Updated 2026
New York Real Estate Exam Prep & Study Guide
What the New York exam actually asks, in the order worth studying it. The weightings below are not an estimate — they are each subject's share of the 3,349 New York questions in our bank.
The New York exam format, fee and passing score are set by DOS. See the current DOS candidate handbook
What to study first for the New York exam
Ordered by how many questions sit behind each subject. Studying front to back spends the same hours on a subject worth 6% as on one worth 11%.
- 111%366 questions
Financing
- 29%301 questions
License Law & DOS Regulations
- 37%234 questions
Valuation Market Analysis
- 47%230 questions
Agency Relationships Disclosures
- 57%226 questions
General Principles of Agency
- 66%208 questions
Property Ownership
- 76%207 questions
Contracts
- 86%201 questions
Real Estate Math
The New York state portion, subject by subject
NY-specific law is where out-of-state study material stops helping. These are the subjects our bank covers, with real questions under each.
License Law & DOS Regulations
301 questions- Under New York DOS regulations, what type of bank account must be used for holding client trust funds?
- Mark Davis completed 16 hours of continuing education in classroom settings and 6.5 hours through approved online course…
- DOS receives credible evidence that a licensed broker has been paying referral fees to unlicensed individuals in violati…
- Under New York DOS trust account regulations, which of the following actions by a broker would constitute a violation?
Valuation Market Analysis
234 questions- In October 2026, appraiser Caleb Moore is reviewing an income statement for Oak Place. The property's NOI is $67,500, th…
- Under USPAP, what is the purpose of the Competency Rule?
- An example of functional obsolescence is:
- In August 2026, appraiser Omar Lewis is valuing a small retail strip. Potential gross income is $96,000, vacancy and col…
Agency Relationships Disclosures
230 questions- Under New York law, which agency relationship arises when a single broker represents both the buyer and the seller in th…
- During a dual agency transaction in New York, the buyer's financing falls through three days before closing. The seller …
- Michael is a buyer's agent in New York. His client makes an offer on a property listed by another agent in his same brok…
- In New York, when must a seller's agent provide the Disclosure of Agency Relationship form to a potential buyer who is v…
General Principles of Agency
226 questions- Without prior permission, Quinn Brooks signs a small repair authorization on behalf of the owner. The owner later approv…
- A buyer under a buyer-representation agreement receives an earnest money refund after a failed deal. The agent deposits …
- A buyer representation agreement should specify:
- Jamie Cruz signs a listing agreement with Skyler Simmons. In the resulting sale, whose interests does the listing broker…
Contracts & Real Property Law
200 questions- Paul wants to make renovations to his cooperative apartment in Brooklyn that involve removing a wall. What approval proc…
- A New York seller of a rent-controlled apartment building breaches the purchase contract by failing to provide required …
- James signs a purchase contract for a house in Buffalo on Monday. On Wednesday, he changes his mind and wants to cancel.…
- A New York purchase contract includes a mortgage contingency clause requiring the buyer to obtain financing within 45 da…
Fair Housing & NY Human Rights Law
200 questions- A landlord in Harlem requires all prospective tenants to have income of 40 times the monthly rent but makes exceptions f…
- A property owner in Rochester is found to have violated New York Human Rights Law by refusing to rent to a person with a…
- Robert, a military veteran, is denied an apartment rental in Albany due to his military status. He wants to file a compl…
- Under New York Human Rights Law, which statement about source of income discrimination is correct?
Property Disclosures
151 questions- A 1978 ranch home is on the market. During inspection, the buyer's environmental specialist samples the wall insulation …
- Which of the following is NOT a hidden condition?
- A Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) must be provided by:
- The purpose of the Closing Disclosure under TILA-RESPA is to:
Property Ownership Transfer
150 questions- James executed a deed conveying his property in Queens to his nephew Mark, but James retained possession of the deed in …
- Maria purchases a new condominium unit directly from the developer in Queens. Under New York law, what document must the…
- Thomas wants to deed his Buffalo property to his daughter Maria, but retain the right to live there for the rest of his …
- Under New York law, what is the primary advantage of recording a deed in the county clerk's office?
Land Use Controls Regulations
128 questions- A homebuyer purchases a lot in a planned community. The deed references a recorded declaration of covenants, conditions,…
- A board of adjustment is reviewing an owner's request for relief from a zoning ordinance. All of the following are commo…
- A homeowner in an HOA community wants to install solar panels on her roof. The CC&Rs do not address solar panels. The HO…
- Seeking an exemption from zoning requirements requires a:
Transfer of Property
114 questions- Under TRID rules, the lender must deliver the Closing Disclosure to the borrower at least how many business days before …
- A deed is properly recorded in the county records before a later purchaser checks title. Even if the later purchaser nev…
- At closing, the seller's existing mortgage balance of $185,000 must be paid off from the sale proceeds. On the seller's …
- An attorney examining the abstract of title discovers a gap in the chain where a deed from 1952 does not match the grant…
Tax Law
75 questions- A real estate attorney in New York is reviewing transfer tax requirements for a client's property sale. The attorney not…
- All of the following transactions would be subject to New York State transfer tax EXCEPT:
- A property in Rochester, NY is being sold for $275,000. The buyer is also purchasing personal property (furniture and ap…
- Which NYC boroughs are subject to New York City transfer tax?
Environmental Issues & Disclosure
75 questions- What government agency has primary jurisdiction over rent stabilization matters in New York City?
- A real estate broker in New York City is asked to explain the difference between rent-controlled and rent-stabilized apa…
- A buyer's agent in New York discovers that their client's target property has an underground storage tank (UST) that was…
- Under New York's implementation of federal lead-based paint disclosure requirements, all of the following statements are…
Agency Relationships Disclosures Ny Specific
20 questions- A buyer in Troy receives a $500 credit from the seller instead of a Property Condition Disclosure Statement. After closi…
- A buyer's agent in Long Island is reviewing the contract for their client. The seller chose the $500 credit option inste…
- Under New York's Property Condition Disclosure Act, what is the amount of credit a seller can provide to a buyer in lieu…
- What is the primary purpose of New York's $500 credit option under the Property Condition Disclosure Act?
Valuation
15 questions- When appraising properties in New York State, all of the following situations would typically support using the cost app…
- In New York real estate appraisal, what does the sales comparison approach primarily rely on for cooperative apartments?
- When using the income approach to value rental property in New York, which factor is unique to New York's regulatory env…
- An appraiser is valuing a property in New York that will be subject to the state's mansion tax. How should this tax obli…
Counts are live from the New York question bank, which mixes the national portion with New York-specific law.
The national portion, subject by subject
Shared with every other state exam, and usually the larger half of the paper.
Financing
366 questions- A buyer wants to purchase a home but cannot qualify for a conventional loan. The seller agrees to carry the entire purch…
- During the annual escrow analysis on Priya's loan, the servicer wants to maintain an escrow cushion equal to three month…
- Before the scheduled foreclosure sale, Lena Howard pays the past-due installments, late fees, and allowed expenses so th…
- Lena Chen is buying a home for $350,000 and is making a 20% down payment. Her lender will charge 2 discount points on th…
Property Ownership
208 questions- A roofing contractor replaced shingles on a home for $18,400, but the owner refused to pay. After following the required…
- Emma owns only a life estate in a rural tract, with title to pass to her nephew at Emma's death. Without the nephew's co…
- In February 2026, title examiner Rachel noticed that a metes and bounds description ended at a different point than wher…
- In June 2026, Jared sold the oil and gas rights under his ranch to Mesa Energy but kept the surface estate. After record…
Contracts
207 questions- After a property inspection reveals minor cosmetic issues, the buyer demands $20,000 in credits. The seller refuses, and…
- A buyer wants to demonstrate serious intent when submitting an offer. What financial deposit typically accompanies the o…
- Under a traditional contract for deed, what risk does the buyer face if the seller has an existing mortgage on the prope…
- Under a contract for deed, the buyer defaults after making five years of payments. In some jurisdictions, what protectio…
Real Estate Math
201 questions- A county charges $40 to record the first page of a deed and $7 for each additional page. If a deed is 3 pages long, what…
- A property sells for $300,000 with a 6% commission split equally between the listing broker and the selling broker. The …
- A buyer is purchasing a property for $450,000 with an 80% LTV loan. Buyer closing costs are $9,500, the earnest money de…
- An individual residential condominium in New York City sells for $800,000. What combined New York State transfer tax and…
Practice of Real Estate
150 questions- A broker uses cloud-based transaction management software to store all transaction files, including contracts, disclosur…
- Two competing brokerages agree that each will refer commercial clients to the other and neither will compete for the oth…
- A landlord refuses to rent to a family with children, claiming the property is 'adults only.' This is legal ONLY if:
- A mortgage ad states 'Only 5% down and payments from $1,950 per month.' Which advertising concept explains why extra fed…
Leasing & Property Management
80 questions- A written apartment lease begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year with no need for notice to terminat…
- A property management agreement authorizes the manager to spend up to $500 on emergency repairs without prior owner appr…
- A property manager deposits tenant security deposits into the manager's personal checking account and uses the funds to …
- All of the following are landlord-tenant law concepts EXCEPT
Counts are live from the New York question bank, which mixes the national portion with New York-specific law.
Studying for the New York exam
How long should I study for the New York real estate exam?
Most candidates need four to eight weeks alongside a job. Working every New York question in our bank at a realistic 30 questions an hour is roughly 112 hours — but the useful measure is not hours, it is whether your practice scores sit above the pass mark on questions you have not seen before.
What is on the New York real estate exam?
Two portions. The national portion covers principles every state shares. The NY portion covers New York law — in our bank that is License Law & DOS Regulations, Valuation Market Analysis, Agency Relationships Disclosures, General Principles of Agency and more.
Which New York topic should I study first?
Financing carries the most questions in our New York bank (366, about 11% of it), so it is the highest-leverage place to start. After that, work down the list below rather than studying front to back.
Is a New York exam prep course required?
Pre-licensing education is required by DOS; exam prep is not. They are different purchases and people often conflate them — the course satisfies the legal hours, prep is practice on questions. Check the current requirement in the DOS handbook before buying either.
New York practice exam
Ten questions with explanations, free, no account.
Full-length mock exam
Timed and scored against the real pass mark.
Exam-day checklist
What to bring, what to expect, what disqualifies you.