When real estate students need extra help with preparing for the licensing exam, they look for exam prep courses. CompuCram is a real estate exam prep program. In this CompuCram review we will reveal what we have learned from our research into this program.
Note: We actually used CompuCram and it helped one of our staff to pass their state’s licensing exam on the first try. This allows us to offer better insight than someone who has never used the program.
UPDATED: April 2024
Our Overall Rating
(4.4)
Overview of CompuCram
CompuCram is an exam prep company that does not only specialize in real estate exam prep. This company can prepare students for nine different industry exams. However, for the purpose of this CompuCram review we will only be focusing on the real estate exam prep program.
One of the features that makes CompuCram stand out is the “All-In-One” system they use for exam prep. This is the way they structure their exam prep program. They claim that this is how their program is so effective.
But what is the “All-In-One” exam preparation system? This is basically what they call the packages they have to offer. The packages have all of the resources a student needs to be successful when taking the exam.
This includes practice real estate exams, essential vocabulary to study, as well as exams that are simulated to give students the real exam feel. They include all of this together so students do not need to spend money purchasing more than one product.
How Long Has CompuCram Been in Business?
CompuCram is part of a larger family of companies. The parent company that CompuCram works under is called Hondros.
Hondros has been in business for more than four decades. They have been an exam prep company for all of that time but also do more.
After making some upgrades to CompuCram in 2015, the program is not more personal and intuitive. Students who choose to sign up with the program will go through a pre-assessment to get a baseline for what they know.
This helps the program start the student off on the right foot and sets them up for success. The program also changes and sets up the next lesson based on the performance in the last session.
The program also allows students freedom to move around the lessons. They can bounce around between practice exams, vocabulary, and simulations.
Does CompuCram Have Support?
CompuCram does have technical support to help students with their fully online program. However, it is not 24/7 technical support which is a problem if students encounter issues after hours.
They do have Saturday hours but they are 10 am to 3 pm Eastern time. During the week they have longer technical support hours. Monday through Friday they are open from 9 am to 7 pm Eastern time. Technical support is closed on Sundays and all major holidays.
This can be an issue for students with limited time to prepare for their exam. However, they still have many satisfied students as well as a high passing rate.
We contacted CompuCram and found their support response times are very good so even though tech support may not always be there, they do have good response times.
CompuCram Resources
One resource that CompuCram has that we love is the Readiness Indicator. This is a trademarked resource that is exclusive to CompuCram and the Hondros family of exam prep programs.
The indicator is designed to track a student’s progress through the lessons and determines how best to prepare them for the exam. It also lets the student know when they are ready to take the exam.
This resource is unique to CompuCram and is likely what has aided the program in achieving such a high success rate.
Does CompuCram Have a Guarantee?
They are in the business of making sure their students pass the real estate exam for their state the first time. To back up this claim they have over 500,000 students who have passed their industry exam on the first try, according to the website.
The company is so confident that they do offer a money back guarantee if students don’t pass the real estate exam the first time. This is a 100% guarantee but there are stipulations that must be met.
In order to receive the money back guarantee there are four things a student must do. The first thing required for a refund is a failed test. A student must provide proof that they did not pass on their first attempt.
The second item is to submit those scores to CompuCram within fourteen days of the exam. If the scores are submitted late then no refund will be issued.
Another stipulation is that the three practice exams that the student took within seven days of their official exam have been passed with an 80% or above. If all of those boxes are checked then the full cost of the program will be refunded.
Even if the refund is issued the student will still have access to the course and materials for the full length of the program. The program lasts for 180 days from the original purchase.
Accessing the CompuCram Exam Prep Program
Each exam prep program determines how long students are able to access the materials. Some programs allow access times based on the package chosen but not CompuCram.
CompuCram has one access period across the board. All students who enroll in the real estate exam prep program have access for 180 days.
There are occasions when it could take a student longer to prepare. To address this CompuCram does have extension packages students can choose from.
There are three different extension packages to meet the needs of the different students. These packages are available in 30, 60, and 90 day lengths. It seems easy to complete the extension process.
This can all be done from the student portal. However, the original 180 days must already be expired in order to be able to purchase an extension.
If students aren’t sure if they need CompuCram there is a free practice real estate exam to help them gauge where they are.
This is a great tool to take advantage of before students make the investment in the course. We like to see exam prep programs that offer free practice exams.
In-Depth Look at CompuCram
The video below will give you a complete walk-through of CompuCram.
Part of this CompuCram review is to look in-depth at how the program works as well as the options students have with the company.
CompuCram serves 33 states and also offers prep exclusively for the national exam if that is required. They don’t have a program for all 50 states but with the selection they do offer it is likely they will have a program for you.
They do offer options within the different state programs. For example, if you are in Alaska and want to prepare for the real estate licensing exam you have two choices.
Students can choose the package that only prepares them for the state exam or they can choose the package that prepares them for the state and national exam.
Not every state program has both packages. Alabama is one of those states that only has the state exam preparation.
States CompuCram Serves
As we stated earlier CompuCram as a program for 33 out of the 50 states. The 33 states that are available through the CompuCram real estate licensing exam prep program are many of the most common states.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Road Island
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
There are three different types of National exam prep programs. There is an Amp prep program, PSI prep program, and Pearson Vue prep program.
What is included?
Each of the programs, regardless of state, has the all in one approach built in. One of the ways CompuCram keeps the price of the programs so affordable is due to the across the board approach. While each of the programs is tailored to the information that will be on that state exam, the approach and structure is exactly the same.
They all start the same way, with the assessment. The program guides students by steps so they know exactly how to proceed with the program to be successful. That is something we appreciate about this program.
There is a section on vocabulary, multiple practice tests, and exams that are designed to mimic the test you will take for your state. While the program is designed to work across multiple devices, the simulated exams will need to be taken on a laptop or desktop.
The designers do recommend taking all of the simulated exams on a desktop. This way the students will have the exact same feel that they will have during the real licensing test.
One thing that we really like about CompuCram is the fact that they have a demo. This video walks students through the process and the program. That way they will have an idea of what to expect.
It also lets students see if this program is something they can work with. Students learn and function in different ways and not every program will work for every student. Demo videos are a positive addition to any real estate licensing prep program.
CompuCram Pricing
CompuCram pricing is rather straightforward, which is a plus for this program. The pricing is also very affordable and with their money back guarantee, the program is very attractive to students.
There are two pricing options for the state test prep courses. This pricing depends on the package and needs of the students.
For any state test prep program that is state only is priced at $49. This grants the student 180 days of access with the option of extension packages. We didn’t see the cost of the extension packages on the website.
The extension packages are available in the student portal after the 180 days is up. That is where the pricing is for those packages.
The other pricing option for the states with the national portion included with the state prep is $89. This gives the same 180 day access but has both state prep and national prep.
This CompuCram option also has extension packages if the student needs more time. They are found in the same place in the student portal.
The pricing for the national portion only is different from the pricing for the state packages. The national only package is $59 for 180 days of access and the same program structure. There are extension packages for the national program as well.
Pros and Cons of Using CompuCram
As with any of the programs, the pros and cons are what it all boils down to. We have done the research and are now ready to give you a clear and concise list of what we like about CompuCram and what they can do better.
Pros
- Straightforward program design
- User-friendly
- High success rate
- Four decades of experience
- Readiness Indicator
- Intuitive program to track progress
- Extension packages
- Affordable
- Money back guarantee
- Great response times
Cons
- Tech support is not 24/7 (but good response when you message them)
- They don’t have all states available
- Have to pay for more time with the program
- Several stipulations on the money back guarantee
Conclusion And Verdict
We have looked into all of the aspects of the real estate exam prep program during this CompuCram review. There are many things that we like and think students will appreciate. However, there are also things that could be better or done differently.
We do like that the program is intuitive and has a readiness indicator that is proprietary to CompuCram. Having a tool built into the student portal to indicate how ready a student is for the exam can help with passing rates.
The program is user-friendly and students find it easy to navigate. It could be the 40 years in the business that have led to such a straightforward interface and program design. Another feature that we think should be attractive to students is how the program tracks progress.
Even though the time is limited with the program, students can get more time by purchasing extension programs. This is both a pro and a con. Being able to get more time is great but needing to purchase more time is an added expense.
We do think they should have programs for all 50 states and have a stipulation of free money back guarantee. There are multiple stipulations that may be hard to meet for the refund. However, it is a plus that they have a money back guarantee at all.
The last thing that CompuCram could do better is to have 24/7 tech support. The program is completely online and on-demand. That is great, but what if a student has an issue with the website at midnight on a Saturday?
It could be the only time they have to work on the program that weekend but they can’t. They do have responsive tech support but only during their business hours. An issue on the weekend or after hours results in lost time and a potentially long wait.
That being said, we did contact them with questions and they responded very fast so the fact that they have great response times is a big plus.
Verdict
Even with the things we didn’t like, CompuCram is one of the top real estate exam prep programs online. They have trademarks on some of their resources such as the readiness indicator which is a huge help to students.
As stated above, we used the program and it actually works well.
The program is easy to use and affordable. We like more about this program than we dislike and believe most students will be happy with the service. The reviews online are mostly good and this compliments the high success rate of the program.
Although we like this exam prep system, we still prefer Colibri Real Estate.