The SAFE MLO test is a 190-minute exam. That number is the test itself, not the whole visit. The MLO Testing Handbook lists a 225-minute appointment. The extra 30 to 35 minutes is for a required navigation tutorial and an optional candidate survey. Time you spend in the tutorial does not come out of the 190 minutes. The clock on the test starts when you open the first question, and the test ends when that time runs out, or earlier if you choose to exit.
The form has 120 multiple-choice items. One hundred fifteen are scored. Five are unscored pretest items placed at random. You will not know which are which, so there is nothing to skip on purpose. The passing score is 75 percent or better.
Before you leave home
Bring one current, unexpired government-issued ID that has both your photo and your signature. The handbook's examples include a driver's license, a passport, a military ID, a police ID, a firearm owner's registration ID, and a permanent resident card. The name on the ID must match the name on your NMLS account exactly.
If your name has changed, bring certified written proof, such as a marriage license or divorce decree. Faxes and photocopies are not accepted. If you cannot show the required ID, you are denied admission, treated as absent, your enrollment window closes, and you lose the fee.
The handbook says to report to the center 30 minutes before the appointment. At a Prometric center you are photographed and scanned with a metal-detector wand before each entry into the testing room.
The enrollment fee in the current specifications is $110. It is not refundable and not transferable. To cancel or reschedule, you must do so by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time at least two business days before the appointment, through Prometric. A late cancel or a missed appointment closes the enrollment window. You would request and pay for a new window before you can schedule again.
What you can and cannot take in
No personal items go into the testing room. The FAQ's list includes cell phones, pagers, purses, wallets, coats, and hats. Food and drink are not allowed. Those items go in a locker.
You do not bring a calculator or scratch paper. The center gives you a basic four-function calculator and a wipe board, and you return both before you leave. If the center cannot provide a calculator, you may reschedule at Prometric's expense. Personal calculators are not a backup.
The rules of conduct add headphones, earbuds, notes, and formulas to the banned list. You may use only the calculator the center or the testing software gives you. Evidence that you used a phone or another device during the test can lead to a suspension or a ban from testing.
Breaks, the tutorial, and the rules you accept
Restroom breaks are allowed. The clock does not stop. You may go only to the restroom and back. You may not leave the building, and you may not open your locker or touch your phone, notes, or wallet on the way. Test-center staff cannot grant exceptions to these rules.
You must complete the navigation tutorial before the test. You can repeat it until the screens make sense. Staff can answer general questions about the software. They do not know the test content or your state's licensing rules.
Before you start, you accept a security agreement and the rules of conduct. Test questions stay confidential. You may not remove anything except the score report the center gives you, and you may not share items or answers with coworkers, instructors, or anyone else, including in chats or on social media. Misconduct can invalidate a score, block future testing, and be reported to the states where you are seeking a license. States can deny or revoke a license on that record. NMLS may also publish a sanction.
The score you see is not the final record yet
In most cases the screen shows your score and a pass or fail result when you finish. The center then gives you a printed score report before you leave. The test-day chapter calls that report unofficial until the result is posted to NMLS. The FAQ says the official score is posted to the Testing Information section of your NMLS record about 72 hours after you finish.
The printed report includes an overall percentage and a range for how you did in each section. It is there to help you prepare if you need another attempt. It does not show which items you missed, and you cannot review the questions afterward.
If you pass, you cannot take the test again. If you do not, the wait is 30 calendar days from that test date. After a third consecutive failure, the handbook imposes 180 calendar days. You may buy a new enrollment immediately, but the window will not let you sit inside the waiting period.
A note on testing from home
The testing FAQ says the SAFE MLO test is offered at Prometric centers and through online proctoring. The test-day chapter tells online candidates to follow a separate set of technical rules, and it describes an online appointment in the accommodations section. Read the current handbook page for online proctoring before you assume you can test at home. This article describes the center, which is the appointment most candidates schedule.
Reasonable accommodations are available under the Americans with Disabilities Act for candidates who meet the handbook's criteria. Request them through the process in the testing handbook, not at the front desk on test day.
Practice this on MLO Pass
A timed practice set on a basic calculator is the closest rehearsal to the room: 120 items, a running clock, and no notes. Start studying
If you are scoring above 75%, you are ready to book.
Related study guides
- How to Pass the NMLS SAFE Exam on Your First Try
- SAFE MLO Test Content Outline: What's on the Exam
- The Uniform State Test (UST) Explained
Studying with other people taking the SAFE exam? Join the NMLS Test Prep community.