You finished the course. Now you open your notes and wonder how you are supposed to remember all of this for PSI. My advice as an exam prep instructor is to stop treating every page like it needs the same amount of attention. First, find out what you understand and what is still confusing you. This seven-day plan helps you do that. Some students will need more time, and that is okay.

The Maryland licensing exam includes national and state portions. Prepare for both with the current PSI content outline, your approved course materials and practice questions that require you to apply the concepts.

Day 1: Find your weak areas

Complete a mixed practice set without your notes. Then review every missed answer and every correct answer you guessed.

I want you to keep a simple 'My Mistakes' log: the topic, why you chose your answer, the correct rule and what you need to practice. If you missed an agency question, be specific about what confused you. Writing “study agency” does not tell you whether the problem was a disclosure, a relationship or a duty. The more specific you are, the easier your next study session becomes.

Use fresh questions when possible. Recognizing an answer from a previous attempt does not show that you understand the rule.

Day 2: Review ownership and property concepts

Work through the property topics listed in the current outline. Explain unfamiliar terms in ordinary language, then compare terms that look similar.

Tenancy in common versus joint tenancy is one of the distinctions students repeatedly mix up. My starting point is the four unities of joint tenancy: time, title, interest and possession. Tenancy in common does not require all four, although the owners share the right to possess the property.

An mistake log entry could look like this:

I assumed two people owning property meant joint tenancy. Next time, I need to look for the four unities and the ownership arrangement described in the question.

That entry gives you something to work on. Simply writing “ownership question wrong” does not.

Day 3: Practice contracts and brokerage relationships

Void versus voidable is another repeated source of confusion. My memory aid is: Void means dead on arrival. The agreement was not valid to begin with. Voidable means a choice to walk away. It remains enforceable unless the party with the legal right to cancel exercises that right.

The important part is that not everyone can cancel simply because they changed their mind. Identify who has the right and why. In your mistake log, write:

I confused an invalid agreement with one a protected party can cancel.

Then use short scenarios to identify the parties, the agreement, the relevant duties and the next action. Keep national concepts and Maryland rules clearly labeled in your notes.

Here is a question I would put to you during review: Why is that answer right, and why are the others wrong? If your explanation is just that it sounds familiar, keep working on the concept. I want you to be able to handle a different version of the question too.

Day 4: Work through financing and calculations

With math, students often know the formula. The harder part is knowing when to use which formula. Before calculating, write down what the question asks you to find and which numbers are relevant.

For example, if a practice question gives a $400,000 sale price and a 3% commission rate, you multiply to find the commission: $12,000. If it gives a $12,000 commission and a 3% rate and asks for the sale price, you divide $12,000 by 0.03. The numbers are related, but the question determines the operation.

Your mistake log might say:

I multiplied when the question asked for the original amount. Identify the unknown before choosing the formula.

If you make an error, repeat the method with different numbers. The goal is to understand the setup rather than remember a particular result.

Day 5: Focus on Maryland material

Review your Maryland law materials alongside the state content outline. Make a separate list of rules you keep mixing up and bring unresolved questions to your instructor or exam prep session.

Do not assume an online explanation written for another state applies in Maryland. When materials conflict, check the current official source instead of combining the answers.

Day 6: Practice under realistic conditions

Use a fresh timed practice set and follow the current testing rules as closely as practical. Review the results by topic rather than looking only at the total score.

If you keep missing the same concept, do something different with it. Explain it out loud. Work through a new example. Bring the question to an instructor. I am also a student when I study for additional credentials, and I know that another hour staring at the same paragraph does not always move you forward.

Day 7: Review and prepare your logistics

Use your mistake log for a lighter final review. Check your appointment instructions, identification requirements and travel plan. Confirm the current PSI instructions instead of relying on an old bulletin or someone else's experience.

If your understanding remains inconsistent, allow more preparation time. The calendar should support your learning rather than pressure you into an appointment you are not ready for.

Sources: MREC exam information and Maryland joint ownership guidance. Use the current PSI bulletin for exam logistics. Reviewed October 14, 2026.