Singapore's real estate industry is growing, and with it comes the need for qualified professionals to help people buy, sell, and rent properties. One of the first steps to becoming a real estate salesperson in Singapore is to pass the Real Estate Salesperson (RES) Exam.
This exam is designed to test your knowledge of the real estate industry, as well as your ability to perform as a salesperson. Here're 5 tips to pass your RES Exam on your first try.
1. Attend All Lessons and Focus On Your Study Materials
It is necessary to learn the rules, regulations, terminologies and calculations related to HDB, SLA, JTC, URA, BCA etc. While 75% attendance is the minimum prerequisite for the RES course, it is important to attend lectures meticulously in order to comprehend and learn more about the real estate market.
Keep a record of everything your course instructor says during the presentation. You will also get study resources on the subjects you need to concentrate on, in addition to guides and practice exams. Your learning can be broadly categorised into 2 areas: Memory and Concept.
Memory work are things like estate agent regulatory fines, landed property plot sizes etc. For things that are heavy on memory, find a pattern or categorisation to help you remember better. Here's just one example:
Penalty (Maximum) | Penalty |
$75k, 3 years imprisonment | Run agency w/o licence ($7.5k per day) |
$50k, 3 years | Falsify documents for CEA registration |
$25k, 1 year Not qualified to operate | - Dual representation (obtain commission from both buyer & seller) - Referral to money lender - Act as RES without license / no CEA registration - Act as RES without or in breach of Standard Agency Agreement ($2.5k per day) - Hire unregistered RES |
$10k, 0.5 year Qualified to operate, but committed wrongdoing | - Hold transaction money ($500 per day) - Did not display salesperson card - Display Council Symbols |
$5k | RES pretend to be from another agent / false representation |
In this context, you can remember the top and bottom bands, everything else falls into the middle where if an RES is unqualified, he/she will face a heavier penalty.
Concept are things like land laws, misrepresentations, interest in land, encumbrances etc. For concepts, it is crucial to understand the "why" so that you can apply it to various contexts that may spring up during the res exam. Not all trainers may take the time to explain the "why" behind each concept, so it is important to ask questions to get clarity. Note down your trainer's contact, most training providers would still provide an avenue for students to reach out even after the RES course is over. Application is key for concept type of questions. Mock papers can help to vary the context to fully assess your understanding of these concepts. To help candidates like yourself, we have prepared a set of free practice questions for you to test yourself.
2. Know the RES Exam format and manage your time
To make sure you have enough time to complete the RES exam, you have to understand the format and content of the test.
The RES Exam format consist of two parts (as of 13 Jan 2023) for each paper.
Section A : 60 MCQs (60 marks)
Section B: 20 MCQs with reference to 1 or 2 Case Studies (40 marks)
Candidates have a total of 2.5 hours (150 minutes) to complete one RES Exam Paper in one seating.
In the previous exam format, Short Answer Questions (i.e. Fill in the blanks) are as the name suggests, 'short' and can be answered by just reading one sentence. However now that it has been replaced by MCQ, MCQs are generally lengthier and the options provided are tricky as they may appear similar to create confusion. This means time management is even more critical.
We recommend not spending more than 1.5 minutes per MCQ on average, which amounts to 90 minutes. If unsure, do not panic or leave it blank. Fill in any answer, and circle the question number to come back to it after you have completed the paper. This is to ensure that in the event if you run out of time, there is still a chance of you getting the questions you skipped correct.
For case studies, read the questions before reading the full case study. Some case studies might be lengthy and you may forget the details after reading through and will have to re-read once again. Case study questions are typically narrowed in on a few lines in the case from top to bottom, hence reading the question first would allow you to identify which part of the case study it is referencing to quickly. For case studies, you can try to complete each question within 2 minutes on average (factoring in time to read the case), which would amount to 40 minutes.
This leaves you with 20 minutes to check through or circle back to those questions you were unsure. In a nutshell:
90 minutes (60 MCQ)
40 minutes (20 Case Study MCQ)
20 minutes (Check answers and review those you were unsure of)
Of course, this is just a general guide. Find a strategy that best works for you, but bear in mind the time crunch during the exam and never spend too much time overthinking on one question. To test your speed, you can also practice from our question bank and time yourself.
3. Study the syllabus thoroughly
Understand the syllabus which is available on Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) website.
This syllabus is designed with the local laws, regulations, and practices related to estate agency work and the buying, selling, and leasing of HDB flats and private residential, commercial, and industrial properties in Singapore in mind.
Take the time to read through the syllabus and become familiar with the topics that will be covered on the exam. This will help you determine what areas you need to focus on and give you a good idea of what to expect on exam day.
RES Exam Syllabus
4. Look out for free RES revision sessions by your training provider or estate agencies
It is common for estate agencies like PropNex, ERA, OrangeTee etc. to host revision classes around 1 month before the RES exam. These gives you a chance to refresh your knowledge based on the questions prepared by the agencies. It is typically via an online call (e.g. Zoom). During these sessions, you can post questions to the agency via the online chat to clarify your doubts.
5. Practice, Practice, Practice
One of the best ways to prepare for the RES Exam is to use study materials and practice exams. There are several providers availing such materials online. However, our recommendation for notes is to start compiling your own version from Day 1. Your notes would be unique to you and structured in a way that you can best understand.
The RES exam is known to test the most random things related to real estate, hence it is important to keep practicing. We've complied a set of challenging questions for you to test your understanding as part of the resexam.sg pack, with unlimited access to over 1000 questions that you can practice on your mobile or desktop. The questions are constantly updated based on latest regulatory changes in the industry. As you practice, keep adding on and refining your original set of notes and seek help on any questions that you may be unsure about.
Conclusion
The RES Exam is a crucial step in becoming a real estate salesperson in Singapore. These tips are based on our past experience before joining the industry and hearing from others who are about to join us. Rest early the night before your exam to make sure you're fresh and alert for the 2.5 hours. Before that, keep practicing even if it's just a brief moment while commuting or at the end of the day and never leave it to the last moment. After all, the saying goes - Practice makes perfect! All the best future realtors!