RES Exam Abbreviations
Every acronym and abbreviation used in RES Paper 1 & 2 — with English full form, Chinese translation, and exam context.
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🏛️Government Bodies & Regulators
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEA | Council for Estate Agencies | 房地产中介理事会 | Licenses and regulates all estate agents & salespersons in Singapore |
| MAS | Monetary Authority of Singapore | 新加坡金融管理局 | Central bank; sets TDSR/MSR rules |
| HDB | Housing & Development Board | 建屋发展局 | Builds and manages public housing |
| URA | Urban Redevelopment Authority | 市区重建局 | Master plan, private property, land use |
| SLA | Singapore Land Authority | 新加坡土地管理局 | Land registration, state land |
| IRAS | Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore | 新加坡税务局 | Collects stamp duties (BSD/ABSD/SSD) |
| CPF | Central Provident Fund | 中央公积金局 | Savings for housing, healthcare, retirement |
| BCA | Building and Construction Authority | 建设局 | Building standards and safety |
| MND | Ministry of National Development | 国家发展部 | Oversees HDB, URA, BCA, SLA |
| MOM | Ministry of Manpower | 人力部 | Labour laws; Employment Act |
| MOF | Ministry of Finance | 财政部 | Budget, taxes, fiscal policy |
| AGC | Attorney-General's Chambers | 总检察署 | Government legal advisor; drafts legislation |
| STRO | Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office | 可疑交易举报办事处 | Under Commercial Affairs Department; receives STRs |
| STB | Strata Titles Board | 分层地契局 | Hears disputes for strata properties (condos/commercial) |
🪪CEA, Licensing & Professional Conduct
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAA | Estate Agents Act | 房地产中介法 | Main legislation governing estate agents in Singapore |
| EA | Estate Agent (the company/agency) | 房地产中介公司 | The licensed agency firm (e.g. PropNex, ERA) |
| RES | Real Estate Salesperson | 房地产营业员 | Individual salesperson registered under an EA |
| CEPCC | CEA Prescribed Code of Ethics and Professional Client Care | CEA职业道德与客户服务守则 | Code of conduct all RES/EA must follow |
| CPD | Continuing Professional Development | 持续专业发展 | Mandatory training hours for RES renewal |
| DIY | Do-It-Yourself (private sale without agent) | 自行买卖（不经中介） | Seller lists without engaging an EA |
📄Transaction Documents
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| OTP | Option to Purchase | 购买期权 | Seller grants buyer an option; buyer pays 1% (private) or booking fee (HDB) |
| S&P | Sale and Purchase Agreement | 买卖合约 | Main contract signed after OTP exercised |
| TA | Tenancy Agreement | 租赁协议 | Contract between landlord and tenant |
| LOI | Letter of Intent | 意向书 | Tenant's informal offer before TA is signed |
| HPS | Home Protection Scheme | 居屋保护计划 | CPF insurance for HDB loans; mandatory for HDB flat buyers using CPF |
🧾Taxes & Stamp Duties
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSD | Buyer's Stamp Duty | 买方印花税 | Payable by ALL buyers on every property purchase; progressive rate |
| ABSD | Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty | 额外买方印花税 | Extra tax based on buyer's citizenship status and number of properties owned |
| SSD | Seller's Stamp Duty | 卖方印花税 | Penalises quick resale within 3 yrs (residential) or 3 yrs (industrial) |
| LSD | Lease Stamp Duty | 租约印花税 | Stamp duty payable when a tenancy agreement is stamped |
| GST | Goods and Services Tax | 消费税 | 9% in 2024; applies to commercial/industrial property, not residential |
🏦Loans & Finance
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| LTV | Loan-to-Value Ratio | 贷款与估值比率 | Max loan as % of property value; drops with each existing loan |
| TDSR | Total Debt Servicing Ratio | 总偿债比率 | MAS rule: all monthly debt repayments ≤ 55% of gross monthly income |
| MSR | Mortgage Servicing Ratio | 按揭偿还比率 | HDB-specific: mortgage repayment ≤ 30% of gross monthly income |
| HLS | HDB Loan Scheme / HDB Concessionary Loan | 建屋局优惠贷款 | Government loan for eligible HDB buyers; currently 2.6% p.a. |
| SORA | Singapore Overnight Rate Average | 新加坡隔夜利率平均值 | Replaced SIBOR as benchmark rate for bank home loans from 2024 |
| SIBOR | Singapore Interbank Offered Rate | 新加坡银行同业拆借利率 | Old benchmark rate; phased out, replaced by SORA |
| FDR | Fixed Deposit Rate (peg) | 定期存款利率挂钩 | Some bank packages peg their loan rate to FDR (e.g. DBS FHR) |
| EMI | Equated Monthly Instalment | 每月等额还款额 | Fixed monthly payment combining principal and interest |
🏘️HDB-Specific
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOP | Minimum Occupation Period | 最低居住期限 | Must live in HDB flat before you can sell in open market or buy private; 5 yrs standard |
| BTO | Build-To-Order | 预购组屋 | New HDB flats built after enough applications; apply then wait 3–5 yrs |
| SBF | Sale of Balance Flats | 剩余组屋销售 | Unsold BTO flats re-offered; shorter wait, immediate or near-ready |
| ROF | Re-Offer of Balance Flats | 再次出售剩余组屋 | Walk-in selection for immediate-availability flats |
| EC | Executive Condominium | 执行共管公寓 | Hybrid: private-developer built, HDB rules apply for 10 years then fully privatised |
| DBSS | Design, Build and Sell Scheme | 设计、建造与销售计划 | Discontinued HDB scheme built by private developers; treated as HDB flat |
| EHG | Enhanced CPF Housing Grant | 加强公积金购房补助 | Income-based grant; replaced AHG + SHG from Sep 2019 |
| PHG | Proximity Housing Grant | 邻近住房补助 | Grant for buying HDB resale near parents/children; up to $30k |
| CPF OA | CPF Ordinary Account | 普通账户 | Can be used for housing down payment, monthly mortgage, BSD |
| ACV | Assessed Capital Value | 评估资本值 | Annual value assessed by IRAS for property tax |
| AV | Annual Value | 年值 | Estimated annual rental income of property; used to compute property tax |
💰CPF Accounts
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| OA | Ordinary Account | 普通账户 | 2.5% p.a.; used for housing, education, insurance |
| SA | Special Account | 特别账户 | 4% p.a.; locked for retirement (note: SA also = Salesperson in agency context) |
| MA | Medisave Account | 保健储蓄账户 | 4% p.a.; for medical expenses and insurance |
| RA | Retirement Account | 退休账户 | Created at 55 by combining OA + SA up to Full Retirement Sum |
| FRS | Full Retirement Sum | 全额退休储蓄 | CPF target sum at 55 for monthly payouts from 65 |
| BRS | Basic Retirement Sum | 基本退休储蓄 | Half of FRS; for those who pledge property |
⚖️Legal Terms
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| JT | Joint Tenancy | 联名持有（均等份额） | Co-owners share equal undivided interest; right of survivorship applies |
| TIC | Tenancy in Common | 分权持有（份额可不同） | Co-owners hold defined separate shares; no survivorship; can will their share |
| ISA | Intestate Succession Act | 无遗嘱继承法 | Determines who inherits if someone dies without a valid will |
| LPA | Lasting Power of Attorney | 持久授权书 | Appoints donee to make decisions if donor loses mental capacity |
| POA | Power of Attorney | 授权书 | Authorises someone to act on your behalf (does NOT survive mental incapacity) |
| LTA | Land Titles Act | 土地所有权法 | Governs registration of land titles in Singapore (not Land Transport Authority here) |
| LTSA | Land Titles (Strata) Act | 土地所有权（分层）法 | Governs strata developments (condos, commercial malls) |
| BMSMA | Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act | 建筑维护与分层管理法 | Rules for MCST, sinking fund, by-laws in strata developments |
| MCST | Management Corporation Strata Title | 分层地契管理法团 | Body corporate managing a strata development (elected by subsidiary proprietors) |
| MC | Management Corporation | 管理法团（MCST的简称） | — |
| CLA | Civil Law Act | 民事法律法 | Covers privity of contract, assignment, and various civil matters |
| CLPA | Conveyancing and Law of Property Act | 产权转让与财产法 | Governs property transactions, implied covenants in leases |
🏗️Property Types & Planning
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCR | Core Central Region | 核心中央区 | Prime districts 9, 10, 11 + Marina Bay + Sentosa; highest prices |
| RCR | Rest of Central Region | 中央区其余地区 | City fringe; mid-tier private market |
| OCR | Outside Central Region | 中央区以外地区 | Mass market; suburban private and EC |
| GPR | Gross Plot Ratio | 总容积率 | Max allowable GFA divided by land area; higher = more floors allowed |
| GFA | Gross Floor Area | 总楼面面积 | Total enclosed floor area of a building |
| NLA | Net Lettable Area | 净出租面积 | Usable area tenant actually pays rent on (excludes common areas) |
| PSF | Price Per Square Foot | 每平方英尺价格 | Common metric in Singapore property transactions |
| PSM | Price Per Square Metre | 每平方米价格 | Metric equivalent; 1 sqm = 10.764 sqft |
| QC | Qualifying Certificate | 合格证书 | Required for foreign developers buying land; must develop and sell within deadline |
| DC | Development Charge | 发展费 | Tax paid to SLA when land use is upgraded (e.g. from landed to condo) |
| JTC | JTC Corporation | 裕廊集团 | Manages industrial estates and develops industrial land |
🔍AML / CFT
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| AML | Anti-Money Laundering | 反洗钱 | Rules to prevent criminals hiding illegal money through property transactions |
| CFT | Countering the Financing of Terrorism | 反恐怖融资 | Rules to prevent money flowing to terrorist groups |
| KYC | Know Your Customer | 了解你的客户 | Process of verifying client identity before doing business |
| CDD | Customer Due Diligence | 客户尽职调查 | Standard KYC check: identity, address, source of funds |
| EDD | Enhanced Due Diligence | 加强尽职调查 | Deeper checks for high-risk clients (e.g. PEPs, unusual transactions) |
| STR | Suspicious Transaction Report | 可疑交易报告 | Filed with STRO when RES suspects money laundering or terrorism financing |
| PEP | Politically Exposed Person | 政治公众人物 | Senior government officials, politicians — require EDD automatically |
| FATF | Financial Action Task Force | 金融行动特别工作组 | International body setting global AML/CFT standards |
📌Other Common Acronyms
| Abbrev | English Full Form | 中文 | Notes / Exam Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| PR | Permanent Resident | 永久居民 | SPR in full; affects ABSD rates and HDB eligibility |
| SPR | Singapore Permanent Resident | 新加坡永久居民 | — |
| SC | Singapore Citizen | 新加坡公民 | — |
| HFE | HDB Flat Eligibility Letter | 组屋购买资格函 | Required before applying for BTO or resale HDB (replaced AHG/SHG letters) |
| AIP | Approval In Principle (for bank loans) | 贷款原则上批准 | Bank's conditional agreement to lend; not a final offer |
| IPA | In-Principle Approval (HDB loan) | 原则性批准（建屋局贷款） | HDB's conditional loan approval; valid 9 months |
| MRT | Mass Rapid Transit | 地铁 | Proximity to MRT is a major price factor in Singapore |
| FSR | Floor Space Ratio | 楼面面积比率 | Another term for GPR/FAR used in some contexts |
| TYS | Ten-Year Series (past exam papers) | 十年系列考题 | Common exam prep material; do NOT reproduce copyrighted questions |
Content compiled from publicly available official sources (CEA, IRAS, HDB, URA, SLA, MAS). Not affiliated with LMA or any exam provider. Verify all policy details against official sources before exam.