RES exam guide
RES exam syllabus and format
The Singapore RES examination has two 2.5-hour papers. Each paper has 60 one-mark Section A MCQs and 20 two-mark MCQs based on one or two case studies. The current passing mark is 60 for each paper, subject to CEA review. Exams in 2026 use the current syllabus; exams from 1 January 2027 use the revised syllabus.
Last reviewed
Which syllabus applies to you?
Exam held in 2026
Current syllabus
Includes Foreign Worker Housing and does not yet test the three new 2027 topics.
Active in RESglide now
Exam from 1 January 2027
Revised syllabus
Adds ethics and conduct, PMLPFTF, and green buildings and leases; removes Foreign Worker Housing.
RES examination format
| Number of papers | 2 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 hours 30 minutes per paper |
| Section A | 60 multiple-choice questions × 1 mark |
| Section B | 20 multiple-choice questions based on 1 or 2 case studies × 2 marks |
| Total | 100 marks per paper |
| Passing mark | 60 for each paper (CEA states that the passing mark is subject to review) |
Section B carries 40% of the marks even though it contains only 20 of the 80 questions. It is designed to test interpretation and analysis in a practice-oriented context.
Current 2026 syllabus by paper
Compare 2026 and 2027Paper 1
Competency Unit 1 — Real estate agency industry overview and basic land law concepts
Real estate markets and players; land and estates; the State Lands Act; rights in another's land; registration of titles.
Competency Unit 2 — Dealings with interests in land
Contract, agency, landlord and tenant, negligence, conveyance, mortgage, gifts, trusts, succession, future interests, co-ownership, restrictions on capacity, planning and development.
Paper 2
Competency Unit 3 — Regulation and real estate marketing
Industry regulation; salesperson roles; marketing principles; listings and sale methods; advertisements; residential, commercial, industrial and special properties; consumer protection.
Competency Unit 4 — Property transactions
Uncompleted, completed and collective private sales; HDB sales; private leasing; HDB rental; Foreign Worker Housing; property taxes; finance and calculations.
This is an orientation, not a replacement for CEA's learning-outcome document. Use the official syllabus and sample-question section (opens in a new tab) for the exact outcomes and explanatory notes.
What do cognitive levels 1, 2 and 3 mean?
Level 1
Remember
Recognise, list, define, describe or name a term or concept.
Level 2
Understand
Interpret, infer, classify, paraphrase or explain it in a scenario.
Level 3
Apply
Analyse a client's situation and give accurate, practical advice.
A Level 3 question can be direct or case-study based. Knowing a rule's wording is not enough if the outcome expects you to apply it.
Which policy changes can be tested?
CEA says candidates will not be tested on government policy changes announced or implemented within one month before the examination. That cutoff is useful, but it does not make old notes safe: changes outside the one-month window can be examinable.
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