You passed the school exam. Here is exactly what to do next.
Your school’s final and the state exam are two different tests. Passing the first one lets you book the second. This page walks you through booking it in eAccessNY, click by click, how to get ready when you have little time, and what happens after you pass.
Checked against the Department of State’s own pages on 2 November 2026. General information, not legal advice. Before you pay a fee, open the linked state page and confirm.
Where you are
- 77-hour coursedone
- School final examdone
- State examyou are here
- Sponsoring broker
- Apply in eAccessNY
- License
Book the state exam, click by click
You do this yourself, online. Nobody books it for you and there is no class date to wait for. Set aside 20 minutes and have your email open.
Open eAccessNY
Open the Department of State’s Become a Real Estate Salesperson page and scroll to Written Exam. If you have never had a New York license and never booked an exam, click Create My Account. If you have ever had an account, click Access My Account instead. A second account cannot see your old records.
Create the account
Fill in the Create Account page, press Preview, check every letter of your name and email, then press Save. Your email address becomes your User ID.
Find the temporary password email
An email titled Temporary NYDOS Password should arrive within about five minutes. If it does not, look in your junk or spam folder. The password is case sensitive, so copy and paste it.
Set your own password
Log on with your email and the temporary password. The system sends you to Change Password: at least eight characters, at least one letter and one non-letter, and not based on your email. If it asks for a secret question, answer it. Write the password and the answer down somewhere safe.
Choose “Apply to Take an Exam”
From the Main Menu, click Apply to Take an Exam. You must accept the exam policies to continue. Pick the real estate salesperson exam, not the broker exam.
Pick a site and a date
Choose the exam site and date that suit you. The state lists sites in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Franklin Square, Hauppauge, New York City, Plattsburgh, Pomona, Rochester, Syracuse and Utica. The exam is taken in person.
Pay the $15 fee
Pay the written exam fee online. If you fail later, each new attempt is another $15.
Print the “Summary of Your Submission”
This page carries your candidate number and you must bring it on exam day. Lost it? Log on and click View Scheduled Exam Details from the Main Menu to get it again.
Need to move the date?
Log on, click View Scheduled Exam Details, then Reschedule. The state allows this up to six days before your exam date. Inside that window you must let the date pass and book a new one.
Need testing accommodations?
If you need special testing arrangements because of a disability, do not book online. Call the Department of State at (518) 474-4429 first and ask for the Special Testing Arrangements Request form.
Short on time? A three-week plan
Most people who stall after the school exam are not lost on the material. They are busy. School, work, family. Twenty to forty minutes a day is enough if you do it every day. Book the exam first: a date on the calendar is what makes the studying happen.
Week 1: get the words back
Flashcards every day, a few minutes at a time, on your phone between classes. Most wrong answers on this exam come from not knowing what a term means. Do one short math drill every other day.
Week 2: practice under the clock
Take the free practice exam. Write down every question you missed and go back to that topic in your notes. Do math drills until the formulas feel automatic.
Week 3: check, then rest
Take the 40-question Am I ready? check. Fix what it shows you. Read the exam-day checklist two nights before. Sleep the night before; do not cram.
Exam day in four lines
- Current government photo ID, the physical card. A New York driver’s license is not required; a foreign passport is on the state’s list.
- Your printed Summary of Your Submission.
- Arrive early: no one is admitted after the starting time.
- A silent, non-printing calculator with no letter keys. Phone off, no bags or books.
After the exam: from pass to license
See your result
Log on and click View Exam Results. “Waiting for Score” means it is not processed yet; otherwise you see Pass or Fail. Results are not given by phone. Failed? Book another exam the same way.
Have a sponsoring broker
You cannot be licensed without one. You can sit the exam without a broker, but start talking to brokers now, not after you pass. You will need the broker’s license number (UID) for the application.
Apply in eAccessNY
From the Main Menu choose to apply for an initial salesperson license (qualifying by exam only), enter your broker’s UID and pay the $65 application fee. If you apply online you do not mail anything unless the state writes to ask.
Your broker authorizes it
The broker logs in to their own eAccessNY account, opens their license under List of Licenses and chooses Authorize Initial Salesperson License. Nothing moves until they do. Remind them.
The state reviews and mails it
Check progress under Application Status Display. When approved, the license is mailed to the business address. A passed exam stays valid for two years, so apply inside that window.
Questions students ask me every week
I passed my school’s final. Am I licensed now?
Not yet. The school final lets you book the state exam. After the state exam you still need a sponsoring broker and an approved application.
When is the state exam?
Whenever you book it. There is no fixed date for your class. You choose the site and the date in eAccessNY, and you can book a new one right away if you need to.
Do I need a broker before I take the state exam?
No. You need a sponsoring broker to apply for the license, not to sit the exam.
Does my 77-hour course expire?
The Department of State says that once the course has been applied towards a license it does not expire. Keep your completion certificate in a safe place; schools only have to keep records for three years.
How long is a passing result good for?
Two years. Apply for the license with your broker within that time.
How many questions are there, and what score do I need?
The Department of State does not publish either number for the salesperson exam. It is multiple choice, based on the 77-hour course, and you get an hour and a half. Results are only Pass or Fail.
Can I take the exam in Spanish?
Yes. The state exam is offered in English, Spanish, Korean, Russian and Chinese.
Can I take it online?
No. It is given in person at the state’s exam sites.
What if I fail?
Book another exam in eAccessNY and pay the $15 again. The state’s pages state no waiting period. Use the result to find your weak topics before the next try.
The temporary password email never came.
Wait five minutes and check your junk or spam folder. If you still cannot get in, call the Department of State at (518) 474-4429.
I forgot my eAccessNY password or User ID.
Forgot your password: type your email on the log-on screen and use the Forgot Password link; a temporary one is emailed to you. Forgot your User ID or secret answer: call (518) 474-4429. Do not open a new account, because it will not see your old one.
How long does the license take after I apply?
The state does not publish a processing time. The two things that slow it down are a broker who has not authorized the application and a mistake in the application. Check Application Status Display.
I still have a question.
Ask me. Call or WhatsApp (718) 701-2729, or post it in the free License to Earn community.
Where this comes from
- New York State Department of State: Become a Real Estate Salesperson (exam, what to bring, fees, applying)
- New York State Department of State: Real Estate Salesperson FAQs (creating the account, scheduling, rescheduling, results, broker authorization)
Checked on 2 November 2026. The state can change any of this; the pages above are the authority, not this summary.
Start studying today
Flashcards, math drills, a practice exam and the Am I ready? check are free with a free account. No card.