New York Real Estate Salesperson Exam Overview

About the New York Salesperson Exam

Welcome to OpenExamPrep's FREE New York real estate guide. The New York real estate salesperson examination is unusual among state licensing tests: it is administered directly by the New York Department of State (DOS) — specifically its Division of Licensing Services — rather than by a private vendor such as PSI or Pearson VUE. You schedule, reschedule, and pay for the exam entirely through the state's eAccessNY online portal, then sit the test at one of roughly a dozen DOS proctoring locations across the state.

The exam blends national real estate fundamentals with heavy New York Real Property Law content. Expect questions on agency disclosure, contracts, fair housing, license law, math (proration, commission, transfer tax), and New York specialties like co-ops and rent regulation.

Exam Snapshot (Verify Against DOS)

Trap: Because DOS reports only pass or fail, you never learn how close you were. Treat consistent 80%+ on full-length practice exams as your real readiness signal, not 70%.

Education, Eligibility, and the 77-Hour Rule

A frequent point of confusion: New York requires 77 hours of approved qualifying education, and the 2-hour fair-housing / implicit-bias and cultural-competency content is now built into that 77-hour course — it is not a separate add-on stacked on a 75-hour course. The curriculum was expanded from 75 to 77 hours effective December 21, 2022. Your school's course final exam must be passed at 70% and proctored in person in New York State (online proctoring is not accepted for the qualifying-course final).

New York's eligibility bar is famously low. You must be:

• At least 18 years of age;
• Of good moral character (felony or certain license-related convictions trigger DOS review);
• A holder of a valid Social Security number or taxpayer ID.

Notably, no high school diploma or GED is required — a genuine distinction from many states, and a common exam fact.

Education & Eligibility Checklist

Worked example: A 19-year-old with no diploma who finishes a DOS-approved 77-hour course and passes its proctored final is fully eligible to sit the state exam — there is no degree or experience prerequisite for the salesperson level.

Fees, Timeline, and Becoming Active

New York keeps applicant costs low. The written exam fee is $15 and the initial license application fee is $65, both paid to DOS. With a 77-hour course (typically $200–$500 depending on provider), expect a realistic all-in cost of roughly $300–$600 before business expenses.

Sequence and deadlines matter on the exam:

1. Finish the 77-hour course and pass its proctored final.
2. Schedule and pay the $15 state exam via eAccessNY; pass at 70% (53/75).
3. Submit the salesperson application with the $65 fee and your sponsoring broker's information.
4. Your passing exam result is valid for two years — apply within that window or you must re-test.

A New York salesperson can never operate independently: all licensed activity must be conducted under, and supervised by, a sponsoring broker. The license is functionally activated only when a broker sponsors you in eAccessNY.

Fees & Deadlines

Trap: Passing the exam does not make you a licensee. Until a broker sponsors your application in eAccessNY, you cannot show property, negotiate, or collect compensation.

Exam-Day Logistics

Arrive early and bring a current, government-issued photo ID plus the Summary of Your Submission printout you receive when scheduling in eAccessNY — sites can turn you away without both. The test is computer-based; no phones or notes are allowed at the workstation.

Budget your 90 minutes deliberately. With 75 questions that is about 72 seconds each — flag tough items, answer everything (there is no penalty for guessing), and reserve a few minutes to revisit flags. Expect several math items: commission splits, simple proration, percentages, and New York's transfer tax and mansion tax on higher-value sales. Drilling these to muscle memory protects your clock and moves you toward the 53-correct threshold.