CA MLO study plan
CA MLO · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
California Regulatory Framework and MLO Licensing (DFPI, DRE, NMLS)
Map each California mortgage regulator (DFPI, DRE, NMLS registry) to the license types and statutes it administers
Sequence the MLO pre-licensing steps an applicant completes: education, exam, sponsorship, criminal background and credit review, and application submission
Distinguish state licensing from federal registration duties and identify which obligations continue after licensure
Itemize renewal and continuing-education deadlines, plus the consequences of a lapsed or revoked license
Your checkpoint
One-page jurisdiction and licensing comparison table covering at least 15 rules, self-tested with a 20-question quiz scored 80% or higher
California Regulatory Framework and MLO Licensing (DFPI, DRE, NMLS) & California Residential Mortgage Lending Act (CRMLA)
Explain DFPI examination, investigation, and enforcement powers over licensees, including orders and civil penalties
Describe ongoing license maintenance duties: branch licensing, sponsorship transfers, advertising approval, and recordkeeping
Define the scope of the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act and identify which business models require a CRMLA license
List CRMLA statutory exemptions and the conditions that keep an entity exempt
Your checkpoint
Written 30-question quiz you author on licensing and exemptions, with a cited authority for every answer and a score of 85% or higher on a blind retake
California Residential Mortgage Lending Act (CRMLA)
Differentiate CRMLA from the California Finance Lenders Law by loan purpose, borrower type, and lender structure
Outline CRMLA application prerequisites, including net worth, surety bond, and annual reporting obligations
Summarize rules on permissible charges, escrow and trust account handling, and loan file retention
Apply CRMLA disclosure timing requirements to origination, servicing transfer, and payoff scenarios
Your checkpoint
Decision flowchart that routes six borrower scenarios to the correct licensing law, with a written justification for each and all six resolved correctly
California Residential Mortgage Lending Act (CRMLA) & California Mortgage Lending Practices, Loan Terms, and Disclosures
Compare required loan disclosures and their delivery deadlines across the origination timeline
Distinguish APR, finance charge, points, prepayment penalties, and balloon features, and explain how each affects borrower cost
Calculate total borrower cost for three sample loans with differing fee and rate structures
Explain advertising and rate-quote rules that apply to licensed lenders and originators
Your checkpoint
Closed-book 40-question mixed quiz on CRMLA and loan terms/disclosures, scored 80% or higher, with every miss rewritten as a corrected rule statement
California Mortgage Lending Practices, Loan Terms, and Disclosures & California Finance Lenders Law (CFLL)
Explain CFLL licensing scope, application requirements, and categories of exempt entities
Contrast CFLL and CRMLA borrower protections, fee treatment, and interest provisions
Identify CFLL limits and prohibitions on charges, loan amounts, and collection practices
Interpret disclosure and advertising obligations that attach to consumer finance loans
Your checkpoint
Side-by-side CFLL versus CRMLA comparison chart plus a 20-question practice set scored 80% or higher
California Finance Lenders Law (CFLL) & Real Estate Law and DRE Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing
Describe DRE MLO licensing, the broker-sponsorship structure, and how salesperson and broker responsibilities divide
Explain DRE complaint intake, investigation, disciplinary actions, and required transaction records
Apply CFLL prohibitions on unlicensed activity and improper fee collection to fact patterns
Determine whether DRE or DFPI has jurisdiction over a given transaction and justify the answer
Your checkpoint
Jurisdiction decision tree tested against 10 written scenarios, with 9 of 10 answered correctly and each answer traced to the governing statute
California Consumer Protection, Prohibited Conduct, and Foreclosure Rules
Catalog prohibited conduct, including misrepresentation, misleading advertising, steering, and undisclosed compensation
Sequence California's nonjudicial foreclosure timeline: notice of default, cure period, notice of sale, sale, and post-sale rights
Summarize key borrower protections against unfair servicing and collection conduct, plus elder financial abuse safeguards
Describe how complaints reach DFPI or DRE and what penalties and license consequences can follow
Your checkpoint
Annotated foreclosure timeline graphic with every statutory day-count labeled, plus a 25-question quiz scored 80% or higher
California Regulatory Framework and MLO Licensing (DFPI, DRE, NMLS) & California Residential Mortgage Lending Act (CRMLA) & California Finance Lenders Law (CFLL) & Real Estate Law and DRE Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing & California Mortgage Lending Practices, Loan Terms, and Disclosures & California Consumer Protection, Prohibited Conduct, and Foreclosure Rules
Re-drill every previously missed question until each is answered correctly with a stated reason
Memorize the numeric thresholds, deadlines, and dollar figures that appear across all six domains
Complete a full-length timed simulated exam under test-day conditions and analyze results by domain
Build a final one-page weak-spot sheet and recite it from memory
Your checkpoint
Timed 100-question simulated exam scored 85% or higher, with an error log showing every miss resolved and a completed weak-spot sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Explain, without notes, which regulator licenses a given business and what ongoing duties attach to that license; score 85% or higher on the self-authored licensing quiz
Week 4: Pass the 40-question CRMLA plus loan-terms quiz at 80% or higher and correctly compute total borrower cost on all three sample loans
Week 6: Route 9 of 10 scenarios to the correct statute and regulator using the jurisdiction decision tree, with no reliance on notes
Week 8: Score 85% or higher on the full-length timed simulated exam with no domain below 75%, and show a zero-miss error log