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Exam Infomania

Power tips to crush your exam.

Calculator Decimals and the Ontario Real Estate Exam

OMG! More Decimals?

Students often make needless decimal mistakes that can cost valuable exam marks. Two problems are common: Converting feet/inches to decimal equivalent. Remember that there’s 12 inches in one foot. So, for example, 10 feet 6 inches is not 10.6 feet, but rather 10.5 feet (10 feet and 6/12 inches = 10.5 feet). Similarly, 8 foot 3 […]

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Man Preparing for Exam Questions

What Was the Question?

Don’t trip up right at the beginning of an exam question . . . know what’s being asked. For example, the question might state: Why do some real estate salespersons hold open houses? Because they are registered to sell real estate. (That’s not why they do it.) Because that’s what all salespeople do. (That’s not a correct statement.) […]

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Students Using Recall as an Exam Technique

The Power of Recall

For those who have diligently studied, recall is a powerful weapon when answering MCQs. You can use it anytime, anywhere. Concentrate on what you’ve learned and repeat what you can remember. If it comes back to you, chances are its stored in working memory. If it comes back to you, four days from now, congratulations, […]

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Man Using Laptop to Study for the Real Estate as a Professional Career Exam

Improve Your Exam Odds: Be a Key Word Fanatic

The tipping point between a correct and an incorrect answer can be one word. Exam creators, as seasoned wordsmiths, craft questions based on real, but often subtle differences. As a student, try underlining or carefully noting key words that expand or restrict MCQ answer options. They can appear as: negatives (derivations of no, e.g., none […]

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Strategies for Tackling Nested Multiple Choice Questions

Nested MCQs: A Different MCQ Format

A nested multiple choice question includes a stem (the lead-in description) and four statements in ascending roman numeral order; i.e., i, ii, iii, and iv. The four answer options (a, b, c, and d) then include various combinations of those statements as being correct; e.g., (a) i and ii are correct; (b) ii and iv […]

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Pointing Out Important Real Estate Term Definitions

Don't Let Words be the Weak Link in Your Study Chain

Word definitions can be powerful links in your knowledge chain. Every profession has unique words and phrases, and real estate brokerage is no different. Be prepared to describe the common terms and understand what differentiates them. For example a client and a customer, a GDS and a TDS ratio, an agent and a principal, market price and market value, stated nominal rate and effective rate, mortgagee and mortgagor—the list goes on […]

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Using a Ruler as an Exam Assistant

That Magical Ruler

Taking the OREA paper-based exam? Don’t underestimate the value of a small, see-through ruler when you’re packing for exam day. Clear is important so you can see the words below and not lose track of the overall meaning. Here’s six reasons for a ruler. You can: methodically analyze questions on a line-by-line basis in the exam booklet; more accurately […]

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Man Frustrated with Tricky Real Estate Exam Questions

Even if it Looks Familiar—It's Not a Gimme!

Be cautious with questions that look vaguely familiar. Don’t let your guard down. You might think: I’m sure that was somewhere in the text book exercises. Look before you leap—it might have a similar sentence structure, but little more. The exam tester may have made very subtle changes that create a different question altogether. The MCQ that […]

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Tackling Practice Questions with Pen and Paper

No Tricks! Exam Questions are Just Carefully Crafted

You may hear this when speaking with some OREA students: I failed because the questions were tricky! or They’re just trying to trick us! A trick is an intended scheme to deceive. That’s the last thing an exam tester wants to do. Clarity and precision is very important to ensure that the question is reliable. Building effective exam […]

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Completing a Scantron Card for the OREA Paper Exam

Scantron Cards and the OREA Exam

Machine-readable scantron cards/sheets are used in OREA’s paper-based exams. (Note: iPads are used for electronic exams.) With paper-based, students mark (bubble) answer options for each multiple choice question. Those answers are then scanned to produce test results. Here’s some tips: when bubbling, fill the space for the appropriate letter (a, b, c, or d); NEVER […]

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