RES exam syllabus 2027
CEA's 2027 syllabus applies to every Real Estate Salesperson (RES) exam from 1 Jan 2027. The two-paper format stays the same. The content is now 42 topics and 263 learning outcomes across four competency units, with three new units. Below is every unit, what changed from the 2017 syllabus, and how our 3278+ practice questions map to it.
RES exam at a glance
Facts re-checked on cea.gov.sg on 11 Nov 2026. CEA can change them; confirm there before you book. RESPrep is independent and not affiliated with CEA.
- Who runs the RES exam?
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) sets the Real Estate Salesperson (RES) exam and its syllabus. NTUC LearningHub runs it for CEA: registration, payment, results and appeals.
Source: CEA, Apply for the RES examination, checked 11 Nov 2026
- What is the RES exam format?
Two papers, each 2.5 hours, sat on paper. Each paper has Section A, 60 multiple-choice questions (60 marks), and Section B, 20 multiple-choice questions on one or two case studies (40 marks). Paper 1 covers Competency Units 1 and 2; Paper 2 covers Competency Units 3 and 4.
Source: CEA, Prepare for the RES examination, checked 11 Nov 2026
- What is the pass mark?
60 out of 100 in each paper, subject to review by CEA. Each paper is passed on its own: pass one and you re-sit only the other while your RES course certificate is valid.
Source: CEA, Prepare for the RES examination, checked 11 Nov 2026
- How much is the exam fee?
S$512.30 for a full sitting (both papers), or S$283.40 for one paper if you have already passed the other, including GST. CEA says fees may change without notice.
Source: CEA, Prepare for the RES examination, checked 11 Nov 2026
- How do I book a seat?
First finish a RES course and hold a valid Certificate of RES Course Completion (valid for two years). Stage 1: indicate interest on GovEntry with Singpass during a short window; one submission per NRIC/FIN, shortlisted first come, first served. Stage 2: if shortlisted, NTUC LearningHub emails you to register and pay on its website by a deadline.
Source: CEA, Apply for the RES examination, checked 11 Nov 2026
- When is the next sitting?
CEA lists these sittings (checked 12 Nov 2026): March 2027: Paper 1 Sat 13 Mar 2027, Paper 2 Sun 14 Mar 2027; July 2027: Paper 1 Sat 17 Jul 2027, Paper 2 Sun 18 Jul 2027; October 2027: Paper 1 Sat 30 Oct 2027, Paper 2 Sun 31 Oct 2027. CEA may move dates without notice.
Source: CEA, Prepare for the RES examination, checked 11 Nov 2026
- Which syllabus applies?
Exams from 1 Jan 2027 follow CEA's RES Examination Syllabus 2027 (version 1.0). Exams in 2025 and 2026 used the earlier syllabus.
Source: CEA, Prepare for the RES examination, checked 11 Nov 2026
- When are results released?
CEA releases results within 4 to 6 weeks of the exam: for the October / November 2026 sitting, about 28 Nov to 13 Dec 2026. NTUC LearningHub emails your Statement of Results. An appeal must be filed within 5 working days of the release and costs S$87.20 including GST.
Source: CEA, RES examination results and appeals, checked 11 Nov 2026
- How long is a pass valid?
Two years. Within two years of passing, you must apply for registration as a salesperson through a licensed estate agent; after that, you retake the course and the exam.
Source: CEA, RES examination results and appeals, checked 11 Nov 2026
Exam format: unchanged
Paper 1 · Competency Units 1 and 2
- Section A — 60 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each (60 marks)
- Section B — 20 multiple-choice questions on one or two case studies, 2 marks each (40 marks)
- Duration — 2 hours 30 minutes
- Pass mark — 60% in each paper
Paper 2 · Competency Units 3 and 4
- Section A — 60 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each (60 marks)
- Section B — 20 multiple-choice questions on one or two case studies, 2 marks each (40 marks)
- Duration — 2 hours 30 minutes
- Pass mark — 60% in each paper
Before you sit, you must complete the RES course with a CEA-approved course provider: at least 65 hours under the 2027 syllabus. Format and course hours are from the RES Examination Syllabus 2027 (v1.0); the pass mark is from CEA's exam preparation page. For dates, fees and registration see the exam schedule.
Cognitive levels L1–L3
Every learning outcome carries a level. It tells you how deep the exam can go on that point. Each level assumes the ones below it.
L1 · Remembering
12 LOsRecognise, list, define or name a term, rule or procedure.
L2 · Understanding
149 LOsInterpret, classify or explain a concept, including inside a short scenario.
L3 · Applying
102 LOsUse the rule on a client's facts and give the right advice. CEA says L3 can be asked directly or through scenarios and case studies.
For your revision: 102 of 263 outcomes are L3, mostly in Paper 2. Every outcome in 3.2 (ethics) and four of the five in 3.4 (AML) are L3. Expect them as scenarios, including in Section B at 2 marks a question.
The four competency units
Unit titles as CEA publishes them. Hours are CEA's recommended training hours per topic, a rough guide to weight.
Paper 1 · Competency Unit 1 · 8 topics · 41 LOs
Real Estate Agency Industry Overview & Basic Land Law Concepts
- 1.1Real estate market and submarkets
8 learning outcomes (L1 ×1 · L2 ×6 · L3 ×1) · 1.5 h
- 1.2Real estate market players and government intervention
4 learning outcomes (L2 ×3 · L3 ×1) · 1 h
- 1.3Introduction
4 learning outcomes (L2 ×4) · 1.5 h
- 1.4Land
4 learning outcomes (L2 ×2 · L3 ×2) · 2 h
- 1.5Estates in land
1 learning outcome (L2 ×1) · 1 h
- 1.6State Lands Act and Land Betterment Charge ActRetitled
6 learning outcomes (L1 ×2 · L2 ×4) · 1 h
Was “State Lands Act 1920”. Adds the Land Betterment Charge Act, road reserves and encroachment.
- 1.7Rights in another’s land
9 learning outcomes (L2 ×9) · 1.5 h
- 1.8Registration of titles
5 learning outcomes (L2 ×4 · L3 ×1) · 1.5 h
Paper 1 · Competency Unit 2 · 12 topics · 60 LOs
Dealings with Interests in Land
- 2.1Law of contract
8 learning outcomes (L1 ×1 · L2 ×7) · 5 h
- 2.2Law of agency
7 learning outcomes (L1 ×1 · L2 ×6) · 3 h
- 2.3Landlord and tenant law
10 learning outcomes (L1 ×1 · L2 ×9) · 3 h
- 2.4Property tortsRetitled
9 learning outcomes (L1 ×3 · L2 ×4 · L3 ×2) · 3 h
Was “Negligence”. Adds trespass to land and nuisance, with their defences and remedies.
- 2.5Mortgage
5 learning outcomes (L2 ×4 · L3 ×1) · 1.5 h
- 2.6Gift
2 learning outcomes (L2 ×2) · 1 h
- 2.7Trust
3 learning outcomes (L2 ×3) · 1 h
- 2.8Succession
3 learning outcomes (L2 ×3) · 1 h
- 2.9Future interests
2 learning outcomes (L2 ×2) · 1 h
- 2.10Co-ownership
2 learning outcomes (L2 ×2) · 1 h
- 2.11Restrictions on capacity to hold land
3 learning outcomes (L3 ×3) · 1 h
- 2.12Planning and development of land
6 learning outcomes (L2 ×5 · L3 ×1) · 2.5 h
Paper 2 · Competency Unit 3 · 14 topics · 81 LOs
Regulation of Real Estate Agency Industry & Real Estate Marketing
- 3.1Regulation of real estate agency industry
11 learning outcomes (L2 ×9 · L3 ×2) · 2 h
- 3.2Professional practice, ethics and conductNew
2 learning outcomes (L3 ×2) · 2.5 h
New unit. Ethics sat inside the 2017 regulation unit; it now stands alone at the “apply” level, including conduct towards other agents and ethical dilemmas.
- 3.3Role and functions of salespersons and their requisite knowledge and skills
5 learning outcomes (L2 ×3 · L3 ×2) · 2.5 h
- 3.4Prevention of Money Laundering, Proliferation Financing and Terrorism Financing (PMLPFTF) obligationsNew
5 learning outcomes (L2 ×1 · L3 ×4) · 2.5 h
New unit. AML was listed inside a 2017 unit; it now stands alone and names the CDSA, TSOFA and UN Act, client risk assessment and reputational risk.
- 3.5Principles of real estate marketing
5 learning outcomes (L2 ×5) · 1 h
- 3.6Types of listing
2 learning outcomes (L3 ×2) · 1 h
- 3.7Methods of sale
2 learning outcomes (L3 ×2) · 1 h
- 3.8Regulations on advertisements
5 learning outcomes (L3 ×5) · 1 h
- 3.9Green buildings and leasesNew
3 learning outcomes (L2 ×3) · 1 h
New unit: BCA Green Mark (objectives and key criteria) and green leases between landlord and tenant.
- 3.10Marketing of residential properties
8 learning outcomes (L1 ×1 · L2 ×1 · L3 ×6) · 2.5 h
- 3.11Marketing of commercial properties
13 learning outcomes (L2 ×7 · L3 ×6) · 2 h
- 3.12Marketing of industrial properties
10 learning outcomes (L2 ×5 · L3 ×5) · 2 h
- 3.13Marketing of conservation propertiesRetitled
7 learning outcomes (L1 ×1 · L2 ×5 · L3 ×1) · 2 h
Was “Marketing of special properties”. Adds URA's 3R principles, rules on awnings, gazebos and pools, and penalties for illegal alteration.
- 3.14Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003
3 learning outcomes (L1 ×1 · L2 ×2) · 1 h
Paper 2 · Competency Unit 4 · 8 topics · 81 LOs
Property Transactions
- 4.1Sale of uncompleted private properties
2 learning outcomes (L3 ×2) · 2 h
- 4.2Sale of completed private properties
15 learning outcomes (L2 ×8 · L3 ×7) · 2 h
- 4.3Collective sale of private properties
5 learning outcomes (L2 ×4 · L3 ×1) · 1 h
- 4.4Sale of HDB flats
14 learning outcomes (L2 ×7 · L3 ×7) · 3 h
- 4.5Leasing of private residential propertiesRetitled
9 learning outcomes (L2 ×3 · L3 ×6) · 1.5 h
Was “Leasing of private properties”. Now residential only, and adds approved use and the property condition report.
- 4.6Renting out HDB flats/bedrooms
7 learning outcomes (L3 ×7) · 2 h
- 4.7Taxes on property
12 learning outcomes (L2 ×4 · L3 ×8) · 1.5 h
- 4.8Property finance and financial calculations
17 learning outcomes (L2 ×2 · L3 ×15) · 2 h
What changed from the 2017 syllabus
Three new units
3.2 Professional practice, ethics and conduct; 3.4 PMLPFTF obligations; 3.9 Green buildings and leases. Ethics and AML were already examinable inside other 2017 units; 3.2 and most of 3.4 are now set at the “apply” level. Green buildings is new material.
One unit removed
2017 unit 4.7 Foreign worker housing is gone. The Immigration Act checks on tenants and occupiers stay, now under 4.5 and 4.6.
Four units retitled
1.6 adds the Land Betterment Charge Act; 2.4 “Negligence” becomes “Property torts” (adds trespass and nuisance); 3.13 “special properties” becomes “conservation properties”; 4.5 becomes leasing of private residential properties.
Units renumbered
The 2017 heading “Conveyance inter vivos” (2.5) is dropped, so Mortgage to Planning move up one number. In Competency Unit 3 the new units push the rest back: 2017 3.2 is now 3.3, and 3.3–3.11 are now 3.5–3.8 and 3.10–3.14. In Competency Unit 4, taxes and finance become 4.7 and 4.8.
Numbered learning outcomes
263 numbered outcomes, each with a cognitive level and explanatory notes, replace the 2017 syllabus's unnumbered bullets. CEA also gives recommended training hours per topic (74 hours in total).
Longer RES course
The prerequisite course is now at least 65 hours, up from 50.
Full guide: what each new unit tests
Sources: RES Examination Syllabus 2027 (v1.0, issued 1 Jan 2027) and CEA's FAQs on the revised syllabus (version as at 27 Aug 2025).
Common questions
- When does the 2027 RES syllabus start?
- It applies to every RES examination from 1 Jan 2027. Sittings in 2025 and 2026 used the 2017 syllabus, so the 31 Oct–1 Nov 2026 sitting was the last one on it (CEA FAQ, version as at 27 Aug 2025).
- Has the RES exam format changed in 2027?
- No. Each paper still runs 2.5 hours: Section A has 60 MCQs at 1 mark each and Section B has 20 MCQs on one or two case studies at 2 marks each (RES Examination Syllabus 2027, v1.0).
- Do I need to retake the RES course for the 2027 syllabus?
- No, as long as you sit the exam within two years of completing the course. CEA's bridging courses on the new content are optional (CEA FAQ, version as at 27 Aug 2025).
- Is my Paper 1 or Paper 2 pass still valid under the 2027 syllabus?
- Yes. A modular pass in one paper stays valid within the two-year window that starts when you complete the RES course (CEA FAQ, version as at 27 Aug 2025).
Our practice topics by unit
The question bank groups the 42 syllabus topics into 15 practice topics, filed under the competency unit they test.
Paper 1
Competency Unit 1 · Real Estate Agency Industry Overview & Basic Land Law Concepts
Competency Unit 2 · Dealings with Interests in Land
Paper 2
Competency Unit 3 · Regulation of Real Estate Agency Industry & Real Estate Marketing
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