Testing, Education, & Program Services FAQ's

General Questions

 Q: What is the most important thing I can do to prepare for a licensing examination?

 A: Obtain the Candidate Information Bulletin from either the National organization that sponsors the examination or the State's vendor.  You can find a link to your exam administrator's website by choosing your profession from the drop down list of exams on the top of www.michigan.gov/bcstesting

Real Estate Appraisers

Q: I would like to teach a prelicensure and/or continuing education class for Michigan real estate appraiser licensees.  What do I need to do to get approved as a sponsor? 

A: Pursuant to Rule Sec. 2617, all required educational courses shall be offered by one of the following sponsors:

• An institution of higher education authorized to grant degrees, being a college, university, or community or junior college
• A private school licensed by the department of education under 1943 PA 148, MCL 395.101 to 395.103, or authorized to operate in any other state or jurisdiction
• A state or federal agency or commission
• A nonprofit association related to real property or real property appraisal

For Private Occupational Schools, application must be made to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Proprietary School Unit, by any private entity wishing to offer Real Estate Appraisal courses for prelicensure or continuing education credit. Approval by the Proprietary School Unit is given in conjunction with Testing, Education & Program Services. Approval cannot be issued until all items are coordinated between the two units. You can contact the Proprietary School Unit at (517) 373-6774, or visit their website at www.michiganps.net, for information regarding the requirements for obtaining a proprietary school license.

If you then visit this website, www.michigan.gov/bcstesting, and click on Forms & Publications, you will locate an approval application package for continuing education and prelicensure education sponsor/course approvals.  Instructions for filing these applications are included.  Once you have completed the applications, submit the required information to the Department for approval.  You will be contacted regarding your submission and its approval. 

Q: I would like to teach a prelicense and/or continuing education class for Michigan real estate appraiser licensees, I am already an approved sponsor, what do I need to fill out to teach a class?

A: If you visit this website, www.michigan.gov/bcstesting, and click on Forms & Publications, you will locate an approval application package for continuing education and prelicensure education sponsor/course approvals.  Instructions for filing these applications are included.  Once you have completed the applications, submit the required information to the Department for approval.  You will be contacted regarding your submission and its approval.

Q: I would like to renew a prelicense and/or continuing education class for Michigan Real Estate Appraiser licensees, what do I need to do teach the same class again?

A: If you visit this website, www.michigan.gov/bcstesting, and click on Forms & Publications, you will locate an renewal application package for continuing education and prelicensure education courses.  Instructions for filing these applications are included.  Once you have completed the applications, submit the required information to the Department for approval.  You will be contacted regarding your submission and its approval. 

Q: I am a Real Estate Appraiser education provider, how should I submit my class attendance rosters to the State?

A: Real Estate Appraisers:

Complete form BCS/LAP-120. This form can be faxed to (517) 241-7539, emailed to bcseducation@michigan.gov or mailed to LARA - Testing, Education & Program Services, PO Box 30018, Lansing MI 48909

Q: Where do I find a list of approved continuing education courses for Real Estate Appraiser licenses?

A: If you visit this website, www.michigan.gov/bcstesting, and click on link under Candidate Information title Approved Real Estate Appraiser Course Offerings.

Q: How many Real Estate Appraiser continuing education hours have been submitted to the State for my license?

A: To check reported real estate appraiser continuing education (CE) clock hours that approved Sponsors have transmitted to the Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (LARA), open the "Check a License" link here or under "Quick Links" in the right hand column of the appraiser's licensing main page. Identify the licensee by using either the licensee name or license ID number.  Once the licensee's name appears in blue, click on it and then scroll down and click to the "continuing education" link.  If discrepancies are noted, the first contact should be to the CE Sponsor to ensure that the attendance was reported.  Sponsors have fifteen days to report to the Department.  Please allow sufficient time for the hours to post. 

Please visit the Real Estate Appraiser licensing website for continuing education hour requirements or call (517) 241-8205.

Real Estate

Q: I would like to teach a prelicensure education class for Michigan real estate licensees.  What do I need to do to get approved as a sponsor? 

A: Pursuant to Rule Sec. 2617, all required educational courses shall be offered by one of the following sponsors:

• An institution of higher education authorized to grant degrees, being a college, university, or community or junior college
• A private school licensed by the department of education under 1943 PA 148, MCL 395.101 to 395.103, or authorized to operate in any other state or jurisdiction
• A state or federal agency or commission
• A nonprofit association related to real property or real property appraisal

For Private Occupational Schools, application must be made to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Proprietary School Unit, by any private entity wishing to offer Real Estate courses for prelicensure education credit. Approval by the Proprietary School Unit is given in conjunction with Testing, Education & Program Services. Approval cannot be issued until all items are coordinated between the two units. You can contact the Proprietary School Unit at (517) 373-6774, or visit their website at www.michiganps.net, for information regarding the requirements for obtaining a proprietary school license.

If you then visit our website, www.michigan.gov/bcstesting, and click on Forms & Publications, you will locate an approval application package for prelicensure education sponsor/course approvals.  Instructions for filing these applications are included.  Once you have completed the applications, submit the required information to the Department for approval.  You will be contacted regarding your submission and its approval. 

Q: I would like to teach a prelicense education class for Michigan real estate licensees, I am already an approved sponsor, what do I need to fill out to teach a class?

A: If you visit our website, www.michigan.gov/bcstesting, and click on Forms & Publications, you will locate an approval application package for prelicensure education sponsor/course approvals.  Instructions for filing these applications are included.  Once you have completed the applications, submit the required information to the Department for approval.  You will be contacted regarding your submission and its approval. 

Q: I would like to teach a continuing education class for Michigan real estate licensees, what do I need to fill out to teach a class?

A: If you visit our website, www.michigan.gov/bcstesting, and click on Forms & Publications, you will locate an approval application package for continuing education course approvals.  Instructions for filing these applications are included.  Once you have completed the applications, submit the required information to the Department for approval.  You will be contacted regarding your submission and its approval. 

Q: I would like to renew a prelicense and/or continuing education class for Michigan real estate licensees, what do I need to do teach the same class again?

A: If you visit our website, www.michigan.gov/bcstesting, and click on Forms & Publications, you will locate a renewal application package for continuing education or prelicensure education courses.  Instructions for filing these applications are included.  Once you have completed the applications, submit the required information to the Department for approval.  You will be contacted regarding your submission and its approval. 

Q: I am a Real Estate education provider, how should I submit my class attendance rosters to the State? 

A: Real Estate PreLicensure:

Before you submit a class attendance roster you MUST have submitted a Schedule and Geographic Location of Classes form BCS/LRE-004 and have received the course offering ID via email. 

Please send your completed class attendance roster, form BCS/LRE-005, to fax number (517) 241-7539, email bcseducation@michigan.gov or to LARA - Testing, Education and Program Services, PO Box 30018, Lansing MI 48909

Real Estate Continuing Education:

Before you submit a class attendance roster you MUST have submitted a Schedule and Geographic Location of Classes form BCS/LRE-004 and have received the course offering ID via email.

Distance Course Attendance Roster: http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/bcsc/forms/real/ocetemplate.xls

NonDistance Course Attendance Roster: http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/bcsc/forms/real/cetemplate.xls

Please email one of the above course attendance rosters as an excel spreadsheet or text file to bcseducation@michigan.gov 

Q: Where do I find a list of approved continuing education and prelicensure courses for Real Estate licenses?

A: If you visit our website, www.michigan.gov/bcstesting, and click on the link under Candidate Information title Approved Real Estate Course Offerings you can search all approved courses.

Q: How many Real Estate continuing education hours have been submitted to the State for my license?

A: To check reported real estate continuing education (CE) clock hours that approved Sponsors have transmitted to the Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (LARA), open the "Check a License" link here or under "Quick Links" in the right hand column of the real estate licensing main page. Identify the licensee by using either the licensee name or license ID number.  Once the licensee's name appears in blue, click on it and then scroll down and click to the "continuing education" link. Since this feature is available to anyone who wishes to verify CE hours, LARA encourages employing brokers to routinely access it to monitor all affiliated licensees' required CE.  This will help to ensure CE requirements are met when license renewals are being processed and not delay issuing the licenses due to insufficient or incorrect hours reported.  If discrepancies are noted, the first contact should be to the CE Sponsor to ensure that the attendance was reported.  Sponsors have five days to report to the Department.  Please allow sufficient time for the hours to post.

Real estate licenses expire 10-31-2012.  Classes that are being given by approved CE Sponsors are designated "L" for this current three-year period.

The continuing education hours are displayed in two views on the screen.  One is "Current Cycle" which will display all "L" course hours/classes and the other is a view of all CE hours that have ever been reported to the Department.

Important : If a duplicate course is reported (licensee took the same course twice, even if it was with a different Sponsor), the first course will be displayed under Current Cycle and the duplicate course will display under "all" CE but cannot count toward renewal twice.  This is also important if you used any L classes/hours to renew late or get relicensed.

If you have any questions about your requirements or how to verify hours, e-mail: bcslic@michigan.gov or call 517-373-7353.

Residential Builders

Q: How do I become a Residential Builder Prelicensure Education Sponsor?

A: On December 20, 2007, the Governor signed legislation that establishes prelicensure education and continuing competency requirements for Residential Builders and Maintenance and Alteration (M&A) Contractors. Prelicensure will be required beginning June 1, 2008. Continuing Competency will be required beginning January 1, 2009. For more specific information regarding this legislation, please visit www.michigan.gov/builders.

All courses and instructors for prelicensure education must be approved by Testing, Education & Program Services in the Bureau of Commercial Services. If you are interested in offering courses for prelicensure for Residential Builders or M&A Contractors, you must submit an application, course outline, and provide the content of the course to the Testing, Education & Program Services unit, for approval. Application packets for approval of courses and instructors are available at www.michigan.gov/bcstesting under the "Forms" menu. An individual or a school (other than a high school, intermediate school district, community college, or university) wishing to offer prelicensure education courses may be required to become licensed under the Proprietary School Act, 1943 PA 148. Please contact the Office of Postsecondary Services, Proprietary School Unite, (517) 373-6774, or visit their website at www.michiganps.net for information regarding their requirements for obtaining a proprietary school license.

If you have questions, please contact the Testing, Education & Program Services Unit at (517) 241-9231 or email us at bcseducation@michigan.gov

Q: Where do I find a list of approved Residential Builder prelicensure courses?

A: If you visit this website, www.michigan.gov/bcstesting, and click on the link under Candidate Information title Approved Residential Builders Course Offerings

Q: I am a Residential Builder education provider, how should I submit my class attendance rosters to the State?

A: Residential Builder PreLicensure:

Sponsors are not required to report attendance to the State.  The individual licensees must submit their certificates with their initial license application.