Hurdles include a slew of classes OK'd by the state real estate regulatory agency, as well as a second, more advanced test. (In some states, lawyers can bypass some of those requirements.) Tack on another couple of years for this step, at which point you'll be ready to head out on your own.
Odd, because it certainly seems like the cost of bypass surgery a few years down the road would outweigh the relatively meager cost of this test, but such is the logic of the industry.