RECO Real Estate Salesperson Program exams

About the exam

In Ontario there is no single licensing exam for real estate agents. Instead, you must finish the pre-registration phase of the Real Estate Salesperson Program set by the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO): five online courses, two simulation sessions led by working professionals, and six exams. Only then can you apply to RECO to register as a salesperson.

Humber Polytechnic is one of four providers RECO approves for the program, alongside Algonquin College, Career College Group and Fleming College. Since 1 August 2025 every learner, whatever the provider, sits the same exams, administered by Meazure Learning online with a remote proctor or in person at a test centre.

Two things surprise candidates. The exams report only pass or fail, never a score. And each exam allows just two attempts: fail twice and you must pay for the course again and repeat it before you can try a third time.

Who has to sit it

Anyone who wants to trade in real estate as a salesperson in Ontario must complete this program and register with RECO. To enrol at Humber you need a RECO-issued identifier, a Canadian or US secondary school diploma, a GED, a Canadian Adult Education Certificate or an accepted equivalent (Humber offers an admissions exam to those without one), and proof of English proficiency, since the program is taught only in English. People already registered in another Canadian province or territory can use separate pathways, including the Interprovincial Challenge Exam, and RECO can recognise other education through an Education Equivalency Assessment. Each part has a prerequisite: you can only sit an exam after finishing its course, and you can only start the next course after passing that exam.

What is on it

Exam 1: Real Estate Essentials

The profession, the fundamentals of real estate, ownership rights and limits, land description and registration, and the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (TRESA) with its Code of Ethics. 75 questions in two hours.

Exam 2: Residential Real Estate Transactions

Representing buyers and sellers, representation agreements, residential property types and construction, pricing and marketing, and the agreement of purchase and sale. 115 questions in three hours.

Exam 3: Additional Residential Real Estate Transactions

Condominiums, new construction, rural properties, multi-unit dwellings and residential leasing. 115 questions in three hours.

Simulation Exam 1: Residential

Case scenarios testing what you practised in the five-day residential simulation session. 50 questions in three hours.

Exam 4: Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Office, retail and industrial property, commercial condominiums, leasing, development land and farms, and selling a business. 115 questions in three hours.

Simulation Exam 2: Commercial

Case scenarios testing the commercial simulation session. 46 questions in three hours. Course 5, on registration, insurance and choosing a brokerage, has no exam.

The paper

• Six multiple-choice exams: four course exams (75 or 115 questions) and two simulation exams built on case scenarios (50 and 46 questions).
• Exam 1 lasts two hours; the other five last three hours each.
• Results are pass or fail only, with no score or percentage; a failed result comes with a chart of your performance by content area.
• Every question is marked right or wrong and blanks count as wrong; the pass mark is set by a standard-setting method and is not published.
• You choose between an online exam with a live remote proctor and an in-person sitting at a Meazure Learning test centre.
• Bring original, valid government-issued photo ID with a signature; at a centre arrive 15 minutes early, as more than 30 minutes late counts as a no-show.
• Notes, dictionaries and your own calculator are not allowed; the online exam includes an on-screen calculator and notepad.
• Accommodations are requested through your education provider at least 30 days before your first booking.

How to book it

1. Apply to Humber (or another approved provider) with your RECO identifier and proof of education and English proficiency.
2. Complete each course in order; Courses 1 to 4 each give 21 weeks of access and Course 5 gives four weeks.
3. After finishing a course, register for its exam with Humber, which makes you eligible on the Meazure Learning platform.
4. Schedule and pay for the exam on Meazure Learning, online or at a test centre; in-person bookings can be changed up to 72 hours ahead for a fee, online ones up to 24 hours ahead free of charge.
5. Results usually arrive about 48 hours after the exam; Humber posts them to your education record within three days.
6. If you fail, you may buy one rewrite; a second failure means retaking the course, with its fees, before another attempt.
7. Finish the whole phase within 24 months of starting Course 1, then apply to RECO for registration within one year of completing it.

Fees and dates

Exam fee

CAD 120 (about EUR 80) per attempt, paid to Meazure Learning (source 3)

Humber course fees

CAD 3,420 (about EUR 2,291) for the five courses and two simulation sessions, before exam fees (source 4)

When

Booked after each course on Meazure Learning, online or in person (source 3)

Results

Usually about 48 hours after the exam, pass or fail only (source 3)

Rewrites

One rewrite per exam; after a second failure the course must be repeated (source 3)

Changes

In person: up to 72 hours before, CAD 25 (about EUR 17); online: up to 24 hours before, free (source 3)

Time limit

24 months from the start of Course 1 to finish the pre-registration phase (source 1)

Registration deadline

Apply to RECO within one year of completing the phase (source 1)

Fees and dates change: each is as its source stated it on 29 October 2026. Check it there before you book.

Questions people ask

How many exams are in the Ontario real estate salesperson program?

The pre-registration phase has six exams: one after each of Courses 1 to 4 and one after each of the two simulation sessions. Course 5 has no exam.

What is the pass mark for the RECO exams?

RECO does not publish a percentage. The pass mark is set through a standard-setting method, and you only see 'pass' or 'fail'.

Can I write the exams online?

Yes. Meazure Learning offers each exam online with a live remote proctor or in person at a test centre, and you choose when you book.

What happens if I fail an exam twice?

You must buy and repeat the course linked to that exam, paying its fees again, before you can write the exam once more. After a first failure, Humber suggests asking for an exam report review with one of its facilitators.

Does it matter which college I study with?

Not for the exams: since August 2025 everyone writes the same exams through Meazure Learning, whichever approved provider they study with. Fees and support can differ, so check each provider's site.

How long do I have to finish?

You have 24 months from the day you start Course 1 to complete the pre-registration phase. After that you have one year to apply to RECO, and once registered you must complete the post-registration phase within two years.

How much does it cost at Humber?

Humber lists CAD 3,420 (about EUR 2,291) for the five courses and two simulation sessions. Each of the six exams costs CAD 120 per attempt on top, and optional review sessions cost extra.

Sources

1. Real Estate Salesperson Program: Pre-Registration — RECO
2. Examinations — RECO
3. Learner Exam Handbook, version 1.2 (December 2025) — RECO
4. Real Estate Salesperson Program, Pre-Registration Phase — Humber Polytechnic
5. Real Estate Salesperson Program Learning Path — Humber Polytechnic
6. Real Estate Program Policies — Humber Polytechnic
7. Transition Plan — Humber Polytechnic

Checked against these sources on 29 October 2026.