CEHA

Allow me to inform you and all on all these exams and confusions ~ CEHA, CES, CEA, CREA, REAC, which I'm so often asked to clarify with questions.

Here it goes, since 1996, various exams conducted by institutes and agencies were terminated.
At the same time, CEHA is introduced to replaced them as the only common exam for all agents to take and pass.

FYI, the CEHA exam is the only exam chaired by the IRAS for issuing real estate licence to agencies.
It is a public exam (including CES), open to whoever is eligible to take to become an agent and start an agency.
Since its introduction, SISV is chosen as the examiners (parliamentary member Dr Amy Kor was then the chairman) to set the exam papers together with others like IEA, HDB and some public personalities as members of the CEHA exam board.
However, there is no authority to enforce it and this is going to change when the government regulates the industry and takes over anytime this year.

Two years ago, SISV started the CES exam (after the failed Pre-CEHA exam attempt) as alternative to CEHA and it has confused many as there are now 2 common exams for agent to take and pass.
CES is a scale-down version of CEHA i.e. syllabi are the same but examination is all compulsory MCQ.
SISV also has its own version called CREA/REAC.

As CEHA/CES are public exams, anyone eligible can teach them.
They are taught in SISV, IEA, community centres etc and fees are payable, varies depending on what u c is what u get).

Another confusion, to register for CEHA is at SISV; CES is SAEA (SISV, SAEA and Property Nation are all part of SISV expansionism)

Now, IEA also has its own version called CEA vis-a-vis SISV's own CREA and REAC.

The thing to note is that there is no authority yet to regulate and therefore SISV and IEA can have their own unofficial versions.
As well as the CEHA/CES public exams intended originally for CEHA to be the only common exam for house agents.

As it stands, CEHA is still the preferred certificate; CES is a scale-down version which some says is an easier exam because in theory all MCQ can be answered based on chance.

The ones to avoid are the REAC, CREA and CEA, since they are not as intended the common exam which came into operation since 1996.
With the government coming in as the authority, firstly to regulate the trade, is to stop all these exams as a result of the in-fighting among the institutions.

In my opinion CEHA is "the real thing" as the Coco Cola Company's advertisement says; CES is "the sales you have been waiting for" ~ Robinsons Retailer's and if the government is to come out with another version of CEHA is "it can't get any better than this" ~ Carlsberg's.

So you see, the CEHA syllabus is repeated and use for all the other exams, be it CES, CEA etc.

Cheers.
Spencer/9105 0468

Acronym
SISV ~ Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (was 2 institutes of S & V combined into one)
IEA ~ Institute of Estate Agents (was a combination of the various real estate institute/agency after 1996)
CEHA ~ Common Exam for House Agents (officially the 1996 exam to take to be an agent)
CES ~ Common Exam for Salesperson (an off-shoot of CEHA meant for SISV to make more money on those who don't have 3O subjects ~ what sales person?)
CEA ~ Certified Estate Agent (IEA internal exam for its members)
REAC ~ Real Estate Agents Course (SISV internal exam for its members)
SAEA ~ Singapore Accreditation for Estate Agent/Agency (off-shoot of SISV)
MCQ ~ Multiple Choice Question.