This paper investigates a real version of a (2 + 1) dimensional nonlinear Schr?dinger equation through adoption of Painlevé test by means of which the (2 + 1) dimensional nonlinear Schr?dinger equation is studied according to the Weiss et al. method and Kruskal’s simplification algorithms. According to Painlevé test, it is found that the number of arbitrary functions required for explaining the Cauchy-Kovalevskaya theorem exist. Finally, the associated B?cklund transformation and bilinear form is directly obtained from the Painlevé test.