Most of what you will read about the New York real estate salesperson exam is confused, and the confusion has one specific cause: there are two exams, and almost nobody separates them.
Search "New York real estate exam" and you will be told you need 70% to pass. That number is real — but it belongs to your school's course final, not to the state licensing exam. The Department of State publishes no passing score for its own exam at all. Its wording is flat: results are reported as passed or failed, and you will not receive a numerical score.
This guide covers both exams and keeps them straight, then works through what DOS actually publishes: the format, the scheduling process, the exam sites, and the full 77-hour syllabus the state exam is drawn from, plus worked math and practice questions.
The Short Version
- Format: multiple choice, 1½ hours, based on the 77-hour pre-licensing curriculum
- Fee: $15 per attempt, scheduled through eAccessNY
- Passing Score: DOS publishes none for the state exam. Results are pass or fail only, with no numerical score
- The "70%" you have read about belongs to your school's course final — a separate, earlier exam
- Question Count: DOS publishes none either
- Results: retrieved from your eAccessNY account, and not given over the phone
- Calculators: allowed if battery or solar powered, silent, non-printing, and without an alphabetic keyboard
- A pass is valid for two years. Your 77-hour course completion does not expire for salesperson licensing
- Retakes: no waiting period and no limit on attempts
First: There Are Two Exams, Not One
Get these straight before anything else. New York requires both, they happen in this order, and advice about one does not transfer to the other.
| Your School's Course Final | The State Licensing Exam | |
|---|---|---|
| Given by | Your approved school | NYS Department of State |
| When | At the end of your 77 hours | After the course, once you schedule it |
| Passing score | Set by the school — commonly 70% | None published. Pass or fail only |
| Attempts | Set by the school, and often limited | No published limit |
| What it gets you | Your course completion certificate | Eligibility for the license |
| Fee | Included in your course | $15 per attempt |
Where The 70% Actually Comes From
New York's Real Property Law sets no passing grade for either exam. What the Department of State does instead is ask each school to declare its own. The Real Estate Qualifying Course Approval Application (Form DOS-1503-f-a) requires a school to submit its final examination along with the answer key, and to complete a blank reading "the passing grade for the examination ___%."
That is a blank the school fills in. So 70% is a school's number, and schools converge on it: NYREI's course final requires 70%, as does Brooklyn School of Real Estate's. Several other New York providers publish no figure at all.
What The State Publishes — And What It Doesn't
This section exists because the gap between the two is where most exam anxiety comes from.
DOS Publishes: the time limit, the fee, the scheduling process, the exam site list, the identification rules, the prohibited items, the calculator specification, the validity period of a pass, and the complete 77-hour curriculum the exam is based on.
DOS Does Not Publish: the number of questions, any passing score or cut score, any topic weighting for the exam itself, any pass rate, any waiting period between retakes, or any limit on attempts.
Two of those absences are worth dwelling on.
There is no published passing score for the state exam. DOS's wording is unambiguous: "Exam results are reported as either passed or failed; you will not receive a numerical score." As above, the widely circulated 70% is a school's threshold, not the state's. You cannot calculate how many state exam questions you can afford to miss, because you know neither how many there are nor where the line sits.
There is no published pass rate. DOS publishes exam statistics for some of the licenses it administers (there is a public Appearance Enhancement exam statistics page) but there is no equivalent for real estate. So any pass-rate percentage you see quoted for the New York salesperson exam did not come from the state.
The practical consequence is the same for both: study the curriculum until you know it, rather than optimizing against a target that isn't published.
Exam Format
| Item | What DOS States |
|---|---|
| Question type | Multiple choice |
| Time limit | 1½ hours, beginning at the conclusion of the instructions |
| Basis | The 77-hour pre-licensing curriculum |
| Number of questions | Not published |
| Passing score | Not published — pass or fail only |
| Fee | $15 per attempt |
| Calculator | Permitted if battery or solar powered, silent, non-printing, and without an alphabetic keyboard |
| Reference materials | Prohibited |
*One note worth making explicitly, because the two exams get confused constantly: this is not the notary public exam. The notary exam is a separate one-hour written test with its own schedule and its own booking process — and note that in New York City you must email exams@dos.ny.gov and receive confirmation before attending, rather than walking in. The real estate salesperson exam is 1½ hours and is scheduled through eAccessNY.*
How To Schedule Your Exam
Scheduling runs entirely through eAccessNY, the Department of State's licensing system.
- Create an eAccessNY account if you do not have one, at the Department of State's registration page.
- Log in and choose "Apply to Take an Exam" from the Main Menu.
- Select your site and date, and pay the $15 fee.
- Print the "Summary of Your Submission" page. It carries your candidate number, and you must bring it with you.
Rescheduling: DOS describes the reschedule window as "6 days prior to your currently scheduled exam date" — its wording is ambiguous at the exact boundary, so do not cut it fine. What is unambiguous is the consequence of missing it: once the window closes, you must wait for the exam date to pass and book an entirely new appointment.
There is no walk-in option for the real estate exam.
Where The Exam Is Given
| City | Location |
|---|---|
| Albany | Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, 80 South Swan Street |
| Binghamton | State Office Building, 44 Hawley Street, 15th Floor |
| Buffalo | Ellicott Square, 295 Main Street, 8th Floor, Room 845 — temporarily closed to the public as of August 2026 |
| Franklin Square | VFW Hall, 68 Lincoln Road, Basement |
| Hauppauge | Perry Duryea State Office Building, Basement Conference Room, 250 Veterans Memorial Highway |
| New York City | 123 William Street, 2nd Floor |
| Plattsburgh | Clinton Community College, George Moore Building / Main Building, 136 Clinton Point Drive, Room 105M |
| Pomona | Rockland County Fire Training Center, 35 Firemen's Memorial Drive |
| Rochester | Finger Lakes DDSO, 620 Westfall Road |
| Syracuse | State Office Building — DOS publishes no street address; confirm before travelling |
| Utica | State Office Building, 207 Genesee Street, 1st Floor, Room 107 |
*Check the DOS exam sites page before you travel. Sites close temporarily and sittings get rescheduled, and DOS posts disruptions to its social accounts rather than contacting candidates directly.*
What To Bring, And What Will Get You Turned Away
Bring two things:
1) Current, government-issued photo identification with your signature. It must not be expired. DOS accepts: driver's license, state-issued non-driver ID, IDNYC card, military ID, U.S. passport, USCIS Employment Authorization Card, U.S. INS-issued ID, Certificate of U.S. Citizenship, foreign passport, Brazilian, Mexican, Honduran or Ecuadorian consular ID, and the New York Mobile ID — but note that the Mobile ID is accepted only at Albany, Buffalo, Hauppauge and New York City. Bring a physical document anywhere else.
2) The printed "Summary of Your Submission" page from when you scheduled, showing your candidate number.
Leave Behind: dictionaries, books, reference materials, large bags and briefcases. Phones, beepers and all other electronic devices must be turned off. No eating, drinking or smoking at the site. No visitors, guests or children. No firearms.
Arrive Early: DOS publishes no specific arrival time, but it publishes something blunter: no one will be admitted to an examination after the specified starting time. There is no grace period and no discretion.
Anyone found using notes, books or other aids is dismissed from the site.
If you need accommodations, submit Form DOS-1591-f with supporting documentation from a physician, qualified professional, or evidence of prior accommodations from a school, to specialtesting@dos.ny.gov or by post to the Division of Licensing Services Exam Unit, P.O. Box 22001, Albany NY 12201-2001. Email is the faster path. Approved candidates test in a reduced-size, low-distraction room and written examinations receive one hour of extended time. Readers and scribes can be requested. Call 518-474-4429 rather than scheduling online if you need modifications — and start early, since DOS publishes no processing deadline.
What's Actually On The Exam
The exam is drawn from the 77-hour qualifying curriculum, and DOS publishes that curriculum in full with hour allocations. This is the closest thing to a blueprint that exists.
| # | Subject | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | License Law and Regulations | 3 |
| 2 | Law of Agency | 11 |
| 3 | Legal Issues (estates and interests 3, liens and easements 2½, deeds 2½, title closing and costs 2) | 10 |
| 4 | The Contract of Sales and Leases (leases 1, contracts 1, contract preparation 1) | 3 |
| 5 | Real Estate Finance | 5 |
| 6 | Land Use Regulations | 3 |
| 7 | Construction and Environmental Issues | 5 |
| 8 | Valuation Process and Pricing Properties | 3 |
| 9 | Human Rights and Fair Housing | 6 |
| 10 | Real Estate Mathematics | 1 |
| 11 | Municipal Agencies | 2 |
| 12 | Property Insurance | 1 |
| 13 | Licensee Safety | 1 |
| 14 | Taxes and Assessments | 3 |
| 15 | Condominiums and Cooperatives | 4 |
| 16 | Commercial and Investment Properties | 10 |
| 17 | Income Tax Issues in Real Estate Transactions | 3 |
| 18 | Mortgage Brokerage | 1 |
| 19 | Property Management | 2 |
| Total | 77 | |
| Examination (listed separately, in addition) | 3 |
Curriculum effective December 21st, 2022. The three examination hours are listed by DOS separately from the 77 instructional hours and refer to the school-administered proctored final, not the state exam. Schools have discretion over the time allotted to subjects where hours are not predetermined.
One important caveat: these are course hours, not exam question percentages. DOS does not publish a separate exam blueprint with topic weightings, and you should not convert the hours above into a predicted question distribution. What they legitimately tell you is where the state thinks the substance lies.
Where The Hours Point
Four subjects account for 37 of the 77 hours — nearly half the curriculum:
- Law of Agency (11 hours): The largest single block. Agency relationships, disclosure, dual agency and designated agency, fiduciary duties. If you master one topic, make it this one.
- Commercial and Investment Properties (10 hours): Frequently underestimated by candidates planning a residential career. It is tested regardless.
- Legal Issues (10 hours): Estates and interests, liens and easements, deeds, title closing and costs.
- Human Rights and Fair Housing (6 hours): Protected classes, prohibited practices, advertising rules.
Statute reinforces this. Real Property Law § 441 requires the exam to establish a working knowledge of contracts, real property, agency and Article 12-A; knowledge of fair housing and anti-discrimination law; mastery of the basic skills the role requires; a working knowledge of ethical obligations; and knowledge of the General Obligations Law.
Note what gets one hour: real estate mathematics. Math matters, but it is not where the exam lives.
Real Estate Math You Actually Need
| Calculation | Formula | Worked Example |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | Sale price × rate = total commission | A $450,000 sale at 5% produces $22,500. Split evenly, each side's brokerage receives $11,250. An agent on a 60% split takes $6,750. |
| Area | 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft | A lot measuring 150 ft × 290.4 ft is 43,560 sq ft — exactly one acre. |
| Loan-to-value | Loan amount ÷ property value = LTV | A $360,000 loan on a $450,000 property is an 80% LTV. Above 80%, private mortgage insurance is typically required. |
| Discount points | 1 point = 1% of the loan amount | Two points on a $360,000 loan costs the borrower $7,200 at closing. |
| Capitalization rate | NOI ÷ value = cap rate NOI ÷ cap rate = value |
A building producing $60,000 in NOI, valued at a 6% cap rate, is worth $1,000,000. |
| Proration | Annual figure ÷ 365 = daily rate daily rate × days owned = share |
Annual taxes of $7,300 are $20 a day. A seller owning the property for the first 273 days owes $5,460. |
| Profit or loss | Amount of change ÷ original amount | A property bought for $400,000 and sold for $460,000 gained $60,000 — a 15% profit. |
Practice Questions
Eleven questions in the style of the exam, with answers and explanations below. Note that this set deliberately over-weights math relative to the real curriculum (two questions here, against one hour of 77 in the syllabus) because math is what candidates worry about most. Do not read the mix as representative.
1.A broker represents the seller. A buyer asks the broker whether the seller would accept less than the asking price. The broker knows the seller will. What must the broker do?
2.Which of the following is not a protected class under the federal Fair Housing Act?
3.A New York salesperson wants to work for two brokerages at once. This is:
4.An estate that continues for an indefinite duration and can be inherited is:
5.A property sells for $525,000. Total commission is 6%, split evenly between the listing and selling sides. The listing agent’s split with her broker is 70/30 in her favor. What does she receive?
6.A mechanic’s lien is best described as:
7.Under New York law, a real estate salesperson may:
8.Annual property taxes are $9,125, paid in advance by the seller for the calendar year. Closing is on 1 October. Using a 365-day year and charging the closing day to the buyer, how much does the buyer owe the seller at closing?
9.In a cooperative, the purchaser receives:
10.A landlord refuses to rent to a family with two young children, saying the building is “quiet and adult.” The building is not registered as housing for older persons. This is:
11.An investor is evaluating a small apartment building. Gross annual rental income is $180,000, vacancy and collection losses run 5%, and annual operating expenses are $66,000. Comparable buildings in the area trade at a 7% capitalization rate. What is the indicated value?
Answers
The broker owes the seller a fiduciary duty of confidentiality. The seller’s willingness to accept less is confidential information, and disclosing it would injure the client’s bargaining position. The broker must still be honest and may not misrepresent anything, but honesty does not require volunteering the client’s negotiating floor.
Occupation is not a federally protected class. The seven federal classes are race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status and disability. Note that New York State and New York City protect additional classes beyond the federal list, and the exam expects you to know that New York goes further.
A New York salesperson works under the supervision of a sponsoring broker and, as DOS puts it, cannot operate independently. The structure follows from how the law routes supervision and compensation through that broker. Changing brokerages requires a change of association filing carrying a $20 fee, which the incoming broker submits.
A fee simple absolute is the most complete form of ownership — indefinite duration, freely inheritable and transferable. A life estate ends on the death of the measuring life. An estate at will continues only while both parties agree and is terminable at any time. An estate for years runs for a fixed term with a definite end date.
$525,000 × 6% = $31,500 total. Split evenly gives the listing side $15,750. The agent’s 70% share is $11,025.
A mechanic’s lien is specific — it attaches to the particular property improved — and involuntary, arising by operation of law when a contractor or supplier is unpaid. Property tax liens generally take priority over it.
Filling in the blanks on a standard form prepared by an attorney is permitted — but the permission is narrow. New York courts have disciplined licensees who went further and added clauses, contingencies or riders of their own, which is drafting, and therefore the unauthorized practice of law. Drafting a contract (A) and advising on title defects (B) are squarely prohibited. As for (D): no New York statute requires an attorney at a residential closing, so attending one is not itself illegal — but a salesperson running a closing unassisted will be asked legal questions, and answering them is where the line gets crossed. C is the only option that is permitted as stated.
$9,125 ÷ 365 = $25 per day. The buyer owns the property from 1 October through 31 December — 31 + 30 + 31 = 92 days. 92 × $25 = $2,300, which the buyer reimburses the seller because the seller already paid the full year.
Watch the convention. This question told you the closing day is charged to the buyer. Not every question does, and courses differ on the default. Read for it before you calculate — proration is the most convention-dependent arithmetic on the exam.
A co-op purchaser buys shares in the corporation that owns the building and receives a proprietary lease for the unit. It is personal property, not real property — which is why co-op financing, board approval and transfer mechanics differ so sharply from condos.
Familial status is a federally protected class, so refusing to rent to a household with children is discrimination. The only route to lawful age restriction is the housing-for-older-persons exemption, which carries specific registration and occupancy requirements this building does not meet. Note the trap in D: applying a discriminatory policy consistently to everyone does not cure it — uniform discrimination is still discrimination.
Work it in order. Effective gross income is $180,000 less 5% vacancy, which is $180,000 − $9,000 = $171,000. Net operating income is $171,000 − $66,000 = $105,000. Value is NOI ÷ cap rate: $105,000 ÷ 0.07 = $1,628,571. Option B is the trap — it skips the vacancy deduction ($114,000 ÷ 0.07). Commercial and investment property is ten hours of the curriculum and is tested whether or not you plan a residential career.
Results, Retakes, and How Long A Pass Lasts
Getting your results. Log into eAccessNY, open the Main Menu, and click "View Exam Results." You will see "Waiting for Score," "Pass" or "Fail." DOS states results are available online through your account and will not be given over the phone; so do not expect to walk out of the test centre knowing the outcome.
If you fail, schedule another attempt through eAccessNY. DOS publishes no waiting period between attempts and no cap on the number of attempts. Each attempt costs $15. If you pass, the result is valid for two years. Apply for your license within that window or sit the exam again.
Two other clocks worth tracking:
1. Your 77-hour course completion does not expire for salesperson licensing. DOS states that once a qualifying course has been applied toward a license it will not expire. The eight-year figure you may encounter elsewhere comes from Real Property Law § 441(1)(c) and governs something different: whether your 77 hours can be credited toward the 152 hours required for a broker's license. If you intend to upgrade to broker, that clock matters. For getting licensed as a salesperson, it does not.
2. Your license term is two years once issued.
After You Pass
Passing the exam is one requirement of four. You also need to be 18 years old, have completed the 77 hours, and have a sponsoring broker — a salesperson cannot operate independently in New York.
The initial application fee is $65, and the license runs two years. Once you are licensed, expect $10 for a name or address change, $10 for a duplicate license or photo ID card, and a $20 change-of-association fee, submitted by the incoming broker, each time you move between brokerages.
A Study Plan That Fits The Actual Exam
Weeks one to three — cover the curriculum. Work through all 19 subjects rather than the ones that sound interesting. Agency, Legal Issues and Commercial and Investment Properties are 31 of the 77 hours between them and are where under-preparation shows.
Week four — drill vocabulary. A large share of what feels like difficulty is terminology. Estate, tenancy, lien, easement, encumbrance, escheat, novation, subrogation. You cannot reason your way to a definition you have never learned.
Week five — practice questions under time. Not to hit a score, but to build the habit of reading a question completely before answering. Multiple-choice exams punish assumption.
Throughout — do the math by hand. You are allowed a basic calculator, but the arithmetic is not the hard part. Identifying which formula the question wants is.
The week before — take your school's proctored final seriously. New York requires it in addition to the state exam, and unlike the state exam it has a published passing score, usually 70%, and often a cap on retakes. It is also the closest simulation you will get. Treating it as a formality wastes the best diagnostic available to you and risks a limit you did not know you had.
FAQs
How many questions are on the New York real estate exam?
The Department of State does not publish a question count. Figures circulating online are not from DOS. What DOS does publish is the format — multiple choice — and the time limit of 1½ hours.
What score do you need to pass the New York real estate exam?
It depends which exam you mean. For the state licensing exam, the Department of State publishes no passing score — results are reported as either passed or failed, with no numerical score. For your school’s course final, the school sets its own passing grade, and 70% is the common convention; NYREI’s is 70%. The two get conflated constantly, and the 70% figure belongs to the second one.
Do I have to take two exams to get licensed in New York?
Yes. You sit your school’s proctored course final at the end of your 77 hours, which earns your course completion certificate, and then the Department of State’s licensing exam, which qualifies you for the licence. They have different formats, different rules and different scoring.
How hard is the New York real estate exam?
DOS publishes no pass rate for the salesperson exam, so any percentage you see quoted did not come from the state. What is knowable is the scope: 19 subjects across 77 hours, weighted heavily toward agency law, legal issues, commercial property and fair housing.
How long is the New York real estate exam?
1½ hours, beginning at the conclusion of the instructions.
How much does the New York real estate exam cost?
$15 per attempt, paid when you schedule through eAccessNY.
Can I use a calculator on the New York real estate exam?
Yes, if it is battery or solar powered, silent, non-printing, and does not have an alphabetic keyboard.
How do I schedule the New York real estate exam?
Through eAccessNY. Create an account, choose “Apply to Take an Exam” from the Main Menu, select a site and date, pay $15, and print the “Summary of Your Submission” page to bring with you.
Can I reschedule my exam?
Yes, through eAccessNY, within the window DOS describes as six days prior to your scheduled date. Its wording is ambiguous at the boundary, so act early. Once the window closes you must wait for the date to pass and book a new appointment.
How many times can I take the New York real estate exam?
DOS publishes no limit on attempts and no waiting period between them. Each attempt costs $15.
How long is a passing exam result valid?
Two years. Apply for your license within that period or retake the exam.
Do I need to finish the 77-hour course before the exam?
The 77 hours are required to qualify for the license, and DOS states that once a qualifying course has been applied toward a license it does not expire. New York also requires a school-administered proctored exam in addition to the state exam. The eight-year rule you may see quoted applies to crediting your 77 hours toward a broker’s licence, not to salesperson eligibility.
