Pre-License Education and Exam Changes

This issue of the Commissioner's Bulletin is focused on the changes in the content of the education courses and exams required for licensing.

If you know someone interested in becoming a broker, principal broker or property manager, or if you know someone who is in the process of becoming licensed, consider sharing the information in this issue with them.

Changes in Pre-License Exam, Education Effective 2013

New content for real estate license education and examinations will become effective on January 1, 2013. The changes affect license applicants who are currently taking the required education for new broker, principal broker or property manager licenses, and those who are have not started yet.

Beginning January 1, 2013, only courses approved by the Agency under the new course content requirements can be offered by education providers. The new course content will closely mirror the new content of the licensing examinations starting January 1, 2013.

The content outline for each license exam will be published in the Candidate Information Bulletin the first part of December.

Agency Recommendations for
Soon-to-Be New Licensees

For applicants not currently enrolled in any course:
At this time, the Agency recommends that potential licensees wait to enroll in any course until course providers can offer new courses approved by the Agency. If applicants choose to enroll in a course that covers old course content, then they may face one of the situations described below.

For applicants currently enrolled in a broker pre-license course of study:
The Agency encourages applicants to complete all seven required courses, and take and pass both sections of the broker license exam, before January 1, 2013. (The seven required pre-license courses are: Oregon Real Estate Practices, Real Estate Law, Real Estate Finance, Contracts, Agency, Brokerage and Property Management.)

If an applicant completes some, but not all, of the required courses before January 1, 2013, the courses completed will count toward the licensing requirement. However, the remaining courses and the license exam will contain the new content. Beginning January 1, 2013, real estate schools cannot offer a course not approved under the new content requirements. Applicants should stay in contact with their real estate schools about their progress.

If an applicant completes all seven courses prior to January 1, 2013, the Agency recommends that the applicant take and pass both sections of the broker license exam before January 1, 2013. Exams taken after January 1, 2013 will test on different content than what was covered in the completed pre-license courses.

For applicants currently enrolled in the Brokerage Administration and Sales Supervision (Principal Broker) course:
The Agency encourages applicants to complete the required course, and take and pass the principal broker license exam, before January 1, 2013.

If an applicant will be unable to complete the course before January 1, 2013, the applicant will need to start all over again with a new course containing the new course content. All courses approved under the current approved course content will no longer be eligible to meet the pre-license education requirement beginning January 1, 2013.

If an applicant completes the course, but is unable take and pass the principal broker license exam before January 1, 2013, the course will still count toward the license requirement. However, the exams offered starting January 1, 2013 will test on different content than what was covered in the course you completed.

For applicants currently enrolled in a property manager pre-license course:
The Agency encourages applicants to complete the required course, and take and pass the property manager license exam, before January 1, 2013.

If an applicant is unable to complete the course before January 1, 2013, the applicant will need to start all over again with a new course containing the new course content. All courses approved with the current course content will no longer be offered by real estate school beginning January 1, 2013.

If an applicant completes the course, but is unable take and pass the property manager license exam before January 1, 2013, the course will still count toward the license requirement. However, the exams offered starting January 1, 2013 will test on different content than what was covered in the pre-license course you completed.

For more information on the licensing process, please visit the Agency's website.

In This Issue

• Pre-License Education and Exam Change
• Changes in Pre-License Exam, Education Effective 2013

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