Paper 1 guide · 2026 syllabus
RES Exam Paper 1: turn land law into answers
RES Paper 1 tests the real estate industry, basic land law and dealings with interests in land. It is a 2.5-hour, 100-mark paper with 60 one-mark questions and 20 two-mark case-study questions. You need 60 marks to pass, subject to CEA review, and must pass Paper 1 separately from Paper 2.
Use the topic checklist below to organise your revision, then test your understanding with free questions. Exam facts come from the official CEA examination page (opens in a new tab).
Last reviewed by RESglide
2.5 hours
Time available
100 marks
Total for Paper 1
60 marks
Current passing mark
For examinations held in 2026
What topics are in RES Paper 1?
Paper 1 contains two competency units. The list below follows the syllabus currently served by RESglide, shown above; CEA's learning-outcome document remains the source for the exact examinable detail.
Competency Unit 1
Industry overview and basic land law concepts
- Real estate market and submarkets
- Real estate market players and government intervention
- Introduction to basic land law concepts
- Land
- Estates in land
- State Lands Act
- Rights in another’s land
- Registration of titles
Competency Unit 2
Dealings with interests in land
- Law of contract
- Law of agency
- Landlord and tenant law
- Negligence
- Conveyance inter vivos
- Mortgage
- Gift
- Trust
- Succession
- Future interests
- Co-ownership
- Restrictions on capacity to hold land
- Planning and development of land
Read the official syllabus and learning outcomes (opens in a new tab) beside your notes. A topic heading alone does not show whether CEA expects recall, explanation or application.
How are Paper 1 questions structured?
| Section | Questions | Marks | What it demands |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 60 multiple-choice questions × 1 mark | 60 | Knowledge, understanding and direct application |
| B | 20 multiple-choice questions based on 1 or 2 case studies × 2 marks | 40 | Interpret rules within one or two scenarios |
Section B is only one quarter of the questions but carries 40% of the marks. Revision that stops at definitions leaves too much of Paper 1 exposed.
How should you revise for Paper 1?
- 01
Map
Use the official learning outcomes as a checklist, not just the broad topic names.
- 02
Explain
Close your notes and explain the rule, its conditions and its exceptions. If you cannot explain the difference between two legal concepts, revisit it before drilling questions.
- 03
Apply
Answer scenario questions that make you identify the relevant facts before choosing the rule.
- 04
Review
For each mistake, identify the fact or exception you missed. Return to that learning outcome after a gap and try a different question.
Need a timetable for both papers? Follow the eight-week RES exam study plan.
Are RESglide's Paper 1 questions official past questions?
RESglide provides original exam-style practice, independently created for revision. These are not official CEA past questions. Each item is mapped to a CEA learning outcome, checked against official sources through human or independent AI verification before release, and supported by the primary rule or official guidance it tests.
Put your Paper 1 revision to work
Try questions from both papers, see why an answer is right and follow the source behind it. Create a free account when you want to save your answers and see which topics need another look.
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