Stay Calm and Exam On

Getting ready to prepare for the UBC Real Estate exam takes work and a Plan.  Real Estate is location, location, and a little luck; but getting ready to write the exam takes planning, planning, and a little luck.

1. Review everything all over again.  Re-do all of the assignments so you are familiar with the ESG, math and law questions.  Are you “Challenging” the exam?  You should still re-do everything if you want to pass even if you have years of experience as a Realtor or Mortgage Broker.  I know UBC tells you to just write the exam; but, do you really, truly think that being a realtor and writing the exam are the same?  Yes, you have great “experience” but unfortunately it usually doesn’t translate into passing the exam.
2. Create a plan that includes how many hours a day you will be studying.
3. Break those hours up into 3/4 Law and 1/4 Math since the focus of the exam is mostly on law.  By now you should have a really good handle on the math.
4. Write out the Real Smart Math formulas (or the math you learned) every day for each math lesson, so that when you start your exam it will be automatic.
5. Re-read chapters 1 and 2 on Study Day 1.  Anything you don’t understand — Google, look in the Real Smart Workbook, UBC manual, or email us.  Don’t let it go!
6. Re-do the Assignment for those chapters.  A great way to work on the questions is to print out new copy from the UBC website using your student number (right click, and save to your desktop).  Also, in any one question you may have 4 answers to choose from. You must understand why it is not the other answers.  It’s not good enough to just know its answer number 2 for example.
7. Go to the back of the Examination Study Guide (ESG) and do ALL the questions for Chapters 1 and 2.  Take note of the ones you got wrong and do them repeatedly until you get them right and understand the material.
8. Work on some Math using the Real Smart Outline. Break it up into lessons; for example, find the Periodic or Nominal Rate, or find the Pmt and N.  Do all the Calculator Reviews from your Real Smart Workbook, the ESG and your math Assignments.
9. Complete a weekly mock exam. Review the study material by answering 100 “timed” multiple choice question exams.  DON’T sit in the comfort of your home, texting, eating, or answering the phone.  Go somewhere new where there are distractions so you can get used to working under pressure and when there is noise.  You may sit beside someone on the day of the exam who tap their pencil, clear their throat, or talk to themselves.  It’s annoying but it happens.

TIMED MOCK EXAMS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

You can use your ESG and take 100 random questions where you have to constantly refer back to check your answers OR you can purchase the 3 Real Smart  “timed” mock exams and see your results instantly.  Visit our learning resources page to access the timed mock exams.

Plan out what, where, for how long and with whom you are going to study.  Map backwards from when you plan on writing the UBC exam and work towards your goal.

BEFORE YOU GO TO THE FINAL UBC EXAM:

Make sure you are achieving scores in the 80’s on your mock exams.  If you are getting in the 60’s and think the UBC exam will be different you are only fooling yourself.  The UBC exam is sneaky, tricky and is meant only for those who truly have worked hard, put in the time, sacrificed and are willing to do what it takes to pass.

It really hurts not only your ego when you fail; but your pride and your pocketbook.  You could be in your new career making money and enjoying the freedom it provides.  But instead you are back studying the entire course over again for 3 long months. Sacrifice now and enjoy later.

Sandy Brown,
President & Founder of Real Smart Inc.
BC’s #1 Real Estate School for the last 14 years