United States
Hong KongUniform State Content
Eleven percent of the exam, covering the SAFE Act framework adopted across participating states: purpose and definitions, licensing and qualification, license maintenance and continuing education, and regulatory authority and discipline.
Eleven percent, which we estimate at 13 questions. The smallest area on the paper.
It is also the most self-contained, and for that reason the best return on study time of anything in the outline.
It is not about your state
The name misleads people. The Uniform State Content is uniform precisely because it is not specific to any state.
It covers the SAFE Act framework that participating states adopted in common, folded into this single national test so that a candidate no longer sits a separate paper for each state.
What it covers
- SAFE Act purpose, coverage and definitions
- State licensing - qualification and application
- License maintenance, renewal and continuing education
- State regulatory authority, examination and discipline
The numbers worth knowing
| Requirement | The figure |
|---|---|
| Pre-licensure education | 20 hours: 3 federal law, 3 ethics, 2 non-traditional, 12 electives |
| Continuing education | 8 hours a year: 3 federal law, 2 ethics, 2 non-traditional, 1 elective |
| Test score | Not less than 75 percent |
| Felony bar | 7 years before application, or permanent for fraud offenses |
Four sets of numbers. Learn them properly and you have secured a meaningful slice of this area.
The distinction runs through the whole area. State-licensed originators work for brokers and non-bank lenders and must pass this test. Federally registered originators work for depository institutions and sit no test at all.
Why it is the best value in the outline
Because the material is finite and stable. Four subtopics, a handful of numbers, a clear set of definitions, and very little of the near-identical detail that makes federal law hard.
Thirteen questions is more than a tenth of the paper. Secure them.
Common questions
What is the Uniform State Content on the NMLS exam?
The SAFE Act framework adopted in common across participating states, worth 11% of the exam. It is not specific to any one state.
Do I sit a separate state test?
Not for states that adopted the Uniform State Content. It is folded into this single national test.
How many continuing education hours are required?
8 hours a year: 3 federal law, 2 ethics, 2 non-traditional mortgage lending and 1 elective.
What is the difference between licensed and registered?
State-licensed originators work for brokers and non-bank lenders and must pass this test. Federally registered originators work for depositories and take no test.
Is this the easiest area?
It is the most self-contained, with four subtopics and a small set of stable numbers, so it gives the best return on study time.