Hong Kong Estate Agent Exam (EAA): Complete Guide
Checked against official sources: 11 Oct 2026. Rules, fees and dates change, so confirm anything time-sensitive on eaa.org.hk.
To do estate agency work in Hong Kong you need a licence from the Estate Agents Authority (EAA), and to get one you must pass one of its two qualifying examinations. This page is the overview: which exam leads to which licence, the format and pass rule, fees, language, registration and the free material the EAA itself offers. Each section links to a detailed guide. Figures are from the EAA’s August 2026 examination handbooks and its website, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Two exams, two licences
The Salespersons Qualifying Examination (SQE) leads to a salesperson’s licence only. The Estate Agents Qualifying Examination (EAQE) lets you apply for either an estate agent’s licence (individual) or a salesperson’s licence (Examination Handbook, August 2026, para 2.2). A salesperson may work only as a salesperson of a licensed estate agent. To run an agency, be a partner or director of one, or manage a branch, you need the estate agent’s licence, and so the EAQE.
| SQE | EAQE | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Salesperson’s licence only | Estate agent’s licence (individual) or salesperson’s licence |
| Part I | 40 stand-alone questions, 80 marks | 30 stand-alone questions, 60 marks |
| Part II | 10 questions on one or two land searches and/or case studies, 20 marks | 20 questions on case studies, 40 marks |
| Marks per question | 2 | 2 |
| Time | 2 hours 30 minutes | 3 hours |
| To pass | At least 48/80 in Part I and 12/20 in Part II | At least 36/60 in Part I and 24/40 in Part II |
| Fee | HK$650 | HK$900 |
| Format | Paper-based or computer-based | Paper-based only |
| Language | English or Chinese, chosen at registration | English or Chinese, chosen at registration |
Not sure which one to sit? Our SQE vs EAQE guide compares the syllabus, depth and pass rates. The full detail for each exam is in the SQE exam guide and the EAQE exam guide.
The pass rule: 60% in each part
The pass mark is 60%, applied to Part I and Part II separately, and you must pass both parts in the same sitting (EAA examination page). A strong Part I does not carry a weak Part II. An SQE candidate who scores 72/80 in Part I and 10/20 in Part II has 82% overall and still fails. The EAA says the pass mark is subject to review, so confirm it on eaa.org.hk before you sit.
Who can get a licence
Passing the exam is one of four requirements. You must also have completed Form 5 education or its equivalent, be 18 or over on the date you apply, and be fit and proper to hold a licence (Examination Handbook, August 2026, para 1.2). The step-by-step process is in how to get an estate agent licence in Hong Kong.
- No exemptions. The EAA grants no exemption from the exam, whatever your previous work or experience (EAA FAQs, Q6, checked 11 Oct 2026).
- 12-month validity. A pass can be used for a licence application only within 12 months of passing (handbook para 2.2). Apply after that and you sit the exam again.
- Mandatory CPD. If you pass an exam held after 1 January 2025 and are licensed on that result, you come under the EAA’s Phase 1 Mandatory CPD Scheme (handbook para 1.3).
Sitting the exam in English
Both exams are set in English and in Chinese (Traditional Chinese). You choose the language when you register, and you receive the question book in that language only (handbook para 4.1 and section 8; Instructions to Candidates). You can change the language before the deadline in PEAK’s Application Procedure for an administration fee of HK$310 (EAA FAQs, Q2, as at Oct 2026). Choose the language you read fastest in. Part II land search extracts and case studies are long, and reading speed decides whether you finish.
Paper-based or computer-based
The EAQE is paper-based only. The SQE is offered on paper and as a computer-based examination (CBE), with the same syllabus, question count, time, pass mark and HK$650 fee (CBE handbook paras 2.3, 3.1 and 4.3). The CBE gives a faster result: the result slip comes on the 7th working day after the exam, against the 14th for paper. Your exam venue is printed on your Admission Form (CBE handbook para 9.1).
How to register
You register with the PEAK Examination Centre of the Vocational Training Council (VTC), not with the EAA. The EAA has appointed PEAK to run both exams (handbook para 2.3). PEAK’s office is at 1/F, VTC Tower, 27 Wood Road, Wan Chai, and its online registration is at www.vtc.edu.hk/cpdc.
- Paper-based exams: register online or by post. Registration opens at 9 am, 5 weeks before the exam.
- Computer-based SQE: online only, on the PEAK website.
- Seats go first come, first served, and registration closes early if they fill.
- You may sit only one SQE in a calendar month.
Fees are not refundable or transferable except in exceptional circumstances approved by the EAA. Who is barred from registering, payment methods and deadlines are in how to register for the SQE or EAQE. Sitting dates change, so we do not repeat them here: see our exam schedule, which tracks the EAA’s published schedules, and the EAA examination page.
How many candidates pass
| Exam (2025 full year) | Candidates | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| EAQE (paper) | 3,100 | 28.8% |
| SQE (paper) | 2,662 | 33.7% |
| SQE (computer-based) | 741 | 38.2% |
About two candidates in three failed in 2025. Results by sitting back to 2023 are in our EAA exam pass rate guide.
The EAA handbook and free EAA material
The Examination Handbook is the EAA’s rule book for the exams. There are two editions, both dated August 2026: the Paper-based Examination Handbook (EAQE and paper SQE) and the Computer-based Examination Handbook (CBE SQE). Each sets out the format, pass mark, registration rules and exam-day instructions, and includes the syllabus and a set of sample questions as appendices.
The EAA publishes no study materials, organises no preparatory courses and accredits no course or course provider (handbook para 3.2). Its Preparing for qualifying examinations page points to free material that helps:
- The Code of Ethics and the Guide to the Estate Agents Ordinance.
- The EAA’s Practice Circulars.
- A Study Guide to Estate Agency Law and Practice. All eight parts fall within the EAQE syllabus; parts 1 to 5 and part 7 fall within the SQE syllabus.
The EAA warns that this material reflects the law when it was published. The Study Guide predates the abolition of Buyer’s Stamp Duty and Special Stamp Duty on 28 February 2024, for example, so check every figure against current law. The EAA also runs a free Online Mock Examination with sample questions. It does not publish past papers. What the mock contains and how to use it is in EAA past papers, sample questions and mock exams.
How to prepare
Most marks sit in three areas: the Estate Agents Ordinance (Cap. 511) and its Practice Regulation (Cap. 511C), the estate agency agreement and property information forms, and land searches. Land searches matter twice, because they appear in Part I and drive most Part II cases. Learn to read one with our Part II land search and case study guide.
Then practise under time. Start with our free mock, which scores Part I and Part II separately against 60%, as the real exam does. The sample questions show the worked explanations, and the full mocks use the real question counts and time. All our questions are original practice questions written to the published syllabus, not EAA questions.
Takeaway
Primary sources: EAA examination page, EAA FAQs on qualifying examinations, Paper-based Examination Handbook (Aug 2026), Computer-based Examination Handbook (Aug 2026), Preparing for qualifying examinations and Qualifying Examinations Figures (Aug 2026), all checked 11 Oct 2026.
Results, online checking and what to do after a fail: EAA exam results. In Chinese: 地產代理考試指南（大牌與細牌）.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take the EAA exam in English?
Yes. Both the SQE and the EAQE are set in English and in Chinese. You choose the language when you register and can change it before PEAK's deadline for a HK$310 administration fee (EAA FAQs, as at Oct 2026).
Which EAA exam do I need, the SQE or the EAQE?
The SQE leads to a salesperson's licence only. The EAQE lets you apply for an estate agent's licence (individual) or a salesperson's licence. You need the estate agent's licence to run an agency or manage a branch.
What is the pass mark for the EAA exams?
60% in each part, in the same sitting: SQE at least 48/80 in Part I and 12/20 in Part II; EAQE at least 36/60 and 24/40 (EAA Examination Handbooks, August 2026).
How much does the EAA exam cost?
HK$650 for the SQE (paper or computer-based) and HK$900 for the EAQE, as at Oct 2026. Fees are not refundable or transferable except in exceptional circumstances approved by the EAA.
Can I get an exemption from the EAA exam?
No. The EAA grants no exemption, whatever your previous work or experience. A pass is valid for a licence application for 12 months.
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.