New York Real Estate Exam Study Guide
Pass the New York Real Estate Salesperson exam on your first attempt. 75 original practice questions with detailed answer explanations, complete coverage of all two-section NY Department of State content areas, and every real estate math formula you’ll see on test day — built for candidates who don’t have time to waste.
Beat the 50–60% First-Attempt Pass Rate
If you’ve been searching for a New York real estate exam study guide, here’s the reality: the first-attempt pass rate is approximately 50–60%. The NY Salesperson exam is 75 questions in 90 minutes with a 70% pass requirement (53 correct). It is administered IN PERSON by the NY Department of State via eAccessNY — not PSI or Pearson VUE. Most candidates lose points on the state portion because their study materials don’t cover Article 12-A, RPL § 443 agency disclosure, the complex NY State + NYC transfer tax structure, the Mansion Tax, the Mortgage Recording Tax, or the special treatment of cooperative apartments. This guide distills Article 12-A of Real Property Law into quick-reference tables, walks through every NY-specific math example you’ll see, and includes 75 original practice questions with detailed answer explanations.
New York Real Estate Exam Facts at a Glance
Exam Format
75 multiple choice
Time Limit
90 min
Passing Score
53 / 75
Exam Fee
$15
Your Step-by-Step Path to Passing
The exact 7-step study sequence our guide walks you through
Complete Your 77-Hour Pre-License Education
New York requires 77 hours of pre-license education from a NY DOS-approved school before the salesperson exam. This guide is a focused exam-prep companion — it doesn’t replace the course.
- DOS-approved providers include CompuTaught, The CE Shop, RealEstateU, Hudson Valley School of Real Estate, and others
- Submit application via eAccessNY with $55 license fee
- Background check; fingerprinting may be required
- Secure a sponsoring NY broker — your license is inactive without one
Master Universal Real Estate Principles
Drill the universal content areas first — they form the foundation for the New York-specific material.
📘 Our guide’s Part 1 covers deeds, titles, the bundle of rights, contracts essentials, financing fundamentals, valuation approaches, fair housing protected classes, federal income tax rules, and more — in quick-reference table format so you can scan fast and recall on test day.
Master New York-Specific Material
NY-specific testing focuses on Article 12-A, RPL § 443 agency disclosure, NY recognized agency types (including Broker’s Agent and Dual Agent with Designated Sales Agents), coops vs. condos, NY State + NYC transfer taxes, PCDS, attorney closings, and NY State Human Rights Law’s extended fair housing classes.
RPL § 443 Agency Disclosure: Mandatory at first substantive contact with buyer/seller/landlord/tenant
Coops: Stock + proprietary lease; NOT real property — heavily tested
NY State Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT): $2 per $500 of consideration; +1% Mansion Tax over $1M (buyer-paid)
NYC RPTT: Stacks on top of state RETT — 1% under $500K; 1.425% over $500K residential
Mortgage Recording Tax: NY-specific; up to 2.05% on NYC 1–3 family loans over $500K
Property Condition Disclosure (PCDS): RPL § 462; $500 buyer credit if seller refuses
Drill Real Estate Math (10 Questions)
Math is only 10% of the exam — but it’s the area that trips up the most candidates. Every formula has a pattern; once you see the pattern, the questions become easy points.
- Commission & percentage — Part = Whole × Rate (T-bar method)
- LTV calculations — Loan ÷ Value
- Tax prorations — 365-day method, day of closing belongs to buyer
- Property tax — Assessed value × tax rate (with state caps if applicable)
- Transfer tax — New York-specific rate calculations
- Capitalization — Value = NOI ÷ Cap Rate
- Acreage — 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft; 1 section = 640 acres
Take Practice Exams Under Test Conditions
Sit for the full 75-question practice set in one sitting. 2-hour timer. No notes. No phone. The point isn’t to score perfectly — it’s to identify weak content areas before exam day.
🎯 Pro tip: Review every answer — even the ones you got right. Sometimes you get the right answer for the wrong reason, and the explanation reinforces the concept for similar variations on the actual exam.
Schedule Your DOS Exam
Schedule via eAccessNY. Test centers in Albany, Buffalo, NYC, Rochester, Syracuse, and other locations. The exam is state-administered (not PSI or Pearson VUE).
Exam fee: $15 per attempt
Format: 75 questions in 90 minutes (closed book)
Pass score: 70% (53 of 75)
Results: Pass/fail only — no numerical score
Pass with 70%+ → Activate Under a Sponsoring Broker
Your NY salesperson license is active only when sponsored by a broker. License period is 2 years; you must complete 22.5 hours of CE before each renewal (3 hr Fair Housing, 2 hr Implicit Bias, 2 hr Cultural Competency, 1 hr Agency, 2.5 hr Ethics, 1 hr Recent Legal, plus electives).
What’s Next After Passing
- • Choose a sponsoring NY broker
- • Activate license through eAccessNY
- • Join local MLS & Board of REALTORS®
- • Plan 22.5-hour CE curriculum across the 2-year cycle
Build Your Business Fast
- • Google Business Profile + Maps SEO
- • Use AI for listings & client comms
- • Build referral network
- • Earn from your first closing
⚠️ Why Generic Practice Quizzes Fall Short:
Most free online practice tests recycle the same generic national questions and skip the Florida-specific material that makes up almost half the exam. Worse, many give you the answer with no explanation — so even when you get it right, you don’t understand why. Our 75 questions are organized by topic, written specifically for the Florida exam, and every answer includes a detailed explanation tied to the underlying statute or concept.
Everything You Need to Pass on Your First Attempt
28–32 pages · 75 practice questions · all two-section content areas · instant download
New York Real Estate Salesperson Exam Study Guide
2026 Edition · PDF Download · Written by Mark Sias
- All two-section NY Department of State content areas covered with weight breakdown
- 75 original practice questions grouped by topic for targeted review
- Detailed answer explanations for every question — not just the ones you missed
- Complete real estate math walkthroughs (commission, LTV, prorations, doc stamps, cap rate, acreage)
- Quick-reference tables for Article 12-A of Real Property Law (RPL §§ 440–447) and 19 NYCRR Part 175
- New York-specific content: agency disclosure rules, license law, mandatory disclosures, transfer tax, state caps
- Memory aids and acronyms (DEEP-U, MARIA, COLIC, OLD CAR SKID, T-bar method)
- National portion fundamentals: deeds, contracts, financing, fair housing, valuation
- Recommended study approach with realistic 2–4 week timeline
New York Exam Study Guide
Why This Guide Beats Free Practice Quizzes
Free quiz sites are everywhere. A focused, New York-specific blueprint isn’t.
NY Department of State Aligned
Organized exactly the way the NY Department of State, Division of Licensing Services breaks down the two-section content areas, so you study what’s actually tested at the right weighting.
New York Law Built In
Article 12-A of Real Property Law (RPL §§ 440–447) and 19 NYCRR Part 175 distilled into quick-reference tables — not buried in a 600-page textbook.
Math Made Simple
Every formula you’ll see on test day, with worked examples. The T-bar method makes percentage problems trivial.
75 Practice Questions
Original questions modeled on the exam format. Grouped by topic so you can target weak areas after your first run-through.
Detailed Explanations
Every answer is explained — not just labeled right or wrong. Memory aids and acronyms reinforce the concepts.
Phone & Print Ready
Optimized for reading on phones, tablets, and desktops. Print-friendly for highlighting and margin notes.
two-section Content Areas, Weighted by Exam Importance
Knowing which topics are worth the most points lets you spend study time where it matters
High-Weight (Study First)
Article 12-A & RPL § 443 agency disclosure; coops vs. condos; NY State + NYC transfer taxes (RETT, Mansion Tax, RPTT); contracts & PCDS. About half of the state portion.
Medium-Weight
Financing & mortgage recording tax, fair housing (NY State Human Rights Law extends federal classes), valuation, license law renewal & CE.
Lower-Weight (Don’t Skip)
Specialty topics — agricultural assessments, hazardous materials, NY-specific environmental disclosures.
What New York Licensing Actually Costs
Realistic New York Salesperson Licensing Budget
💰 The $15 retake math: Failing your first attempt and retaking costs $15. The average new NY agent’s first commission check is $5,000+ — and in NYC routinely $15,000+. Spending $14.97 to pass on the first attempt is the obvious move.
Bonus: every concept in this guide reappears in real life. The contracts, disclosures, math, and brokerage relationship rules you study to pass the exam are the same rules that govern every transaction you’ll work for the rest of your career.
Who Wrote This Guide
Mark Sias — Founder, Noble Notary & Legal Document Preparers
Mark is a Florida-commissioned notary, legal document preparer, and digital marketing author based in Port Orange, FL. He co-owns Noble Notary & Legal Document Preparers with his wife Grace, where they prepare real estate documents (deeds, POAs, lease agreements, dissolution packages) for clients across multiple Florida counties.
Mark authored “A Homeless Guy’s Guide to Digital Marketing” and runs Notary Prosperity Academy, where he’s trained thousands of notaries, signing agents, and legal entrepreneurs through his YouTube channel (5,000+ subscribers, 500,000+ views) and online courses.
This study guide draws on years of working alongside real estate agents, title companies, and attorneys — distilling New York’s exam material into the quick-reference format that mirrors how working professionals actually use the law every day.
After You Pass — Build a Real Income
Passing the exam is one milestone. Turning a license into actual closings is a separate challenge — and it’s the challenge most new agents underestimate.
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Google Maps SEO for Agents
$27 course. The #1 source of free buyer and seller leads for new agents. Rank your Google Business Profile in the local 3-pack with category selection, review strategy, and the Map Pin Stacking technique.
Mobile & RON Notary for Closings
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Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is the New York real estate exam?
The NY Salesperson exam has a first-attempt pass rate around 50–60%. The exam includes 75 questions in 90 minutes, and you must score 70% (53 of 75) to pass. Results are reported as pass/fail only — no numerical score. The most common failure pattern: candidates study generic national prep books that don’t cover Article 12-A, RPL § 443 agency disclosure, NY’s extensive transfer tax structure, or coops.
How much does the New York real estate exam cost?
The NY DOS exam fee is $15 per attempt — the lowest in the country. The salesperson license fee on passing is $55. Add fingerprinting (~$50–$100) and the required 77-hour pre-license education ($200–$500). Total upfront licensing cost: $300–$700.
How long should I study for the New York real estate exam?
Most candidates need 2–4 weeks of focused study after completing the 77-hour pre-license course. Plan for 1–2 hours per day. This guide compresses that timeline by focusing only on what’s actually tested — Article 12-A, agency disclosure, transfer taxes, and disclosures.
Does this guide replace the 77-hour pre-license course?
No. New York law requires every salesperson candidate to complete a 77-hour pre-license course from a DOS-approved school before sitting for the exam. This study guide is a focused exam-prep companion designed to help you pass after you’ve completed the course.
What does the New York real estate exam cover?
The 75-question DOS exam is roughly 60% national / 40% NY-specific. National content covers deeds, contracts, financing, valuation, fair housing. NY content covers Article 12-A, RPL § 443 agency disclosure, license law, coops, condos, NY State + NYC transfer taxes, mortgage recording tax, PCDS, and NY Human Rights Law fair housing additions.
What is the default agency relationship in New York?
New York requires the RPL § 443 agency disclosure form to be presented at the first substantive contact with a buyer, seller, landlord, or tenant. Recognized agency types include Seller’s Agent, Buyer’s Agent, Broker’s Agent (subagent), Dual Agent, and Dual Agent with Designated Sales Agents. Dual agency requires the informed written consent of both parties. Designated agency permits one licensee in the firm to represent the buyer and another to represent the seller.
What format is the guide?
Digital PDF download — 27 pages with quick-reference tables, real estate math walkthroughs (including NY transfer taxes, Mansion Tax, NYC RPTT, mortgage recording tax), 75 original practice questions, and detailed answer explanations. Optimized for phones, tablets, desktops. Print-friendly. Instant download via Kajabi.
Is there a refund policy?
Due to the instant-download nature of digital products, all sales are final. We’ve priced the guide affordably ($14.97). Risk is minimal.
© 2026 Noble Notary & Legal Document Preparers. All rights reserved.
This study guide provides educational information to help candidates prepare for the New York Real Estate Salesperson licensing examination. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for the required 77-hour pre-license education or for the official content outline published by the NY Department of State, Division of Licensing Services. All practice questions are original content based on public statutes (Article 12-A of New York Real Property Law (RPL §§ 440–447)) and public administrative rules (19 NYCRR Part 175). No actual NY Department of State exam content is reproduced. New York statutes, administrative rules, fees, and exam content may change — always verify current information at dos.ny.gov. Mark Sias is a Florida notary and legal document preparer, not a licensed attorney or real estate instructor. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the New York Department of State or the National Association of REALTORS.