Guides › Updated 2026-10-31
New York Real Estate Salesperson Exam: What the State Publishes
TL;DR. New York runs its own exam through the Department of State (DOS). According to the DOS (accessed 2026-10-31), you get 1 1/2 hours, pay a $15 exam fee, and complete a 77-hour approved course. DOS pages we read do not state a question count or a numeric cutoff, so we will not invent one. Below is what is confirmed and how to check the rest.
GablePrep is an independent study tool. We are not affiliated with the New York State Department of State or any testing provider, and we are not a pre-licensing course. We would rather tell you what we could not verify than repeat numbers that circulate online.
What is confirmed
According to the NYS Department of State real estate licensing page (accessed 2026-10-31):
| Item | What DOS says |
|---|---|
| Time allowed | 1 1/2 hours (90 minutes) |
| Written exam fee | $15 |
| Initial license application fee | $65 |
| Pre-licensing course | 77-hour approved qualifying course |
| Result reporting | Pass or fail; no numeric score reported |
| Validity of a passed exam | 2 years |
DOS describes the written exam as multiple choice and based on the 77-hour pre-licensing curriculum. Many prep sites still say 75 hours. DOS’s curriculum effective December 21, 2022 is 77 hours, so check that your course matches.
New York is state-administered. Candidates schedule through eAccessNY and take the exam at DOS exam sites, which DOS lists as including Albany, Buffalo, Hauppauge and New York City. We did not find a PSI or Pearson VUE candidate handbook on the DOS site, even though some prep sites claim one of them delivers the exam. Their claims were not supported by the DOS pages we read.
There is also a school-administered, proctored final exam you must complete as part of your course. That is separate from the state exam.
What is not confirmed
Be careful with these two numbers:
- Number of questions. The DOS pages we read do not publish it. Prep sources commonly cite 75 multiple-choice questions. We could not verify this.
- Passing score. DOS reports pass or fail and no cutoff appeared on the pages we read. Prep sites frequently say 70 percent. That is unverified, and a percentage does not tell you a raw score unless the question count is also known.
We also could not confirm that the exam is offered in any language other than English. DOS provides application and special-testing forms in several languages, which is not the same as exam delivery.
Some websites also quote different numbers for the same exam, including question counts far above the commonly cited figure. That disagreement is a reason to rely on DOS, not on a vendor.
How to confirm before you study to a number
- Read the DOS licensing page and any exam notice or candidate information it links to. Note the date on anything you find.
- Ask your approved school. They administer your final exam and routinely prepare students for the state test. Ask them to show you where the state publishes the question count.
- Contact the DOS Division of Licensing Services through the contact details on the DOS site, and ask in writing.
- Check your eAccessNY scheduling confirmation for test-day instructions and the list of items you may bring.
- Date everything. If you find a number, write down where and when you found it.
Study without relying on a cutoff
Even without a published number, you can prepare sensibly:
- Aim for steady accuracy well above what you think the cutoff might be, rather than “just enough.”
- Use the 90-minute limit to practice pacing. If the commonly cited 75 questions is correct, that is about 1.2 minutes per question, but treat that as a planning assumption only.
- Study from the DOS curriculum outline, since the exam is based on it.
- Practice math by hand. See our real estate math formulas.
Because the exam fee is only $15 and passed results stay valid for two years, plan your test date around readiness, not around rushing a first attempt.
Related reading
For more on how numbers like pass rates get reported, read our guide to reading real estate exam pass-rate claims. The New York state page collects what we have verified, and the free New York quiz lets you check your readiness. The GablePrep app offers longer practice sets.
Next step
Take the free New York real estate quiz and build a baseline while you confirm the official details.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the New York real estate salesperson exam?
The NYS Department of State pages we read do not publish a question count. Prep sites commonly say 75 multiple-choice questions, but we could not confirm that on an official page, so treat it as unverified.
What is the passing score for the New York salesperson exam?
The Department of State reports pass or fail only and we found no numeric cutoff on its pages. Many prep sites say 70 percent, which we could not verify. Confirm with the Department of State or your school.
How long is the New York real estate exam?
According to the NYS Department of State (accessed 2026-10-31), applicants are allowed 1 1/2 hours to complete the test.
How much does the New York salesperson exam cost?
The Department of State lists a $15 written exam fee and a $65 initial license application fee.
Sources
- NYS Department of State - real estate salesperson and broker licensing
- NYS Department of State - 77-hour salesperson curriculum (eff. 12/21/2022)
Independent exam prep. Not affiliated with any state real estate commission or testing provider. Not an approved pre-licensing course. Not legal advice. Facts verified on 2026-10-31; always confirm with your state’s official handbook.