Entering Hong Kong's estate agency trade starts with one decision: sit the Salespersons Qualifying Examination (SQE, the "S licence" exam) or the Estate Agents Qualifying Examination (EAQE, the "E licence" exam). Both are run for the Estate Agents Authority (EAA) by the PEAK examination centre of the Vocational Training Council, and they share a similar syllabus — but the licence outcome, question mix and timetable differ. Everything below is drawn from the EAA's current examination handbooks and its official 2026 timetables.
The one-line difference
An EAQE pass lets you apply for an estate agent (individual) licence or a salesperson licence; an SQE pass qualifies you for a salesperson licence only. Licensed estate agents may run or manage an agency business; salespersons work under a licensed agent. Want the fastest way into the trade — take the SQE. Aiming to run your own practice — take the EAQE and skip a second exam later.
Format, fees and duration
| Item | EAQE | SQE |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 (independent questions) | 30 questions · 60 marks | 40 questions · 80 marks |
| Part 2 (case questions) | 20 questions · 40 marks | 10 questions · 20 marks |
| Duration | 3 hours | 2.5 hours |
| Mode | Paper-based only | Paper-based and computer-based |
| Fee | $900 | $650 |
Two things to note. Case questions — built on one or two land searches and/or a case scenario — carry double the weight in the EAQE (40 of 100 marks). And many older articles still quote fees of $800/$550: those are outdated; the current handbooks state $900 and $650.
The separate 60% pass rule
The pass mark is 60% — but each part must reach 60% separately. EAQE: at least 36 of 60 marks in Part 1 and 24 of 40 in Part 2. SQE: at least 48 of 80 and 12 of 20. Scoring 90% on independent questions cannot rescue a weak case-question part, so case material — land searches, provisional agreements, deeds of mutual covenant — needs dedicated practice. The EAA reviews the pass mark from time to time.
2026 sittings
| Sitting | Exam date | Online registration | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAQE (paper) | Tue 22 Sep 2026, 2:30pm | Opened 18 Aug · closes 8 Sep | 13 Oct 2026 |
| SQE (paper) | Tue 20 Oct 2026, 2:30pm | Opens 15 Sep · closes 6 Oct | 9 Nov 2026 |
Places are allocated first come, first served. SQE computer-based sessions follow their own schedule published by the EAA. The EAA notes the timetable may change — verify at eaa.org.hk before registering.
Eligibility and result validity
- Aged 18 or above on the application date, with Form 5 or equivalent education.
- A pass is valid for 12 months from the date of the result notice — apply to the EAA for a licence within that window or the result lapses.
- Passing the exam does not by itself satisfy the licensing requirements; the EAA also assesses fitness and properness.
How to prepare
The syllabus spans the Estate Agents Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation, practice circulars, the wider laws regulating agency practice (conveyancing, land registration, first-sale residential properties, personal data, misrepresentation, bribery), land search, tenancy, valuation and building knowledge. The handbooks publish no topic weighting — any claim about "how many marks each chapter carries" is guesswork. For what is actually hardest, see our breakdown of 48,624 real practice answers.
