Running a Study Group for the NJ Real Estate Exam
The short answer: A study group for the NJ real estate exam works best as a place to test and explain, not to reread notes together. Have everyone answer the same questions alone first, then compare answers and explain the reasoning. Research on group memory finds that people recalling together remember less than the same people working separately, especially in bigger, free-for-all groups. But working together tends to help each person's later recall (Marion & Thorley, 2016). Keep the group small, meet regularly, and aim it at the PSI exam outline: 110 scored questions, including 30 New Jersey items, with 70% needed to pass (PSI bulletin).
Does studying in a group actually help?
It can, if you set it up right. Two research findings shape the plan.
Groups recall less than the same people working alone. Researchers call this "collaborative inhibition." A meta-analysis of 64 studies found it to be a robust effect. It was stronger in larger groups, when members recalled in a free-flowing, any-order way, and when members didn't know each other (Marion & Thorley, 2016). The most widely cited explanation is that hearing other people's answers disrupts your own way of retrieving information.
But collaborating can help afterward. The same analysis found that remembering with others tends to benefit later individual recall, partly because the group re-exposes you to material you missed (Marion & Thorley, 2016). A review of collaborative memory research reached a similar balance: collaboration can cause forgetting and errors, and it can also improve memory under the right conditions (Rajaram & Pereira-Pasarin, 2010).
So the takeaway for exam prep: retrieve alone, then use the group to check, correct and explain.
How big should the group be, and how often should it meet?
Our suggestions:
- Three or four people. Large enough to cover different weak spots, small enough that everyone talks. The research found more inhibition in larger groups.
- The same people each week. Inhibition was stronger among strangers, and a steady group builds trust about admitting what you don't know.
- Short, regular sessions (60 to 90 minutes, once or twice a week) over several weeks, rather than one long cram. A U.S. Department of Education practice guide recommends reviewing key material after a delay, rather than all at once (IES Practice Guide).
Nothing in this format needs a room, so it also works over video, which helps if members are spread across the state or working different shifts.
What should a session look like?
Here's a format you can copy (it's our suggestion, built on the research above):
- Solo quiz (10 to 15 minutes). Everyone answers the same set of questions alone and in silence. The IES guide rates quizzing to re-expose students to key content as strongly supported (IES). A major review also rated practice testing as one of the most useful study techniques (Dunlosky et al., 2013).
- Compare and explain (20 to 30 minutes). Go question by question. For any question someone missed, the person who got it right explains why, and the group asks "why is the other choice wrong?" The IES guide's other strongly supported recommendation is asking and answering deep, explanatory questions (IES).
- Teach-back (15 minutes). Each member was assigned one topic last week and gives a five-minute explanation with one example.
- Math round (10 to 15 minutes). Alternate between walking through a solved problem and having everyone solve a similar one alone. That mirrors the IES recommendation to interleave worked examples with problem solving. Our real estate math guide lists the calculations to cover.
- Miss list (5 minutes). Each person writes down what they got wrong. Those items open next week's quiz. The IES guide also recommends using quizzes to find what still needs study.
Take turns. Go around the table in order instead of letting the fastest person answer everything. Free-for-all recall was linked to stronger inhibition in the research.
How should you divide up the PSI content outline?
Use PSI's own weights so time goes where the points are. For the salesperson exam, the national sections are (PSI bulletin):
| National section | Share of questions |
|---|---|
| Contracts | 19% |
| Agency | 13% |
| Practice of Real Estate | 12% |
| Property Ownership | 10% |
| Financing | 10% |
| Valuation | 8% |
| Property Disclosures | 7% |
| Real Estate Calculations | 7% |
| Transfer of Title | 6% |
| Land Use Controls | 5% |
| Property Management | 3% |
Then give the 30 New Jersey questions their own rotation. Our state-portion study guide breaks those down by topic. A simple plan is one heavy section plus one NJ topic per session.
What should the group avoid?
- Reading notes aloud together. It feels productive, but it skips the retrieval step that the research supports.
- One person carrying the group. If the same member answers everything, the others aren't practicing.
- Unchecked answers. When the group disagrees about a NJ rule, look it up in your course materials or the rule itself, or ask your instructor, rather than voting.
- Trading "real exam questions." PSI lists copying or communicating exam content as prohibited behavior (PSI bulletin). Write your own questions from the outline instead.
How does a group fit with the rest of your prep?
Think of it as one piece. Do your solo review with flashcards and spaced repetition, take full-length practice exams on your own under timed conditions, and use the group to work through what those reveal. If you're juggling a job, our guide to studying while working full-time helps you find the hours.
Business Elementary's 75-hour course and practice exams are one place to get material for your group's quizzes.
Sources
- Marion SB, Thorley C. A meta-analytic review of collaborative inhibition and postcollaborative memory. Psychol Bull. 2016;142(11):1141-1164 (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27618544/
- Rajaram S, Pereira-Pasarin LP. Collaborative Memory: Cognitive Research and Theory. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2010;5(6):649-63 (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26161882/
- Pashler H, et al. Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning (NCER 2007-2004), IES Practice Guide, U.S. Department of Education: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/PracticeGuide/20072004.pdf
- Dunlosky J, et al. Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques. Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2013;14(1):4-58 (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26173288/
- PSI, New Jersey Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 2/1/2026): https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1667
Last reviewed: November 1, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people should be in a real estate exam study group?
We suggest three or four. Research on group recall found the drop-off from working together was larger in bigger groups (Marion & Thorley, 2016).
Is a study group better than studying alone?
Not as a replacement. Groups recalling together tend to remember less than the same people alone, but collaborating can help later individual recall. Do your recall alone first, then use the group to check and explain.
Can we share questions we remember from the real PSI exam?
No. PSI lists copying or communicating examination content as prohibited behavior (PSI bulletin). Build your quizzes from the content outline and your course materials.
What should we do when we disagree about an answer?
Find the source: your textbook, the course materials or the NJ rule itself. If it's still unclear, ask your instructor. Don't settle a law question by majority vote.