United States
Hong KongThe syllabus, taught
Every examinable topic written out in the order it is examined, with each rule cited to the provision it comes from. Not a summary of a textbook - the syllabus itself, covered end to end.
Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) / State Regulatory Registry LLC, through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)
SAFE MLO Test - full exam prep
1,200questions in the bank
5timed mock exams
5 of 5syllabus topics covered
The federal gate to originating residential mortgages in any state. Every state-licensed MLO in the country has sat this exam.
No account needed for the diagnostic. Four minutes.
Written for this exam
All 1,200 questions and all 5 topics were written against the SAFE MLO Test syllabus. Nothing here is a general bank with this exam's name on it.
Every answer names its source
Each explanation cites the provision it rests on, so you can go and read the rule rather than take our word for it.
Weighted like the real paper
The number of questions per topic follows Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) / State Regulatory Registry LLC, through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)'s own published blueprint, not our guess at it.
What the published results say
| Candidates | Pass rate |
|---|---|
| First time sitting the test as of 31 December 2024 | 53% |
Source: NMLS Resource Center, Test Performance Information, checked 2026-09-03.
- Questions
- 120 multiple choice, 115 of them scored
- Time
- 190 minutes
- Pass mark
- 75%75% of the 115 scored questions, which is 87. You cannot tell which 5 of the 120 do not count, so work to 90 of 120.
- Format
- Multiple choice, closed book. At a Prometric test centre or at home with online proctoring
- Languages
- English
- Fee
- USD 110 per attempt
- Sittings
- On demand. Pay the enrolment fee through NMLS, then book any open slot inside a 180-day window
- Results
- Pass or fail on screen the moment you finish, with a printed report before you leave. The official score posts to NMLS about 72 hours later
- Valid for
- Five years. A passed test expires if you go five consecutive years without a licence or an active federal registration
- Register
- Registration link Register on NMLS.
What you get
USD 89 for 12 months. Six parts, and every one of them built against this syllabus rather than adapted from another exam.
Questions to drill
Filtered to the topic you are reading, so practice reinforces the lesson instead of testing something you have not reached yet.
Full mock papers
120 questions each, 190 minutes, scored against the real 75% standard. Their 600 questions never appear in practice, so a mock score measures you rather than your memory of practising.
Worked review notes
Every question explains itself: why the right answer is right, why each wrong answer tempts people, and the source that settles it. Three are shown in full in the mock-paper previews below.
Soft copies to print
The study guide and every mock paper as a PDF, typeset for paper, so you can sit a mock with a pen the way you will sit the real one.
A plan built round your date
Tell us when you sit and the study plan, the readiness score, the weak-topic ordering and every reminder are worked back from it.
Soft copies, yours to print
6 PDFs, typeset for paper rather than exported from a screen. Open any of them to read the opening pages before you buy.
Every topic, and how heavily it is examined All 5 covered, with each topic's share of the 120 questions on the real paper
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1
29 q
Federal Mortgage Related Laws
RESPA - settlement services and prohibited referral fees · RESPA - servicing, escrow and loss mitigation · ECOA and fair lending in credit decisions · TILA - finance charge, APR and the right of rescission · TILA - ability to repay, qualified mortgages and HOEPA · Loan originator compensation and qualification · TRID - the Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure · HMDA, FCRA, privacy and BSA/AML
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2
13 q
Uniform State Content
SAFE Act purpose, coverage and definitions · State licensing - qualification and application · Licence maintenance, renewal and continuing education · State regulatory authority, examination and discipline
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3
24 q
General Mortgage Knowledge
Conventional, conforming and non-conforming programs · Government programs - FHA, VA and USDA · Fixed-rate, adjustable-rate and hybrid products · Reverse mortgages, HELOCs and construction lending · Qualified and non-qualified mortgages · Mortgage terminology and financial concepts
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4
32 q
Mortgage Loan Origination Activities
The loan inquiry and application process · Required disclosures and the origination timeline · Income and employment analysis · Assets, liabilities and credit analysis · Property valuation, appraisal and title · Underwriting decisions, ratios and conditions · Financial calculations · Closing, funding and post-closing
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5
22 q
Ethics
Prohibited acts and practices · Fairness in lending and predatory practices · Mortgage fraud - detection and reporting · Advertising and marketing compliance · Consumer relationships and confidentiality
Try it before you decide
1
Ten-question diagnostic
Free, no account. Score and per-topic breakdown at the end.
Start the diagnostic
2
One full mock, free
120 questions, 190 minutes, scored against the real pass mark.
Sit a free mock
3
Then the explanations
Paid. Which ones you missed, why, and the source that settles it.
Get the courseBefore you buy
Is this everything I need, or do I still need the official material?
The whole examinable syllabus is taught here across 5 topics, and every one of the 1,200 questions is written against it. We are independent of Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) / State Regulatory Registry LLC, through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) and this is not their publication - if they require you to hold an official study guide, hold it. What this replaces is the second and third thing you would otherwise buy: a question bank, and something to explain the answers.
Where do the answers come from?
Every explanation names the provision it rests on and quotes it where quoting is allowed, so you can go and read the rule. Where we have not been able to put the underlying text in front of you, the page says so rather than implying a source it does not have.
How long will I need?
Our estimate for this paper is about 60 hours - 2 hours a day for 4 weeks. That is our figure and not Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) / State Regulatory Registry LLC, through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS)'s. Tell us your exam date when you start and the plan, the reminders and the readiness score are all worked back from it.
Can I see it before I pay?
Yes, and without an account: a 10-question diagnostic that scores you by topic, one full 120-question mock paper, and the opening pages of every PDF. What you pay for is the explanations, the lessons and the other 4 papers.
What happens if I fail?
Your access runs 12 months, which covers a resit; Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) / State Regulatory Registry LLC, through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) charges USD 110 for one. The final-review screen orders what you got wrong by what each mistake costs on the paper, which is where a second attempt should start.
Can I get a refund?
Full refund within 7 days if no more than 20% of paid lessons and practice are used, no paid study guide is downloaded, and no more than one paid mock is started.
SAFE MLO Test · USD 89 for 12 months
The diagnostic is free and needs no account.