North Carolina has prepared a chart for licensed loan originators to help answer questions they may have about the required pre-licensing education. If you are already a licensed loan originator in North Carolina, you were required to take pre-licensing education before your license application was approved and continuing education each year in order to get your licensed renewed and report that education to the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks. North Carolina is counting those hours towards the required 20 hours of pre-licensing education. Accordingly, if you have been licensed for more than two (2) years, you should have completed the 20 hours already. However, even if you have completed the 20 hours of pre-licensing education, you still need to take eight (8) hours of continuing education before you can renew your license this year (renewals through the Nationwide Mortgage License System (NMLS) start on November 1, 2009). You have until December 31, 2009 to take the pre-licensing education or continuing education.
If you are licensed in another state that has already transitioned onto the NMLS and have completed your twenty (20) hours of pre-licensing education in another state, you will not have to take additional hours of pre-licensing education for North Carolina. But to renew your license, you will need to take your eight (8) hours of continuing education.
The chart is available on the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks’ website here:
http://www.nccob.org/NR/rdonlyres/8D26CEAF-53C4-4104-A688-05A17E9C8651/0/CertificationChart92309.pdf
If you are applying for a new North Carolina loan originator license, you must take twenty-four (24) hours of pre-licensing education before your license application will be approved.
Please feel free to forward this blog post to your colleagues, listserv members or favorite bloggers. Or if you would like to run it (in whole or in part) in any publication or quote from it, simply include my name and URL: http://www.mortgagelicensesolutions.com. No prior permission needed. To inquire about joining my list to receive my blog posts or my availability to speak to your group or write an article for your publication, please email me at Robin@Mortgagelicensesolutions.com. Thank you!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
What is on the Mortgage Loan Originator Tests?
All loan officers who are required to become licensed as mortgage loan originators in every state in which they wish to do business must pass a state exam. You must also pass a national test in order to get your license. If you want to be licensed in two states, you take the national test once, and the state test in the two states in which you intend to be licensed.
The NMLS has posted the course outlines for some of the states on its website:
http://www.stateregulatoryregistry.org/NMLS/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Testing&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=24885
As of September 16, 2009, the following states have posted their test course outlines: Georgia, Maryland, Kentucky, District of Columbia, Wyoming, New Jersey, Virginia, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. The National test course outline is also posted on the NMLS website. Massachusetts has posted its course outline but since the test is being revised, the course outline that is posted on the NMLS may be changed as well.
The course outlines are fairly short and just give you the briefest description of what will be tested. For example, the Maryland test has 55 questions, but only 45 questions will be scored. Five per cent (5%) of the test is on the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Division of Financial Regulation's structure and function. Ten per cent (10%) of the test is on definitions in the various laws that govern the licensing requirements for Maryland loan originators. Twenty five per cent (25%) of the test is about License Law and Regulations and covers who needs to be licensed (both in-state and out-of-state), the qualifications that the loan originator needs, the ground for denying the application, and what needs to be done to maintain the license (such as continuing education and conduct). Half (50%) of the test is about compliance and which types of activities are prohibited, what kind of advertising is not permitted, and what fees and charges are allowed or not allowed. The final ten per cent (10%) of the test covers the discliplinary process if you are not in compliance.
Each state has a slightly different outline so you need to review your state's outline (and the outline for all other states in which you wish to be licensed) to make sure that you know the information that will be tested. You do not need the take the required 20 hours of pre-licensing edcuation before you take the tests.
The NMLS has posted the course outlines for some of the states on its website:
http://www.stateregulatoryregistry.org/NMLS/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Testing&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=24885
As of September 16, 2009, the following states have posted their test course outlines: Georgia, Maryland, Kentucky, District of Columbia, Wyoming, New Jersey, Virginia, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. The National test course outline is also posted on the NMLS website. Massachusetts has posted its course outline but since the test is being revised, the course outline that is posted on the NMLS may be changed as well.
The course outlines are fairly short and just give you the briefest description of what will be tested. For example, the Maryland test has 55 questions, but only 45 questions will be scored. Five per cent (5%) of the test is on the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Division of Financial Regulation's structure and function. Ten per cent (10%) of the test is on definitions in the various laws that govern the licensing requirements for Maryland loan originators. Twenty five per cent (25%) of the test is about License Law and Regulations and covers who needs to be licensed (both in-state and out-of-state), the qualifications that the loan originator needs, the ground for denying the application, and what needs to be done to maintain the license (such as continuing education and conduct). Half (50%) of the test is about compliance and which types of activities are prohibited, what kind of advertising is not permitted, and what fees and charges are allowed or not allowed. The final ten per cent (10%) of the test covers the discliplinary process if you are not in compliance.
Each state has a slightly different outline so you need to review your state's outline (and the outline for all other states in which you wish to be licensed) to make sure that you know the information that will be tested. You do not need the take the required 20 hours of pre-licensing edcuation before you take the tests.
Friday, September 4, 2009
NMLS Pre-Licensing Education Approved Providers
The federal SAFE Act, as implemented by each state, requires 20 hours of pre-licensing education. Until recently, the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) had not approved education providers and therefore the states could not actually require you to fulfill the education requirement in order to approve your being licensed as a loan originator.
NMLS is currently prioritizing approving the pre-licensure education courses for the states of AZ, IA, ID, LA, MA, MD, NH, NC, PA, RI, VA ,VT, and WA. It has also posted a list of approved course providers: http://www.stateregulatoryregistry.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Course_Providers&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=24045
This list is current as of August 31, 2009 and will be updated every Monday. You must take your pre-licensing courses from a provider which is on the NMLS list or the coursework will not fulfill the requirements of your state licensing statute. You do not need to take your 20 hours of pre-licensing education before you take the required test but at some point, you must complete the coursework.
Please feel free to forward this blog post to your colleagues, listserv members or favorite bloggers. Or if you would like to run it (in whole or in part) in any publication or quote from it, simply include my name and URL: http://www.mortgagelicensesolutions.com. No prior permission needed. To inquire about joining my list to receive my blog posts or my availability to speak to your group or write an article for your publication, please email me at Robin@Mortgagelicensesolutions.com. Thank you!
NMLS is currently prioritizing approving the pre-licensure education courses for the states of AZ, IA, ID, LA, MA, MD, NH, NC, PA, RI, VA ,VT, and WA. It has also posted a list of approved course providers: http://www.stateregulatoryregistry.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Course_Providers&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=24045
This list is current as of August 31, 2009 and will be updated every Monday. You must take your pre-licensing courses from a provider which is on the NMLS list or the coursework will not fulfill the requirements of your state licensing statute. You do not need to take your 20 hours of pre-licensing education before you take the required test but at some point, you must complete the coursework.
Please feel free to forward this blog post to your colleagues, listserv members or favorite bloggers. Or if you would like to run it (in whole or in part) in any publication or quote from it, simply include my name and URL: http://www.mortgagelicensesolutions.com. No prior permission needed. To inquire about joining my list to receive my blog posts or my availability to speak to your group or write an article for your publication, please email me at Robin@Mortgagelicensesolutions.com. Thank you!
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