What pre-licensure education does NMLS list for a California-DFPI MLO applicant?
Correct Answer
A) 20 hours total, including 2 California-DFPI law hours
NMLS lists California-DFPI PE as 20 total hours, including 2 California-DFPI law hours. The prior legacy 23-hour/3-hour answer was outdated.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
NMLS lists California-DFPI PE as 20 total hours, including 2 California-DFPI law hours. The prior legacy 23-hour/3-hour answer was outdated.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: 20 hours total, including 3 California-DRE law hours
California-DRE and California-DFPI are separate license/endorsement paths. The tested CA-DFPI official source set lists 20 total PE hours including 2 California-DFPI law hours, not 3 California-DRE law hours.
Option C: 23 hours total, including 3 California-specific hours
The prior 23-hour/3-hour wording is outdated for the CA-DFPI rule tested here.
Option D: 25 hours total, including 5 California-specific hours
25 total hours with 5 California-specific hours overstates the current CA-DFPI PE requirement in the official source set.
Memory Technique
CA -> ca-dfpi-dre-MLO-licensing-education-renewal
Exam Tip
California questions often require separating DFPI and DRE authority, current NMLS CA-DFPI and CA-DRE education tables, annual renewal, DRE endorsement timing, and the national SAFE test with UST.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- -Using a national baseline answer when California has agency-specific DFPI or DRE requirements
- -Confusing CFL, CRMLA, covered-loan, usury, servicing, and DRE endorsement rules
- -Relying on legacy California state-exam or education assumptions instead of current NMLS source pages
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