Section 6. (a) An applicant for a mortgage loan originator’s license shall pass, in accordance with the standards established under this section, a qualified written examination developed by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry and administered by a test provider approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry based upon reasonable standards.

(b) A written examination shall not be considered a qualified written examination for purposes of this section unless the test adequately measures the applicant’s knowledge and comprehension in appropriate subject areas, including, but not limited to: (i) ethics; (ii) federal law and regulation pertaining to mortgage origination; (iii) state law and regulation pertaining to mortgage origination; and (iv) federal and state law and regulation, including instruction on fraud, consumer protection, the nontraditional mortgage marketplace, and fair lending issues.

(c) No person shall be considered to have passed the qualified written examination unless the person achieves a test score of not less than 75 per cent correct answers to questions. A person may retake the qualified written examination 3 consecutive times with each consecutive taking occurring at least 30 days after the preceding examination. Upon failing 3 consecutive written examinations, a person shall not be eligible to sit for another written examination for a period of at least 6 months. A licensed mortgage loan originator who fails to maintain a valid license for a period of 5 years or longer shall retake the test, not taking into account any time during which such individual is a registered mortgage loan originator.