- The DCREB exam splits into a 75-item national portion (80 points, 120 minutes) and a 40-item District portion (40 points, 90 minutes).
- Contracts is the largest national domain at 19%; Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees is 60% of the District portion.
- Each portion requires a 75% score to pass, scored separately under PSI's Candidate Information Bulletin.
- The $79 fee covers either one portion or both, and PSI may embed up to 10 unscored pilot items.
Why the 15 Domains Matter
Every question on the District of Columbia Real Estate Broker Exam is written against one of 15 defined content areas published in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin. If you're building a study plan without mapping it directly to these domains, you're studying blind. Some domains barely register on the blueprint - Land Use Controls is worth 5% - while others, like Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees, dominate an entire portion of the exam. Understanding the weight of each domain tells you exactly where to spend your limited prep hours.
This guide breaks down all 15 domains as they appear on the national and District portions, explains the question style you should expect, and shows how the weighting should shape your review calendar. For a broader walkthrough of how to prepare across all materials, see the DCREB Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and if you're still deciding whether to pursue the broker credential at all, start with Is the DCREB Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026.
National Portion Domains (1-11)
The national portion covers general real estate principles that apply broadly across brokerage practice, not District-specific statutes. Eleven domains make up this portion, and their weights range from 5% to 19%.
Domain 1: Property Ownership (10%)
Covers estates, forms of ownership, and the legal rights bundled with real property.
- Fee simple vs. life estates vs. leasehold interests
- Tenancy in common, joint tenancy, and tenancy by the entirety
- Condominium and cooperative ownership structures
Domain 2: Land Use Controls (5%)
The smallest national domain, focused on public and private restrictions on how land can be used.
- Zoning classifications and variances
- Deed restrictions and restrictive covenants
- Eminent domain and police power
Domain 3: Valuation (8%)
Tests your grasp of how property value is estimated and the approaches appraisers use.
- Sales comparison, cost, and income approaches
- Factors that influence market value
- Depreciation concepts
Domain 4: Financing (9%)
Mortgage instruments, loan types, and the financing process behind a transaction.
- Conventional, FHA, and VA loan structures
- Mortgage clauses and default remedies
- Loan-to-value and amortization concepts
Domain 5: Contracts (19%)
The single largest domain on the entire exam. Expect deep coverage of contract law as applied to real estate transactions.
- Essential elements of a valid contract
- Listing agreements, purchase agreements, and options
- Contract contingencies, breach, and remedies
Domain 6: Agency (13%)
The second-heaviest national domain, covering fiduciary relationships between brokers and clients.
- Types of agency relationships and disclosure duties
- Fiduciary duties owed to principals
- Dual agency and designated agency scenarios
Domain 7: Property Disclosures (7%)
What must legally be disclosed to a buyer or tenant before a transaction closes.
- Material fact disclosure obligations
- Environmental hazard disclosures
- Seller disclosure statement requirements
Domain 8: Property Management (5%)
Landlord-tenant fundamentals and the broker's role in managing rental property.
- Lease types and lease clauses
- Security deposit handling
- Landlord and tenant rights and obligations
Domain 9: Transfer of Title (6%)
How ownership legally passes from one party to another.
- Deed types and required deed elements
- Recording and constructive notice
- Title insurance and closing procedures
Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
A broad, practice-oriented domain covering day-to-day brokerage activity and professional conduct.
- Fair housing law application
- Advertising rules and marketing compliance
- General professional conduct standards
Domain 11: Real Estate Calculations (6%)
Applied math problems using the calculator provided at the PSI test center.
- Commission splits and net-to-seller calculations
- Prorations for taxes and insurance
- Loan payment and amortization math
Key Takeaway
Contracts and Agency together account for 32% of the national portion. If you only have time to master two domains deeply before test day, these are the two.
District Portion Domains (12-15)
The 40-item District portion is where DCREB diverges sharply from generic real estate knowledge. This section tests District of Columbia-specific law, licensing rules, and brokerage practice requirements, and it carries its own 90-minute time limit and 75% passing threshold.
Domain 12: Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission (12.5%)
Focuses on the authority and function of the District of Columbia Real Estate Commission itself.
- Commission rulemaking and enforcement authority
- Disciplinary processes and hearing procedures
- Commission composition and jurisdiction
Domain 13: Licensing Requirements (15%)
Covers who needs a license, how licenses are obtained, and how they're maintained.
- Prelicensing education hour requirements
- Experience prerequisites for broker candidates
- Renewal cycles and continuing education obligations
Domain 14: Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees (60%)
By far the dominant domain of the entire exam - this single area makes up 60% of the District portion. Treat it as its own subject, not a footnote.
- Trust account and escrow handling rules
- Disclosure and recordkeeping obligations under District statute
- Grounds for license suspension or revocation
- Advertising and unauthorized practice restrictions specific to the District
Domain 15: Responsibilities Specific to Brokerage Practice (12.5%)
Broker-level duties tied to supervising a firm and its licensees in the District.
- Supervisory responsibilities for affiliated licensees
- Broker-of-record obligations
- Office and branch office requirements
The Two Heavyweight Domains
If you take nothing else from this breakdown, take this: two domains disproportionately determine your outcome. Contracts carries 19% of the national portion, and Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees carries 60% of the District portion. No other domain comes close to either figure.
| Domain | Portion | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts | National | 19% |
| Agency | National | 13% |
| Practice of Real Estate | National | 12% |
| Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees | District | 60% |
| Licensing Requirements | District | 15% |
| Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission | District | 12.5% |
| Responsibilities Specific to Brokerage Practice | District | 12.5% |
Because the District portion is so heavily concentrated in one domain, candidates who treat it as "the easy short section" often underestimate it. A deep dive into how difficult candidates actually find this weighting is covered in How Hard Is the DCREB Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026, and the exact scoring thresholds are detailed in DCREB Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Mapping Domains to a Study Schedule
Once you know the weighting, build your calendar around it instead of moving through domains in numerical order. Front-load the heaviest domains while your energy and time are freshest, and use spaced repetition in the final weeks specifically for the statutory material in Domain 14, since it involves dense rule memorization that fades quickly without review.
Contracts and Agency
- Work through contract elements, listing types, and fiduciary duty scenarios
- Drill practice questions on breach and remedy fact patterns
Practice of Real Estate and Financing
- Review fair housing application and advertising compliance
- Work loan structure and amortization problems
Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees
- Isolate this domain entirely given its 60% District weight
- Build a rule-by-rule reference sheet for trust accounts, disclosures, and disciplinary grounds
Licensing Requirements, Commission Duties, and Brokerage Responsibilities
- Cover education hours, experience prerequisites, and renewal cycles
- Review Commission enforcement authority and broker supervisory duties
Remaining National Domains and Full Timed Review
- Cycle through Property Ownership, Valuation, Disclosures, Transfer of Title, Land Use Controls, Property Management, and Calculations
- Take full-length timed practice sessions on our practice test platform
For a condensed, printable version of the highest-yield facts across all 15 domains, keep the DCREB Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts nearby during your final review week.
Registration, Fees, and Scoring Mechanics
Domain content is only half the picture - you also need to understand how the exam is actually administered before you sit for it. PSI administers the computer-based test at its centers under the Candidate Information Bulletin, and the District of Columbia Real Estate Commission governs the underlying license.
- The fee is $79 whether you're taking one portion or both in the same sitting.
- The national portion has 75 items worth up to 80 points, with 120 minutes allotted; some items are worth two points.
- The District portion has 40 items worth 40 points, with 90 minutes allotted.
- Each portion requires a minimum 75% to pass, scored independently.
- PSI may embed up to 10 unscored items per exam for research purposes - you won't know which ones they are.
- A calculator and scratch paper are supplied at the test center; you don't need to bring your own.
- Passing results must be converted into a license application within six months.
Before you can even schedule the exam, you must complete 135 hours of approved broker prelicensing education and document two years of active salesperson experience immediately preceding your application. These prerequisites, along with renewal details, are broken down further in DCREB Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Key Takeaway
Broker licenses renew on a two-year odd-year cycle and expire February 28, requiring 15 continuing-education hours per cycle - except newly licensed brokers, who are exempt for the remainder of their first cycle.
If you're weighing the total cost of pursuing this credential - exam fees, prelicensing hours, and renewal cycles combined - see DCREB Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. And once you're past the exam and evaluating where the credential can take you professionally, the DCREB Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and DCREB Jobs pages outline how brokers use the license in practice.
For scheduling logistics specifically - testing windows, blackout periods, and how far in advance to register - check DCREB Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. And if broader pass-rate context would help you calibrate your prep intensity, DCREB Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows covers what's publicly known.
Running full-length, timed sessions that mirror the actual domain weighting is one of the most reliable ways to confirm you're ready. You can build that practice directly on our DCREB practice test platform, working question sets that reflect the same 15-domain blueprint covered above.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 15 total domains: 11 on the national portion and 4 on the District portion, each carrying its own percentage weight of the overall blueprint.
Statutory Requirements Governing the Activities of Licensees deserves the most attention, since it alone accounts for 60% of the District portion. Contracts, at 19%, is the heaviest domain on the national portion.
The national and District portions are scored separately, each requiring a minimum 75% to pass, and the $79 fee applies whether you sit for one portion or both.
Yes. A calculator and scratch paper are supplied at PSI test centers, so you don't need to bring your own device for Domain 11 math problems.
You must convert your passing results into a license application within six months, in addition to meeting the 135-hour prelicensing education and two-year active salesperson experience requirements.