Florida · Real Estate practice
Florida Real Estate Exam Math Practice
Math is not one section of the Florida sales associate exam. The DBPR outline puts math items in five places: commissions, legal descriptions, mortgage finance, computations and closing statements, and property taxes. Here is how the most common Florida-specific math works, with worked examples.
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Documentary stamp tax on the deed
Outside Miami-Dade County, Florida deed documentary stamp tax is 70 cents per $100 of taxable consideration, or part of $100, under F.S. 201.02. Miami-Dade uses 60 cents per $100, plus a 45-cent surtax when applicable; the surtax does not apply to transfers of a single-family dwelling. Example: a $350,000 sale. $350,000 divided by 100 is 3,500. 3,500 times $0.70 is $2,450.
Stamp tax on the note and intangible tax
For the secured mortgage-note example here, documentary stamp tax is 35 cents per $100 or fraction of the secured obligation (F.S. 201.08). Read the facts for exemptions and the type of instrument. Example: a $280,000 loan is 2,800 times $0.35, or $980. Florida also charges a one-time intangible tax of 2 mills, which is 0.002, on loans secured by a mortgage (F.S. 199.133). On $280,000 that is $560.
Commission math
Multiply the sale price by the commission rate, then split it as the listing agreement and brokerage agreement say. Example: if a listing agreement sets 5% on a $300,000 sale, the total is $15,000. Commissions are negotiable; the exam gives you the rate.
Closing statements and prorations
Closing questions ask who pays what and who gets credit, for example property taxes or rent split between buyer and seller by the number of days. Read each question for the day-count method it gives you, and decide first whether the item is a debit or a credit to the buyer or the seller.
How to practice
Write each formula out, then work problems until you can do them without notes. You can bring a calculator that meets the testing rules in the candidate booklet.
Original sample practice questions
Study examples from the learner-approved practice bank. These are not live exam questions. Open each answer to see the explanation and source reference.
1. In a PLSS description, what land is identified by SW1/4NE1/4 of a regular section?
- The northeast quarter of the southwest quarter, nominally 40 acres
- The northeast quarter of the entire section, nominally 160 acres
- The southwest quarter of the northeast quarter, nominally 40 acres
- The southwest quarter of the entire section, nominally 160 acres
Show answer and explanation
Answer C. The terms are read from right to left: begin with the northeast quarter of the section, then select its southwest quarter. A quarter-quarter section is nominally 40 acres.
Source: Specifications for Descriptions of Land (2017), Chapter II—The Public Land Survey System, Rectangular Surveys
2. On January 1, a buyer holds legal title to a Florida residence and in good faith makes it the buyer's permanent residence. Which conclusion best follows under the homestead-exemption statute?
- The buyer meets the statute's title-and-permanent-residence eligibility condition, subject to the statute's other requirements.
- The exemption is available only if the residence is owned free of any mortgage.
- The buyer must have occupied the property for a full calendar year before any homestead exemption can apply.
- Only beneficial title in equity, and never legal title, can satisfy the title condition.
Show answer and explanation
Answer A. The statute requires legal title or beneficial title in equity on January 1 and a good-faith permanent residence. It does not impose a full-year occupancy requirement or require debt-free ownership.
Source: Fla. Stat. § 196.031(1)(a)
3. A hypothetical sale price is $320,000 and the negotiated total commission is 5%. What is the total commission?
- $16,000
- $1,600
- $32,000
- $15,000
Show answer and explanation
Answer A. 320,000 × 0.05 = 16,000.
Source: Florida DBPR Sales Associate CIB, Real estate computations and closing transactions. Original hypothetical arithmetic: rates, formulas and allocation conventions are supplied in the problem, not asserted as Florida law.
4. What does the range designation in “T. 7 S., R. 4 E.” identify?
- The seventh section within a range
- A position south of the base line
- The fourth section within a township
- A position east of the principal meridian
Show answer and explanation
Answer D. Range lines are numbered east or west from the principal meridian. Township designations, by contrast, are numbered north or south from the base line.
Source: Specifications for Descriptions of Land (2017), Chapter II—The Public Land Survey System, Rectangular Surveys
5. For the ordinary federal main-home sale gain exclusion, and ignoring special exceptions, which two tests generally must a seller satisfy during the five-year period ending on the sale?
- Both the ownership test and the use test
- Only paying off the existing mortgage
- Only having reinvested proceeds in a larger home
- Only the property-appreciation test
Show answer and explanation
Answer A. IRS Topic 701 generally requires both ownership and use tests. Their qualifying two-year periods can differ, but must fall within the relevant five-year period. Other eligibility requirements and exceptions can also affect the exclusion.
Source: IRS Topic 701, Qualifying for the exclusion.
Frequently asked questions
Is there math on the Florida real estate exam?
Yes. The DBPR outline includes math in commission, legal description, finance, closing and tax areas.
What is the documentary stamp tax rate on a Florida deed?
Outside Miami-Dade, 70 cents per $100 or fraction of taxable consideration. Miami-Dade uses 60 cents plus an applicable 45-cent surtax, with a single-family-dwelling surtax exception.
What is Florida intangible tax?
A one-time tax of 2 mills (0.2%) on loans secured by a Florida mortgage, under F.S. 199.133.
Can I use a calculator?
Yes, if it meets the rules in the DBPR candidate booklet.
Official sources
Source information reviewed November 11, 2026. Policies can change; confirm requirements with the licensing agency before booking.