New York Real Estate Salesperson Exam — Everything You Need to Know in 2026

The New York real estate salesperson exam is administered by the New York Department of State through the eAccessNY portal. It has 75 questions and a 90-minute time limit. You need 70% (53 correct) to pass.

The exam covers five domains: New York real estate law (20%), agency, ethics, and fair housing (20%), contracts and closings (20%), finance, mortgages, and valuation (20%), and property management and investment (20%). Each domain carries equal weight, so balanced preparation matters more here than on exams with a single dominant domain.

New York City and its surrounding markets are among the highest-earning real estate environments in the world. The state license allows you to practice anywhere in New York, but NYC agents typically need additional knowledge of co-op and condo transactions, board approvals, and NYC-specific regulations.

You need 70% to pass — that's at least 53 correct out of 75 scored questions.

Register at eAccessNY.com. The exam fee is $15. You must complete the 77-hour pre-licensing course from a New York Department of State-approved school before applying. After passing the exam, you must affiliate with a licensed broker and complete the license application.

New York uses online scheduling through eAccessNY. After submitting your application and paying the fee, you select a testing location and date. Testing centers are available in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and other locations across the state.

New York requires a 77-hour pre-licensing course from an approved school before you can take the state exam. The course covers real estate principles, New York license law, agency, contracts, finance, and ethics.

Approved providers offer the course online (at your own pace) or in a classroom format. Online courses typically cost $100 to $200. You must be at least 18 years old. After completing the course, you receive a certificate that you submit with your exam application.

New York City consistently ranks among the highest-earning real estate markets in the world. First-year agents in NYC often earn $30,000 to $60,000 while building their network. Top producers in Manhattan and Brooklyn earn over $500,000 annually in commission.

Outside NYC, markets like Long Island, Westchester, and Buffalo are competitive with solid demand. Upstate New York has lower transaction volumes but also lower competition for new agents.

New York real estate is commission-based with no salary. New agents should plan for 6 to 12 months of building a pipeline before seeing consistent income.

The candidates who fail typically do one of three things: they cram at the last minute, they study everything equally instead of targeting their weak areas, or they read passively without testing themselves. All three are fixable.

The most effective approach: take a practice test first, before you've studied anything. Your score tells you exactly which of the 7 topics need the most attention. Then focus your flashcard sessions on those weak areas using spaced repetition — reviewing at increasing intervals so the information actually sticks.

As your exam date gets closer, switch to full timed practice tests under realistic conditions. You want to be scoring comfortably above the passing threshold before you walk in.

Once you know your weak areas, flashcards are the fastest way to close the gaps. Prepdex builds your study sessions around the topics where you're losing points — not a generic review of everything.

Each session takes about 10-15 minutes. You study the topics that matter most for your score, in the order the exam weights them. The spaced repetition scheduling makes sure you see things again before you forget them.