Course was complete and to the point. Materials were comprehensive but not overwhelming

Took a two day class here to set myself up for success in taking the California real estate test and passed. Kathleen was great. Great service, quality, and value. Thank you, I will be back. read more

Thank you Kathy. Took the broker exam crash course this past weekend. Studied hard Monday and tested Tuesday. I did not have my salesperson license already, but rather took all 8 Broker courses last year, and turned in my application to DRE along with the forms and evidence necessary for qualifying experience in lieu of 2 years licensed salesperson experience. Past the Broker exam first try. Claire Institute will mail you a "packet" two weeks prior to test. It's about 15 quizzes of 150 questions each, in addition to two packets of Claire-ification Notes. They recommend you begin review of the quizzes two weeks before as well as read over all Claire-ification notes 6 times each. I have 20 years experience as escrow officer and 8 + years in property management; and yet the information is still very "Greek". Don't fool yourself that mere industry experience will get you through. I didn't review the quizzes much as suggested as my job takes up lots of my life. I did read through the Clair-ification notes a few times. I strongly recommend doing all they say but no less than reviewing the Clair-ification Notes as much as you can. Take the time to read them many times. It will help connect in the class. Also recommend taking two days in between the course and the test to study what you learned in the crash course. I made tons of flash cards and had people test me every 25 or so. Kathy will give you fantastic tips. Pay attention. During the crash course, every page or two of note taking is followed by a review of that information on an overhead projector; then back to note taking. Use the bathroom during those reviews. The information they mail you and what you write in class is very specific to the test. Kathy knows what she is doing. You can do it! read more

I told Kathy this at the end of my first day of her crash course: "I couldn't envision success for myself until I took this course." I passed on the first try, and was able to complete my exam in less than half of the time allotted. Kathy lets you know EVERYTHING you will need to know for the exam. The crash course is critical to passing! Even if you've studied elsewhere, it's worth the money to take her course! While she can be brusque during class time it is only because there is so much material to cover. Why waste time? (We are paying for the knowledge after all!). Talking to Kathy during breaks and after class I found her to be warm and engaging, and really focused on ensuring success for her students. read more

I took my classes online with Grossmont College and Brightwood. Then crash course with Claire Institute before my Salesperson exam. The course was amazing! I would personally like to thank Kathy the teacher so I'm writing her a review. I wanted to take a crash course to insure my success in passing the state licensing exam. The course is intense. I litterly left crying to lunch the first day. I was worried there was so much I didn't know and that I had no chance to pass the test. I studied with the class for the weekend and at night YouTubed RE exam keywords as review. I'm happy to say I passed the test with ease! I don't think I could have done it without Kathy. I not only passed the test, but learned a lot more about Real Estate. I loved her teaching style and personality she's a true gem! read more

Took online courses at Clare Institute, everything was smooth and easy to understand. As they recommended, booked 2 day course right before the exam, Brilliant! Every single note is there to stick to your memory. And it pops out in right moment. :) I studied the practice tests as they asked and had one day to read my notes from crash course. And I was ready. Finished the exam within 2 hours and passed in my first try. All thanks to this institution. Thank you Well recommended! read more

I passed my first try! Do not waste your time or money on any other study materials. It is 100% thanks to Care Institute that i passed. Everything I needed to know for the exam was taught here in the Crash Course. I only studied the notes i took away from the weekend course and I couldn't be more happy! Well worth the money and Thank you so much! I recommend to anyone and everyone! read more

I was recommended to get the Clare Institute buy Dustin from the Buffini group. I'm so grateful to Dustin for recommending them to me. Although the class I attended was on zoom the paperwork and instructions that Kathy provide worked well for me. Think you for helping me pass the state licensing exam. read more

I completed the crash course this past weekend and I can't stress enough how HELPFUL it was to my success in passing the exam today!!!! Yes, it is long and tedious, but well worth every penny!!!!!! Kathy is a great teacher as she has YEARS of experience in the field! She makes it fun and relatable. She's direct, and assertive and truly inspired me. Thank you so much Kathy! read more

I took my 3 required courses through Allied online school, and although it did help me... this crash course is a MUST!!! I passed my exam yesterday!!!!! If it wasn't for this crash course I probably would not have passed the exam. The California state exam to me was very difficult, I took it before Kathy's weekend crash course, and did not pass and I passed after her classes!! She is very nice and funny actually!!! She totally knows Exactly what she's talking about!!! I highly recommend this course to anyone! The whole experience was awesome from the hotel we were in to the classroom, to her humor I understand real estate so much better now... I'm super excited! read more

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Thank you Kathie ! I PASSED ~ First try ! thank you =) Very Long Review. Short version - SIGN UP now if you are wondering. You will not regret it. Bring a pencil and a jacket. Here is my activity log: day by day - hope this helps you understand the expectation of Kathie's class. Pre-req: None - I did my "3 online exams & sent certificates to DRE" a year ago on a different system "quick and dirty" (that's a great system too!) , didn't really retain any info. This year, I wanted to stop procrastinating and "get it over with" so I booked the 7/24 afternoon exam THEN signed up with Clare Institute. Day by Day log: 7/14 Sunday - left a message at Clare to inquire about 7/20 class 7/15 Monday- Kathie called and confirmed my registration, took my money and sent me the "class link". Suggested me to go thru the 900 questions PRIOR to Saturday (i was like ... urghhh 900...? ) 7/16-7/19 - Had time to go thru first 3.5 sections of the questions. Go thru = read them once by forcing all "A" on the answers so it spit out the correct answers. (hey, time is of the essence here) 7/20-7/21- my 2 most "attentive" days in the past decade I think. 1) Bring nothing but 1-2 pens. They provide a stack of notes. 2) Class starts promptly at 9am - Arrive Early 3) Ask NO questions, there is no need to ask any questions. Kathie is here to do 1 thing - PREP you to PASS that exam, by feeding you information. 4) Listen to her high energy, animated "lecture". Do what she says- write down what she asks you to. 5) Take down those notes she asks, you WILL somehow get that into your brain & your hands will feel numb from writing so much. 6) Each term/ keyword of those note correspond to 1 of those 900 questions that you already have access to. She will then go thru them in LIGHTNING speed one by one, displaying them in front of you on her overhead-projector =) . You WILL be able to pick out many of the answers RIGHT since you have just heard/ wrote them down (I missed quite a bit, and I zoned out on a few overhead-pro sections) 7) Repeat that same exercise: Listen, write, watch, answer till the entire package of notes is "full of notes" - Through - which I thought would never end. 8) There will be two 10-min breaks and one 45 min lunch break. Enjoy. 7/21 night - she encouraged us to review all the notes once every day till exam day. I was too tired and wanted nothing to do with them for 12 hours. I slept like a baby at 9pm instead. 7/22 - 7/24 morning- tried the "HOT Questions" section, and tried RANDOM mode 4 times, tried "CONTRACT" section once (since i had YET touched that section last week, and that's a large section). Averaged about 72% For each question I missed, I actually generated my own notes - picking the key words in question and answer. Ended up my 7 page "cliff notes". 7/24 afternoon - arrived 12:25pm, read thru my 7 pages ONCE, prayed, walked in. Started my exam at about 12:55pm- Walked out at 2:34pm. Opened my result when I got back to my car. During the exam, I took her great advise & jot down ALL the numbers that I am not sure about (best guess). counted them (I had 31) and confirmed it's less than 30% of 150 (45 max). Then call it COMPLETE. Conclusion / Summary- 1) the class DOES work - it is a typical CRAMP school approach used in Asia (me from Hong Kong) and you learn to associate KEYWORDS Q&A by familiarity. 2) It is possible that you will still mix them up. That's why FRESH memory is key & she encourages us to take the test within 2 days of the class. 3) Once I am able to associate the key words, it help me in focusing only on the key words for the right answers. 4) MUST READ ALL QUESTIONS word by word Carefully at least ONCE, THEN - read ALL the answers - do NOT think you see 1 keyword and assume the answers. 5) ANSWER confidently ONCE. For questions that ring no bells, or terms that have seen but utterly forgotten, use common sense and existing knowledge to guess, mark that number. 6) Count the number of "guesses", if 30'ish - Call it a day. That was what worked for me, It is different for everyone. GOOD LUCK. and thank you for reading my super long review. Now I need to find a broker to take me in. Last but not least - Thank you sincerely Kathie. You are a wonderful teacher and I admire your energy and delivery method during class. Wholeheartedly recommend. read more

I passed my test on the 2nd try. I wasn't pleased with the 2 days of note taking. The key word she'd give for a Real Estate term most of the times didn't make any sense. There was no explanation on why she was giving you the key word. You were supposed to just write them down. I realized later on, that the key word was part of the answer to the question she expects to show up on the Exam. The problem is, the questions were slightly tweaked, so the key word she gave didn't help. They only caused confusion. What did help was the Practice tests. She gave about 8 of them (150 questions each), with some "Clare-ifications". It was a lot to go through! If you never studied any of your courses, because you had someone else help you...this is will take you longer than the 2 weeks she recommends you take to read all her literature she gives you. A lot of questions popped up on the Exam that weren't covered in this crash course. One in particular she couldn't answer for me. I had to seek out the answer for myself by asking other realtors. She's not a realtor. So overall I give her slightly over half the stars. I feel like I could've spent the 2 days of writing the things she said (VERY FAST), going over the practice questions and passing the Exam. A guy next to me on Day 1, left the first break she gave us. He said it was exactly the same as her practice questions. He was right. She'd segment the note taking into sections. Stop after one segment and then go through practice questions (really fast). If you blinked or didn't understand a word. She wouldn't stop. If you're going to take this course. I recommend just reading all the practice tests. That was the most helpful part. It was worth the money. Just not the 2 days of note taking. read more

GUYS. I knew nothing about real estate 3 weeks before the DRE exam. I took an online course where I word searched for the answers when I took the exams, and learned NOTHING. After scheduling my exam, I signed up with Clare Institute because I had 2 friends who highly recommend it. They mailed me my study packets and quick notes. I studied by taking these exams and writing down all the answers and explanations of the ones I got wrong. I also watched a handful of youtube videos by PrepAgent (also very helpful). I took practice tests 1-7, averaging a 55-65% on each test. I was getting very discouraged. I studied very hard for 2 weeks. I saved the last test for after the crash course. The crash course is only helpful if you are familiar with all the material. Don't attend the crash course knowing nothing, and expecting to pass. That weekend she highlights and funnels through aaalllllllll that information in an order and way to better remember terms and conditions. I'm a very good student, but a terrible test taker. My test was 2 days after the crash course. I took the final practice test the day before my exam and passed with 3 questions to spare! Took the real exam, and was the 2nd to last person to leave the room, but it don't matter cause I PASSED on my first try! I give all the credit to the material supplied and the note taking from the crash course that helped me gain the confidence to pass the exam. Be EARLIER than on time to her class, cause she starts ON THE DOT. It is long and tiring, but theres a starbucks right next door. I highly would recommend to anyone who doesn't even know where to start studying for the exam! Good luck! read more

PAID FOR ITSELF. I took the Crash course in preparation for the Broker Exam. I received the material in advance and had only read through the Clare-fications once before the weekend. It had been years since taking the course work and even though I am a practicing Realtor, the terminology on the test is advanced beyond the day-to-day lingo we use. Without having taken this course I am certain I would not have dedicated the time (14 FULL HOURS) in addition to the hours I spent taking the SIX practice exams to studying, or have known what to study from the course books. TIPS to ensure your success: READ the materials they provide in advance! This will prevent the class sounding like it is in a foreign language. BE ON TIME, Kathy starts right at 9AM. Allow enough time to park and navigate your way to the room. There is a 10 min morning break, 45 min lunch break and 10 min afternoon break. If you MUST leave for the restroom, go during the quiz sections, all those questions will be found in the practice exams. You DO NOT want to miss the time she is giving you the definitions of terms! THIS IS YOUR STUDY GUIDE, and you want it completely filled out!! BELIEVE ME! I brought 2 colors of sticky tabs to identify parts I may have missed the full definition. She WILL NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS during the class, you can arrive early, or stay late to ask. She WILL repeat the definition when asked. Just say REPEAT PLEASE, anything else sounds like a question which Kathy will respond with a question, ARE YOU ASKING A QUESTION? and move on... BE prepared with more than 1 writing tool. The first day I could barely keep up with the speed of writing, the second day was easier since I knew what to expect. The Practice exams were harder than the actual test. After taking the class and being overwhelmed with 48 PAGES of info to review plus 600 practice questions over the next 2 days, I was not too confident going into the test. I was consistently scoring in the 60-70% range, needing a 75% to pass the broker had me concerned. LUCKILY, the test questions were more simple than the practice tests. However, without the practice tests, I would not have focused on understanding the subtle difference in definitions, which is what the test is based on. GOOD LUCK! Listen to her advice...it is spot on...review the study guide AT LEAST once per day leading up to the test and I am confident you will PASS! read more

Passed the Broker Exam on my first try. Not everything on the exam was covered in class, but it was enough to pass the test. I have worked in real estate for many years as an Agent, so that likely helped too. I liked the teacher who taught the class - she's very direct and to the point. read more

After reading through the reviews here on yelp I decided to sign up for a weekend crash course with Kathy for the RE salesperson exam. I had taken the required courses online and really felt like I still had A LOT to learn... pretty much EVERYTHING... I was totally freaked out but needed to take the test ASAP either way. I am SO GLAD that I decided to take this course, it helped me so much and I PASSED the test on the First Try!! I couldn't have done it without Kathy's course. Yes, Kathy is intense, but she's not rude like some reviews say. She takes the class seriously and wants to be taken seriously herself... that doesn't make her rude. She has it all down to a science, and every minute is made useful. She doesn't allow questions during the note taking but she is more than willing to discuss questions with you during breaks. You are given: 8 practice tests before the weekend course, you should first go through and read each question and the answer once, then go back and take the test. (I signed up for the course late and only had time to do 2 of the 8 tests before the course) "Clareifications" - a small packet of last minute study tips... read this a few times 45 page packet - Kathy goes through this with you over the weekend course, you fill in the answers. She does not go into a lot of depth with each point, but she tells you what kind of questions to expect, and HOW to answer them... this is how you will pass the test and the best part of taking this course!! You go through a couple pages then Kathy puts example questions on the board for each point then you move on. Take the test on TUESDAY, or asap after your prep course. The days are Sat-Sun 9-5 and every minute is valuable. You will get a bathroom break mid morning, lunch, then another break mid afternoon. Yes its a long 2 days but SO worth it, and everything moves so quickly that the time goes by pretty fast. When you go to take the actual test, take a sweater, it FREEZING in the testing room, and leave yourself plenty of time to get there. I took the test at 8:30 am on a Tuesday and traffic was insane. read more

Crash course: They are trying to get you to do one thing here, pass the sales agent or broker exam. They are not teaching you your classes all over again. They are simply teaching you the information you need to know. The practice test they send you prior to taking the crash course are key. It is very important to just go through all those questions twice and you will really learn so much. Pay very close attention at the crash course because she is honestly just telling you key words to look for in the exam answers. After the crash course I read though my packet of notes about 3 times and walked right into the test and felt that I got at least 135/150 correct. I highly recommend this course so you only will need to take the exam once read more

So I have been trying to get through the ridiculous amount of material that you need to get through the exam for over a year now. I passed on my first try a few days ago although I did put a lot of work into it. I saw the good postings about the Claire institute online and signed up. Yes, you have the option of buying the exam questions beforehand which I did. (There are 1200 questions...) I can say with certainty that I would not have passed this thing without either the crash course or questions....EVEN though I spent MONTHS taking notes of all the chapters of the 3 modules I would not have locked it in my brain as I did because of this class. I was hoping that all of the questions on the exam would be exactly like the practice questions but most of them were similar enough to do the trick. I cannot overstate the extent to which I am sure I would not have been able to pass without this class. These Yelp reviews were the reason that I signed up for her class in the first place. I am not one who takes to the time to recommend things for others benefit but I promised myself that If I passed I would put a yelp posting in.... REALIZE BEFORE YOU GO IN FOR CLASS...this is a very structured class. She has everything timed out perfectly ...every break, chapter, ..She does not allow questions AT ALL during class and goes through lots of material quickly so you have to write fast.... She runs the class like an army general but after taking it I realize that I think that is the only reason we were able to get through all of the material... She is funny and has a sense of humor with her explanations... just don't expect to ask questions until the breaks..the hard part is remembering your questions while you are continually transcribing her dialogue.... Good Luck! read more

I am pretty good student keep in mind. I signed up for the crash course for the salesperson exam. I wasn't told that I had to sign myself up for the RE exam! They told me to leave that part blank, they would take care of that. I had to take my exam one month after my crash course due to the fact they didn't warn me. Other students had the same problem. You want to take the exam once it's fresh on your mind. Everything that I studied for including the packets and hot questions were 25% on the RE exam. I did not pass. In class she wont let you ask questions and even yelled at a few students who did. Her husband on the other hand is nice. Too bad he doesn't teach the class. My money was wasted. read more

I never did well in school. It just never interested me that much. In college I got the bare minimum in for the classes that were required and then on the classes in which I liked (for my major) I would put in 110%. Regardless to say, my final GPA was a mixed bag. So when I needed to get my real estate license for work, my boss told me that I HAD to HAD to go to the Clare Institute. They set you up with the required class for you real estate license and once you have passed that one with your final exam (either online timed, but open book or in the class room timed open book- difference is online you have to do all the practice tests online whereas if you do the regular home-study you don't have to do the practice tests but you have to do the final in their offices) you can sign up for your license test. They then sign you up for the crash course the weekend before your test date, or close to it. Kathleen is the teacher and she's been doing it for 15 years. Don't go to the course with questions because she won't answer them. Her job is to get you to pass that test. She gives you a study guide full of words. Over the next two days she will fill in all the answers to the words with the phrasing used on the state exam. That is it. No secret background, just what you need to know when you see it on the test. The room is cold so bring a sweater. She does that to keep you awake as sitting there 9-5pm on a Saturday and Sunday does tend to invoke a yawn or two no matter how lively and fun she is which she is! Kathleen is lively fun, and knows her stuff. She is amazing to put it bluntly. She has a 95% pass rate on her sales exam students and a 90% pass rate on her broker exam students. Emmy is the one who answers the phones and signs you up and explains things to you. Kathleen loves her and says Emmy treats the place like her own business. I used them for both my broker and sales exam, and all I can say is this: on my sales exam, I did what I needed to pass, and didn't even finish the test, I just walked out. I was that confident. Of course when I told Kathleen this, she looked shocked that I would do such a thing and said it doesn't hurt to finish the test in case some of the answers I filled in were wrong, but she is that good of a teacher!!! I've had other friends try other schools fail, and then try Kathleen's course and rave rave rave about it as they passed the next time with no problems. There is a school in Northern CA but you have to call them and ask about it. If you are in San Diego though or even Southern CA it is well worth the time to go for the two days for the cram course. AMAZING! read more

I did not pass my exam the first tr, so I took Kathleen's course this past weekend and it was great!! She is a very smart women's and know what she is talking about. I TOOK MY EXAM TODAY AND PASSED WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. Her course is amazing and covers everything on the test!!! Many of the reviews say she does not allow you to ask questions, that is true, but she is not rude about it. There is A LOT of material to cover in two days!!! Questions would just distract the people really trying to pass the exam. TAKE THIS COURSE IF YOU WANT YO PASS!!!! read more

Kathy is a freaking real estate GENUIS! I attended the 2 day crash course and it was so worth it. Bring snacks & be ready to write and listen for 8 hours each day. She packs so much into each day and as rough as it was to make it through each day it helped so much! I took the crash course Saturday & Sunday and then took the exam Tuesday which I personally feel like I didn't leave myself enough time because I got a 65% and you need a 70% to pass the exam! I was so darn close but knew I needed an extra day or 2. I took the exam again Thursday and PASSED! I wouldn't have been able to if it wasn't for Kathy's knowledge. I am so grateful for her. read more

The crash course was recommended to me by a friend who took it and passed on her first attempt! I will now, too, be paying it forward and recommending it to everyone I know looking to pass on their first attempt! Today, I did! :) Before the class, she mails you 8 practice tests with 150 questions each along with an answer guide for all. You MUST study this and be very familiar with them before taking the course. This way, everything explained on the weekend isn't brand new. These tests are a very comprehensive look at what you can expect on the state test. Do not go in thinking you can know nothing, come for two days, and pass unless you have an eidetic memory. The class is from 9am-5pm Saturday and Sunday and it is packed full of a great deal of information. Your hand will cramp and your back will hurt but it is worth it! Be sure to not only write down what she tells you to fill in but also everything she says you "don't have to". Even if it's not on the test, it WILL help you later on in your career. She'll have you go over the "white pages" which are the 40-something pages of notes you'll take in the two day period each night leading up to the test. This is SO helpful! I took the test the Tuesday after the course and I feel it was the perfect amount of time in between. She kept saying that the people that had their test the next day wouldn't have time to study everything ("hot questions"), so I'd advise scheduling your test on a Tues or Wed. Good luck! You'll pass too with this crash course!! :) read more

My boss (who is a lawyer) and I (his paralegal) have realized that due to the amount of real estate activity our office handles, he might as well go get his broker license. He told me to find a crash course so he could prepare for the exam. After some research, I found the Clare Institute. Kathleen was so pleasant on the phone when I called and explained what was needed. I signed up my boss for the crash course and we got the materials in the mail a few days later. Now, my boss loves to learn but when he realized the amount of material he was going to have to study for (even though he knew most of it from his real estate practice), even he realized that it was a daunting amount. He studied and reviewed before the crash course, took the crash course, took the broker exam a few days later and passed. And I am so glad he did because if he didn't, he would have asked me "Where did you find this place?" But he completely loved the course and said that Kathleen taught the course exactly the way it should be with the goal of passing the exam. He had nothing but praise for the Clare Institute. And because of that, I'm going to be taking their online courses and crash course to get my sales license! read more

There is no doubt in my mind I passed my Broker Exam first try because of Kathleen. I have been a R.E agent for 14 years, I know my stuff and I am an excellent test take, however the Broker exam is no joke. Just to be honest, I had not studied at all for my broker exam until 1 week and 1 day prior to the test. If I had not taken this particular crash course, there is no way I would have passed. Though most people sign up much further in advance I only signed up about 10 days before. She helped me by meeting me right away and included me in her very next weekend class. Her system is simple to follow and the information actually stays with you! The time you spend "in class" reviewing material is not frivolous for even a moment. She is ON IT and knows how to get the most important info into your head in a way that you can recall what you need as soon as you read questions on it at test time. The practice tests she provides are LIFE. The questions are so precise. They are the reason I am a broker, study them just the way she instructs and you can't go wrong. Thank you Kathleen you are a Queen!!! read more

I've taken this thing twice, both with no help besides me failing the actual test. The handbooks that she gives you are very basic and doesn't prepare you for any questions on the test. I took the second course about 8 months after the first and the information that she tells you, and the stuff in the handout that she gives you was verbatim, exactly the same. Making me realize that she never updates her answers at all. read more

About 4 years ago I took the salesperson crash course with Kathy...I was in and out of the test site in less than 30 minutes and I passed with EASE. I was 100% confident I was going to pass. Fast forward to 4 years later: I decided I wanted to become a broker. About a month ago, I called Kathy to sign up for her crash course. She SOMEHOW remembered me too! 2-3 days later the books arrived, and I did exactly as instructed. Studied the material, went over everything until I was scoring in the high 80's. I scheduled my exam date AROUND HER COURSE! I took the course last weekend and the exam yesterday and I PASSED. I honestly feel like I knew every single answer on the test, and breezed right through it. (for both the brokers and the salesperson.) I was the first one done for both portions of the brokers exam- literally maybe 30 mins. for each section. I swear, I have these answers memorized. If you take Kathy's crash course and study the materials as she instructs you to, you WILL PASS. I like how she keeps the class moving at a good pace and covers everything you need to pass the test. She is not here to teach you how to sell houses, she is here to teach you how to pass the exam- that's it. On a personal note, Kathy and her husband are wonderful people and I have a lot of respect for what she does. Kathy- I cannot thank you enough. I would not have passed the exams without your class, and I feel indebted to you for the success that I have had in this industry. You are top notch and I am thankful for you! Bottom line- SIGN UP FOR THE CRASH COURSE- YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! ** I have seen some people get offended that she doesn't allow you to ask questions...YES- this is a crash course. No questions, sit down, be quiet, listen, STUDY, and PASS. Your questions will slow down the pace of the class. STUDY. read more

I took Kathleen's crash course last Saturday and Sunday and passed the salesperson exam on the first try the following Friday. I found her instructions on how to schedule your own exam date super easy, contrary to some negative reviews on here. If you act as an adult and can follow instructions, you will pass your exam on the first try. Kathleen is a strong personality and runs her classes in a no-nonsense manner, which, if you are interested in passing your exam, you will appreciate. I highly recommend the Clare Institute. read more

This is the best thing I could have done! I tried the study prep books, I tried online test questions... They were all boring and the information didn't seem to sink in. After taking the 2- day crash course, I felt pretty confident (but exhausted). I went through the study materials one more time through the day after the crash course and things definitely sunk in this time. The day after that was my test day- I left the test very confident that I finally passed... And I did!! Thank you to this course!! It is a must take- Don't hesitate to sign up!! read more

I passed the state exam earlier this afternoon on my first attempt and I have to say it was, in large part, to Clare Institute's crash course. I took the prerequisite classes through another school and also paid for their state exam prep but realized pretty early on that I was struggling with the prep format. A broker who lives in my neighborhood recommended Clare Institute, so I went home and looked them up. Best. Decision. Ever. I was dillagent about following the instructions included with the packet that was sent to me, going over the practice tests until I scored a 90% on each of them, and that was undoubtedly the right thing to advise. During the crash course weekend, I didn't see a problem with Kathy not taking questions. We have all been in situations where one person in a group asks banal questions on a loop, driving everyone crazy and taking up so much time. Kathy uses every minute of the 16 hours to go over a ton of information that is critical to success on the exam. Kathy is funny, fabulous (in a purple sparkly boot kind of way) and knows her stuff. It was clear to me right away that she knows how to teach adults and that Clare Institute's system involves, reading the information on your own, hearing the information by listening during the course, and writing the information down, taking notes during the presentation. A three pronged approach that really worked for me. I would recommend this course to anyone wanting to pass the state exam but feeling unsure on how to focus their studying. read more

The first time around I tried to take ALL the short cuts. I took the Kaplan crash course online to try and avoid spending a whole weekend in a classroom (huge mistake). I walked into the test completely unprepared and walked out with a very disappointing "better luck next time" letter. Once I didn't pass the first time, others that I knew in the business told me it was essential to do a live crash course. I did some research and found this course. I could babble on forever telling you how much I loved it but instead I will make it short and sweet. TAKE THIS COURSE before your exam! It's long yes, but it's fun, informational and WELL worth the money! I passed with flying colors the second time. I knew almost every single answer and I felt so confident going in to the exam. Thanks Kathleen! read more

Was so nervous going into this course because of all the materials they send you. DEFINITELY DO WHAT KATHY RECOMMENDS YOU TO DO! Just finished this past weekends crash course and took my exam this morning. PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS. The crash course is designed to help you recognize key words so during the test if the question is worded differently you'll recognize key terms. I almost thought the exam was too easy after taking this course. I have already recommended this course to friends who are planning on getting licensed as well. Thank you, Kathy! read more

I highly recommend this school if you want to pass the first time. Yes the 8 practice test are super hard and it will take time to pass them with a 90% or better. But if you put the work in you will pass. Clearly the people that have written horrible reviews didn't follow directions and didn't put the time in to get a 90% or better on the practice exams. It's as simple as that. read more

Kathie and Joe are such amazing people whom I am so glad I got to meet. Kathie is very personable and a great teacher. A big part of the class is work that you have to get done before you go to class. Finish the tests they give you because that will help you tremendously. Obviously you won't know most of the answers at first but don't get discouraged because you are actually learning. After that you go take the class to seal in all the information. You won't regret taking her class! read more

I am in shock after the treatment I just received from the woman answering the phone. I had asked a few standard questions regarding recommended timing of the exam crash course offered, and was followed with firm reprimanding, screaming, then being hung up on- unable to get any word in, edgewise. I can't really wrap my head around what just happened! For any future callers looking to schedule the exam crash course, you may want to refrain from asking about timing of the process, or maybe any questions at all. It only took 30 seconds of asking what the process was, and when the next course was scheduled, to be berated. I attempted to call back, twice, and was forwarded to the answering voice mail. I've heard great things about the course, but after that treatment, i'll pay the extra money to go elsewhere. read more

I took Kathy's course in 1998...from Principles of R.E. through the crash course and the RE salesperson exam. I remember Kathy as being very nice, fun, and the crash course teaches you how to PASS THE EXAM. I passed on the first try with no problems. After 18 years Im looking to get my brokers license and will be signing up with Kathy for another crash course. If you are looking to learn all the material, then you will need to study lots of books. If you are looking to pass the test and get your license... take this crash course. I wouldn't be looking her up 18 years later if I don't have great memories. read more

I highly recommend this school for a few reasons: 1. The books are easy to get through, including online quizes and exams 2. The crash course it great, and lastly 3. THE PRACTICE EXAMS ARE SUPER HARD!! I don't want confident boosting practice exams, I want something that is just as hard as the exam and has some of the same questions as the exam. I went through all eight practice exams for 8 days prior to the exam plus two for the crash course and passed super easily. I can't really say for sure but somewhere between 10-30 questions on the exam were on the practice exams verbatim. Expect to fail each practice exam the first time you take it. Once you memorize the questions you got wrong and marked the questions you weren't 100% on, then you will be able to pass easily. read more

This is was the best "Crash Course" I have ever taken. I passed my DRE Exam two days after the class on the first try. Pay attention, take lots on notes, and pack snacks as the breaks are very short. read more

Took Clare's course back in January and passed my broker exam on the first try. I highly recommend her course for anyone looking to take their salesperson or broker's exam. I have recommended my friends to her course and will continue to do so in the future. Adam C. read more

Well, if there were a "Soup Nazi" for test preparation courses, it would be Kathy. She is rude and just plain "east-coast" NASTY. The whole course consists of her handing out a concept sheet at the beginning and then for the rest of the two days she recites from her typewritten notes the information we need to hurriedly write down to make sense of the terms. It would have been far more expedient had the "Claire" institute just given us access to the First Tuesday website and test questions, mailed out copies of the completed notes and sample test questions along with the study book. (By the way, First Tuesday's Study book was the best training aid in my arsenal.) 'Would have taken all of 10 minutes and cost far less than the $175 or so dollars we all paid. I had been preparing in advance of the test for a year, so I can't really say that the content of the course actually helped me pass. But I did pass when I took the test 4 days later. I don't think it had anything to do with "Clair" or Kathy. It was my own study, effort, and expertise in test-taking and test construction. (My experience in this area is too long to mention here. 'Sorry to sound so "stuck up" but my credentials support my statements.) As superfluous as Kathy was to the whole process, I want to address the "Test Nazi." Her whole attitude is terse and rude. She is short with people and has a major chip on her shoulder. It all starts with the instructions that they send you. They tell you that there is a $100 charge for a no-show. Say WHAT! Haven't I already paid? Isn't there already a reschedule fee? The $100 is like a fine for not being compliant. Give me a freaking break. At the beginning she said "there will be no questions" and then allowed a number of young females to ask questions. A minute later I had a question and she asked the class, "DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A QUESTION?" An hour beforehand, my phone accidentally rang (my ducks were quacking-LOL). Her comment was a loud and disguist-filled "REALLY?" Then she announced that phones were supposed to be turned off. That was the first time I had heard that. Oh well. Kathy is like any bully I have ever dealt with. In my 64 years of life and 40 years in mental health, I have had dealings with many difficult, mean, and hateful people. She just happens to be one of them. Her influence on me had no more impact than someone passing gas in my direction in a strong headwind. But to younger folks trying to get started in life, Kathy could be totally and unnecessarily harmful with her abuse. There are a vast majority of reviewers who give fantastic reviews. I am at a loss as to how this occurred, unless those with negative opinions were too afraid to speak up. Either way, I stand by my words. Whatever the case, there is one thing that Kathy hasn't learned in the long time that she has lived and that is that it takes just as much effort to be kind to other people than to be rude to them. read more