: Format and Fees
- National Portion Domains You Must Master
- Maryland State Portion: The Six Domains
- Scoring and Passing Requirements
- Eligibility and Licensing Timeline
- A Domain-Weighted Study Timeline
- What to Expect on Test Day
- After You Pass: Licensing and Careers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The MD-RES has 80 scored national questions (90 minutes) and 30 scored Maryland questions (30 minutes).
- You need 56/80 national and 21/30 Maryland to pass - both portions require 70%.
- Contracts (19%) is the largest national domain; Brokerage Relationships leads the Maryland portion.
- The exam costs $44 through PSI Services LLC; the original license fee is a separate $98.
MD-RES Exam Overview: Format and Fees
The Maryland Real Estate Salesperson Exam (MD-RES) is administered by PSI Services LLC on behalf of the Maryland Real Estate Commission, part of the Maryland Department of Labor. It's a computer-based, multiple-choice test that costs $44 to sit for. The exam is split into two distinct, separately timed portions:
- National portion: 80 scored questions in 90 minutes
- Maryland state portion: 30 scored questions in 30 minutes
On top of those 110 scored items, PSI mixes in 1 to 10 unscored experimental questions that consume exam time but don't count toward your score - you won't know which ones they are, so treat every question as if it counts. If you're still getting oriented to the exam structure and vocabulary, the What Is MD-RES? overview and the MD-RES Meaning breakdown are good starting points before diving into domain-level prep.
National Portion Domains You Must Master
The national portion covers eleven domains, each weighted by percentage of the national question pool. Understanding these weights lets you allocate study hours proportionally instead of spreading effort evenly across topics that don't deserve equal time.
| National Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Contracts | 19% |
| Agency | 13% |
| Practice of Real Estate | 12% |
| Property Ownership | 10% |
| Financing | 10% |
| Valuation | 8% |
| Property Disclosures | 7% |
| Real Estate Calculations | 7% |
| Transfer of Title | 6% |
| Land Use Controls | 5% |
| Property Management | 3% |
Contracts (19% - the single largest national domain)
This domain drives more scored questions than any other, so it deserves the biggest slice of your study calendar.
- Elements of a valid contract and contingencies
- Listing agreements, buyer representation agreements, and offers
- Contract termination, breach, and remedies
Agency (13%)
Agency relationships are tested heavily and overlap conceptually with the Maryland-specific Brokerage Relationships domain, so mastering national agency law pays double.
- Fiduciary duties owed to clients
- Types of agency and disclosure obligations
- Termination of agency relationships
For a question-by-question breakdown of how all seventeen domains (national and Maryland combined) fit together, see the MD-RES Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 17 Content Areas. It's the companion reference for this study guide.
Maryland State Portion: The Six Domains
The 30-question Maryland portion draws from six domains rooted in Maryland real estate law and Commission rules rather than generic national concepts. These questions are less about broad principles and more about specific Maryland statutes, procedures, and disclosure requirements.
Brokerage Relationships (the largest Maryland domain)
Maryland has its own statutory framework for how licensees relate to buyers, sellers, and each other. Expect the heaviest concentration of Maryland-portion questions here.
- Statutory duties owed to buyers vs. sellers under Maryland law
- Disclosure of relationships and dual agency rules specific to Maryland
- Intra-company agency and designated representative concepts
Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission
Know how the Commission is structured, its enforcement authority, and its role in licensing and discipline.
Licensing Requirements
Covers eligibility, education prerequisites, and the mechanics of applying - details that also matter practically, not just for the test. See the MD-RES Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify guide for the full checklist.
Supervision
Rules governing how licensed salespersons must operate under a supervising broker's oversight.
Business Conduct
Advertising rules, trust account handling, and recordkeeping obligations specific to Maryland practice.
Ethics
Professional conduct standards and situational judgment questions that test how you'd apply Maryland rules in practice, not just recall them.
Scoring and Passing Requirements
Each portion of the MD-RES is scored independently, and each requires a 70% score to pass:
- National portion: 56 correct out of 80 scored questions
- Maryland portion: 21 correct out of 30 scored questions
There's no combined or averaged score - you must clear both thresholds in the same exam attempt (or retest on whichever portion you failed, depending on PSI's retake policy for your situation). For a deep dive into exactly how the scoring math works and what a "close miss" looks like, read MD-RES Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're trying to gauge how tough the exam feels in practice, How Hard Is the MD-RES Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and MD-RES Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows put the scoring bars in context.
Key Takeaway
Because the Maryland portion has fewer questions (30) than the national portion (80), each missed Maryland question costs you more percentage points. Don't under-study the state-specific domains just because they carry fewer total questions.
Eligibility and Licensing Timeline
Before you can even sit for the MD-RES, you need to meet the Commission's baseline eligibility rules:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Demonstrate good character and reputation
- Complete 60 hours of Commission-approved prelicensing education
Timing matters just as much as content. You must pass both exam portions within one year of completing your prelicensing course, and then apply for your license within one year of passing the exam. Miss either window and you may need to retake coursework or the exam itself. Once licensed, active practice requires affiliation with a licensed Maryland broker - you cannot practice independently as a new salesperson.
For a full explanation of the eligibility rules, application sequencing, and how the one-year windows interact, read MD-RES Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify. And if you're still mapping out registration dates or wondering when testing windows open, MD-RES Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling lays out the scheduling mechanics with PSI.
A Domain-Weighted Study Timeline
Rather than studying every domain equally, allocate time in proportion to question weight and personal weak spots. Below is a sample structure that front-loads the heaviest national domains and reserves dedicated time for the Maryland-specific material, which candidates often underestimate because it's "only" 30 questions.
Contracts and Agency
- Drill contract elements, contingencies, and remedies (19% weight)
- Study fiduciary duties and agency termination rules (13% weight)
Practice of Real Estate, Property Ownership, Financing
- Review licensee conduct and disclosure obligations
- Cover ownership estates, financing instruments, and loan types
Valuation, Calculations, Disclosures, Transfer of Title
- Practice appraisal methods and math-based questions
- Memorize required disclosure forms and title transfer steps
All Six Maryland Domains
- Focus heaviest on Brokerage Relationships, the largest Maryland domain
- Review Commission powers, licensing rules, supervision, and ethics scenarios
- Take full-length timed practice exams under real time limits
If you prefer a condensed reference to keep open during final review, the MD-RES Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts distills the passing thresholds, domain weights, and key deadlines into one page. Running full timed simulations on our practice test platform in week four is the best way to confirm you can hit both the 56/80 and 21/30 thresholds under real time pressure.
What to Expect on Test Day
The MD-RES is delivered at a PSI test center as a computer-based exam. Because the national and Maryland portions are timed separately (90 minutes and 30 minutes respectively), pace yourself within each section rather than treating the whole exam as one 120-minute block. A few practical notes:
- The unscored experimental questions (1-10 of them) are mixed in without labels - don't waste time trying to identify them.
- Multiple-choice format means every question has a single best answer; watch for absolute language ("always," "never") that often signals a distractor.
- Real estate calculation questions (7% of the national portion) reward memorized formulas over reasoning from scratch - practice these until they're automatic.
After You Pass: Licensing and Careers
Passing the MD-RES is a milestone, not the finish line. You still need to apply for your license within one year of passing, pay the $98 original license fee, and secure affiliation with a licensed Maryland broker before you can practice. From there, renewal cycles require 15 continuing-education hours, with the mandatory 15-hour curriculum applying to salespersons first licensed on or after October 1, 2023.
Newly licensed salespersons typically join residential brokerages, though some move into property management or commercial-adjacent roles under broker supervision. If you're weighing whether the time and cost investment pays off, Is the MD-RES Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and MD-RES Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis unpack the career-side considerations, while MD-RES Jobs covers where licensees typically find placement after passing.
Key Takeaway
Your license application clock starts the moment you pass - not when you finish coursework. Apply promptly to avoid re-testing due to a missed one-year window.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 110 scored questions total: 80 on the national portion and 30 on the Maryland state portion. An additional 1 to 10 unscored experimental questions may also appear, using up exam time without affecting your score.
You need 70% on each portion separately: at least 56 correct out of 80 on the national section and at least 21 correct out of 30 on the Maryland section.
The exam fee is $44, paid to PSI Services LLC. This is separate from the $98 original salesperson license fee and the $78 renewal fee, effective April 27, 2026.
Contracts is the largest national domain at 19% of that portion, and Brokerage Relationships is the largest domain within the Maryland state portion - both deserve disproportionate study time.
You must pass both exam portions within one year of completing your 60-hour approved prelicensing course, and then apply for your license within one year of passing.