Final answer:
A provisional broker in North Carolina can begin practicing real estate upon receiving formal notification from the NCREC and a license number, after passing the examination.
Step-by-step explanation:
In North Carolina, a provisional broker can commence practicing real estate upon formal notification from the North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) that they have successfully passed the real estate examination and have been issued a license number.
This notification signifies that the provisional broker has fulfilled all the necessary requirements and is legally sanctioned to practice real estate. Importantly, it is only after obtaining this license number that a provisional broker becomes eligible to affiliate with a Broker-in-Charge (BIC) and actively engage in real estate activities. This process ensures that individuals entering the real estate profession in North Carolina have met the educational and examination criteria set by the NCREC before embarking on their real estate career.