CeMAP MRT1 Exam Guide: Format and How to Pass
6 min read · facts checked 11 Oct 2026
MRT1 (Mortgage Law, Practice and Application) is one of the five units of the Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice in the structure Walbrook introduced on 30 September 2025. It sits in the MORT (Mortgages) module. You sit it online, on demand, under remote invigilation, and you need 35 out of 50 (70%) to pass.
The MRT1 exam at a glance
| Item | MRT1 |
|---|---|
| Format | 1 hour: 50 standalone MCQs |
| Pass mark | 35 out of 50 (70%) |
| Grades | Pass 70%, merit 80%, distinction 90% |
| Booking | None needed: on demand on Brightspace, with remote invigilation |
| Resits | £120 per unit; up to 3 attempts a week and 10 in any 12 months |
What the syllabus covers
- Regulated mortgage contracts, borrowers and MCOB.
- The mortgage market and the bodies in it.
- Affordability and suitability under MCOB 11.6 and MCOB 4.
- Security, fees and taxes, including SDLT, LBTT and LTT.
- Property, tenure and value: freehold, leasehold, commonhold and Scottish tenure.
- Valuations, surveys and buying at auction.
Where candidates lose marks
- Using the wrong tax: SDLT in England and Northern Ireland, LBTT in Scotland and LTT in Wales, each with its own bands.
- Applying first-time buyer relief above £500,000: in England, no relief applies above that price (from 1 April 2025).
- Forgetting the 5% surcharge on additional dwellings (from 31 October 2024).
- Treating a mortgage valuation as a survey for the buyer.
How to prepare
- Work through stamp duty calculations for all three nations until they are automatic.
- Learn which affordability rules apply to which transactions.
- At 1.2 minutes a question, practise speed: don't spend 3 minutes on one calculation.
Exam takeaway
Walbrook sets the official syllabus and can change it. Check the current unit specification in your Brightspace account before you sit.
Sources (checked 11 Oct 2026)
MortgagePrep is an independent study aid for CeMAP candidates. It is not endorsed by, affiliated with or approved by Walbrook Institute London (formerly LIBF). CeMAP® is a registered trade mark of its owner and is used here only to describe the exam. All questions are original practice material, not past or live exam questions.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the MRT1 exam?
50 standalone multiple-choice questions in 1 hour. You need 35 to pass.
Go deeper: the study notes
Put it into practice
Free account, 1,600+ original exam-style questions with worked explanations, and timed mocks in the real CeMAP format.
Build a daily practice habit — a few exam-style questions a day, with worked answers. Free to start.
Start practising →