The NJ 75-hour real estate course: how it works and how to choose a school

What the 75-hour course is

Before you can sit for the PSI salesperson exam, New Jersey requires you to finish a 75-hour prelicensure course at a school licensed by the Real Estate Commission. The rule is N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1(b), and the Commission's licensing FAQ says the same thing in one line: complete a 75 hour prelicensure course at a licensed school. Referral agent candidates take the same course. Broker candidates take separate, longer broker courses.

It helps to keep two layers apart. The state sets the floor: the hours, the topics, the 80 percent attendance rule, a passing grade and a few consumer protections. Each school sets everything else: the schedule, the price, the textbook, the final exam's passing score, retakes and makeup sessions. When a school tells you something is "required," it is fair to ask whether the state requires it or the school does.

Some people do not need the course at all. Out-of-state licensees, some attorneys and some real estate degree holders can apply for an education waiver instead. If that might be you, read how NJ handles out-of-state licenses before you pay tuition.

How the 75 hours are split

N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1(f) lists the subjects and the hours for each. The Commission changed the list in rules that took effect on January 20, 2026: it added one hour on fair housing and housing discrimination and cut the "other laws" topic from five hours to four, so the total stays at 75. Older course descriptions online may still show the pre-2026 split.

A few rules shape how those hours feel in class. The time a school gives for the final exam counts toward the 75. No more than five minutes of each hour may go to breaks. Instructors also have to cover the state license exam and the Commission's license issuance procedures. A school's director can adjust the hours for a topic, but only with written notice to, and written approval by, the Commission.

In person, live remote or on-demand online

The Commission's licensing page says the 75-hour course is available in both live remote and in-person formats. Live remote means a real instructor teaching a scheduled class over video. The Commission allowed it during the COVID-19 emergency, and the 2026 rules made it permanent. Under N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(m), in-person and live-remote classes are capped at 60 students per instructor, and a licensed instructor has to be present at every session.

The January 2026 rules also opened a third door. New N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.1(j) allows courses delivered online in an on-demand format, meaning self-paced video and modules you work through on your own time, as long as the course meets the same subject requirements and is approved by ARELLO. Schools that teach online must also file a policy on technical support for students.

Which format is best is a personal call, and we do not rank schools. Our suggestion: if you tend to drift without deadlines, a scheduled class (in person or live remote) gives you structure and an instructor to ask. If your work hours change week to week, on-demand may be the only way to finish, but set your own weekly targets so it does not stretch out.

Attendance and the school final exam

N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(s) sets two conditions for course credit: you must receive a passing grade, and you must attend at least 80 percent of the class instruction. That is the state minimum. A school can be stricter, and how you make up a missed session is the school's call. The rules do not set a makeup process.

The school final is not the PSI exam. It is the school's own test, given inside the 75 hours, and it is what earns your Course Completion Certificate. The rules do not set a statewide passing score, a number of questions or a retake limit for it. Instead, N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2(g) requires each school to file its policies on satisfactory course completion, final examinations, dismissal and refunds with the Commission. So ask the school for its written policy, not a verbal summary.

How your eligibility gets to PSI

You do not mail a certificate to PSI. The PSI bulletin says your education provider sends your eligibility to PSI electronically upon successful completion of the course requirements, and you then get an email confirmation from PSI. You give your Social Security number to your school, and the school imports it into PSI. PSI is clear that the education must be completed before you call to book.

1. Enroll under your legal name exactly as it appears on your government ID. PSI requires your first and last name on your account to match your ID exactly, so fix any mismatch at the school now (our suggestion).
2. Pass the school final and meet the 80 percent attendance rule.
3. Your school issues your Course Completion Certificate and sends your eligibility to PSI.
4. Watch for PSI's email confirmation. If PSI does not have your record, the bulletin says to contact your education provider.
5. Book your exam at PSI. Each attempt costs $38.

This is also when your clock starts. PSI's bulletin says your eligibility expires one year to the day from the date it is issued, and you must pass the exam and apply for licensure before then. In practice that means one year from finishing the course, not from passing the exam. Our post on the one-year rule shows how to plan backward from that date.

How to check and choose a school

Start with the Commission's list. The version we checked shows licensed schools as of October 19, 2026, with roughly 125 entries. Each entry gives the school's address, director, phone and, for most, an email and website. A handful of licensed schools have addresses outside New Jersey, which is normal for online providers. The list does not show course formats, prices or results, so it tells you a school is licensed, not whether it fits you.

The rules in N.J.A.C. 11:5-2.2 give you a few built-in protections worth knowing:

• No pass guarantees. A school may not warrant or guarantee that you will pass the state license exam.
• Clear pricing. Tuition has to be stated separately from fees for supplies, and both go in a student contract.
• A written refund policy. The contract must state the school's policy on returning unearned tuition if you are dismissed or withdraw voluntarily.
• Teaching kept separate from recruiting. Schools may not solicit students to work for a particular broker during instruction, including breaks, and staff may not solicit a student for a particular broker before or within seven days after the student completes the course.
• One school at a time. A school may not accept a student who is already enrolled at another licensed school unless the student has written approval from the Commission.
• Records that outlast the course. Schools keep each student's records for at least three years after enrollment, and if a school closes it must return tuition for courses that were not completed.

Pass-rate claims deserve care. We did not locate a statewide or school-level dataset in the PSI bulletin and NJREC pages checked for our pass-rate guide. Ask the school how it counted its result, which students it included and whether it means first-attempt or eventual passes.

10 questions to ask before you enroll

These are our suggestions. Ask them by email so you have the answers in writing, and compare schools on the answers, not the ad.

1. Are you on the Commission's licensed school list, under the same name that will appear on my contract?
2. Is this section in person, live remote or on-demand? If on-demand, is this exact course ARELLO approved for New Jersey's 75-hour requirement?
3. What are the start date, end date and full session schedule?
4. What is your attendance policy, and how do I make up a session I miss?
5. What score do I need on the final, how many tries do I get, and does a retake cost anything?
6. How many days after I pass the final do you send my eligibility to PSI?
7. What does tuition include, and what are the separate fees for the textbook, materials or technology?
8. Can I read your student contract and refund policy before I pay?
9. What technical support do you offer if a live class or the online platform fails?
10. Do you include practice questions on New Jersey law and the PSI content outline, or is exam prep sold separately?

Price matters too, but compare totals, not headline tuition. Our cost breakdown lists every state fee you pay on top of the course.

Three students, three common snags

How to study during the course

The course is your best chance to learn the material once, so treat each class as exam prep. The PSI outline gives the national portion its biggest weight to contracts (19 percent) and agency (13 percent), and those are two of the three biggest blocks in the course at 12 hours each. On the state side, 22 of the 30 state items cover statutes and rules governing licensee activities, which lines up with the nine hours on the License Act and regulations.

A habit we suggest: after each class, answer 10 to 20 practice questions on that night's topic and write down every miss in a mistake log. By the last week you will have a list of weak spots instead of a stack of untested notes. Our study plan post shows how to turn that log into a two to eight week plan, and the NJ licensing and Commission guide covers the rules the state portion tests most.

Then book the PSI exam soon after you finish, while the course is fresh. Your one-year clock is already running.