Exam information

RES Examination Format: Papers, Sections, Marks and Pass Mark

Last reviewed 12 October 2026

The RES examination has two papers, and both are built the same way: a long run of standalone multiple-choice questions followed by a shorter set tied to case studies. Knowing the shape of the paper is not trivia, because it decides how you should pace yourself and how much a single case study can cost you. The figures below are as at October 2026 and come from the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) and NTUC LearningHub, CEA’s appointed examination administrator.

Two papers, 2.5 hours each

The examination consists of Paper 1 and Paper 2, each lasting two and a half hours. The two papers are sat on consecutive days — in the 2026 sittings, Paper 1 on the first day and Paper 2 on the next, with each session running from 9.30am to 12pm (as at October 2026).

Both papers follow an identical format, so there is no sense in which one is “the written paper” and the other “the practical paper”. The difference between them is subject matter, not structure. Paper 1 examines Competency Unit 1 and Competency Unit 2; Paper 2 examines Competency Unit 3 and Competency Unit 4. Under the examination syllabus, those units are titled Real Estate Agency Industry Overview and Basic Land Law Concepts (CU1), Dealings with Interests in Land (CU2), Regulation of Real Estate Agency Industry and Real Estate Marketing (CU3) and Property Transactions (CU4).

In practice this means Paper 1 is the law-heavy paper — land law, estates and interests, contract, agency, tenancy, mortgages, trusts, succession and co-ownership — while Paper 2 is the regulatory and transactional paper, covering the Estate Agents Act regime, marketing and advertising rules, and the mechanics and finance of HDB and private property transactions.

Section A: 60 multiple-choice questions for 60 marks

Section A of each paper is 60 multiple-choice questions carrying 60 marks in total, so each question is worth one mark. These are standalone questions: each one sets out a short situation or asks about a rule, and you choose from the options given.

Because every Section A question carries the same single mark, a question on the stamp duty treatment of a lease is worth exactly as much as a question on the four unities of a joint tenancy. There is nothing to gain from spending four minutes on one hard definition. The arithmetic matters when you plan your pacing: 80 questions in 150 minutes is a little under two minutes per question on average, and the Section B questions legitimately need more than that.

Section B: 20 case-study questions for 40 marks

Section B is 20 multiple-choice questions set with reference to one or two case studies, carrying 40 marks in total — two marks per question. The syllabus describes this section as testing the candidate’s ability to interpret and analyse questions in a practice-oriented context, which is a fair description of what it feels like: you are given a factual scenario, often with names, dates, figures and a sequence of events, and the questions ask you to apply the rules to it.

Section B is where candidates lose marks disproportionately, for two reasons. The first is weight: a Section B question is worth double a Section A question, so misreading a single date in a case study can cost the equivalent of two Section A questions. The second is that the facts are shared. If you misread the case study itself — the tenure of the property, who the parties are, which capacity someone is acting in — the error propagates across several questions at once. It is worth reading the case study twice before answering anything under it.

Each paper therefore totals 100 marks: 60 from Section A and 40 from Section B.

The pass mark and how the papers are graded

The passing mark for each paper is 60, and CEA states that it is subject to review by CEA (as at October 2026). The pass mark applies per paper, not to a combined total across the two papers, so a strong Paper 1 does not rescue a weak Paper 2.

Each paper is graded independently, which produces four possible outcomes: a pass in both papers, a fail in both, a pass in Paper 1 with a fail in Paper 2, or the reverse. Where you pass one paper and fail the other, the pass in the paper you cleared is recognised, and you may re-sit only the failed paper as a “modular sitting”. That modular pass is tied to the validity of your Certificate of RES Course Completion, so it is not indefinite.

Candidates are not given their scores. NTUC LearningHub issues a Statement of Results showing Pass or Fail for each paper taken and an overall result, within four to six weeks of the examination. Answer scripts are not returned and marks are not shown, even where a candidate pays to appeal.

Question types, and what CEA does not publish

Both sections are made up of multiple-choice questions. CEA publishes sample questions on its examination preparation page, annotated with the competency unit, the learning outcome and the cognitive level each question is testing, which is the most reliable guide to question style available.

CEA does not publish a marking scheme for multiple-response questions — that is, there is no published rule on partial credit where a question asks for more than one correct option. Nor does CEA publish a per-unit mark weighting, so there is no official statement that, say, CU3 carries a fixed share of Paper 2. What is published is the syllabus itself, with its learning outcomes, and the sample questions. Treat the syllabus’s own breadth as the weighting signal: units with many learning outcomes are the ones with the most to be asked about.

One scoping rule is worth knowing. Candidates will not be tested on government policy changes announced or implemented within one month before the examination date. Where a rule changed a fortnight before your sitting, the old position is still the examinable one.

Syllabus in force, and the change from 2027

Examinations held in 2025 and 2026 are set on the current syllabus (the 2017 syllabus, version 5). A revised syllabus applies to examinations from 1 January 2027 onwards.

The revision does not change the shape of the paper. CEA has confirmed that the examination format and duration are not changing from 2027: the same two papers, the same two and a half hours, the same Section A and Section B split. What changes is the content and the learning outcomes within the competency units. If you are sitting in 2026 you are examined on the current syllabus; if your sitting falls in 2027 or later, work from the revised syllabus document, and note that bridging or revision classes offered by course providers to cover the differences are optional, not a registration requirement.

Terms to know

Competency Unit (CU): One of the four blocks the RES syllabus is divided into; CU1 and CU2 are examined in Paper 1 and CU3 and CU4 in Paper 2.
Modular sitting: A re-sit of only the paper you failed, available to candidates who passed the other paper while their Certificate of RES Course Completion remains valid.
Statement of Results (SOR): The result notice emailed by NTUC LearningHub after the examination, showing Pass or Fail for each paper and an overall result.
Learning outcome: A specific thing the syllabus says a candidate should be able to do; CEA’s sample questions are tagged to the learning outcome each one tests.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are there in the RES exam?

Each paper has 80 multiple-choice questions: 60 standalone questions in Section A worth one mark each, and 20 questions in Section B worth two marks each, set against one or two case studies. Across both papers that is 160 questions in total.

Do I have to pass both RES papers in the same sitting?

No. The two papers are marked and graded separately, so a pass in one paper stands even if the other is failed, and only the failed paper has to be re-sat. The pass mark is 60 out of 100 marks on each paper (as at October 2026, and CEA states the pass mark is subject to its review). Both papers must be passed within the validity period of the Certificate of RES Course Completion.

Do I get to see my marks?

No. NTUC LearningHub issues a Statement of Results showing Pass or Fail for each paper sat and an overall result. Scores are not released, answer sheets are not shown and scripts are not returned, including to candidates who appeal.

Why is Section B worth more marks than Section A?

Because each Section B question carries two marks against one mark for a Section A question. Section A is 60 standalone multiple-choice questions for 60 marks and Section B is 20 multiple-choice questions set on one or two case studies for 40 marks, giving 100 marks a paper. The weighting is why a misread date in a case study is costly: the facts are shared across the questions under that case study, so one misreading can carry through several two-mark questions.

Does the 2027 syllabus change the exam format?

No. CEA has confirmed the format and duration are unchanged from 2027 — two papers of two and a half hours, with the same Section A and Section B structure. The revision affects the syllabus content and learning outcomes, and applies to examinations held from 1 January 2027.

Official sources

Related guides

Practise what you have just read

Free practice questions, with the answer and a full explanation for every one. No account needed.

Try free questions Create a free account

Disclaimer: All questions on this portal are created to aid candidates in preparing for and passing the Real Estate Salesperson (RES) Examination. They are not official examination questions and are not representative of, endorsed by or affiliated with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) or NTUC LearningHub. Laws, rates and policies change — always verify against official sources.