Are flashcards effective for the Pennsylvania real estate exam?

Yes. Flashcards use active recall — retrieving an answer from memory — which research shows is one of the most effective study methods, especially in short, spaced sessions. Because the Pennsylvania exam rewards instant recall of RELRA, agency rules, escrow timelines, and math formulas, the cards make that knowledge automatic.

What topics do the Pennsylvania flashcards cover?

The Pennsylvania state portion — the State Real Estate Commission and RELRA, 49 Pa. Code Chapter 35, the Consumer Notice and agency, escrow, the Recovery Fund, and the Seller Disclosure Law — plus the national content areas: property and legal descriptions, ownership and title, value and appraisal, contracts and agency, practice and fair housing, disclosures and environment, financing and settlement, and real estate math.

How should I study with these Pennsylvania flashcards?

Lead with the Pennsylvania license-law cards — the Commission, RELRA, the Consumer Notice, escrow timelines, and the Recovery Fund — because the state portion is where most candidates lose points. Then drill contracts and agency and the math formulas. Mix the modes: flip to learn, type to test recall, match for speed, and quiz to check yourself.

Are the Pennsylvania real estate flashcards free?

Yes — 100% free, all four study modes, no paywall.

Do these flashcards match the Pennsylvania real estate exam?

Yes. The cards are organized around both portions of the PSI Pennsylvania salesperson exam — the Pennsylvania state-specific law and the national/general principles — so you study exactly what the test measures.

Pennsylvania's Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (63 P.S. § 455.101 et seq.) — the state's primary real estate statute governing licensing, agency, escrow, and the Recovery Fund.

The Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs within the Department of State that administratively houses the State Real Estate Commission.

PA pre-license education (salesperson)

75 hours total — a 30-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course plus a 45-hour Real Estate Practice course at a Commission-approved school.

Real Estate Fundamentals course

The 30-hour Pennsylvania pre-license course covering basic real estate principles, required before licensure.

Real Estate Practice course

The 45-hour Pennsylvania pre-license course covering applied real estate practice, required before licensure.

PA salesperson basic requirements

At least 18 years old and a high school graduate or equivalent; no degree or long residency required for a salesperson.

PSI administers the Pennsylvania real estate licensing examination.

Two separately scored portions — an 80-question National (general) portion and a 30-question Pennsylvania State portion.

PA exam passing score

75% on each portion, scored separately — 60 of 80 national and 23 of 30 state; you must pass both.

Retaking one PA exam portion

If you fail only one portion, you may retake just that part rather than the entire exam.

The Pennsylvania Licensing System — the online portal for applying for, renewing, and managing a real estate license.

PA license renewal cycle

A two-year (biennial) cycle that expires May 31 of each even-numbered year.

PA continuing education (CE)

14 hours of Commission-approved continuing education each two-year renewal period for a standard licensee.

The licensed broker under whom a Pennsylvania salesperson must work; a salesperson cannot operate independently.

Salesperson compensation in PA

Commission flows from the client to the employing broker, who pays the salesperson; a salesperson may not be paid directly by a client.

Salesperson broker transfer

A salesperson's license is tied to the employing broker; a change of employer must be processed through the Commission before working for the new broker.

Newly licensed salesperson independence

A salesperson may never conduct real estate activity independently — only under a licensed employing broker.

The form a licensee must give a consumer at the initial interview (49 Pa. Code § 35.336) explaining the agency relationships under RELRA; it is not a contract.

The first contact where a substantive discussion about real estate occurs — when the Consumer Notice must be provided.

Is agency presumed in PA?

No — an agency relationship is never presumed; it must be established by an express written agreement.

A broker or salesperson who provides services without representing or being the agent of any party, while still owing honesty and accounting for money.

A licensee representing both buyer and seller in one transaction — permitted only with the written consent of both parties (49 Pa. Code § 35.314).

Designated agency (PA)

With the principal's consent, a broker designates one licensee for the seller and a different licensee in the same firm for the buyer (49 Pa. Code § 35.315).

Dual agent confidentiality

A dual agent may not disclose one party's confidential information to the other.

A subagent owes the agency duties to the listing broker's principal (the seller), not to the buyer.

Written agreement requirement

Listing agreements and buyer agency agreements must be in writing under RELRA and the Commission's rules.

Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law

68 Pa.C.S. § 7301 et seq. — requires a residential seller to disclose known material defects on a property disclosure statement.

Seller disclosure delivery timing

The signed property disclosure statement must be delivered to the buyer before the agreement of sale is signed (68 Pa.C.S. § 7304).

Seller disclosure scope

Generally applies to transfers of residential real property of one to four dwelling units, with statutory exceptions.

Coal / mine-subsidence notice

A statutory notice required in PA deeds where the coal estate is severed or the land lies in a bituminous mining area — the surface owner may not get subsidence damages.

Escrow deposit deadline (PA)

A broker must deposit money belonging to another into the escrow account by the end of the next business day after receipt (49 Pa. Code § 35.324).

Who holds escrow money in PA?

The broker, as a fiduciary/trustee; a salesperson must promptly turn deposits over to the employing broker.

PA escrow account requirements

In an insured institution, with the broker as trustee, allowing withdrawal without prior notice, used exclusively for escrow (49 Pa. Code § 35.325).

Improperly mixing escrow/trust funds with the broker's own or business funds — a license-law violation.

PA recordkeeping period

A broker must retain transaction and escrow records for at least three years following consummation or termination.

Real Estate Recovery Fund

A PA fund (63 P.S. § 455.801) that reimburses consumers for an uncollectible judgment against a licensee for fraud, misrepresentation, or conversion.

Recovery Fund claim cap

The Fund pays no more than $20,000 for any single claim arising out of one transaction, regardless of the number of persons aggrieved.

Recovery Fund and the license

When the Fund pays on a licensee's behalf, that license is automatically suspended until repaid in full plus interest.

Recovery Fund repayment interest

10% per year from the date the Fund made the payment.

Recovery Fund prerequisites

The consumer must first obtain a final court judgment and exhaust other remedies against the licensee.

Grounds for discipline (PA)

Fraud, misrepresentation, commingling, conversion of trust funds, and other RELRA violations are grounds for Commission discipline.

PA disciplinary sanctions

The Commission may suspend, revoke, or refuse a license, impose fines, and order other remedies.

Effect of broker license loss

If an employing broker's license is suspended or revoked, the salespersons under that broker generally cannot conduct activity until placed with another broker.

Your FREE Pennsylvania Real Estate Flashcards 2026 – 200+ Cards

Realistic Pennsylvania real estate exam flashcards across both portions — RELRA license law, the Consumer Notice, agency, escrow, financing, and math. Flip, match, type, and quiz yourself.

How well do you know them?

Pennsylvania Real Estate Exam Flashcards

State Real Estate Commission: The Pennsylvania body that licenses and regulates real estate salespersons and brokers, within the BPOA under the Department of State; it administers RELRA.
RELRA: Pennsylvania's Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (63 P.S. § 455.101 et seq.) — the state's primary real estate statute governing licensing, agency, escrow, and the Recovery Fund.
49 Pa. Code Chapter 35: The Commission's administrative regulations implementing RELRA — licensing, escrow, the Consumer Notice, agency, recordkeeping, and conduct.
BPOA: The Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs within the Department of State that administratively houses the State Real Estate Commission.
PA pre-license education (salesperson): 75 hours total — a 30-hour Real Estate Fundamentals course plus a 45-hour Real Estate Practice course at a Commission-approved school.
Real Estate Fundamentals course: The 30-hour Pennsylvania pre-license course covering basic real estate principles, required before licensure.
Real Estate Practice course: The 45-hour Pennsylvania pre-license course covering applied real estate practice, required before licensure.
PA salesperson basic requirements: At least 18 years old and a high school graduate or equivalent; no degree or long residency required for a salesperson.
PA testing provider: PSI administers the Pennsylvania real estate licensing examination.
PA exam structure: Two separately scored portions — an 80-question National (general) portion and a 30-question Pennsylvania State portion.
PA exam passing score: 75% on each portion, scored separately — 60 of 80 national and 23 of 30 state; you must pass both.
Retaking one PA exam portion: If you fail only one portion, you may retake just that part rather than the entire exam.
PALS: The Pennsylvania Licensing System — the online portal for applying for, renewing, and managing a real estate license.
PA license renewal cycle: A two-year (biennial) cycle that expires May 31 of each even-numbered year.
PA continuing education (CE): 14 hours of Commission-approved continuing education each two-year renewal period for a standard licensee.
Employing broker: The licensed broker under whom a Pennsylvania salesperson must work; a salesperson cannot operate independently.
Salesperson compensation in PA: Commission flows from the client to the employing broker, who pays the salesperson; a salesperson may not be paid directly by a client.
Salesperson broker transfer: A salesperson's license is tied to the employing broker; a change of employer must be processed through the Commission before working for the new broker.
Newly licensed salesperson independence: A salesperson may never conduct real estate activity independently — only under a licensed employing broker.
Consumer Notice: The form a licensee must give a consumer at the initial interview (49 Pa. Code § 35.336) explaining the agency relationships under RELRA; it is not a contract.
Initial interview: The first contact where a substantive discussion about real estate occurs — when the Consumer Notice must be provided.
Is agency presumed in PA?: No — an agency relationship is never presumed; it must be established by an express written agreement.
Transaction licensee: A broker or salesperson who provides services without representing or being the agent of any party, while still owing honesty and accounting for money.
Dual agent (PA): A licensee representing both buyer and seller in one transaction — permitted only with the written consent of both parties (49 Pa. Code § 35.314).
Designated agency (PA): With the principal's consent, a broker designates one licensee for the seller and a different licensee in the same firm for the buyer (49 Pa. Code § 35.315).
Dual agent confidentiality: A dual agent may not disclose one party's confidential information to the other.
Subagent duties (PA): A subagent owes the agency duties to the listing broker's principal (the seller), not to the buyer.
Written agreement requirement: Listing agreements and buyer agency agreements must be in writing under RELRA and the Commission's rules.
Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law: 68 Pa.C.S. § 7301 et seq. — requires a residential seller to disclose known material defects on a property disclosure statement.
Seller disclosure delivery timing: The signed property disclosure statement must be delivered to the buyer before the agreement of sale is signed (68 Pa.C.S. § 7304).
Seller disclosure scope: Generally applies to transfers of residential real property of one to four dwelling units, with statutory exceptions.
Coal / mine-subsidence notice: A statutory notice required in PA deeds where the coal estate is severed or the land lies in a bituminous mining area — the surface owner may not get subsidence damages.
Escrow deposit deadline (PA): A broker must deposit money belonging to another into the escrow account by the end of the next business day after receipt (49 Pa. Code § 35.324).
Who holds escrow money in PA?: The broker, as a fiduciary/trustee; a salesperson must promptly turn deposits over to the employing broker.
PA escrow account requirements: In an insured institution, with the broker as trustee, allowing withdrawal without prior notice, used exclusively for escrow (49 Pa. Code § 35.325).
Commingling: Improperly mixing escrow/trust funds with the broker's own or business funds — a license-law violation.
PA recordkeeping period: A broker must retain transaction and escrow records for at least three years following consummation or termination.
Real Estate Recovery Fund: A PA fund (63 P.S. § 455.801) that reimburses consumers for an uncollectible judgment against a licensee for fraud, misrepresentation, or conversion.
Recovery Fund claim cap: The Fund pays no more than $20,000 for any single claim arising out of one transaction, regardless of the number of persons aggrieved.
Recovery Fund and the license: When the Fund pays on a licensee's behalf, that license is automatically suspended until repaid in full plus interest.
Recovery Fund repayment interest: 10% per year from the date the Fund made the payment.
Recovery Fund prerequisites: The consumer must first obtain a final court judgment and exhaust other remedies against the licensee.
Grounds for discipline (PA): Fraud, misrepresentation, commingling, conversion of trust funds, and other RELRA violations are grounds for Commission discipline.
PA disciplinary sanctions: The Commission may suspend, revoke, or refuse a license, impose fines, and order other remedies.
Effect of broker license loss: If an employing broker's license is suspended or revoked, the salespersons under that broker generally cannot conduct activity until placed with another broker.
PA realty transfer tax (state): 1% of the value of real estate transferred by deed.
PA realty transfer tax (local): A local realty transfer tax is added (commonly another 1%, higher in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh).
Transfer tax liability: The grantor and grantee are jointly and severally liable, though they customarily split it by contract.
PA Human Relations Act (PHRA): The state fair-housing law, enforced by the PA Human Relations Commission, adding protections such as age to the federal classes.
PHRA extra protected class: Age — and protection for a person with a disability who uses a guide or support animal — beyond the federal classes.
Commission rate in PA: Negotiable between the broker and the client; not set by law or the Commission; fixing rates with competitors violates antitrust law.
Direct compensation rule: A salesperson may not accept compensation for a transaction directly from anyone other than the employing broker.
Broker's place of business: Under RELRA, a broker must maintain a fixed office and conspicuously display the license.
Unlicensed activity consequence: Performing real estate activity for compensation without a license is a violation and the person cannot sue to collect a commission.
Personal interest disclosure: A licensee buying or selling for their own account must disclose their licensed status and personal interest to the other party.
Duty regarding material defects: Every PA licensee must disclose known material defects in a property to a buyer.
Tenancy by the entireties (PA): A form of co-ownership for married couples with the right of survivorship and protection from one spouse's individual creditors.
PA foreclosure type: Judicial foreclosure — the lender must sue, get a court judgment, and the property is sold at a sheriff's sale.
PA security instrument: A mortgage (lien theory) — not a deed of trust; there is no non-judicial trustee's sale.
Act 91 notice: A statutory pre-foreclosure notice given to owner-occupants of residential property in Pennsylvania before foreclosure proceeds.
Recorder of deeds (PA): The county office where deeds and mortgages are recorded to give constructive notice; transfer tax is paid at recording.
Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR): A private trade association — NOT the regulator; the State Real Estate Commission regulates licensees.
Standard license vs. reciprocal: A standard PA license has full CE; PA also offers reciprocal/standard categories with their own requirements.
Broker license experience: A PA broker applicant generally needs three years of experience as a licensed salesperson plus additional education (240 hours).
Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951: The Pennsylvania statute governing residential leases and the landlord-tenant relationship.
Property management & escrow: Rents and security deposits a broker holds for an owner are trust money subject to the escrow rules.
Real property: Land, everything permanently attached to it (improvements and fixtures), and the bundle of rights of ownership.
Personal property (chattel): Movable property not permanently attached to land; transferred by a bill of sale, not a deed.
Bundle of rights: Possession, use (enjoyment), exclusion, disposition (transfer), and control.
Fee simple absolute: The most complete ownership — absolute, of unlimited duration, freely transferable by deed or will.
Life estate: An estate measured by someone's lifetime; the holder cannot will it, and it passes to the remainderman or reverts at death.
Fixture: Personal property attached to real property so as to become part of it and transfer with the land.
MARIA test: Method of attachment, Adaptability, Relationship of parties, Intention, Agreement — used to decide whether an item is a fixture.
Emblements: Annual crops a tenant farmer may harvest even after a lease ends; treated as personal property.
Police power: Government's authority to regulate land for health, safety, and welfare — zoning and codes, with no payment to the owner.
Eminent domain: Government's power to take private property for public use through condemnation, paying just compensation.
Escheat: Property reverts to the state when an owner dies with no will and no heirs.
PETE: The four government powers: Police power, Eminent domain, Taxation, Escheat — only eminent domain pays the owner.
Easement: A nonpossessory right to use another's land for a specific purpose, such as a driveway or utility line.
Easement appurtenant: An easement benefiting an adjacent parcel (the dominant tenement) that runs with the land.
Encroachment: An improvement that intrudes onto a neighbor's land, often revealed by a survey.
Encumbrance: Any claim, lien, charge, or right that limits an owner's title.
Metes and bounds: A legal description using distances and compass directions traced back to a point of beginning — common in Pennsylvania.
Severalty: Sole ownership by one person or entity.
Tenancy in common: Co-ownership with no survivorship; each owner holds a divisible, willable share.
Joint tenancy: Co-ownership with the right of survivorship; requires the four unities of time, title, interest, and possession.
Right of survivorship: On a co-owner's death, their share passes automatically to the surviving co-owners, not to heirs.
Tenancy by the entireties: Married-couple co-ownership in PA with survivorship and protection from one spouse's individual creditors.
Four unities: Time, Title, Interest, Possession — required to create a joint tenancy.
Partition: A legal action to divide co-owned property or force its sale among co-owners.
General warranty deed: The deed giving the most protection; the grantor warrants clear title against all defects, even pre-ownership ones.
Special (limited) warranty deed: Warrants only against defects arising during the grantor's ownership.
Quitclaim deed: Conveys whatever interest the grantor has, with no warranties; used to clear a cloud on title.
Grantor / grantee: Grantor conveys title; grantee receives it. Only the grantor signs the deed.
Deed delivery and acceptance: Title transfers when the grantor delivers the deed and the grantee accepts it — not merely on signing.
Recording / constructive notice: Recording a deed at the recorder of deeds gives constructive notice to the world and sets priority.
Title insurance: Protects the insured against loss from title defects that existed before the policy date.
Marketable title: Title reasonably free of defects and litigation that a buyer would accept.
Cloud on title: A claim or encumbrance that impairs marketable title until removed.
Chain of title: The recorded history of ownership of a parcel, traced through successive deeds.
Market value: The most probable price a property should bring in a competitive open market under fair conditions — an opinion.
Market price: The actual price a property sold for — may differ from market value.
Appraisal: An impartial, supported opinion of value by a licensed appraiser as of a specific date, under USPAP.
Comparative market analysis (CMA): A licensee's value estimate from recent comparable sales — not a formal appraisal.
Highest and best use: The legal, possible, feasible, and most profitable use of a site — the basis of value.
Sales comparison approach: Value from recent sales of similar properties, adjusted for differences; best for homes.
Cost approach: Land value + cost to rebuild new − depreciation; best for new or special-use property.
Income (capitalization) approach: Value = net operating income ÷ capitalization rate; best for income-producing property.
Net operating income (NOI): Effective gross income minus operating expenses, before any mortgage payment.
Capitalization rate: NOI ÷ value; a higher cap rate signals more risk and a lower value.
Reconciliation: Weighing the three approaches' indications into one final opinion of value — not averaging.
Principle of substitution: A buyer pays no more than the cost of an equally desirable substitute — underlies the sales comparison approach.
Depreciation (appraisal): Loss in value from physical deterioration, functional obsolescence, or external obsolescence.
Functional obsolescence: Loss in value from outdated or poor design or features within the property.
External obsolescence: Loss in value from factors outside the property, such as a nearby nuisance.
Appreciation: An increase in a property's value over time.
Assessed value: The value a taxing authority assigns to property for calculating property tax.
Contract: A legally enforceable agreement between competent parties to do or refrain from a lawful act.
Valid contract elements: Mutual agreement (offer/acceptance), consideration, legal purpose, and competent parties.
Statute of frauds: Requires real estate sale contracts (and most leases over a year) to be in writing to be enforceable.
Void contract: Missing an essential element — it has no legal effect at all.
Voidable contract: Valid until a party with the right (e.g., a minor) chooses to rescind it.
Bilateral contract: Both parties promise to perform — like a signed agreement of sale.
Unilateral contract: One party performs in exchange for the other's act — like an open listing.
Earnest money: A buyer's good-faith deposit held in the broker's escrow account, usually applied to the price at closing.
Contingency: A condition (financing, inspection, appraisal) that must be met for a contract to become binding.
Specific performance: A court order requiring a defaulting seller to complete the sale, because land is unique.
Liquidated damages: An agreed amount (often the earnest money) the seller keeps if the buyer defaults.
Listing agreement: A contract employing a broker to find a buyer for an owner's property for compensation.
Exclusive right-to-sell: The listing broker earns the commission no matter who finds the buyer.
Exclusive agency listing: The broker earns the commission unless the owner sells it themselves.
Open listing: Only the broker who actually finds the buyer earns a commission.
Agency: A fiduciary relationship in which an agent represents a principal with third parties.
Fiduciary duties (OLD CAR): Obedience, Loyalty, Disclosure, Confidentiality, Accounting, Reasonable care.
Fair Housing Act (1968): Bans housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability.
Seven federal protected classes: Race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability.
Steering: Illegally guiding buyers toward or away from areas based on a protected class.
Blockbusting: Inducing panic selling by claiming a protected class is moving into a neighborhood.
Redlining: A lender refusing to lend or insure in an area based on its makeup.
Reasonable accommodation: A change in rules or services so a person with a disability can use housing, such as allowing a service animal.
Reasonable modification: A physical change to a unit (at the tenant's expense) to accommodate a disability.
PHRA protected addition: Pennsylvania adds age (and guide/support-animal users) to the federal classes.
ADA: The Americans with Disabilities Act — requires public accommodations to be accessible.
Antitrust in real estate: Price-fixing commissions, group boycotts, and market allocation among competitors are illegal.
Commission negotiability: Commission rates are always negotiable between broker and client; never set by law.
Trust/escrow funds: Client money must be kept separate in escrow; commingling and conversion are violations.
Conversion: A broker's wrongful use of a client's trust funds for the broker's own purposes.
Lease (lessor/lessee): A contract conveying the right to use property for a term in exchange for rent; lessor = landlord, lessee = tenant.
Gross lease: The tenant pays rent and the landlord pays the property's operating expenses.
Net lease: The tenant pays rent plus some or all property expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance).
Security deposit: Money a landlord holds against tenant default or damage; trust money subject to escrow rules.
Material fact: A fact that would affect a reasonable buyer's decision or price; a known material defect must be disclosed.
Latent defect: A hidden defect not discoverable by ordinary inspection; a known latent defect must be disclosed.
Patent defect: An obvious defect a buyer could discover by ordinary inspection.
Caveat emptor (limited): 'Let the buyer beware' — now limited by modern disclosure laws like PA's Seller Disclosure Law.
PA property disclosure statement: The form a residential seller uses to disclose known material defects, delivered before the agreement of sale is signed.
Lead-based paint disclosure: For pre-1978 housing: disclose known lead paint, give the EPA pamphlet, and allow a 10-day inspection window for sales.
Title X (1992): The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, source of the federal lead-paint disclosure rule.
Radon: An odorless radioactive soil gas common across much of Pennsylvania; can accumulate indoors.
Asbestos: A hazardous material in old insulation/flooring; remove or encapsulate to control fibers.
Mold: Grows in damp areas; may require disclosure and remediation.
Underground storage tank (UST): A buried tank that can leak and contaminate soil and groundwater, creating cleanup liability.
Coal/mine subsidence (PA): Where the coal estate is severed, a PA deed must carry a coal notice; the surface owner may not get subsidence damages.
CERCLA / Superfund: Federal law imposing liability for cleanup of hazardous-waste contamination.
Wetlands: Federally regulated areas where development is restricted to protect water resources.
Mortgage (PA): Pennsylvania's security instrument: a lien on real property pledged for a loan, enforced by judicial foreclosure.
Promissory note: The borrower's written promise to repay the loan, separate from the mortgage.
Judicial foreclosure (PA): Foreclosure through a lawsuit and court judgment, ending in a sheriff's sale.
Lien theory: Pennsylvania's approach: the lender holds a lien, and the borrower keeps title and possession.
Conventional loan: A loan not insured or guaranteed by the government; PMI usually required if LTV exceeds 80%.
FHA loan: A loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration, allowing lower down payments.
VA loan: A loan guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, often with no down payment.
Loan-to-value ratio (LTV): Loan amount ÷ value (or price); higher LTV means more lender risk.
Private mortgage insurance (PMI): Insurance protecting the lender on a conventional loan when LTV exceeds 80%.
RESPA: Requires settlement-cost disclosures and bans kickbacks on most federally related mortgage loans.
TILA: The Truth in Lending Act — requires disclosing the cost of credit, including the APR.
Loan Estimate: A RESPA/TILA disclosure of loan terms and costs, due within 3 business days of application.
Closing Disclosure: The final loan-cost disclosure the borrower must receive at least 3 business days before closing.
Discount points: Prepaid interest paid at closing to lower the loan's interest rate; one point = 1% of the loan.
Amortization: Gradual repayment of a loan through regular payments of principal and interest.
Realty transfer tax (PA): 1% state plus a local tax; grantor and grantee are jointly and severally liable.
Sheriff's sale: The public sale of foreclosed property in Pennsylvania after a court judgment.
Commission formula: Commission = sale price × commission rate. A $300,000 sale at 6% = $18,000.
Price for a target seller net: Price = net ÷ (1 − commission rate). A $282,000 net at 6% = $282,000 ÷ 0.94 = $300,000.
Commission split: Split the total commission between brokerages, then between each brokerage and its agent, applying each percentage in turn.
Area of a rectangle: Area = length × width.
Square feet to acres: Divide square feet by 43,560 (1 acre = 43,560 sq ft).
Section and township: 1 section = 640 acres; 1 township = 36 sections (6 mi × 6 mi).
Feet per mile: 5,280 feet per mile — memorize; not provided at the test center.
LTV calculation: LTV = loan ÷ value. An 80% LTV on a $300,000 home is a $240,000 loan.
Property tax (mills): Tax = assessed value × tax rate; 1 mill = $0.001, so an 18-mill rate = assessed value × 0.018.
Income approach value: Value = net operating income ÷ capitalization rate. NOI $90,000 at a 9% cap rate = $1,000,000.
Proration (per diem): Daily amount = annual figure ÷ 360 or 365 (as the problem specifies), then × days owed.
Profit / loss percent: Percent change = (new − old) ÷ old. A rise from $200,000 to $250,000 is a 25% gain.
Down payment: Down payment = price − loan amount; e.g., $300,000 price with a $240,000 loan = $60,000 down.
Points cost: One discount point = 1% of the loan amount; 2 points on a $200,000 loan = $4,000.
Net operating income: NOI = effective gross income − operating expenses (before debt service).
Transfer tax cost: Multiply the sale price by the total transfer-tax rate; a 2% combined rate on $300,000 = $6,000.
Square yards: Divide square feet by 9 to convert to square yards.
Interest (simple): Interest = principal × rate × time; $100,000 at 5% for 1 year = $5,000.

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By Career EmployerUpdated Sep 12, 2026

200+ free Pennsylvania Real Estate Exam flashcards — 4 ways to study

Pennsylvania Real Estate Exam Flashcard of the DayNew daily

The classic card. Do you know this one?

Click Study Flashcards above to open the flashcard hub — 200 Pennsylvania real estate cards you can flip, match, type, or quiz yourself on. Every card is drawn from the Pennsylvania salesperson exam’s two portions, so you study exactly what the test measures.^[1] Pair them with our free practice test and study guide.

Pennsylvania Real Estate Flashcard Study Modes

Flip mode lets you read a card face and turn it for the definition at your own pace. Match times you as you pair terms with their definitions. Type shows the definition and asks you to spell the term back, so a prompt describing mixing client funds with your own should get Commingling. Quiz turns the same cards into multiple-choice questions.

Free Pennsylvania real estate exam flashcards from Career Employer — active recall for the State Real Estate Commission salesperson licensing exam

Why Flashcards Work for the Pennsylvania Real Estate Exam

Pennsylvania License Law & Practice is the heaviest block at 66 cards, drilling the agencies, statutes, and paperwork specific to the state: the licensing system behind PALS, the regulatory role of BPOA, and the statute abbreviated RELRA. You also get conduct and disclosure terms such as Commingling, Consumer Notice, and Employing broker, plus cards like Act 91 notice and Dual agent (PA).

Real Estate Math Calculations holds 18 cards on the formulas you have to run cold, including Points cost, LTV calculation, and Commission split, along with conversions like Square yards and Feet per mile. Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions & Use adds 17 cards on rights and attachments, with memory devices such as PETE and the MARIA test sitting beside Emblements and Encumbrance.

Forms of Ownership, Transfer & Recording of Title runs 17 cards on how title is held and moved, from Severalty and Joint tenancy to Quitclaim deed and Cloud on title. Property Value & Appraisal, also 17 cards, separates Market value from Market price and works through Cost approach, Reconciliation, and Capitalization rate.

Real Estate Contracts & Agency covers 17 cards on formation and enforceability, where Contingency, Void contract, and Statute of frauds sit next to Open listing and Earnest money. Real Estate Practice & Fair Housing, another 17 cards, pairs prohibited conduct such as Steering, Redlining, and Blockbusting with leasing and access terms like Net lease, Security deposit, and ADA.

Financing & Settlement gives you 17 cards spanning loan programs and disclosure rules, including FHA loan, Lien theory, and Loan Estimate, along with the acronym cards TILA and RESPA and the state-flavored Mortgage (PA). Property Disclosures & Environmental Issues closes the deck with 14 cards on Material fact, Latent defect, and hazards including Radon and Title X (1992).

The Pennsylvania exam rewards instant recall of RELRA and the Commission’s regulations, the agency and disclosure rules, and math formulas.^[1] Spaced flashcards are the most efficient way to make that knowledge automatic. Used alongside our practice test and study guide, they turn review time into measurable progress.

Pennsylvania Real Estate Flashcards by Content Area

The cards cover both portions of the exam. Drill the Pennsylvania state law first — it is where most candidates lose points — then lock in the national content areas:^[3]

Pennsylvania real estate flashcards by content area
Content area	What the cards cover
Pennsylvania License Law & Practice	The Commission, RELRA, 49 Pa. Code Ch. 35, the Consumer Notice, dual/designated agency, escrow, the Recovery Fund, the Seller Disclosure Law
Property, Legal Descriptions & Use	Estates, fixtures, easements, government powers, legal descriptions
Ownership, Transfer & Recording	Co-ownership, tenancy by the entireties, deeds, recording, title insurance
Property Value & Appraisal	Value principles, the three approaches, CMA vs. appraisal
Contracts & Agency	Contract law, listings, fiduciary duties, dual agency
Real Estate Practice	Fair housing, the PHRA, trust funds, leases and management
Disclosures & Environmental	Material facts, latent defects, lead paint, radon, coal subsidence
Financing & Settlement	Notes, mortgages, judicial foreclosure, RESPA, TILA, transfer tax
Real Estate Math	Commission, LTV, taxes and mills, proration, area

How to Get the Most Out of These Flashcards

Start with state law. Pennsylvania License Law & Practice is 66 of the 200 cards, so open there and keep returning until PALS, BPOA, and RELRA come back without hesitation.
Type the precise terms. Use Type mode on cards where a near-miss answer costs you, such as Commingling and Consumer Notice, since recall from the definition is harder than recognition.
Match the acronym cards. Match works well on short fronts that cluster, so run it on TILA, RESPA, and the ownership vocabulary in Forms of Ownership, Transfer & Recording of Title.
Switch once Quiz stops surprising you. When Quiz scores hold steady across License Law, Contracts & Agency, and Financing & Settlement, move to the practice test for question timing and scenario wording.
Keep a rotating cadence. Cycle one heavy domain plus one 17-card domain per session, add the 18 Real Estate Math Calculations cards regularly, and review missed cards before starting anything new.

Pennsylvania Real Estate Flashcards FAQ

Two hundred free Pennsylvania real estate exam flashcards, weighted toward Pennsylvania license law (the State Real Estate Commission, RELRA, 49 Pa. Code Chapter 35, the Consumer Notice, dual and designated agency, escrow, the Recovery Fund, and the Seller Disclosure Law) and covering all of the national content areas too. They're free with no account required.

References

1.Pennsylvania Department of State. “State Real Estate Commission.” pa.gov. ↑
2.Pennsylvania General Assembly. “Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (RELRA), 63 P.S. § 455.101.” legis.state.pa.us. ↑
3.PSI Services. “Pennsylvania Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin.” PSI / candidate.psiexams.com. ↑

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