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What this guide does
It explains the curriculum concept, applies it to New York scenarios and links the primary material used for regulated or date-sensitive claims. It is independent exam preparation, not legal, tax, lending, appraisal or eligibility advice.
Real Property Law section 441 says the written examination is used to assess whether an applicant has the trustworthiness and competence to transact real estate business in a way that safeguards the public. It specifically points to contracts, real property, agency, Article 12-A, fair housing and discrimination, basic job skills, ethical obligations and applicable General Obligations Law provisions.
New York does not publish live questions, a subject-by-subject question distribution, an official question count or a numerical passing score on its current salesperson page.
Official source map
This guide uses the New York State Department of State salesperson page for exam format, curriculum basis, time and result reporting. The current official 77-hour syllabus supplies the 19 subjects, required subtopics and key terms. Real Property Law section 441 supplies the salesperson competency areas and public-protection purpose. The Department's FAQ confirms the separate school examination and eAccessNY result format. These sources were checked on August 27, 2026.
The official test boundary
Three official statements define the exam better than an unofficial blueprint:
- The Department says the exam is based on the 77-hour prelicensing curriculum.
- The syllabus lists 19 required subjects and their content.
- Real Property Law section 441 states the areas of competence the written examination is designed to assess.
Together, these sources identify what students should learn. They do not allocate a published number of questions to each chapter.
The statutory competency areas
Real Property Law section 441 describes a salesperson applicant's working knowledge and skills. In student language, the examination framework asks whether you can understand and apply:
| Statutory area | What it means for study |
|---|---|
| Contracts | Formation, terms, contingencies, performance, leases and licensee limits |
| Real property | Ownership, estates, interests, liens, easements, deeds, title and land use |
| Agency | Representation, fiduciary duties, disclosure, consent and termination |
| Article 12-A | License roles, supervision, required licensing, prohibited conduct and discipline |
| Fair housing and discrimination | Protected treatment, prohibited practices, advertising, accommodations and disclosures |
| Basic skills | Reading facts, using forms, identifying agencies and completing required calculations |
| Ethical obligations | Protecting the public, truthful conduct, conflicts, client duties and professional limits |
| General Obligations Law provisions | Legal rules that affect the salesperson's duties and application framework |
The statute does not say that these are eight weighted exam sections. They are competency areas that overlap the 19-subject curriculum.
The 19 official curriculum subjects through an exam lens
The “decision to practice” column below is a study interpretation of the official syllabus, not a Department-published question blueprint.
| No. | Official subject | Decision to practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | License Law and Regulations | Does the activity require a license, who supervises it and which rule was violated? |
| 2 | Law of Agency | Who is represented, which duty is owed and was disclosure or consent timely? |
| 3 | Legal Issues | What interest, lien, easement, deed, title issue or closing adjustment controls? |
| 4 | The Contract of Sales and Leases | Was an agreement formed, which term or contingency applies and who may prepare or advise? |
| 5 | Real Estate Finance | Who owes the debt, what secures it, how is the loan structured and which protection applies? |
| 6 | Land Use Regulations | Is the control public or private, which body has authority and what approval is needed? |
| 7 | Construction and Environmental Issues | What condition is present, what disclosure or investigation is appropriate and which professional is needed? |
| 8 | Valuation Process and Pricing Properties | Which value concept or approach fits, and is the work a CMA or appraisal? |
| 9 | Human Rights and Fair Housing | Is service being changed because of a protected characteristic, and what action or disclosure is required? |
| 10 | Real Estate Mathematics | Which formula, units and calculation base apply? |
| 11 | Municipal Agencies | Which board, office or official handles the record, approval, variance, assessment or enforcement? |
| 12 | Property Insurance | Which risk, valuation method or policy concept is involved, and where does the licensee's role end? |
| 13 | Licensee Safety | Which office, showing, travel, information or incident practice reduces risk? |
| 14 | Taxes and Assessments | How do value, assessment, rate, exemption, bill, grievance and lien differ? |
| 15 | Condominiums and Cooperatives | What does the buyer own, which documents govern and which financing or approval process applies? |
| 16 | Commercial and Investment Properties | What income, expense, lease, area, risk or return concept controls the analysis? |
| 17 | Income Tax Issues in Real Estate Transactions | What basis, gain, depreciation or exchange concept should be recognized and referred appropriately? |
| 18 | Mortgage Brokerage | Is the person arranging credit, funding credit or performing real estate brokerage, and which role or disclosure applies? |
| 19 | Property Management | What authority does the management agreement grant, and how must funds, operations and owner duties be handled? |
Study every subject. The Department says the examination is based on the full curriculum and does not publish a question allocation that would justify dropping one.
Subject 1: License Law and Regulations
Know the purpose of licensing and the difference among broker, associate broker and salesperson roles. Be able to recognize licensed activity, exemptions, supervision, changes of association, branch requirements, advertising rules, unlicensed-assistant limits, renewals, continuing education, common violations and discipline.
The recurring exam habit is to identify the actor first. A salesperson works through the sponsoring broker and cannot operate independently.
Use the License Law and Regulations guide.
Subject 2: Law of Agency
Know clients, customers, principals, agents, subagents and broker's agents. Apply loyalty, confidentiality, disclosure, obedience, reasonable care and accounting to the correct relationship.
Practice seller, buyer, landlord, tenant, dual and designated agency; informed consent; section 443 disclosure; listings; representation agreements; termination; compensation; antitrust and independent-contractor concepts.
The exam skill is not reciting duties in isolation. It is deciding who receives which duty in the facts.
Use the Law of Agency guide.
Subject 3: Legal Issues
This subject brings together estates and interests, liens and easements, deeds, title closing and costs.
Distinguish ownership from a claim against property. Separate the deed that conveys title from the mortgage that secures debt and title insurance that addresses covered title risk. For closing questions, identify the time period, whether an item is paid or unpaid and which party receives the debit or credit.
Use the Legal Issues guide.
Subject 4: The Contract of Sales and Leases
Study offers, acceptance, consideration, capacity, lawful purpose, writing requirements, counteroffers, contingencies, deposits, remedies, options, rights of first refusal, leasehold estates, assignment, subletting and lease types.
Also know the salesperson's limit. A real estate license does not turn the licensee into the party's attorney or permit custom legal advice.
Use the Contract of Sales and Leases guide.
Subject 5: Real Estate Finance
Distinguish the promissory note from the mortgage. Know loan types, amortization, points, loan-to-value ratio, down payment, private mortgage insurance, government-backed programs, foreclosure, secondary markets, Regulation Z, lender evaluation and predatory-lending concerns.
In a scenario, identify the borrower, lender, debt instrument, security instrument, payment structure and consumer-protection issue before calculating.
Use the Real Estate Finance guide.
Subjects 6 and 11: Land use and municipal authority
These subjects often connect. Land Use Regulations explains zoning, comprehensive planning, variances, special permits, nonconforming uses, subdivisions, building permits, certificates of occupancy, private restrictions and government powers.
Municipal Agencies asks which elected body, planning board, zoning board, building department, assessor, tax receiver, engineer, health department or other local body performs the function.
Do not send every property problem to the zoning board. Match the request to the decision-maker.
Use the Land Use Regulations and Municipal Agencies guides.
Subject 7: Construction and Environmental Issues
Learn site, foundation, framing, roof, insulation, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, plumbing and electrical concepts. Recognize water, septic, insects, asbestos, lead, radon, mold, underground tanks, wetlands and environmental-assessment issues.
The salesperson should recognize a concern, disclose as required and involve the right qualified professional. Exam preparation should not train a licensee to diagnose engineering or environmental conditions beyond competence.
Use the Construction and Environmental Issues guide.
Subject 8: Valuation Process and Pricing Properties
Separate value, price and cost. Know market value, highest and best use, comparable selection, adjustments and the sales-comparison, cost and income approaches.
A comparative market analysis prepared by a licensee is not the same as an appraisal performed under the separate appraisal credential. Name the assignment correctly before choosing the method.
Use the Valuation and Pricing guide.
Subject 9: Human Rights and Fair Housing
Study federal, New York State and applicable local protections; prohibited conduct; exemptions; advertising; reasonable accommodations and modifications; recordkeeping; fair housing forms; bias awareness; steering; blockbusting; redlining; cease-and-desist areas and nonsolicitation orders.
Apply consistent service, criteria, information and follow-up. A client's discriminatory request does not make the conduct lawful.
Use the Human Rights and Fair Housing guide.
Subject 10: Real Estate Mathematics
The dedicated math unit names percentages, commissions, interest, appreciation, depreciation, points, area, perimeter, acreage, price per square foot, basic mortgage calculations and property-related tax rates.
Calculations also appear in finance, closing, valuation, taxes and investment. Write the relationship and units before using the calculator. Do not choose a formula only because the answer choices contain familiar numbers.
Use the Real Estate Mathematics guide and math tools.
Subjects 12 and 13: Insurance and safety
Property Insurance covers risk transfer, policy types, property and liability concepts, actual cash value, replacement cost, deductibles, exclusions, flood issues and the licensee's limited role.
Licensee Safety covers offices, travel, vacant properties, open houses, new prospects, personal information, cybersecurity, incidents and broker policy.
Both subjects test professional boundaries. Recognize risk and follow the correct process without pretending to provide insurance, security or technical expertise you do not hold.
Use the Property Insurance and Licensee Safety guides.
Subject 14: Taxes and Assessments
Know market value, assessed value, assessment ratios, tax rates, taxing jurisdictions, exemptions, special assessments, grievances, small-claims review, tax liens and calculations.
An assessment is not the tax bill. A seller's exemption or historical bill should not be assumed to transfer unchanged to a buyer.
Use the Taxes and Assessments guide.
Subject 15: Condominiums and Cooperatives
Compare ownership of a condominium unit and common elements with cooperative shares and a proprietary lease. Study declarations, bylaws, offering plans, sponsors, boards, common charges, maintenance, assessments, financing, title, board packages, interviews, subletting and recognition agreements.
Start by asking what interest the buyer receives. The documents, financing and approval process follow from that structure.
Use the Condominiums and Cooperatives guide.
Subject 16: Commercial and Investment Properties
Study property types, risk, liquidity, leverage, income and expenses, net operating income, capitalization, cash flow, return measures, usable and rentable area, gross and net leases, percentage leases, escalation clauses and debt service.
Keep property operations, financing and income tax in separate layers. Basic net operating income is calculated before debt service and income tax.
Use the Commercial and Investment Properties guide.
Subject 17: Income Tax Issues
Recognize basis, adjusted basis, gain, loss, capital improvements, depreciation, recapture, principal-residence concepts, investment property, points, closing costs and like-kind exchange concepts.
Tax outcomes depend on current law and individual facts. The salesperson's exam role is issue recognition and appropriate referral, not personal tax advice.
Use the Income Tax Issues guide.
Subject 18: Mortgage Brokerage
Distinguish mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers, lenders and real estate licensees. Study prequalification, preapproval, applications, commitments, rate locks, underwriting, compensation and applicable dual-role disclosure concepts.
A real estate salesperson license does not automatically authorize every mortgage activity.
Use the Mortgage Brokerage guide.
Subject 19: Property Management
Study the management agreement, agency authority, budgets, rent rolls, leasing, reporting, accounting, maintenance, risk, staff, tenant relations and different property markets.
Apply the owner's goals within the written authority, legal limits and broker supervision. Management of another person's property and money requires careful licensing and fiduciary analysis.
Use the Property Management guide.
What New York does not publish on the current salesperson page
The current Department page does not publish:
- live examination questions
- a question count
- a numerical passing score
- a subject-by-subject question distribution
- a numerical result report
- a section-level diagnostic report
For the detailed source audit, read Does New York Publish an Exam Question Count or Passing Score?.
What a useful practice question should test
This is an editorial standard for preparation, not an official Department blueprint.
A useful question should require at least one of these actions:
- identify a license role or authority
- identify the client, customer or fiduciary duty
- classify a property interest, lien, easement, deed or title issue
- apply a contract, disclosure or fair housing rule
- match a government body to its function
- recognize a construction, environmental, insurance or tax issue
- distinguish ownership or financing structures
- set up and complete a calculation
- identify the licensee's professional boundary
- choose the next compliant action in a scenario
The explanation should teach the rule and address the tempting wrong answer. Memorizing an answer letter does not build transferable knowledge.
Frequently asked questions
What is on the New York real estate salesperson exam?
The Department says it is based on the 77-hour prelicensing curriculum, which contains 19 subjects. Real Property Law section 441 identifies competency in contracts, real property, agency, Article 12-A, fair housing, basic skills, ethics and applicable General Obligations Law provisions.
Is New York license law on the exam?
Yes. License Law and Regulations is official Subject 1, and section 441 expressly includes Article 12-A knowledge in the examination framework.
Are agency and fair housing tested?
They are part of the official curriculum, and section 441 expressly identifies agency and fair housing or discrimination knowledge.
Is math on the exam?
Real Estate Mathematics is official Subject 10. Calculations also appear within finance, closing, valuation, taxation and commercial investment topics in the curriculum.
Does the exam include commercial property?
Commercial and Investment Properties is official Subject 16 and receives 10 hours in the qualifying curriculum. Course hours are not a published exam weighting.
Does New York publish the exact topic distribution?
The current Department salesperson page does not publish a subject-by-subject question distribution.
Are the live questions published?
No live question set is published on the current Department salesperson page. Use the official curriculum and original practice rather than copied or reconstructed test content.
Is the exam the same as the school final?
No. The approved school administers a proctored course examination, and the Department administers the separate salesperson examination.
Do you need to memorize all 19 subjects equally?
You need coverage across the full official curriculum. Your study time can respond to objective-level weaknesses, but it should not rely on an unpublished weighting chart.
What result information does New York provide?
eAccessNY reports Pass or Fail after processing. The Department provides no numerical score.
What to do next
Begin with the complete 19-subject study guide. Use free practice to identify decisions you cannot yet explain and choose a study plan that covers the full curriculum. Keep the official count and passing-score audit nearby when evaluating other exam claims.
Sources and verification notes
The exam scope and absence statements in this article were checked on August 27, 2026. The absence statements are limited to the current sources reviewed. A future Department bulletin, regulation or page could add detail and should trigger a new audit.
- New York State Department of State, Become a Real Estate Salesperson. Multiple-choice format, 77-hour curriculum basis, testing time and result reporting.
- New York State Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson 77-Hour Curriculum. Nineteen subjects, hours, subtopics and key terms.
- New York Real Property Law section 441. Written-examination purpose and salesperson competency areas.
- New York State Department of State, Real Estate Salesperson Frequently Asked Questions. Separate school examination and eAccessNY result states.
This article explains the current official test boundary for general education. It does not reproduce live exam content, provide unpublished weights or predict an individual's result.
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