What exam is required to become a mortgage broker?

Mortgage brokers take the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator Test, the National Component with Uniform State Content, and must score at least 75% to pass. As of April 5, 2021, the test has 120 multiple-choice questions (115 scored, 5 unscored) in 190 minutes and costs $110, and it is administered at Prometric test centers. A passing result needs to be achieved only once to satisfy the SAFE test requirement for state agencies.

In Arizona, the individuals at a mortgage broker who take residential mortgage applications or negotiate loan terms must pass the loan originator examination developed by NMLS under A.R.S. 6-991.07. The test covers principal-agent obligations, ethics, mortgage arithmetic, lending principles, and mortgage documents, and it requires a passing score of at least 75%. An applicant may take the exam three consecutive times with at least 30 days between attempts; after a third consecutive failure, the applicant must wait six months before retaking it.

You must pass the SAFE MLO National Test with Uniform State Content with a score of 75% or higher, and California requires no separate state test component on either the DRE or DFPI track. The test is administered at Prometric testing centers, not DRE examination sites, and consists of 120 multiple-choice items, of which 115 are scored. After a failed attempt you must wait 30 days to retake, and after every third failed test you must wait 180 days.

Colorado requires the National SAFE MLO Test Component with Uniform State Content; the state adds no separate exam beyond the Uniform State Test content. The exam fee is $110 through NMLS. If you fail, you may retake the exam 3 consecutive times, each at least 30 days after the prior attempt; after a third consecutive failure you must wait at least 6 months before testing again.

Connecticut requires the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator Test with a score of at least 75% correct answers. You satisfy the testing requirement by passing the National component plus the Connecticut State component, the National component plus the Stand-alone UST component, or the National component with Uniform State Content. The National component costs $110. You may retake the test three consecutive times with at least 30 days between attempts, and after failing three consecutive tests you must wait at least 6 months before testing again.

The required exam is the national SAFE mortgage loan originator test, and you must score at least 75% to pass. Individual MLOs must pass it regardless of which company they work for. No prior exam or coursework applies to the DC mortgage company licenses themselves, which are held by the lender or broker that sponsors you.

Florida does not require a separate state exam for a mortgage broker license. The testing requirement attaches to the individual: each loan originator must pass the SAFE MLO test, which covers national content plus the Uniform State Test component, is administered by Prometric, and requires a score of at least 75%. Florida's old state mortgage broker exam was repealed in 2010 after mortgage licensing moved into NMLS.

Georgia issues the Mortgage Broker/Processor license to companies, and the exam requirement falls on the individuals who originate loans. A Georgia mortgage loan originator must pass the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator Test, National Component with Uniform State Content, with a score of 75 or higher. Broker applicants must also have a Georgia-licensed MLO in place before the company application can be approved, except broker/processors that will only act as processors.

Hawaii requires individuals who originate residential mortgage loans to pass the SAFE MLO test, which covers ethics, federal law and regulations, Hawaii state law, fraud, consumer protection, the nontraditional mortgage marketplace, and fair lending. The federal minimum passing score is 75%. In Hawaii, the test is administered by Prometric and Pearson VUE, and test centers are located only on Oahu, so Neighbor Island residents must travel to Oahu to test.

Idaho requires the SAFE MLO National Test with Uniform State Test content. The test has 120 multiple-choice items, 115 of which are scored, covering federal mortgage laws, general mortgage knowledge, mortgage loan origination activities, ethics, and Uniform State Content. Idaho has no separate state-specific exam.

The exam is the National SAFE MLO Test with Uniform State Content. Illinois does not require a separate state-specific exam component; passing the national test with Uniform State Content satisfies the testing requirement for the Illinois mortgage loan originator license.

The required exam is the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator Test, administered by a test provider approved by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), with a passing score of 75%. Indiana accepts the National Test Component with Uniform State Content, or the National component paired with either the Indiana State components or the Stand-alone Uniform State Content components. The National Test Component fee is $110, and after a failed attempt you must wait 30 days to retake; after 3 consecutive failures the wait is 6 months.

Iowa requires the SAFE MLO test, passed with a score of 75% or higher. You can satisfy Iowa's state component by taking the National Test Component with Uniform State Content (UST), so no separate Iowa-specific exam is needed. Iowa also accepts the National plus Iowa State components, or the National plus Stand-alone UST components.

You must pass the SAFE MLO Test, the national exam that includes Uniform State Content. Kentucky does not require a separate state test component beyond the Uniform State Content, per the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions. The test covers federal mortgage-related laws, general mortgage knowledge, loan origination activities, and ethics.

Individuals who take applications or negotiate loan terms for a Louisiana mortgage broker must pass the qualified written test developed by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS): the National component plus a state component, which can be satisfied through the Uniform State Test (UST). A score of at least 75% is required to pass. After a failed attempt you must wait at least 30 days to retake the test, and after three consecutive failures you must wait at least 6 months.

Maryland requires the SAFE MLO test, developed by NMLS and administered by an NMLS-approved test provider. Maryland uses the Uniform State Test as its state component, so a passing result on the National Test Component with Uniform State Content satisfies the state requirement. The passing score is at least 75%.

Individuals must pass the SAFE MLO Test, the National Test with Uniform State Content, with a score of at least 75%. An applicant who fails may retake the exam up to three consecutive times, at least 30 days apart, and must wait six months after a third failure. The exam costs $110 for the national component. Entity-level mortgage broker licenses have no exam requirement; instead the Division of Banks requires 3 years of full-time mortgage experience.

In Michigan, an individual who originates mortgage loans must pass the SAFE MLO test with a score of 75% or better. Michigan accepts the National test component with Uniform State Content, or the National component plus either the Michigan State component or the Stand-alone Uniform State Test component. Company broker and lender licenses involve no individual exam, but each person who originates loans still needs the MLO credential.

In Minnesota, the individuals who originate loans must pass the SAFE MLO National Test Component with Uniform State Content (UST), administered by a testing provider approved by NMLS, with a minimum passing score of 75%. Since August 1, 2018, Minnesota has no separate state test component. The company-level Residential Mortgage Originator license itself has no exam; the test requirement applies to the individual loan originators.

Individual mortgage loan originators in Mississippi must pass the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator Test, National Component with Uniform State Content. The test consists of 120 multiple-choice items (115 scored), and passing requires a score of at least 75%. You may retake it 3 consecutive times with at least 30 days between attempts, and after failing 3 consecutive tests you must wait at least 6 months before retesting.

You must pass the National SAFE MLO Test with Uniform State Content, which Montana adopted effective July 1, 2013, so no separate Montana state test component is required. A score of at least 75% is needed to pass. You may retake the test three consecutive times, with each attempt at least 30 days after the previous one, and after a third consecutive failure you must wait at least 6 months. Prometric administers the test; call 1-877-671-6657 to schedule.

Nevada requires the SAFE MLO National Test with Uniform State Content, with a passing score of 75% or more. The test has 120 multiple-choice items, 115 of them scored, and costs $110. Nevada has not required a separate state test component since it folded the Uniform State Content into the national exam effective January 1, 2014.

Applicants must pass the SAFE MLO test. New Hampshire accepts passing results on the National Test Component with Uniform State Content, or on both the National and New Hampshire State components, or on the National plus Stand-alone UST components. A score of 75% or better passes the national test.

In New Jersey, individuals take the SAFE Test, because the Residential Mortgage Broker license belongs to the sponsoring company, not the person. The state accepts passing results on the National Test Component with Uniform State Content (UST), the National plus New Jersey State components, or the National plus Stand-alone UST components. The national component requires a score of 75% or better and costs $110.

New Mexico requires the SAFE test. You must pass the National component and either the New Mexico state component or the Uniform State Test, which also satisfies the state requirement. The minimum passing score is 75%, and you may attempt the test three consecutive times with at least 30 days between attempts; after failing three in a row you must wait 6 months before retesting.

New York does not require an exam for the mortgage broker company registration itself. However, individuals who take residential mortgage applications or negotiate loan terms, including the qualifying individual a broker must designate, must pass the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator Test. New York accepts the National Test Component with Uniform State Content, or the National component plus the New York State component, or the National component plus a stand-alone Uniform State Test.

Individuals who broker or originate residential mortgage loans must pass the National Test with Uniform State Content required under the SAFE Act, and North Carolina requires a passing score within the five years before you apply. The state allows you to retake the test three consecutive times, with each attempt at least 30 days after the preceding one. After three consecutive failures, you must wait at least six months before retaking it.

To originate loans in North Dakota, you must pass the SAFE MLO test. The state accepts passing results on the National component plus the ND State component, the National plus the Stand-alone Uniform State Test components, or the National Test Component with Uniform State Content. The national component costs $110, and a passing score is 75% or better.

Ohio requires the SAFE MLO Test for mortgage loan originator licensure. The state accepts three passing combinations: the National Test Component with Uniform State Content, the National and Ohio state components together, or the National and Stand-alone Uniform State Test components together. The national component costs $110, and a score of 75% or better passes.

Pennsylvania requires the SAFE MLO Test, and you can satisfy the testing requirement in one of three ways: the National and Pennsylvania State components, the National and Stand-alone Uniform State Test components, or the National Test Component with Uniform State Content. You must score at least 75% to pass. You may take the test three consecutive times with 30 days between attempts, and after a third consecutive failure you must wait six months before retaking it.

To originate mortgage loans in Rhode Island you must pass the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator Test. The state accepts a passing score on both the National and Rhode Island State components, on the National and Stand-alone Uniform State Test components, or on the National component with Uniform State Content. The National test component costs $110.

The exam requirement falls on the individual loan originator, who must pass the SAFE Test before applying. South Carolina accepts three testing routes: passing both the National and South Carolina State components, passing both National Stand-alone Uniform State Test components, or passing the National Test Component with Uniform State Content. The company-level mortgage broker license has no exam of its own, but the broker applicant must show 3 years of financial-services experience.

Individuals must pass the SAFE MLO Test to originate mortgage loans, and Tennessee accepts three passing combinations: the National component plus the Tennessee State component, the National plus the Stand-alone Uniform State Test (UST), or the National Test Component with Uniform State Content. The passing score is 75% or higher. A failed test can be retaken after at least 30 days, and after 3 consecutive failures the wait is at least 6 months.

The required exam is the SAFE Mortgage Loan Originator test, specifically the National Test Component with Uniform State Content, which you schedule and pay for through NMLS at a fee of $110 per the NMLS fee schedule. If you file with the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner instead of the Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending, you may also satisfy testing by passing both the National and Texas State components. Texas requires 23 hours of pre-licensing education before you apply.

The required exam is the national test administered through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS), which includes the Uniform State Test component covering state content, and the national component costs $110. Applicants for Utah's separate lending manager license must also pass a state lending manager examination administered through the division's testing contractor, with a nonrefundable examination fee.

In Washington, a mortgage broker license is a company credential, and every applicant company must appoint a Designated Broker who passes the Washington Designated Broker Test before the company applies for licensure. DFI states this test is not the same as the MLO exam, and passage certificates are provided at the Pearson VUE testing center.

West Virginia requires passage of the NMLS-developed national SAFE MLO test, administered by an NMLS-approved test provider, rather than a separate state-authored exam. A passing score is at least 75% correct. An individual may retake the test three consecutive times, each at least 30 days after the preceding attempt, and after three consecutive failures must wait at least six months before testing again.

In Wisconsin, individuals who will take residential mortgage loan applications or negotiate loan terms must pass the SAFE MLO test, the national test with Uniform State Content, with a score of at least 75%. Wisconsin has no separate state test component. The $110 test fee is paid through NMLS, and Prometric administers the test. The Mortgage Broker License itself is a company license, so the exam requirement attaches to the licensed loan originators the company employs.

Wyoming mortgage loan originators must pass the SAFE MLO National Test Component with Uniform State Content; no separate Wyoming state test component exists. The passing score is at least 75%, and the national test fee is $110. Retakes are allowed 3 consecutive times with at least 30 days between attempts, and a 6-month wait applies after failing 3 consecutive tests.