Humber Course 2: Tips & Study Strategies

Passit is now available for these Humber courses: 
Course 1: Real Estate Essentials, 
Course 2: Residential Real Estate Transactions, 
Course 3: Additional Residential Real Estate Transactions, and 
​​​​​​​Course 4: Commercial Real Estate Transactions. 

If you’re prepping for the Humber Course 2 exam you are likely feeling overwhelmed with content! As a free warm-up for the Passit Guide for Humber Course 2: ​​​​​​​Residential Real Estate Transactions, we wanted to share our top Course 2 study tips and strategies:

1. Set a study start date and stick with it.

With 20 modules, and almost 5,000 pages of content, this course is massive. There’s no quick fix —set up a calendar and commit to regular study time, in one to two hour chunks. Humber’s course completion timeframe is 10 weeks, but you can complete it sooner with a disciplined and assertive approach.

2. Plan for a full course review prior to your exam.

By the time you complete Module 20, your active memory has likely archived some material from earlier modules. Set aside time for a review of the course from start to finish. For this phase, we recommend using the PDFs provided for each module (here’s where you find them), as it’s quicker to flip through the content. Remember, the recommended course completion time is 10 weeks (maximum is 5 months), but you choose the exam date. Be strategic!

September 2020 Update: Module PDFs are now available directly from the module start screen in your Humber learner portal. Just be aware if you are relying on previously saved PDFs that the course material is updated frequently, so an old PDF download may no longer be current.

3. Skimming is a no-go.

​​​​​​​Exam questions are computer-generated and all content is fair game. Skimming this course is short sighted. Students often share their exam topics, but remember your exam could be very different! The best approach is to be ready for anything. Although there’s lots of material to cover, the content of this course isn’t difficult to understand—the key is leaving enough time and sticking to a disciplined approach.

4. Study in segments.

This course is best tackled in logical sections. This helps to solidify your knowledge before you move on. Here are our recommended sections:

• Modules 1-2 (Agency and Representation Agreements)  
• Modules 3–5 (Zoning, Planning, Demographics, Finances)  
• Modules 6–8 (Housing: Structures, Systems, Finishes)  
• Modules 9–13 (Listing and Showing)  
• Modules 14–18 (Offers and Agreements)
• Modules 19–20 (Conditions, Pre-Closing and Closing) 

5. Get comfy with the Act & Code.

​​​​​​​REBBA and the Code of Ethics are common threads throughout the course, and can be difficult to fully retain as they are covered repetitively, and in multiple modules. Save yourself some confusion and, at minimum, read the code. It’s a 10-page document, and extremely important. If you understand these core rules, you can easily apply them to any scenario on the exam.

6. Prioritize the hot topics.

For a course this large, most people ask: What should I make a top priority for my final review? This course has a mix of regulatory rules, leading practices and common sense concepts (listed in order of priority). Your time is better spent re-reading sections that dive into what you must do regulatorily (e.g., documentation and disclosures), than topics that are fairly logical (e.g., staging suggestions for sellers). Gauge time based on your personal comfort level with the concepts. Here’s our breakdown of the absolute must-know parts of the course, along with where you’ll primarily find them covered:​

• Agency Relationships, Obligations and Client vs Customer (M1 L3–5)
• Types of Representation Agreements (M2 L2–5)
• Disclosure Requirements. This is sprinkled throughout the course—take note of all sections indicating what info must be shared and documented, what info should never be shared or documented, and to which parties, e.g.,
  • Documenting Relationships (M2 L1)
  • Inducements (M2 L7)
  • Property Conditions (M10 L1)
  • Direct/Indirect Interest (M19 L2)
• Listing Obligations and Advertising (M12 L3 & 4)
• Open House Conduct (M12 L5 & 6)
• Multiple Representation and Confirming Representation (M14 L3)
• The Agreement of Purchase and Sale (M15 All). Tip: Read all clause snapshots in this module, and practice explaining what each pre-printed clause means.
• Conditions (M17 L1). Understand precedent vs. true precedent vs. subsequent and the difference between waiving and fulfilling a condition.
• Counter Offers (M18 L2) and Competing Offers (M18 L3)
• Brokerage Regulatory Compliance, e.g.,
  • Deposits and Trust Accounts (M14 L2)
  • Retaining Offers (M18 L2, M19 L2)
  • FINTRAC (M19 L3)
• Remember: These topics are top priority, but the entire course is fair game—expect exam questions from all lessons.

7. Set your exam date strategically.

Keep an eye on the Course 2 Humber exam schedule for your area, as available exam dates can be checked without booking. Due to COVID-19 all exams are currently running online only, via Proctortrack. In general, exams are bookable a minimum of 7 days out.

8. Know what to expect on exam day.

​​​​​​​This is a three-hour exam, entirely multiple choice, with 115 questions. Don’t forget to bring photo ID and know your Humber user ID and password. You’re permitted to bring a non-programmable calculator and a transparent water bottle (no label).

9. Don’t get discouraged!

Many of the concepts in this course aren’t especially complex, there’s just lots to know. Plan on significant reading time, and reward yourself upon completion of a module to keep you motivated! Use Passit along with your course materials to stay engaged: read a module, then use Passit for that module until you’re consistently achieving 80-85%+, then move on.

10. Don’t panic.

The sheer size of this course is daunting but do-able! Prep for your exam with a disciplined and methodical approach. Use the daily study strategy to keep you on track. Cramming the night before the exam will overwhelm your active memory. Set aside time in the week prior to your exam for a review of the course from start to finish. For this phase, we recommend:​​​​

• Setting aside 45 minutes to study
• Warm yourself up with 20 Passit Rapid Recalls and an All Course Passit TERMinator
• Challenge 20 MCQs in the Passit MCQ 1,000 (Study Mode)
• Review your results, note your areas of difficulty and re-read the applicable course materials and Study Buddy notes.
• Take a break, refresh! Then repeat!

Remember to read all of the explanations and Topic Tips, as this helps solidify the reasoning and not just the answer. Prioritize fully understanding why an answer is correct/incorrect over answering the most number of questions.

Update: Passit for Humber Course 2 is Available Now!

Now that Passit for Course 2 is available, you have quick and easy access to hundreds of practice questions with full answer explanations to solidify your reading, test your knowledge and simplify your studying! An extensive number of Topic Tips help consolidate need-to-know facts and explain commonly misunderstood topics. Each Passit Guide is custom developed by a team of Ontario real estate education experts, so it’s a highly reliable resource you can trust!

​​​​​​​Not sure Passit is worth it? Don’t take our word for it, here’s what students have to say.