This page is for title and escrow professionals preparing for the American Land Title Association's National Title Professional (NTP) designation, which requires a minimum of 100 NTP Points. Here you will find free practice sets covering title search, escrow, closing, recording and policy endorsements, plus worked examples and a study plan to use alongside the official ALTA material.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Exam fee (National Title Professional (NTP)) | $210 non-refundable application fee[1] | American Land Title Association · Nov 2, 2026 |
| Validity (National Title Professional (NTP)) | 3 years, expires Dec 31 of the third year[1] | American Land Title Association · Nov 2, 2026 |
| Renewal (National Title Professional (NTP)) | 30 points every three years[2] | American Land Title Association · Nov 2, 2026 |
| Eligibility (National Title Professional (NTP)) | Minimum 100 NTP Points required[1] | American Land Title Association · Nov 2, 2026 |
| Registration deadline (National Title Professional (NTP)) | Rolling — apply any time of year[1] | American Land Title Association · Nov 2, 2026 |
According to American Land Title Association, “You will need a minimum of 100 total NTP Points to qualify for consideration.”[1]
The National Title Professional designation is offered by the American Land Title Association for people working in title and settlement services. Based on the material we could verify, it is awarded through a points-based application rather than a single sitting, so we cannot state an exam length, question count or passing score here.
Candidates need a minimum of 100 NTP Points to qualify for consideration, and the application carries a $210 non-refundable fee. Applications may be submitted at any time during the year, so there is no fixed registration window to plan around.
Once granted, the designation lasts 3 years and expires on December 31 of the third year following the year of designation. To renew, you earn at minimum 30 points every three years.
How points are earned, which activities count and what each is worth are set by ALTA and can change. Check the NTP Application and the National Title Professional page on alta.org before you apply. Licensing, continuing education and any retake rules differ by state and by employer, and we do not cover them here.
Our practice sets are study aids written by us with AI tools. They are not real exam questions and they do not award points, but they let you rehearse the vocabulary and reasoning that title work depends on.
Prepare for the ALTA - American Land Title Association exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: What distinction determines if material incorporated into a building is either real property or personal property?
Answer: B. The intent of the owner
Explanation:
The correct answer is the intent of the owner. When a material is built into a structure, the question is whether the owner meant it to become a permanent part of the property. If so, it is treated as real property; if it was meant to stay removable, it remains personal property.
The wishes of the owner's family do not matter, because they are not the party whose purpose controls. Subdivision restrictions limit what can be built or how land is used, but they do not decide how a material is classified. Zoning ordinances regulate permitted uses of land, not whether an item is a fixture.
Rule to remember: classification of attached items turns on the owner's intent, and the way the item is attached is evidence of that intent.
Question: What is a best practice in American Land Title Association closing procedures?
Answer: A. A method or technique recognized as superior based on evidence and expert consensus
Explanation:
The correct answer describes a best practice as a method or technique recognized as superior based on evidence and consensus. The label is earned by results and wide agreement, not by convenience or reputation.
Any practice that is easy to implement is wrong because ease says nothing about quality; an easy method can be a poor one. The cheapest available approach is wrong for the same reason, since low cost does not show better outcomes and can mean skipped safeguards. A practice used only by large organizations is wrong because size of the user does not make a method superior, and good methods are often adopted by firms of every size.
Rule to remember: when a question asks what makes something a best practice, look for evidence and agreement rather than cost, ease or who uses it.
Question: Upon what must a title insurance policy be based in most jurisdictions?
Answer: A. A reasonable examination of the record title.
Explanation:
The correct answer is a reasonable examination of the record title. A policy is only as sound as the search behind it, so the insurer reviews the public records for ownership, liens and other encumbrances before it agrees to insure.
A calculated risk of a known title defect is wrong because an insurer does not base a policy on a defect it already knows about; known matters are normally dealt with through exceptions or by curing the problem. The payment of an annual premium is wrong because a title policy is typically paid for at issuance and premium payment does not form its basis. A waiver of tort liability from the insured is wrong because nothing in the underwriting foundation depends on the insured giving up legal rights.
Rule to remember: title insurance rests on examination of the record, then pricing and coverage follow from what that examination shows.
Start with the official material. Read the NTP Application and the National Title Professional page on alta.org so you know how points work and what you still need. Write down the topics you handle daily and the ones you rarely touch.
Then use our practice sets to find gaps. Begin with the areas furthest from your daily work. If you do mostly escrow, try ALTA Title Search and ALTA Recording Procedures first. If you come from the search side, start with ALTA Escrow Management and ALTA Closing Procedures.
After each set, read the explanation for every question you missed, and for those you guessed correctly. Write the general rule in your own words, not just the answer. Return to the same set later and see whether the rule holds without prompting.
Once the basics feel steady, move to ALTA Lien Priority, ALTA Policy Endorsements and ALTA Advanced Concepts. Where an answer depends on state law or your employer's procedures, check the local rule rather than trusting a general explanation. Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions.
You need a minimum of 100 total NTP Points to qualify for consideration. That figure comes from the ALTA NTP Application. The application also lists how points are earned, and those details are set by ALTA, so read the current form on alta.org before you count your own points.
The application fee is $210 and it is non-refundable. This comes from the ALTA NTP Application, so a rejected or withdrawn application will not return the fee. Confirm the amount on alta.org before you submit, in case ALTA has updated the form since this page was written.
You can apply at any time of year. The ALTA application states that it may be submitted at any time during the year, so there is no fixed registration window or deadline to work around. Apply when you have enough points and your supporting documents are ready.
The designation lasts 3 years and expires on December 31 of the third year following the year of designation. To renew, you must earn at minimum 30 points every three years. ALTA decides which activities count toward renewal, so check its National Title Professional page for the current list.
No. The questions on this page are written by us with AI tools and are study aids, not real exam questions. They do not award NTP Points. Use them to test your recall of title, escrow and closing topics, and rely on ALTA for the official requirements.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.