South Dakota
How to Get a South Dakota Real Estate License
South Dakota Real Estate Broker Associate Licenses are governed by the South Dakota Real Estate Commission. The Commission grants licenses once all requirements are met within the allowable timeframe.
General Requirements:
- 18 years of age or older
- US citizen or South Dakota Resident
- 116-hour pre-licensing education
- Passing score on licensing examination
South Dakota Real Estate Broker Associate Education Requirement
The 116-hour real estate education requirement is offered by ten different pre-approved real estate schools. The curriculum offers students the knowledge necessary for the licensing exam including real estate practice, ethics, and South Dakota policies. You may not apply to the Commission for a license until your education has been completed and you have obtained documentation from the real estate school you attended.
Scheduling the South Dakota Real Estate Broker Associate Licensing Examination
The Commission employs Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP) to govern and administer all testing. AMP offers two locations in the state of South Dakota in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. The test may be available at AMPís testing centers outside of South Dakota, you may check their website for locations across the United States.
The test is three parts: Simulation, State, and National. You may take one at a time or the State and National together; you must take the Simulation portion separately from the State and National. The testing fee is $95 for each test portion, but if you take the State and National together it is $95 for that whole session. The fastest ways to schedule your appointments are online (www.goamp.com) and over the phone (800-345-6559). You will need a VISA or MasterCard to submit your payment. If you send your registration form by standard mail, you will need to wait about one week after mailing it to schedule your appointments. You may pay with cashierís check or money order when registering by mail.
Taking the South Dakota Real Estate Broker Associate Licensing Examination
On the day of your scheduled appointment you should arrive to the AMP testing center 15 minutes early. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, you will not be admitted to the test and your testing fee will be forfeited. You will need two forms of identification to present to the testing staff. Both IDs must have your name and signature while one must bear your photograph. You may bring a silent, non-programmable calculator for math calculations. The testing staff will take your photograph for the score report and make sure you are familiar with the testing computer. You will have an opportunity to practice using the computer prior to beginning your test.
The State and National portions of the examination are multiple-choice. These sections test your basic knowledge of real estate, aptitude for real estate mathematical calculations, and South Dakota laws and policies. The National portion consists of 100 questions (plus five experimental questions that do not count towards your score) and you will be allowed 2.5 hours to complete it. The State portion consists of 52 scored questions and five non-scored experimental questions; you will have 1.5 hours to complete the full section. In order to pass, you must attain a scaled score of 75. Scores are scaled to allow for varying levels of difficulty among the different test versions.
The Simulation portion of the examination consists of 11 questions, nine of which are scored (the other two are experimental). You will be given several scenarios regarding real estate predicaments and you will choose among various solutions. On this exam you may choose more than one option for your answer as some situations necessitate more than one action on the brokerís behalf. The test is scored based on your level of performance in ‘Information Gathering’ and ‘Decision Making’. You must achieve a scaled score of 75 to pass the test. You will have three hours to complete this examination. You may purchase a web-based sample examination from AMP for $25.
Applying for a South Dakota Real Estate Broker Associate License
Once you have passed all three sections of the examination you then have 60 days to submit your application to the Commission. Exam scores will be considered invalid if older than 60 days. At the time of your application you must submit your fingerprints, the $43.25 background check fee, and the $225 application fee. You will also need to include your original score reports from AMP and your original education completion certificate.
Your fingerprints will be used to conduct a state and federal criminal background check. You must obtain fingerprint cards from the Commission and have your fingerprints taken by local law enforcement or fingerprint office. You will need to include a separate check of $43.25 payable to DCI for the background check service.
The Commission will grant your license within 2-3 weeks. The envelope containing your license will have your license number and expiration date printed on it; save the envelope for that information. If you would like to activate your license immediately, your broker will have to complete the Request for License Application form and you will have to obtain Errors and Omissions Insurance. You may obtain insurance through the Commission or purchase your own.
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