Frequently Asked Questions

The FAQ is organized by the following categories:

Testing | Education | Course Providers | Background Check | Credit Report

Testing

Q.	When will the National Component and Unique State Components of the SAFE test be ready? Updated
	A. The National Component of the test is scheduled to be available on July 30, 2009. The Unique State Component for 11 States (AZ, ID, IA, LA, MA, NH, NC, PA, RI, VT, WA) are also scheduled to be available on July 30. Other Unique State Components are scheduled to be available in accordance with each state’s SAFE Act implementation schedule and will be announced on the Testing pages found under the Professional Requirements section of the NMLS Resource website. (6/26/09)
Q.	How do I prepare and register to take either the National Component or Unique State Component of the test? Updated
	A. The MLO handbook, which is available on Testing Page of the NMLS Resource Center, has specific information on how to register for both the National Component and the Unique State Component of the test. (6/26/09)
Q.	What is the cost associated with taking either the National Component or the Unique State Component of the test?
	A. The fees associated with taking each component of the test are posted on the NMLS Test Requirements page of the NMLS Resource web site. (5/1/09)
Q.	Do I need to take a course prior to taking one of the tests?
	A. No, you are not required to take a pre-licensure or continuing education course prior to taking either the National Component or the Unique State Component of the test. However, a course is strongly encouraged as it will help prepare you take and pass the test. Regardless of whether you choose to complete a preparation course prior to taking a specific test, you are still required to complete the 20 hours of pre-licensure education and/or required to complete 8 hours of annual continuing education. (5/1/09)
Q.	Do I need to pass more than one Unique State Component if I am licensed or wish to be licensed in more than one state? Updated
	A. Yes, state-licensed mortgage loan originators are required to take the Unique State Component for each state in which they are or seek to become licensed. (6/26/09)
Q.	Do I need to pass the National Component of the test more than once if I would like to be licensed in more than one state? Updated
	A. No, the National Component of the test need only be passed once, unless an individual is unlicensed for a period of five years or more. Additionally, once a candidate has passed any test component, the candidate cannot retake that particular test component. (6/19/09)
Q.	Is it true I might not be required to take the Unique State Component of the test? Updated
	A.Mortgage loan originators who have successfully passed a state required test that meets certain conditions may be eligible to have their state tests certified. Loan originators should check with their state mortgage regulator for more information. However, nothing precludes any MLO from the requirement to take and successfully pass the National Component of the SAFE test. (6/26/09)
Q.	If I work for a Commercial Bank do I need to take the SAFE test?
	A. If you work for an insured depository regulated by OCC, OTS, FDIC, FED and NCUA or the Farm Credit Administration you are not required to take the SAFE test. You still can and may want to take the SAFE test in the event that you change employment and work for a state-licensed lender or broker. (5/1/09)
Q.	If I am a loan originator who wants to be licensed in one state but lives in another, will I be able to take the state test at a local testing location? For example, if I want to be licensed in Arizona but live in Maryland, will I be able to take the Arizona test locally?
	A. Yes, an individual in Maryland will be able to register for and visit a local test center to take the Arizona State Component of the SAFE test. The National and all State Test Components will be available at all test centers. For more information about the enrollment process, please refer to the MLO Handbook. (6/19/09)
Q.	What is the length of the test?
	A. The National Component of the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Loan Originator Test consists of a total of 100 test questions: 90 are scored and 10 are not scored. The test time will be 150 minutes with an additional 30 minutes for completing a tutorial and an optional candidate survey. Each State-Specific Component of the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Loan Originator Test consists of 45 to 55 scored test questions and an additional 10 test questions are not scored. The exact number of scored test questions for each state test is listed in the state's test content outline. The test time will be 90 minutes with an additional 30 minutes for completing a tutorial and an optional candidate survey. (6/19/09)
Q.	If I have several mortgage loan originators who need to take the same test, can I schedule group testing appointments?
	A. Yes, if five or more MLOs need to take the same test component, a company representative can use the bulk reservation tools to schedule a group testing appointment. Please visit the Pearson VUE or Prometric Websites for more information. (6/19/09)
Q.	I've selected and paid for an enrollment window, but the enrollment period does not start right away. Why does my enrollment window only open several days or weeks into the future? Updated
	A. Typically the enrollment window begins with the current date. However, if the selected test is available for scheduling, but is not yet being administered, the enrollment window start date will be the first date the test is offered. Also, if a candidate has recently failed the specified test, the new enrollment window will start on the first date after the required waiting period. (6/30/09)
Q.	What if I need to cancel or reschedule my testing appointment? Updated
	A. Test enrollment fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. You may cancel or reschedule a reservation by contacting either the Pearson VUE or Prometric call center, depending on which testing center you have selected. You must cancel or reschedule your test no later than 12 p.m. local time (at the location where the exam is being taken) two business days prior to your scheduled appointment. (9/10/09)
Q.	What should I bring with me to the test center?
	A. You must bring one form of a current (non-expired) government-issued identification that includes your photograph and signature. (6/26/09)
Q.	Can I bring a calculator and/or scratch paper into the test center? Updated
	A. The testing center will provide scratch paper and a basic calculator. (9/1/09)
Q.	Are we allowed to take restroom breaks during the test?
	A. Yes, restroom breaks are permitted. However, the test clock will not stop while you are taking a break, and as a result, your test time will be shortened. (6/26/09)
Q.	What am I allowed to bring into the test center?
	A. No personal items are permitted to be brought into the test center. This includes but is not limited to: cell phones, pagers, purses, wallets, coats, hats, etc. All of these items must be locked in a secure locker upon arrival. Also, no food or drink is permitted in the test center. (6/26/09)
Q.	How will the tests be scored?
	A. All of the tests will be graded/scored electronically. Once a candidate has finished taking a test component, the candidate's score (percentage correct) and test result (pass/fail designation) will appear on the screen. And before departing the test center, a printed score report will be presented to the candidate by the test center administrator. NMLS will post the official version of the results to the Testing Information section under the Composite View. (6/26/09)
Q.	What score do I need to get to pass the test?
	A. By law, all MLOs seeking state-licensure, or currently holding a state license, are required to pass both the national and state components of the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Loan Originator Test with a score of 75% or better on each component. (6/26/09)
Q.	Why are there un-scored questions on the test? New
	A. The ten pre-test (un-scored) questions appearing on the National Component and each State Specific Component do not affect the candidate's score or the pass/fail result. These pre-test questions are being pilot tested for future use. Once these pre-test questions are tested on a sufficiently large sample of candidates, these questions will reviewed to determine if they meet appropriate test standards to be considered for use as scored test questions on future NMLS tests. (9/1/09)

Education

Q.	Is it true that taking pre-licensure education is NOT a prerequisite to taking the National or State components of the SAFE test?
	A. This is true. While we will encourage individuals to take pre-licensure education prior to taking either the National or State components of the SAFE test, if an individual chooses to register and take an test prior to completing any education there is nothing the system can do to stop them. (5/1/09)
Q.	Can state-approved continuing education courses completed by existing state licensed loan originators count toward the 20 hour pre-licensure requirement?
	A. Yes. States that have existing education requirements in place should continue administering those requirements through at least 2009 and beyond depending on each state's SAFE Act transition dates. It should be noted, however, that NMLS will not be accepting “partial hours” from existing licensees so a state-licensed loan originator that currently has anything less than 20 hours should complete their education as soon as possible or they will be required to take the full 20 hours. Loan originators should contact their state mortgage regulator for more information. (5/1/09)
Q.	Who are the NMLS approved education providers?
	A. A list of NMLS approved course providers will be posted on the NMLS resource web site in July. Until the listing appears on the web site, there are no NMLS approved courses or providers. (5/1/09)
Q.	When do I need to complete my 20 hours of pre-licensure education?
	A. Currently state-licensed/registered mortgage loan originators (MLO) must have their 20 hours of pre-licensure education completed by January 1, 2011 or an earlier date determined by your state. Non-licensed/registered MLO’s must have their pre-licensure education completed by a deadline determined by the regulator of the state in which they conduct loan origination activity, but no later than July 30, 2010. (5/1/09)
Q.	Do I have to take my pre-licensure or continuing education all at once?
	A. No, you may take multiple courses over a period of time to reach the 20 hour PE or 8 hour CE requirements. However, continuing education only counts for the year in which it is taken so do not plan to take a course in December and then another January since the course taken in January will not count towards meeting the previous year’s continuing education requirement. (5/1/09)
Q.	Can I take the same continuing education course two years in a row?
	A. No, the SAFE Act specifically prohibits the taking of the same course in successive years. (5/1/09)
Q.	If I work for a Commercial Bank do I need to take the SAFE-required education courses?
	A. If you work for an insured depository regulated by OCC, OTS, FDIC, FED and NCUA or the Farm Credit Administration you are not required to take the SAFE-required pre or continuing education courses. You still can and may want to take the relevant PE and CE courses in the event that you change employment and work for a state-licensed lender or broker. (5/1/09)
Q.	How do I find and register for NMLS approved education courses?
	A. A list of NMLS approved course providers will be posted on the NMLS Resource website in July. Until the listing appears on the website there are no NMLS approved courses. (5/1/09)

Course Providers

Q.	Can I apply to become an approved course provider now? Updated
	A. NMLS will begin accepting provider applications on June 22, 2009. Information regarding the requirements associated with how to become an approved course provider have been posted to the Course Provider area of the NMLS web site and applicants are strongly urged to review this material prior to applying. (6/26/09)
Q.	How do I apply to become an approved course provider?
	A. Detailed instruction for how to submit an application to become an approved course provider have been posted on the NMLS resource web site and are contained in a document titled “USER Guide: NMLS Course Provider Application Process.” Course providers are strongly encouraged to read this document prior to filling out their application forms and submitting their application online.(6/19/09)
Q.	Do I need to pay a separate fee for each course format?
	A. Because every course is approved for the format in which is it submitted a provider will have to pay a separate fee for each course format. For example, if a provider intends to offer a 20 hours SAFE Comprehensive course both online and via traditional classroom then the provider will need to submit that course for approval twice. The reason for this is that while the content may essentially be the same, the student experience, the display of content, types of activities associated, the technology associated with the delivery of the course are going to be significantly different. (6/19/09)
Q.	Will NMLS approve correspondence courses?
	A. Correspondence courses are not one of the approved classroom formats for either pre-licensure or continuing education since there is no way to verify that a correspondence course will meet the minimum time requirements associated with pre-licensure or continuing education as required by the SAFE Act. (5/13/09)
Q.	As a course provider, do I have to receive both NMLS and individual state approvals for my courses?
	A. In most scenarios, a course provider will not be required to receive both NMLS and individual state approvals for their courses. That said, there are some states that will have an education requirement above the 20 hours of pre-licensure or the 8 hours of annual continuing education. In these cases, states may require courses to undergo an approval process to confirm the courses meet their state-specific requirements . (5/13/09)
Q.	Is there a listing of states that have an educational requirement above those required by the SAFE Act?
	A. Currently, there is not a comprehensive list available since many states are still working on passing SAFE legislation. NMLS is working to collect this information as state legislation is passed and will post a list on the NMLS Resource website as soon as it is available. (5/13/09)
Q.	Will NMLS be approving all education course providers and courses or will the individual state regulators be approving the education in their own states? Updated
	A. Per the SAFE Act, the NMLS is the sole approving body for course providers and courses that are intended to satisfy the pre-licensure and continuing education requirements of SAFE. For state specific education requirements beyond SAFE, NMLS will coordinate with individual states for approving those courses. (6/19/09)
Q.	Can you explain the reason why CE is not required in 2009 and why NMLS will not be accepting CE courses for approval until the 4^th quarter of 2009?
	A. The primary reason why CE is not required in 2009 is because MLO’s are initially required to complete their pre-licensure education (PE) requirement and PE satisfies the education requirement for the year in which it was completed.
	Thus, unless there is a state-specific requirement for an MLO to have CE completed this year, the SAFE PE requirement that is satisfied either through completion of a course or as being certified as being completed by the State Commissioner, will have satisfied an individual’s education requirement for 2009. In 2010, and depending on each State’s SAFE implementation plan, there will be a mix of people who will be required to satisfy either the PE or CE requirement.
	So, because there is no requirement for CE in 2009, NMLS will initially focus on approving PE courses for those 12 states that are on the “fast track” list (AZ, ID, IA, LA, MA, MI, NH, NC, PA, RI, VT, WA) and those states that are either on NMLS or who will be coming on NMLS in 2009. (5/1/09)
Q.	Can individual States use part of the 12 undefined hours for state-specific education requirements?
	A. The short answer is yes. However, there is no uniform standard associated with how many of the 12 hours a state can use and no specific trend has emerged. A course naming convention has been developed regarding how to identify courses that may have specific content embedded in them. In the short term, course providers, along with NMLS, will determine state-specific course requirements that were included in their state's SAFE legislation. (5/1/09)
Q.	Should NMLS set high initial standards for online education courses? Updated
	A. This is a consistent message that we have been hearing from the industry. In response to this concern NMLS produced a “Functional Specifications for NMLS Approved Instructor-Led Online Courses.” A functional specification for online continuing education courses is currently being written and will be ready in mid-July. A functional specification for Classroom Equivalent courses has also been written. All of these documents are available on NMLS Resource Center web site. (6/19/09)
Q.	For determining online course time, NMLS states that course providers will be required to take a sampling of students. How many is in a sampling? Updated
	A. A reasonable sampling is between 6 and 8 students. Specific details for determining online course time is available in the Functional Specification for NMLS Approved Instructor-Led Online Courses. Note: the requirement to take a sampling of student only applies to instructor-led online courses. (6/19/09)
Q.	Can you refund a student if they don’t pass an exam?
	A. Refunding a student if they do not pass the National or State component of the SAFE test would, in effect, be an implied guarantee that the student will pass a test based upon a course they have taken from the provider. NMLS approved course provider marketing policies prohibit a course provider from guaranteeing a student that they will pass a test based upon a course they have taken with them. (5/1/09)
Q.	In putting together the National and State components of the SAFE test, whose body of education is being referenced and how will a course provider know this?
	A. The test outlines, for both the Federal and State components, are being made available on the NMLS web site, and will point to a specific body of reference material that a course provider will be able to refer to as part of designing their courses. (5/1/09)
Q.	What states are on the “fast track?”
	A. The “fast track” states are AZ, ID, IA, LA, MA, MI, NH, NC, PA, RI, VT, WA. The State component of the SAFE test for these states is scheduled to be completed by July 2009. (5/1/09)
Q.	What is the format for the unique MLO identifier?
	A. The NMLS Unique ID is stored as an Oracle INT (numeric integer) and is not expected to exceed one trillion (or 12 digits). (5/1/09)
Q.	When will we know what states have requirements above and beyond the SAFE requirements?
	A. NMLS is currently tracking the progress of each state's SAFE enabling legislation and is compiling a chart that will list each state’s education requirements. As soon as that chart is produced (estimated to be late spring/early summer) it will be posted on the NMLS Resource website. (5/1/09)
Q.	Are there fees associated with applying to become a course provider?
	A. Yes. All the fees associated with testing and education have been posted to the NMLS resource web site and are available under the link Complete Fee Schedule on the Course Provider page. (5/13/09)
Q.	When can the state associations apply to be a provider? Updated
	A. The state associations can begin to apply to become a provider on June 22 and will be able to begin submitting courses in mid-July. (6/19/09)
Q.	Did NMLS develop the policies and standards in isolation or were other groups involved?
	A. To assist in the drafting of all the test and education policies and standards NMLS formed a Regulator Test and Education Committee comprised of state representatives from California, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington. NMLS also formed a Course Provider Working Group comprised of 16 members representing state trade associations and commercial providers that met between April and June 2009 who also assisted to review the policies and provided technical input to various documents. (6/19/09)
Q.	How long does the application review process take?
	A. NMLS anticipates it will take approximately two weeks to review Course Provider applications and approximately 30 days to review individual Course Approval applications. Times may initially vary depending upon volume of applications received. (6/26/09)
Q.	Who should I contact if I have questions regarding the status of my application or if I have any other questions?
	A. Questions should be submitted to nmls.ed@stateregulatoryregistry.org. NMLS makes every effort to respond to questions within 24 hours. (6/26/09)
Q.	Who should I contact if I'm having a problem submitting the online application?
	A. Customer support for the online application form is available from 9am to 6pm ET Monday thru Friday. The phone number is 1.877.234.6090. (6/26/09)
Q.	The application forms are in PDF? Do I need Adobe Reader?
	A. NMLS recommends that you have Adobe Reader 7.0 or higher to complete the necessary application forms and documents (available free at www.adobe.com). Additionally, there is a 1 MB file upload limit for both the Provider Application and the Course Approval application processes. Submitting files in PDF format will help ensure you don't exceed the file size limits. (6/26/09)
Q.	Is NMLS credentialing individual instructors?
	A. NMLS currently does not credential individual instructors to teach specific SAFE-related courses. (6/26/09)

Background Check

Q.	When will the Criminal Background Check (CBC) feature be available in NMLS?
	A. Starting January 25, 2010. (1/15/2010)
Q.	What do I have to do to obtain a Criminal Background Check through NMLS and/or where do I get started?
	A. If you are a loan originator (MU4) then visit the Criminal Background Check Page to read the "Submitting a CBC Request Quick Guide". If you are a control person (MU2) and not a loan originator (MU4) you currently are not eligible to complete the criminal background check process through NMLS. Refer to the jurisdiction’s Requirements Checklist to see if they will require you to submit a FBI and/or state background check outside NMLS.
Q.	I have already submitted fingerprints to my regulator(s), do I have to have a Criminal Background Check completed through NMLS?
	A. All loan originators must submit fingerprints directly to NMLS using the NMLS authorized fingerprint vendor. The submission of prints to NMLS is for SAFE Act compliance of a national Criminal Background Check. Please review the MLO SAFE Compliance Requirement Chart for any state specific requirements.

Credit Report

Q.	Does NMLS require a minimum credit score to obtain a license?
	A. Only state regulators have access to review credit information, including credit scores, on licensees. Each jurisdiction sets their own standard for licensure. (1/15/10)