For more information, please refer to this set of frequently-asked questions (PDF, 195KB).

 To find out more about the RES examination, please click on the links below:

• About the RES Examination
• RES Examination Requirements
• RES Examination Schedule
• RES Examination Fees
• RES Examination Passing Marks
• RES Examination Results Notification
• Appeal for Review of RES Examination Results
• Validity of RES Examination Results
• RES Examination Rules
• Deferment of RES Examination
• RES Examination Syllabus

About the RES Examination

The RES examination is the entry level examination for new entrants who wish to practise as salespersons in the real estate agency industry. One of the criteria for salespersons’ registration is the requirement to pass the mandatory industry examination. This is to ensure that new entrants to the real estate agency profession possess a basic level of competency and knowledge about the real estate agency industry and property related matters.

NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd (NTUC LearningHub) will handle and manage all examination enquiries, including registration, deferment, results, eligibility matters and appeals, and reply to applicants and candidates. NTUC LearningHub will respond to enquiries within five (5) working days, or longer if the enquiry is more complex, or if the volume of emails is high. Applicants who wish to find out more about the RES examination may visit NTUC LearningHub’s website or contact them at:

RES Examination Requirements

1. Candidates will need to attend and complete the RES Course conducted by a CEA Approved Course Provider (ACP) before applying for the RES examination. They will be issued with the Certificate of RES Course Completion after they have completed the RES course, subject to a minimum attendance rate of 75%. Candidates are required to submit a copy of this Certificate of RES Course Completion when they register for the RES examination.

2. The Certificate of RES Course Completion has a validity period of 2 years for the purpose of determining eligibility to take the RES examination. Candidates are eligible to take the RES examination within 2 years from the completion date of their RES Course. Beyond the validity period, candidates will be required to attend and complete the RES course again before they are eligible to take the RES examination.

3. Candidates must meet the minimum educational requirement of at least 4 GCE O-level passes or equivalent when they register for the RES examination. Candidates are required to submit a copy of their qualification certificate for verification by CEA’s appointed examination administrator when they register for the RES examination. CEA accepts combined GCE O-level results taken at not more than 2 sittings.

4. Candidates who wish to submit their qualifications (e.g. overseas qualifications or private diplomas) for assessment to determine if the qualifications meet the educational qualification requirement may email their academic certificates, academic transcripts, any other supporting documents together with the completed Educational Qualification Assessment form to CEA at licensing@cea.gov.sg.

Candidates must attach all supporting documents when submitting their application. CEA does not accept education certificates certified by a notary public as a form of verification proof. Candidates without original copies of the graduation certificates, are required to provide a letter of confirmation of award/duplicate copy from the issuing institutions/universities. For bachelor and above qualifications from China, candidates are required to provide a verification proof either from the China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (CHSI) or China Academic Degrees & Graduate Education Information (CDGDC) if they do not have the original copies of their certificates. CEA will inform the candidate of the outcome of the qualification assessment.

Candidates must submit the notification outcome of CEA qualification assessment and a copy of their qualification certificate when they register for the RES examination.

5. Applicants who have attained Level 5 and above for the Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (WPLN) assessment in these 5 components (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing and Numeracy) will be recognised to have met the minimum qualification requirement of 4 GCE O-level passes. Find out more about the WPLN Assessment (PDF,935KB), and register at the British Council.

6. Candidates who obtain a modular pass in one paper of the RES examination will be allowed to retake only their failed paper in modular re-sitting in subsequent RES examination. Candidates are to take note and comply with the following:

i) Modular re-sitting is only applicable for candidates who have passed 1 paper of the RES examination.

ii) Candidates with a valid partial pass are allowed to register for the remaining paper only.

iii) There is no change to the examination requirements for RES course participants to pass the RES examination, comprising two papers, within 2 years from the date of issuance of the RES course completion certificate. For candidates with a modular pass in one paper of the RES examination, they are required to pass the remaining paper within the 2-year timeframe. Should they fail to do so, the modular pass in one paper will not be valid and candidates will have to re-take the RES course before attempting the RES examination (i.e. both Paper 1 and Paper 2) again.

Candidates may refer to CEA’s appointed examination administrator’s website for more details on the rules and regulations for the RES examination.

RES Examination Schedule

RES Examination Fees

The RES examination fees are as follows:

Note: Modular re-sitting is only applicable for candidates who have passed 1 paper of the RES examination. Examination fees are subjected to revision and may be changed without prior notice.

RES Examination Syllabus

The current RES examination syllabus was revised and took effect from 1 January 2017.

RES Examination Passing Marks

Passing mark for each examination paper is 60% and is subject to review by CEA.

RES Examination Results Notification

Candidates who have taken the RES examination will receive an email notification from CEA’s appointed examination administrator informing them of their examination results 4 – 6 weeks after the examination.

Appeal for Review of RES Examination Results

Candidates who wish to appeal for the review of your RES examination result must submit the appeal to CEA’s appointed examination administrator using the prescribed form within 5 working days from the date of the notification of examination result. For each appeal submitted, candidates must pay a non-refundable fee of $64.20 (inclusive of GST). The fee is to cover the cost of reviewing the marking of the answer scripts and re-checking of the awarded marks. The final result of the appeal is based on the outcome of the review.

We would like to assure candidates that CEA has put rigorous processes and checks in place to ensure the accuracy of your RES examination result when it is first released.

CEA’s appointed examination administrator will inform candidates in writing of the outcome of their appeal about 14 working days after the closing date for appeal, or longer if the number of appeals is high. Candidates will not be shown their answer scripts as part of the appeal process.

Validity of RES Examination Results

All RES course participants are required to pass the RES examination within 2 years from the date of issuance of the RES course completion certificate. Candidates with a partial pass in the RES examination are required to pass the remaining paper(s) within the 2-year timeframe. Should they fail to do so, the partial pass in the RES examination will not be valid and candidates will have to re-take the RES course before attempting the full RES examination again.

Upon passing the RES examination, the candidate will be issued the RES examination certificate. If the candidate wishes to join the real estate industry as a salesperson, he/she must submit his/her salesperson’s registration application through a licensed estate agent within 2 years from the month of the examination which he/she sat for and passed, failing which the examination results will no longer be valid for salesperson registration purposes.

For example, if the candidate has passed the September 2020 RES examination, the validity of his/her RES examination results for his/her salesperson’s registration application will be till 30 September 2022. This is the final date by which the candidate’s registration application must be submitted by a licensed estate agent to CEA Licensing Division. Upon the expiry of the RES examination result, the candidate will need to retake the RES course and RES examination should he/she be interested to join the real estate agency industry as a salesperson.

RES Examination Rules

The RES examination is administered by CEA’s appointed examination administrator, NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd (“LHUB”). Candidates may refer to LHUB’s website for the full listing of examination rules and regulations.

Below are some of the important examination rules that candidates a should note:

1. The RES examination commences at 9.30am. Candidates are reminded to be punctual. Candidates who arrive at the exam reporting counter after the 15-minutes grace period (i.e. 9.45am) will NOT be allowed to sit for the examination. No refund of the examination fee will be given to the candidates.
2. Candidates are required to bring their physical national registration identification card (“NRIC”), passport, driving licence or employment pass. Digital IDs are NOT allowed for identity verification. Candidates without any physical identification documents will NOT be allowed to sit for the examination.
3. Candidates are not allowed to carry their mobile devices during the examination. All mobile devices must be switched off (no vibration or airplane mode is allowed) and placed at the designated area in the examination hall. Any candidate found to be in possession of their mobile devices during the examination may be disqualified from the examination and/or barred from taking future examinations.
4. All copies of the questions and examination papers are the property of CEA and must be returned to the invigilator at the end of the examination. Recording of the examination questions in any form is strictly prohibited. Any candidate who is found to have recorded the examination question and/or leaves the examination hall with the examination paper will be immediately disqualified from the examination and reported to CEA. CEA reserves the right to bar the candidate from future examinations.
5. CEA and LHUB take a serious view on cheating during the examination. CEA reserves the right to bar any candidate attempting to gain an unfair advantage in the examination (whether by breaching an examination regulation or otherwise) from future examinations.

Deferment of RES Examination

Candidates who do not turn up for the examination will be marked “absent” and considered to have failed the examination. Full-sitting candidates who have attempted one paper in the examination will not be granted deferment and will be considered to be absent and have failed the paper that they did not attempt.

CEA may consider requests for deferment only under the following circumstances:

1. Hospitalisation on the day of examination
2. Bereavement of next of kin
3. National Service duties that cover the day of the examination

An administrative fee of $107 (inclusive of GST) will be levied on each examination deferment application, which can be made up to 5 working days after the date of examination. Candidates approved for deferment may only attempt the next examination. No further deferment will be allowed.

Candidates must submit the relevant supporting documents via LHUB’s online system within five (5) working days from the examination date (25 – 31 March 2023). Deferment requests submitted by email to LHUB will not be accepted.

Candidates are to submit their deferment requests to or seek clarification from LHUB at res@ntuclearninghub.com.