PSI paper policy

Can you use scratch paper on the Illinois real estate exam?

At a PSI test center, yes, but PSI supplies the paper and pencil and collects both at checkout. On the remote-proctored exam, no scratch paper is allowed. That difference matters most for math, so practice for the delivery format you actually booked.

Last reviewed: August 22, 2026

What is the scratch-paper rule?

Short answer: A test-center candidate receives one piece of scratch paper and a pencil from PSI. A remote candidate may not use scratch paper. Personal paper, notes, formula sheets, and writing supplies are not a substitute in either format.

Illinois PSI scratch-paper rules by delivery format
Rule	PSI test center	Remote proctoring
Scratch paper	One piece supplied by PSI	Not allowed
Pencil	Supplied by PSI	Not allowed for exam notes
Personal paper	Do not bring it into the room	Not allowed
Formula sheet	Not allowed	Not allowed
After the exam	Return paper and pencil at checkout	No handwritten exam notes should exist
Physical calculator	Allowed under the current booklet	Not allowed

The booking format changes your math environment

The content outline and passing standard remain the same. Remote testing simply removes two tools many candidates expect: scratch paper and a physical calculator. Decide whether that tradeoff is sensible before the appointment-change deadline.

What happens at a PSI test center?

Leave personal paper and writing supplies outside the exam room.
Accept the piece of scratch paper and pencil supplied by PSI.
Use them only during the authorized examination session.
Keep all examination notes inside the controlled room.
Return the paper and pencil during checkout.

Do not copy questions for later review or take exam notes out of the center. PSI treats examination content and materials as secure. A missing sheet can delay checkout and create a conduct issue.

What happens during a remote exam?

Clear all paper, notebooks, sticky notes, mail, whiteboards, pens, pencils, and reference material from the desk and reachable area before check-in. The remote room scan can include the desk, the area under the keyboard or laptop, the floor, ceiling, and surrounding room.

Do not bring paper into view after the scan. Do not write on the desk, hand, wall, or another surface. A personal whiteboard does not become acceptable merely because it can be erased. Follow the booklet and the proctor's instructions.

The Illinois PSI remote room setup guide covers the complete desk, camera, phone, privacy, and scan checklist.

Why does the rule matter for exam math?

Real estate calculations account for 7% of the scored national broker portion, about seven of the 100 scored national questions. Math can also appear inside financing, valuation, property ownership, and transaction scenarios.

Math tasks that often benefit from written setup
Task	What paper helps track	Paper-free substitute
Commission	Price, rate, and split sequence	Compute one step at a time and check the direction
Proration	Time period, daily rate, debit and credit	Name the liable party and unit before calculating
Area and acreage	Dimensions and conversions	Estimate the size and keep units explicit
Loan-to-value	Value, loan, down payment, and percentage	Identify the requested variable before entering numbers
Property tax	Assessment, exemption, rate, and time	Separate the taxable base from the final multiplication
Capitalization	NOI, value, and cap rate	Use the relationship income equals rate times value

A remote candidate does not need to become a mental-arithmetic performer. The goal is to reduce each question to a short, ordered set of decisions that can be handled without a handwritten page.

A paper-free calculation method

Name the unknown. Are you finding dollars, a percentage, time, distance, or area?
Identify the relationship. Choose the formula before touching the numbers.
Standardize the units. Convert months, days, square feet, acres, percentages, and decimal rates first.
Estimate the range. Decide whether the answer should be hundreds, thousands, or a small percentage.
Calculate one step at a time. Avoid an unnecessarily long expression.
Check direction and units. Ask whether the result answers the actual question.

Example: commission without paper

A $320,000 property earns a 5% total commission. One brokerage receives half. First find $16,000 total commission. Then take half: $8,000. The result is smaller than the total and remains a dollar amount, so both the direction and unit make sense.

How should remote candidates practice?

Do not discover the paper restriction on exam day. Use a deliberate transition:

Solve new math lessons with paper until the formula and units are understood.
Repeat familiar question types without paper in sets of five.
Mark every miss as a formula, unit, arithmetic, or reading error.
Practice timed mixed sets without paper or a physical calculator.
Compare paper and paper-free accuracy before keeping remote delivery.

If accuracy drops sharply without written setup, that is useful evidence about the delivery format, not a character flaw.

Use answer choices as a check, not a shortcut

Eliminate results with the wrong unit.
Reject amounts outside your estimated range.
Check whether a percent was entered as a decimal.
Look for an answer that reflects one missing conversion.
Substitute a proposed answer back into a simple relationship.

Do not guess from the shape of the choices before reading the facts. Distractors often represent a plausible but incomplete calculation.

How should you use one test-center sheet?

PSI promises a piece of paper, so use it as a limited resource:

Write only the numbers, units, and relationship you need.
Separate one problem from the next with a short line.
Keep proration debits and credits visibly distinct.
Do not spend opening minutes creating a long formula dump.
Reserve space for later multi-step questions.
Never plan around receiving another sheet.

A formula dump can consume time and introduce an error before you see a question. Recall formulas when the facts call for them.

Does scratch paper decide where you should test?

Delivery decision based on your practice evidence
Observation	Better fit	Reason
Math stays accurate without paper	Remote can remain an option	Paper restriction creates little extra risk
Written setup prevents recurring errors	Test center	PSI supplies paper and permits a physical calculator
You need a restroom break	Test center	Remote breaks are not allowed
Home room or internet is unreliable	Test center	PSI controls the technology and environment

Review every practical difference in the Illinois real estate exam online versus test-center comparison. Change the appointment through the official PSI process at least two days before the scheduled examination.

What if you have an approved accommodation?

An approved testing accommodation can modify a standard condition. It does not authorize candidates to create their own exception. Request accommodations through the official process before scheduling as directed, retain the written approval, and bring or use only the materials PSI specifically authorizes.

If approval language is unclear, resolve it with PSI before the appointment rather than asking the proctor to make a new decision at launch.

Build math skill for the booked format

Practice under the real constraint

Use Math Coach to make each setup automatic

Pass Illinois combines original practice questions, explanations, flashcards, Math Coach, and separate national and state readiness. Learn the method with support, then repeat it without paper if remote testing is your plan.