NMLS National Exam Notes

Before April 2013, an NLO (NMLS Licensee Officer or licensee) had to take two tests: a 100-question national exam and a 25-question state-specific test.
In April 2013, the testing model changed: states adopted model state law language, and state-specific tests started disappearing.
Today, you take a single test: the national exam, which is 120 questions, with no separate state-specific exam.

The exam is one test: the national exam.
Total questions: $120$ .
Of these, $115$ are scored and $5$ are unscored (beta questions).
Beta questions are used by the NMLS exam authors to test questions before they are added to the question bank to determine how students answer them.
You will not know which five questions are unscored; you must answer every question to the best of your ability.
The five unscored questions do not count toward your score.

You have $190$ minutes to take the exam (to answer all 120 questions).
Your appointment window is slightly longer than the 190 minutes due to check-ins and registration processes at the end of the exam.
The cost of the exam is $110$ (note: expressed here as a numeric value for clarity in notes).

The overall passing threshold is $75\%$ .
Since only $115$ questions are scored, the passing criterion translates to:
- On the 115 scored questions: you must answer at least $87$ correctly, since $0.75 \times 115 = 86.25 \Rightarrow 87$ .
- On the full set of 120 questions: you must answer at least $90$ correctly, since $0.75 \times 120 = 90$ .
Therefore, to pass you must meet both conditions:
- At least $87$ correct on the scored items.
- At least $90$ correct overall.
Practical implication: you will be answering questions without knowing which are counted; focus on accuracy across all questions and aim to perform well on the entire set as well as the scored subset.

Study the NMLS exam outline in addition to all course materials, practice tests, and simulations.
When you sit for the test, ensure you are answering every question to the best of your ability.
Use full-length practice tests to simulate the 190-minute window and to experience the mix of scored and unscored questions.
Review explanations for every question you answer incorrectly to understand underlying concepts.
Target areas based on the outline and practice results; prioritize topics where you are weaker.
Be mindful that five questions will be unscored, so your practice should emphasize consistency across all 120 questions, not just the 115 scored ones.

The move to a single national exam standardizes licensure across states and reduces the number of separate state-specific exams.
This has implications for portability of licenses and consistency of knowledge required across jurisdictions.
From a practical standpoint, test-day logistics (check-ins and registration) affect the total time window beyond the 190 minutes of answering questions.
The beta question approach ensures the exam remains current and fair, but also means test-takers cannot identify which items will count toward the score.

If a test-taker answers exactly $87$ of the $115$ scored questions correctly and also answers exactly $90$ of the 120 questions correctly, they meet both criteria and pass.
If a test-taker answers more than 87 of the scored questions but fewer than 90 overall, they would not pass; similarly, meeting 90 overall but having fewer than 87 correct on the scored set would also fail the 75% criterion.

Always review the NMLS exam outline and all course materials.
Practice under timed conditions to build stamina and pacing.
Treat all questions seriously, as you cannot know which 5 will be unscored.
Plan for the 190-minute window and the administrative steps at the end of the testing session.