How to Register for the RES Exam 2026: Step-by-Step Guide

Before you can sit the RES exam, there are a few gates to clear: you have to meet the eligibility rules, complete the compulsory RES course, and register for a sitting through the official exam administrator. This guide walks through eligibility, the course prerequisite, how registration works, the fees, and the exam schedule — so you know exactly what to do and what to budget. Because the authorities update rules, fees and dates from time to time, always confirm the current details on cea.gov.sg and res.ntuclearninghub.com before you commit.

Who runs the RES exam?

The property agency industry in Singapore is regulated by the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA). The Real Estate Salesperson (RES) examination itself is conducted by NTUC LearningHub, and you register for a sitting online at res.ntuclearninghub.com. Passing the exam is a key step on the path to becoming a registered salesperson — see our full guide on how to become a property agent in Singapore.

Are you eligible?

To register for the RES exam you need both of these:

• A valid Certificate of RES Course Completion from a CEA-approved course provider. It is valid for two years, and you can sit the exam any time within that window (CEA). Each sitting sets its own cut-off: for 31 Oct / 1 Nov 2026 it was 16 Sep 2026, about six weeks before Paper 1.
• At least 4 GCE "O" Level passes or an equivalent when you register for the exam. The O Level results can be combined from no more than two sittings (NTUC LearningHub, CEA). No O Levels? CEA also accepts Level 5 and above in all five components of the Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (WPLN) assessment: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing and Numeracy (CEA, Prepare for the RES examination, checked 13 Oct 2026).

The minimum age of 21 and the fit-and-proper test apply later, when you apply to register as a salesperson with CEA after you pass — not when you sit the exam.

The compulsory RES course

Everyone sitting the RES exam must first complete the preparatory course run by a CEA-approved course provider. It covers the syllabus you'll be tested on — land law, contract and agency, regulation and ethics, anti-money-laundering, stamp duties and property finance, and the practical side of transactions. The course qualifies you to register, but it doesn't guarantee a pass: the practice you do afterwards decides that. See how to pass the RES exam for a week-by-week study plan, and how long to study for the RES exam to work out your timeline.

How to register, step by step

Registration is a two-stage process, and the first stage is time-critical — miss its short window and you wait until the next sitting. Here's exactly how it works, in order.

Stage 1 — Indication of Interest (IOI)

You don't book the exam directly. First you submit an Indication of Interest — how the authorities confirm who intends to sit. It's done on the government GovEntry portal (Singpass login), and it opens for a single short window — typically about three hours on one morning (around 9am–12pm) — roughly two months before the sitting. For the 31 Oct / 1 Nov 2026 sitting CEA set it for Thursday 17 September 2026, 9am to 12 noon, on go.gov.sg/octnov2026-res-exam — and you had to hold a valid Certificate of RES Course Completion, or have completed the course, by 16 Sep 2026. The form takes about 5 minutes. (CEA two-stage registration infographic, as at 12 Sep 2026 — always re-check cea.gov.sg.)

What Stage 1 asks of you, step by step:

• Before the day — confirm you hold a valid Certificate of RES Course Completion, or have completed the course by that sitting's cut-off (16 Sep 2026 for 31 Oct / 1 Nov 2026).
• Use a personal device with an up-to-date browser. CEA warns against employer-issued laptops or phones with security software, which can block the form after Singpass login.
• Step 1 — the moment the window opens (9am on the published date — 17 Sep 2026 for this sitting), open go.gov.sg/octnov2026-res-exam or scan the QR code on CEA's infographic below.
• Step 2 — log in with Singpass. You go straight into the form.
• Step 3 — enter your full name as per NRIC/FIN, contact number and email address.
• Step 4 — choose the exam type: Full sitting (Paper 1 and Paper 2), Modular Paper 1, Modular Paper 2, or Modular Paper 2 with exemption from Paper 1. Modular applies only if you are exempt from Paper 1 or already hold a valid pass for one paper. Choosing the wrong type disqualifies you.
• Step 5 — submit. Eligible applicants are shortlisted first come, first served on the timestamp of their submission. A submission is not a confirmed seat — NTUC LearningHub emails the shortlisted by 30 Sep 2026.

Stage 2 — Registration & payment (NTUC LearningHub)

If you're selected, NTUC LearningHub emails you with instructions to complete your registration and pay at res.ntuclearninghub.com. Miss the window and your seat is released to the waitlist. For the 31 Oct / 1 Nov 2026 sitting, LearningHub contacted shortlisted applicants by 30 Sep 2026, the registration window ran 1 to 4 Oct 2026, the waitlist heard by 8 Oct 2026, confirmation and payment receipts were due by 9 Oct 2026, and the examination notification slip on 26 Oct 2026. Each sitting sets its own dates.

Have these ready before you start (NTUC LearningHub):

• Your Certificate of RES Course Completion.
• Your academic qualification certificate, as a colour scan (GCE "O" or "A" Level, or equivalent).
• Your official transcript showing the conferment date, only if you are a BSc (Real Estate) or Diploma in Real Estate Business graduand without your certificate yet.
• Your CEA Assessment Letter, if your certificate is from a foreign or private institution.
• Your result slip, if you are taking a modular paper.
• A payment card for the fee (S$512.30 full / S$283.40 modular).

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The steps:

• Step 1 — open NTUC LearningHub's email and follow its registration link within that sitting's Stage 2 window. Registration is by invitation only. (For the 31 Oct / 1 Nov 2026 sitting, the email came by 30 Sep 2026 and the window ran 1 to 4 Oct 2026.)
• Step 2 — upload your supporting documents.
• Step 3 — pay online. On success you see “Thank you for your Payment and Registration”, and the receipt follows by email.

How you'll know it worked

After Stage 1, NTUC LearningHub emails you if you are shortlisted. After Stage 2, expect an email confirmation and payment receipt, then the examination notification and confirmation slip shortly before the exam — bring those details to the venue. (For the 31 Oct / 1 Nov 2026 sitting these were due by 30 Sep, by 9 Oct and on 26 Oct 2026.) If the confirmation email has not arrived by its date, check spam, then email res@ntuclearninghub.com rather than assuming it went through.

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

When do you get your results?

CEA says results arrive within four to six weeks of the exam, by email. For the October / November 2026 sitting, that points to about 28 Nov to 13 Dec 2026. You need 60% to pass each paper and must pass both; if you pass one and fail the other, you re-sit only the failed paper at the modular rate. For how the result slip works, the appeal window and what to do once you pass, see RES exam results & what happens next.

RES exam fees

Beyond the RES course fee (which varies by provider), you pay an exam fee to NTUC LearningHub. The current fees, inclusive of GST, are:

There is no refund once you pay, and none if you are absent. A deferment, allowed only in limited cases such as hospitalisation on the exam day, costs a non-refundable S$130.80 incl. GST per application (NTUC LearningHub).

If you pass one paper and fail the other, you re-sit only the failed paper at the modular rate — so budget for the possibility of a re-sit, and give yourself the best shot at a clean full sitting with a free timed mock before you book.

Exam format at a glance

Registration covers two papers, so it helps to know the structure before you book:

• Two papers, each 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Section A — 60 standalone multiple-choice questions.
• Section B — 20 case-study multiple-choice questions.
• You need 60% to pass each paper, and you must pass both. Fail one and you re-sit only that paper.

You are not tested on Government policy changes announced or implemented within one month before the exam (NTUC LearningHub). For the 31 Oct / 1 Nov 2026 sitting, that meant anything from about 1 Oct 2026 onwards was out of scope. For the full breakdown, see our RES exam format guide.

Exam schedule and sittings

The exam runs three sittings a year (in 2026: March, July and October/November), spaced roughly four months apart. Papers are held over a weekend — Paper 1 on Saturday and Paper 2 on Sunday, each starting at 9.30am. The next sitting is Paper 1 on Sat 13 Mar 2027 and Paper 2 on Sun 14 Mar 2027, both from 9.30am.

For the full sitting schedule plus the registration timeline — course deadline, Indication of Interest and payment windows — see our RES exam dates & registration page.

Venue and what to bring

The exam is paper-based at SIM Headquarters, 461 Clementi Road, Singapore 599491 (NTUC LearningHub). Bring your NRIC/FIN for identity verification, arrive early, and follow your examination notification slip (for the 31 Oct / 1 Nov 2026 sitting it was sent on 26 Oct 2026). For a step-by-step run-through of the day itself, see what to expect on RES exam day.

After you register: get exam-ready

Registering is the easy part — clearing 60% on both papers is what counts. The most reliable path is to practise a high volume of exam-style questions, review every mistake, and lock the numbers cold with our one-page cheat sheet. Drill questions by topic, confirm your readiness with full mocks, and you'll walk in prepared. Create a free account to get started — the first 15 questions in every topic are free.