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Paper 2 guide · 2026 syllabus

RES Exam Paper 2: apply the transaction rules

RES Paper 2 tests industry regulation, real estate marketing and property transactions. 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 2 separately from Paper 1.

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 2

60 marks

Current passing mark

For examinations held in 2026

What topics are in RES Paper 2?

Compare the 2027 changes

Paper 2 contains two competency units. The list below follows the syllabus currently served by RESglide, shown above; use CEA's detailed learning outcomes to check the depth required within each heading.

Competency Unit 3

Regulation and real estate marketing

  • Regulation of the real estate agency industry
  • Role and functions of salespersons and their requisite knowledge and skills
  • Principles of real estate marketing
  • Types of listing
  • Methods of sale
  • Regulations on advertisements
  • Marketing of residential property
  • Marketing of commercial property
  • Marketing of industrial property
  • Marketing of special properties
  • Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act

Competency Unit 4

Property transactions

  • Sale of uncompleted private properties
  • Sale of completed private properties
  • Collective sale of private properties
  • Sale of HDB flats
  • Leasing of private properties
  • Renting out HDB flats or bedrooms
  • Foreign Worker Housing
  • Taxes on property
  • Property finance and financial calculations

Read the official syllabus and learning outcomes (opens in a new tab) beside your notes. Paper 2 frequently requires you to connect a rule, a transaction stage and the salesperson's required action.

How are Paper 2 questions structured?

SectionQuestionsMarksWhat it demands
A60 multiple-choice questions × 1 mark60Rules, duties, processes and direct application
B20 multiple-choice questions based on 1 or 2 case studies × 2 marks40Apply several facts across one or two scenarios

Section B carries 40% of the marks. A Paper 2 scenario may combine a property type, a transaction stage, marketing conduct and a financial or tax consequence.

How should you approach a Paper 2 case study?

Try a free worked case
  1. 01

    Classify

    Identify the property, parties and transaction before reaching for a rule.

  2. 02

    Sequence

    Place each fact at the correct stage: marketing, offer, exercise, completion or post-completion.

  3. 03

    Test

    Check every condition, exception, date and threshold rather than matching one familiar phrase.

  4. 04

    Conclude

    Choose the answer that follows from the complete rule, not merely an action that sounds prudent.

Build this method into your weekly revision with the eight-week RES exam study plan.

Where do calculations fit into Paper 2?

Taxes on property and property finance sit in Competency Unit 4. Learn what each figure represents and when a rule applies before relying on a formula. RESglide's property calculators show the working and the applicable rate schedules. Use them to check your method, then practise reaching the answer yourself.

Are RESglide's Paper 2 questions official past questions?

RESglide provides original exam-style questions and case studies, independently created for revision. These are not official CEA past questions. Every released item is mapped to a CEA learning outcome, checked against official sources through human or independent AI verification, and supported by the primary rule or official guidance it tests.

Put your Paper 2 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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