RES Exam Format: 80 Questions a Paper, 2.5 Hours, 60% Pass

The Real Estate Salesperson (RES) examination is the licensing exam you must pass to register as a property agent in Singapore. It is set under the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) and conducted by NTUC LearningHub, typically at the SIM HQ campus in Clementi. Before you plan a single study session, it pays to understand exactly how the paper is built — the structure decides how you should prepare. This guide breaks down the two papers, the section split, the marks, the duration and the all-important pass rules.

The two papers at a glance

The RES exam is sat as two separate papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2. Each is a standalone paper with its own score, and you sit them on the same day or across sittings depending on your registration. Every question is multiple-choice — there is no essay or open-ended writing anywhere in the exam.

For a full comparison of what each paper actually tests, see our Paper 1 vs Paper 2 guide.

Section A vs Section B

Both papers are split into two sections, and understanding the difference is central to scoring well.

Section A — standalone MCQs

Section A is 60 standalone multiple-choice questions. Each question stands on its own and usually tests recall or a single concept — a definition, a rule, a rate or a straightforward calculation. This is where the bulk of your marks come from, so accurate, broad knowledge across the syllabus matters most here.

Section B — case-study MCQs

Section B is 20 multiple-choice questions built around shared case studies. You read a scenario, then answer several linked questions that all draw on the same set of facts. Section B rewards application — spotting which rule the facts trigger — rather than pure recall, which is exactly why many candidates lose marks here.

Because Section B is worth 40 of the 100 marks on every paper and is harder to wing, practising case studies specifically is worth the effort. You can drill both sections in the real ratio with our free timed mock or a full mock exam.

Marks, duration and timing

Each paper carries 100 marks across its 80 questions (Section A questions are worth 1 mark, Section B questions 2 marks) and runs for 2 hours 30 minutes. That works out to roughly 1.8 minutes per question on average, but the smart approach is to move quickly through Section A to bank time for the heavier Section B case studies. Time management is a real factor — many capable candidates run short simply because they never practised under the clock. Sitting full timed mocks in the final weeks builds that pacing instinct.

See how much has stuck: sit a free RES mock exam, no sign-up needed. Or see the passes for the full question bank.

The pass mark and the rules that trip people up

The rules around passing are simple but strict, and misunderstanding them costs people their sitting. Read these carefully.

Must pass both — and the modular re-sit

Because the two papers are scored separately, the CEA exam is modular. If you clear Paper 1 but fall short on Paper 2, you only need to re-sit Paper 2 at the next opportunity — your Paper 1 pass still counts (within the validity window; confirm the current rules with CEA). This is good news: a near miss on one paper does not mean starting over.

No negative marking

There is no deduction for a wrong answer, so a blank is always the worst possible choice. Even a pure guess on a four-option MCQ has a 25% chance of scoring — and an educated elimination is far better. Answer every single question.

Exam fees

Fees are set by NTUC LearningHub and include GST. As a guide:

• Full sitting (both papers): S$512.30
• Modular re-sit (one paper): S$283.40

Fees can change, so always confirm the current amounts and available dates when you register — walk through the process in our RES exam registration guide.

What the syllabus covers

The two papers together span a broad body of knowledge. In rough terms, the syllabus reaches across:

• Basic land law, and estates and interests in land
• Law of contract and agency
• Regulation, ethics and the CEA practice rules
• Real estate marketing, green buildings and green leases
• Anti-money-laundering (AML) obligations
• Planning and the property market
• HDB and public housing transactions
• Private property transactions
• Leasing (landlord and tenant)
• Stamp duties — BSD, ABSD and SSD
• CPF usage and property finance — LTV, TDSR and MSR

From 1 Jan 2027 the format stays the same, but Paper 2 has three units new for 2027 (ethics, AML and green buildings). See what changed in the 2027 syllabus.

The challenge is breadth, not depth. Keep the rates and thresholds cold with our one-page cheat sheet, and drill weak areas topic by topic on the practice-by-topic page.

What the format means for your prep

Because the entire exam is multiple-choice with a firm 60% bar, the most effective preparation is doing a high volume of exam-style questions under time pressure, then reviewing the explanation for everything you get wrong. Reading notes cover-to-cover feels productive but rarely moves your score — active recall does. Our full mock exams mirror this exact format (60 Section A + 20 Section B, timed at 2h30m), so practising feels like the real sitting.

For the complete study strategy, see how to pass the RES exam, get an honest read on the odds in how hard the RES exam really is, and know what the day itself looks like in what to expect on exam day.

Exam details, fees and dates can change — always confirm the current information on the official CEA and NTUC LearningHub websites before you register. When you're ready to practise, create a free account and start today.