Exam Information

An exam proctor will begin reading exam instructions approximately 15 minutes before the exam start time. Students must be in the exam room with their exam at this time. If taking the exam on a laptop, it must be booted up and have passed the security check. Hand writers must not have a laptop with them in an exam room, unless otherwise allowed according to the professor’s instructions. A student entering the exam room after the proctor begins reading instructions will not receive additional time for booting up their laptop, passing the security check, and/or reading exam instructions.

When instructed by the proctor, write your exam number on the cover page of your exam, bluebooks, and any scratch paper you turn in as part of your exam. Handwritten exam answers must be written in blue books in blue or black ink. Number the bluebooks you use (1 of 1, 1 of 2, 2 of 2, etc.). Proctors will allow time to read the professor’s instructions. Other than counting the number of pages of the exam, students are not permitted to turn the page of an exam past the instructions page until the proctor instructs them to do so.

When taking a closed-book exam, no books, outlines, book bags, purses, or scratch paper (other than the scratch paper provided) may be at your seat during the exam. These items must be left outside of the exam room or in the front or sides of the exam room. Students may not begin to write anything, including on scratch paper, before the proctor begins a closed-book exam.

Students taking in-class exams are prohibited from having any electronic communication device, other than a laptop as allowed per the professor's instructions, during the exam. Cell phones and smart watches must be turned off during the exam and placed in a bag or backpack. Violations of this rule may be considered an Honor Code violation. A clock in each exam room will be the official timekeeper for the exam.

Non-alcoholic beverages are permitted in exam rooms; however, the container must have a lid.

After the exam instructions have been read and the exam begins, the proctor will remain in the room. Any student who has a question or problem during an exam should see the proctor.

Students may use the restroom or take a break during an exam. However, all exam materials must be left in the exam room and no additional time will be given. Students must sign in and out at the front of the room with the proctor.

6 best real estate schools in Colorado for 2024

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Your real estate career in Colorado is an exciting adventure waiting to unfold. We’re here to guide you in finding the best Colorado real estate school for your needs. Our thorough review of Colorado’s real estate schools will help you determine which course package fits your schedule, timeline, budget and learning style. To get licensed, you’ll need to complete 168 hours of prelicensing coursework at an accredited and approved Colorado real estate school. Choose a school to help you ace the state exam and gain the skills and knowledge to launch your new career with confidence.

*2023 pass rates as per the Colorado DRE.

In Colorado, the term associate broker is used to describe a licensed real estate salesperson or agent. A managing broker is someone who has completed additional schooling, holds a managing broker’s license, and who has authority to oversee the work of associate brokers.

Overall Rating: 4.8 out of 5

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The CE Shop is the only school on our list that offers courses from prelicensing to managing broker licensing and everything in between. Their greatest strength is the design of all their course offerings at a great price. Feature for feature, you’re getting more tools, guides, e-books, and resources included in the lowest packaged price than any other school. Its package structures don’t gatekeep the best features for the highest-priced tier, instead they offer intuitive add-ons like bundling your continuing education package for when you’ve started working. What The CE Shop offers in value, it doesn’t take away in quality, either. A state-of-the-art online platform, expertly-written content, engaging lessons, and interactive study tools are all part of the deal with The CE Shop.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Colibri Real Estate’s most impressive offering is their sleek and easy-to-use online learning platform. It is organized in an intuitive, clear way that makes finding what you’re looking for as simple as can be. Plus, they offer a ton of learning tools online such as a progress tracker and goal setting for your studies. Their videos are up-to-date, engaging, and will have you feeling motivated to dive into learning. Colibri Real Estate will definitely be appreciated by those who prefer a modern, visually-appealing online platform. And you’ll often find yourself in luck, because Colibri Real Estate regularly offers sale pricing on their packages.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Kaplan is a giant in real estate education, they have been creating top-notch prelicensing, continuing education and exam prep materials for decades. Their approach to students is to acknowledge that everyone learns differently, and they’re the only national real estate school with three learning options. They know that self-paced online classes are most popular among adult learners, so they offer the best of both worlds: self-paced courses and live exam prep with expert instructors. They offer personal touches in a digital learning environment, providing live study sessions, webinars and Q&A sessions when you need it most. With Kaplan, you’ll feel prepared to take your license exam with their comprehensive exam prep approach.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Where VanEd shines is in its transparency with potential students. They want you to know exactly what you’re getting out of their courses, and they aren’t afraid to share it upfront. VanEd is the only real estate school that offers a 5-day free trial with full course access, so you don’t just try out the home page of an online platform. VanEd has been creating real estate courses for 17 years with expert instructors and real estate professionals. They approach their courses with variety, so you can stay engaged in your learning with videos, infographics, text, interactive flashcards and tests, and real-world exercises. They even offer virtual field trips to connect your learning to your real-world career. VanEd also keeps up with the tech needs of mobile users, ensuring their graphics and videos load without issues no matter what device you’re learning from.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Colorado Real Estate School (CRES) takes pride in their local expertise and the fact that their courses are designed by Colorado brokers. Who better to teach you the ins and outs of Colorado real estate than its own state’s experts? CRES offers many of the same reliable features of an online real estate school, with a few unique perks. While they also offer a pass-or-don’t-pay-type refund for those who don’t pass the license exam, they offer additional support with their unique Pass Guarantee. If you fail your exam, CRES will customize a study plan to your exam results, renew your exam prep access, and provide extra support until you pass your exam. Their exam prep is unique because of their adaptive features, which means you’ll study in your weak areas so you can pass your exam with flying colors.

Course Demo

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Armbrust Real Estate Institute’s (AREI) approach is straightforward: AREI mimics the classroom experience in all their real estate education offerings. AREI was the first state-approved real estate school in Colorado, and they have been successfully teaching real estate brokers for over 52 years. The benefits to live instruction is the flexibility in pace, as the instructor will adjust to students’ needs, and ability to get instructor support in real time on each course section. AREI’s methods are solid, and they can prove it – they consistently rank among the highest license exam pass rates (95% as of late 2023) on the Colorado DRE’s quarterly-updated list.[2]

Your trust is important to us. It’s why we work to earn it by sharing exactly how we rate the schools on our list. First, we evaluate the following must-haves:

Next, we find the features that make each school stand out to prospective real estate professionals like you. You get a preview of each real estate school’s online platform and how they’ll work on your commute or alongside your busy schedule. We find ways you can save money, time, or both by finding refund policies, money-back guarantees and pass guarantees, and by offering discounted rates for our readers. We jump through all the hoops so all that’s left for you to do is sign up. 

Your exciting real estate career begins with finding the best real estate schools in Colorado. We’re here to read all the fine print so you can trust you’re choosing the best Colorado real estate school. At each step of your career, HousingWire is here to guide you with the most up-to-date real estate market news, advice from experts, product reviews — plus marketing and lead generation tools. We want to help you succeed at every stage of your career.

Here you’ll find helpful links to find more information on getting your real estate license in Colorado, finding approved real estate schools, and more.

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