Arizona real estate exam study guide, two plans

The State outline, area by area

Effective Jan 1, 2026: 11 areas, 60 scored items (outline #090301, pp. 8–9). Each line ends at the page where its questions are.

• I Regulatory framework (5): sources of Arizona real estate law, the Department’s powers, the Recovery Fund, licensing, licensee activities → license law
• II Consumer protection (5): the 1967 Consumer Fraud Act, statute of frauds, Arizona fair housing, homestead → property and foreclosure
• III Advertising (5): licensee and development advertising, promotions, supervision → license law
• IV Arizona agency (6): types, creation, Arizona case law on clients and customers, termination → agency and duties
• V Licensee duties (6): disclosure, seller disclosures, conflicts of interest, compensation, timing, disputes between cooperating agents → agency and duties
• VI Competencies (6): new homes, property management, timeshares, vacant land, commercial → agency and duties
• VII Reasonable skill and care (6): property taxes and special assessments, utility and environmental regulation → property and foreclosure
• VIII Contracts (8): employment agreements, purchase contracts, closing, possession and closing costs → contracts and escrow
• IX Business services (5): escrow, title insurance, lending → contracts and escrow
• X Ownership and encumbrances (5): ownership, liens, deeds, HOAs, easements → property and foreclosure
• XI Foreclosure, short sale, deed in lieu (3): the anti-deficiency statute and the foreclosure process → property and foreclosure

A study order for the State exam

1. Start with the two biggest groups. Property law and foreclosure (19 items) and agency and duties (18) together make up more than half of the 60.
2. Then contracts. Contracts (VIII) is the largest single area at 8 items. Learn first what Arizona’s statute of frauds requires in writing, then the purchase contract from offer to possession: contracts and escrow.
3. Memorize the fixed numbers in the list below; Arizona law sets them, so there is no reasoning your way to them on the day.
4. Finish with license law and advertising (10 items), then take the State block of the practice test, redo the weakest area’s page and run the set again.

Arizona numbers worth memorizing

The figures several State outline topics turn on, each from the statute:

• Recovery Fund: Up to $30,000 per transaction and $90,000 per licensee → license law
• Homestead: Up to $400,000 of equity in the home you live in, adjusted each January 1 for the cost of living since 2024 → property
• Anti-deficiency: Property of 2.5 acres or less, limited to and used for one single-family or two-family dwelling → property
• Deficiency suit after a trustee’s sale: within 90 days of the trustee’s sale, measured against the higher of fair market value or the sale price
• HOA resale: The buyer gets the HOA documents within 10 days, from the seller in a community under 50 homes or from the association at 50 or more
• Subdivision: Six or more lots, parcels or fractional interests offered for sale or lease; lots of 36 acres or more fall outside → agency and duties
• Unsubdivided land affidavit: A seller of five or fewer unsubdivided parcels in an unincorporated area gives an Affidavit of Disclosure at least 7 days before transfer; the buyer may rescind within 5 days of receiving it
• Renewal: Every 2 years, 24 hours of continuing education

The General exam: national material

General exam: 80 scored + 5 pretest, 150 minutes. Its outline is Pearson VUE’s national one, so study it from the national study guide and the national practice test. Property ownership (13 items) and valuation (11) are its largest areas. Math is 7 items, and two constants are not provided at the test center: 43,560 sq ft per acre and 5,280 ft per mile. Proration questions state the 360- or 365-day basis and who owns the closing day (Arizona exam facts).

Official material and test-day rules

The four State areas, one page each

• Arizona license law and advertising →10 items on the exam
• Arizona agency and licensee duties →18 items on the exam
• Arizona contracts, escrow and title →13 items on the exam
• Arizona property law and foreclosure →19 items on the exam
• Property ownership →13 items on the exam
• Land use controls →3 items on the exam
• Transfer of title →6 items on the exam
• Valuation and appraisal →11 items on the exam
• Contracts →9 items on the exam
• Agency →10 items on the exam
• Real estate practice →7 items on the exam
• Disclosures and environmental issues →9 items on the exam
• Financing →5 items on the exam
• Real estate math →7 items on the exam