What Is The CE Shop?
The CE Shop is one of the largest online education providers for real estate professionals in the United States. Founded in 2005, they specialize in pre-licensing courses, post-licensing education, exam prep, and continuing education (CE) for license renewal.
They cover four main professions: real estate agents and brokers, real estate appraisers, mortgage loan originators (MLOs), and home inspectors. If you're pursuing a license in any of these fields, CE Shop is one of the first providers worth considering.
Unlike some competitors that also offer in-person classes, CE Shop is 100% online. Every course is self-paced, which means you set your own schedule. There are no live lectures to attend and no commute. You log in, pick up where you left off, and work through the material at whatever speed makes sense for you.
How the Platform Works
After purchasing a course, you get access to a personal dashboard where all your enrolled courses, progress tracking, and completion certificates live. The interface is clean and straightforward — no unnecessary bells and whistles.
Courses are broken into chapters with interactive readings, knowledge checks, and progress markers. The platform auto-saves your progress so you can close the browser mid-chapter and come back later without losing your place. Everything works in a standard web browser on desktop, tablet, or phone — there's no separate app to download, and your progress syncs across devices.
At the end of each chapter there are quiz questions to reinforce what you just learned. These aren't graded, but they're useful for identifying weak spots before you take the final exam.
Course Format and Time to Complete
Course length varies by state because each state mandates a specific number of pre-licensing hours. For real estate agents, this ranges from as few as 40 hours in some states to over 180 hours in states like Texas. CE Shop's courses meet the exact hour requirements for each state.
“Self-paced” is accurate — some students finish in a few weeks of intensive study, while others spread it out over several months. Most students working full-time can realistically complete a standard pre-licensing course in 4–8 weeks by studying a few hours per day.
Course access doesn't expire immediately, but there is a time limit (typically 6–12 months depending on the course). This is more than enough time for most students.
The Pass Guarantee
CE Shop offers what they call a “Pass or Don't Pay Guarantee.” If you complete their course and don't pass the state exam on your first attempt, you get a full refund. There are conditions — you need to complete the entire course and all practice exams before sitting for the state test — but it's a real guarantee, not marketing fluff.
This is a meaningful differentiator. Not every competitor offers this, and it removes a lot of the financial risk from choosing an online course. If you follow the program and still fail, you get your money back.
Practice Exams: Harder Than the Real Thing
One of the most consistent pieces of feedback from CE Shop students is that the practice exams are harder than the actual state licensing exam. This comes up repeatedly in student discussions — people who scored 70–75% on CE Shop practice tests report passing the real exam with comfortable margins.
This is intentional. By making the practice exams more difficult, CE Shop over-prepares you. If you can pass their practice tests, the actual state exam should feel manageable. It's a frustrating experience during studying (nobody likes failing practice tests), but it pays off on exam day.
The practice exams include detailed explanations for both correct and incorrect answers, so you're not just memorizing — you're understanding why each answer is right or wrong.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- + Pass or Don't Pay Guarantee
- + Practice exams that over-prepare you
- + 100% self-paced, no scheduled lectures
- + Clean, modern platform with auto-save
- + State-approved in most states
- + Covers pre-licensing through CE renewal
- + 30-day money-back guarantee
- + Works on any device, no app required
Cons
- − No live instructor option
- − No video lectures (mostly text-based)
- − Limited to real estate-related professions
- − Not available in every state for every course type
- − Practice exam difficulty can feel discouraging
CE Shop vs Kaplan vs Aceable vs Colibri
| Feature | CE Shop | Kaplan | Aceable | Colibri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Self-paced text | Self-paced + live | Self-paced + video | Self-paced + live |
| Pass Guarantee | Yes | Varies | Yes | Yes |
| Price Range | $99–$399 | $149–$499 | $99–$319 | $139–$599 |
| With LicenseMap35 | $64–$259 | — | — | — |
| State Coverage | Most states | Most states | 14 states | Most states |
| Mobile Friendly | Browser-based | Browser + app | Dedicated app | Browser-based |
| Professions | RE, Appraiser, MLO, HI | RE, Insurance, more | RE, MLO | RE, Appraiser, HI |
The biggest advantage CE Shop has over most competitors is the combination of broad state coverage and the 35% discount with our code. After applying LicenseMap35, CE Shop is often the most affordable option while still including a pass guarantee and solid exam prep.
Who Is CE Shop Best For?
CE Shop is the right fit if you prefer text-based, self-directed learning and want to move through the material at your own pace. If you need live instruction or video lectures, look at Kaplan or Aceable instead.
It's particularly good for:
- Career changers studying nights and weekends who need schedule flexibility
- Fast learners who want to move through material quickly without being slowed by a class schedule
- Budget-conscious students who want quality education at the lowest price (especially with our 35% off code)
- Real estate professionals who need CE courses for license renewal — CE Shop covers the full lifecycle
Professions and States Covered
CE Shop serves four main professional licensing tracks. Here's what they offer and where to find state-specific requirements on LicenseMap:
- Real Estate Agents & Brokers — Pre-licensing, exam prep, post-licensing, and CE in most states. See real estate licensing requirements by state
- Real Estate Appraisers — Qualifying education and USPAP courses. See appraiser requirements by state
- Mortgage Loan Originators — NMLS pre-licensing (20 hours federal + state-specific) and CE. See MLO requirements by state
- Home Inspectors — Pre-licensing education in select states. See home inspector requirements by state
State availability varies by profession and course type. Check CE Shop's website for your specific state, or browse our state-by-state licensing guides for complete requirement breakdowns.
How to Use the Discount Code
- Visit CE Shop through our link and select your state and course.
- Add to cart — choose the course package that fits your needs (basic, value, premium).
- Enter promo code — at checkout, paste LicenseMap35 in the promo code field.
- Verify the discount — you should see 35% taken off before you complete your purchase.
- Start studying — you'll get immediate access to your course dashboard after purchase.