EAA EAQE Exam Guide 2026
Checked against official sources: 11 Oct 2026. Rules, fees and dates change, so confirm anything time-sensitive on eaa.org.hk.
The Estate Agents Qualifying Examination (EAQE) is the senior of Hong Kong’s two estate agency exams. Pass it and you can apply for an estate agent’s licence (individual) or a salesperson’s licence. It is longer than the SQE, it is paper-based only, and its syllabus adds valuation, town planning and running an agency office. This guide uses the EAA’s Paper-based Examination Handbook (August 2026), the EAQE syllabus and the 2026 EAQE schedule.
Who needs the EAQE
A salesperson’s licence only lets you work as a salesperson of a licensed estate agent. The estate agent’s licence (individual) lets you work as a sole proprietor, a partner, a director of a licensed estate agency company, or as a salesperson of another licensed agent (Examination Handbook para 1.1). Take the EAQE if you plan to:
- open your own agency as a sole proprietor or partner;
- become a director of a licensed estate agency company;
- manage a branch. Every agency office must be under the effective and separate control of a manager who holds an estate agent’s licence (individual), and a manager can control only one office (Estate Agents Ordinance (Cap. 511), section 38).
If you only want to start selling or leasing for an agency, the SQE is enough. The comparison is in SQE vs EAQE.
Salespersons can sit the EAQE
EAQE format at a glance
| Item | EAQE (as at Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 50 multiple-choice questions |
| Part I | 30 stand-alone questions, 60 marks (2 marks each) |
| Part II | 20 questions on one or two case studies, 40 marks |
| Time | 3 hours |
| To pass | At least 36/60 in Part I and 24/40 in Part II, in the same sitting |
| Format | Paper-based only (no computer-based EAQE) |
| Language | English or Chinese, chosen at registration |
| Fee | HK$900 |
| Results | Result slip posted on the 14th working day after the exam |
Part II carries 40% of the marks
This is the biggest structural difference from the SQE. In the EAQE, 20 of the 50 questions hang off one or two case studies, and you must score 24 of 40 marks there (12 of the 20 questions right). Weak case-study technique fails more EAQE candidates than gaps in Part I knowledge. Case studies can turn on a land search, a sale or letting, a first-hand sale, or an agency-management problem such as a branch manager who lets an unlicensed assistant show flats.
The 60% rule applies to each part. 54/60 in Part I and 22/40 in Part II is 76% overall, and it is a fail. The EAA may review the pass mark from time to time.
The EAQE syllabus: eight parts
| Syllabus part | Level | EAQE-only content |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The estate agency trade in Hong Kong | L2 | Deeper than the SQE (L1) |
| 2. Estate Agents Ordinance and practice | L4 | Statement of Particulars of Business, accounts, effective control of offices (s.38), prohibited employment (s.39), directors’ liability (s.42), commission disputes (s.49, Cap. 511D) |
| 3. Law, conveyancing, mortgages and tax | L2 | Priority of interests under the Land Registration Ordinance (Cap. 128) |
| 4. Land registration and land search | L4 (4.1–4.3) | Deeper analysis of searches |
| 5. Buildings and property management | L1 | Town Planning Ordinance (Cap. 131), building standards and terminology, new sites and redevelopment |
| 6. Property valuation | L1 | Whole part: market value, methods (comparison, investment, profits, replacement cost, residual, DCF), reports |
| 7. Leasing and tenancy | L4 | Same topics as SQE, tested at a higher level |
| 8. Agency management and supervision | L4 | Whole part: vicarious liability, management systems, anti-money laundering, Companies, Partnership and Employment Ordinances |
Level 4 parts are where the exam is won: the Estate Agents Ordinance and Practice Regulation (Cap. 511C), land search, leasing, and agency management. Expect questions where you must decide who is liable. An agency is vicariously liable for a salesperson acting in the course of employment. A salesperson must pay client money over to the employing agent forthwith (s.43). Directors can be personally liable for offences committed with their consent or connivance (s.42).
Valuation and town planning are level 1, awareness only. Learn the names and one-line definitions of the valuation methods and what zoning and planning permission mean. Do not study them like a surveyor.
2026 EAQE dates
| Exam (Tue, 2:30 pm) | Registration opens | Postal close | Online close | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Sep 2026 | 18 Aug 2026 | 1 Sep 2026 | 8 Sep 2026 | 13 Oct 2026 |
| 15 Dec 2026 | 10 Nov 2026 | 24 Nov 2026 | 1 Dec 2026 | 6 Jan 2027 |
The EAQE runs about three to five times a year. In 2026 the earlier sittings were in March and June. Registration opens at 9 am on the start date and seats are first come, first served, so register early for December. Postal entries need a postmark inside the registration period. See how to register and our exam schedule.
EAQE pass rates
The EAA’s own figures show that fewer than one in three candidates pass in a typical year.
| Period | Candidates | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 full year | 3,028 | 26.0% |
| 2024 full year | 3,339 | 31.4% |
| 2025 full year | 3,100 | 28.8% |
| Mar 2026 sitting | 955 | 39.0% |
| Jun 2026 sitting | 1,187 | 26.8% |
Single sittings swing widely: 14.5% passed in December 2025 and 40.4% in November 2025. The full history is in EAA exam pass rates.
Results, validity and what comes next
- Result slips are posted on the 14th working day after the exam. You can also check online at the PEAK website for one month after release (see EAA exam results).
- A pass is valid for a licence application for 12 months. Apply within that window or sit again.
- Passing does not guarantee a licence. You must also be 18 or over, have Form 5 education or its equivalent, and be fit and proper (handbook para 10.4).
- Passing an exam held after 1 January 2025 and being licensed on it puts you in the Mandatory CPD Scheme (Phase 1).
Exam-day essentials
- No calculators. A stamp duty rate table is printed in the question book. Calculation questions are built to be done by hand.
- Bring your original Admission Form and original ID document, HB pencils, a soft eraser and a sharpener.
- No leaving in the first 90 minutes or the last 30. Late arrivals are admitted up to 45 minutes, with no extra time.
- Three hours for 50 questions is 3.6 minutes each. Budget about 80 minutes for Part I and 90 minutes for Part II, leaving time to check your answer sheet.
How to prepare
The EAA publishes no study materials and accredits no courses. Its free online A Study Guide to Estate Agency Law and Practice covers the syllabus, but parts are out of date: it predates the abolition of BSD, SSD and NRSD for instruments executed from 28 February 2024, the Extension of Government Leases Ordinance (Cap. 648, in force 5 July 2024) and the Mandatory CPD Scheme. Check every figure against the current law.
Allow 8 to 10 weeks if you have not sat the SQE, and 5 to 6 if you have. Start with Parts 2 and 8, because they drive both Part I and the agency-management case studies. Then practise full Part II cases under time. Our EAQE practice follows the 30 + 20 format, and the free mock is a quick baseline.
Takeaway
Primary sources: Paper-based Examination Handbook (Aug 2026), EAQE syllabus, 2026 EAQE schedule and EAA examination figures.
Frequently asked questions
What is the EAQE pass mark?
60% in each part: at least 36 of 60 marks in Part I and 24 of 40 in Part II, in the same sitting (EAA Examination Handbook, August 2026).
Is there a computer-based EAQE?
No. As at Oct 2026 the EAQE is paper-based only. Only the SQE has a computer-based format.
How much does the EAQE cost?
HK$900, as at Oct 2026. The fee is not refundable or transferable except in exceptional circumstances with EAA approval.
When is the next EAQE in 2026?
Tuesday 15 Dec 2026 at 2:30 pm. Registration opens 10 Nov 2026 and closes 24 Nov (post) or 1 Dec (online); results are due 6 Jan 2027, per the EAA schedule checked 11 Oct 2026.
Can a licensed salesperson sit the EAQE?
Yes. The EAQE bars holders of an estate agent's licence (individual), people whose one ceased 24 months or less ago, and people who passed the EAQE in the last 12 months. A salesperson's licence is not a bar.
Study notes for this guide
Put it into practice
Exam-style questions for the EAA SQE and EAQE, with worked explanations and timed mocks in the real Part I and Part II format.
Build a daily practice habit : a few exam-style questions a day, with worked answers. Free to start.
Start practising →Independent exam practice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Estate Agents Authority (EAA) or the examination administrator. This guide is general information for exam preparation, not legal advice.