RES Exam Case Study Examples (Section B): Worked Questions

Section B of the RES exam is where most candidates lose marks. Instead of a single fact, you get a case study — a scenario followed by several statements you must judge as correct or incorrect. They test whether you can apply the rules, not just recall them.

What a RES case study question looks like

A typical Section B item gives a realistic situation — a buyer, a property, a sequence of events — and then asks "which statements are correct?". The traps are usually subtle: a plausible-sounding statement that quietly misstates ABSD, the MOP, a financing limit, or an agent's duty.

Topics that show up most

• Stamp duties— ABSD by buyer profile and property count, BSD tiers, and Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) holding periods.
• HDB rules — Minimum Occupation Period, eligibility schemes, resale levy and ethnic quotas.
• Financing — TDSR, MSR, loan-to-value limits and cash downpayment requirements.
• Agency & ethics — conflicts of interest, dual representation, handling of client money and advertising rules.

How to approach them

• Read the scenario twice — note the buyer's profile and how many properties they own.
• Evaluate each statement on its own as true or false before looking at the answer combinations.
• Watch for the "trap" statement — usually one absolute claim ("always", "no ABSD", "automatically") that's too strong.
• Eliminate answer combinations that include a statement you know is false.

Try real worked examples

The best way to get comfortable is to work through real ones. We've put a set of free, fully-worked RES case study examples online — no sign-up needed:

→ See free RES exam case study examples with answers

For hundreds more exam-grade case studies across every CEA syllabus topic, plus timed mock papers weighted toward the toughest questions, try Hard Mode or start practising free.