Best Real Estate Courses & Schools in New York (2026)

With 77 hours of coursework, it’s genuinely possible to finish in as little as 4 to 8 weeks if you move quickly through an online course. Add time for scheduling your exam and finding a sponsoring broker, and most people are licensed within 3 to 5 months total.

New York requires 77 hours of pre-licensing education from a Department of State-approved provider. Home-study or correspondence courses aren’t accepted — your course must be through an approved school.

Make sure you are purchasing the 77-hour course. New York increased the salesperson pre-licensing education requirement from 75 hours to 77 hours to include mandatory training on implicit bias and fair housing laws. When selecting an online real estate school, confirm that their curriculum is approved by the New York Department of State (NY DOS) for the full 77 hours. If you purchase an outdated 75-hour course from a discounted provider, NY DOS will reject your completion certificate when you go to apply for your license.

Yes, they are completely separate. You will take two different exams: first, your school’s 77-hour course final exam, and second, the official NY DOS Salesperson Exam. The official state exam consists of 75 multiple-choice questions with a 90-minute time limit and costs $15 per attempt (scheduled through eAccessNY). Because the state exam is known for tricky phrasing around NY-specific fair housing laws, agency disclosures, and property management rules, look for a school package or standalone prep tool that features NY-specific practice question banks and timed simulation tests rather than generic national questions.

Most agents describe it as challenging — recent data shows roughly half of first-time test-takers don’t pass on their initial attempt, though over 80% pass by their second try. The exam has 75 questions, and you’ll need a minimum score of 70% (53 correct) to pass.

You can reschedule and retake it right away — New York doesn’t impose a mandatory waiting period or a limit on the number of attempts. Results are reported as pass or fail only, not as a numerical score.

There’s no published limit — you can retake the exam as many times as needed.

75 multiple-choice questions, covering both national real estate topics and New York-specific law. You’ll have 90 minutes to complete it.

70%, which means answering at least 53 of the 75 questions correctly.

Unlike most states, New York’s exam is administered directly by the Department of State itself rather than a third-party vendor like Pearson VUE or PSI, and is often given at your school’s approved testing location.

Most New York-approved pre-licensing courses include practice exams as part of the coursework. For additional free practice questions, check YouTube for study walkthroughs, or ask your course provider whether sample questions are available before purchasing standalone exam prep.

Take as many practice exams as you can — repetition is what turns recognition into recall. Expect 10 to 15 math questions covering things like commission and loan-to-value calculations, so don’t skip that part of your review even if math isn’t your strength. If you feel like you need more help, you can always buy an exam prep kit – many of them use unique study tactics, have dozens of practice tests and quizzlets.

NY DOS requires a proctored exam at the end of your 77-hour pre-licensing course before you receive your completion certificate. Most modern online schools use automated, virtual proctoring software (via your webcam and microphone) directly within their platform at no extra charge. However, some lower-cost schools require you to arrange a third-party proctor or pay an additional proctoring fee. Before enrolling, check the school’s package details to make sure online proctoring is included in the base price.