Insurance license exam: format, requirements and how to prepare
The insurance license exam is a state licensing test you must pass before a state insurance department will license you to sell insurance. Each state sets its own rules and uses a testing vendor: in Texas the life, accident and health exam has 100 scored questions in 150 minutes, while California requires 60 percent on every producer exam. Numbers on this page are always tied to the state that publishes them.
- Who licenses agents
- Each state insurance department; rules vary by stateNAIC State Licensing Handbook, checked 19 October 2026
- Texas life, accident and health exam
- 100 scored + 10 pretest questions, 150 minutes, $49Pearson VUE Texas candidate handbook, checked 19 October 2026
- California Life, Accident & Health exam
- 150 questions, 3 hoursCalifornia Department of Insurance, checked 19 October 2026
- California passing score
- 60 percent on all producer examsCalifornia Department of Insurance, checked 19 October 2026
- Texas passing score
- Set by the Texas Department of Insurance; scores reported 0 to 100Pearson VUE Texas candidate handbook, checked 19 October 2026
- Texas retakes
- No limit on attempts; a new exam can be scheduled within one dayPearson VUE Texas candidate handbook, checked 19 October 2026
- New York pre-licensing course
- 40 hours for life, accident and health; 90 hours for property/casualtyNew York DFS, checked 19 October 2026
- Testing vendors (examples)
- Texas: Pearson VUE. California and New York: PSITDI, CDI and New York DFS, checked 19 October 2026
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What is the insurance license exam?
There is no single national insurance license test. Every state runs its own state insurance license exam through its insurance department, usually with a testing vendor. The NAIC publishes a State Licensing Handbook to guide state insurance departments on how to administer a producer licensing program, with chapters on prelicensing education and testing programs, but the exam you take is the state exam for insurance license applicants in your state.
You take one exam per line of authority. Texas, for example, offers a general lines license for life, accident and health, which lets you sell life and health insurance, including annuities, with one license, and a general lines property and casualty license for home, auto, commercial and liability coverage. A test for life insurance license applicants is therefore not the same exam as the property and casualty test.
Source: NAIC — State Licensing Handbook. Checked 19 October 2026.
Life and health insurance license exam format
In Texas, the life and health insurance license exam (General Lines, Life, Accident & Health) has 100 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions, with 150 minutes allowed. The exam fee listed in the Pearson VUE candidate handbook is $49.
California splits the lines differently. The combined Life, Accident & Health or Sickness exam has 150 questions in 3 hours. If you only want one line, the life insurance license exam (Life) and the health insurance license exam (Accident & Health or Sickness) each have 75 questions in 1.5 hours, and both are also offered in Spanish.
So how long is the insurance license exam? It depends on the state and the line: 150 minutes for the Texas life/health insurance license exam, 3 hours for California’s combined exam, 1.5 hours for a single California line. The same applies to the health insurance license test on its own: check your state’s table before you plan your study time.
Source: Pearson VUE — Texas Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (October 2024). Checked 19 October 2026.
How hard is the property and casualty insurance license exam?
The Texas Department of Insurance has published pass rates: in February 2021 they were 60% for life, accident and health and 53% for property and casualty. Those are Texas figures from one month in 2021, not a national rate, but they show that the property and casualty exam had the lower pass rate of the two.
In California the Property and Casualty exam has 150 questions in 3 hours; Property and Casualty can also be taken separately, at 75 questions in 1.5 hours each. California’s educational objectives for the Property Broker-Agent exam put 40% of questions on personal lines insurance, 31% on general insurance and 29% on commercial coverages. In Texas the Property & Casualty exam has 100 scored and 10 pretest questions in 150 minutes.
Source: California Department of Insurance — Examinations: time limit and number of questions. Checked 19 October 2026.
Insurance license requirements
Insurance license requirements differ by state, but the pattern is similar: in some states a pre-licensing course, then the exam, then a background check and an application with a fee. Three examples from the official sites:
Life insurance license requirements follow the same pattern. In New York the life-only course is 20 hours; for the life, accident and health authority it is 40 hours, and you must pass the exam within 2 years of applying.
- Texas: pass the state licensing exam before applying, get a fingerprint background check, apply through Sircon or NIPR within a year of passing; the application fee is $50.
- California: a 12-hour course on ethics and the California Insurance Code for the life and the accident and health licenses; exam fee $55 plus a $43 PSI convenience fee; filing fee $188 per license type.
- New York: a DFS-approved pre-licensing course (40 hours for life, accident and health; 90 hours for property/casualty), the PSI exam within 2 years of applying; license fee $80 for residents.
Source: New York DFS — Life, accident and health agent licensing. Checked 19 October 2026.
Where to take insurance license exam appointments and how to book
In Texas you reserve a seat with Pearson VUE online or by phone; walk-in exams are not available. Changes or cancellations must be made at least 48 hours before the exam, or the fee is forfeited. Bring two forms of current signature identification, and the name must exactly match your registration.
In California PSI handles scheduling, online or by phone. You can test at a PSI location or take a remote test, with a $43 convenience fee in either case on top of the department’s exam fee. In New York the exam is also administered by PSI.
Source: California Department of Insurance — Examination information. Checked 19 October 2026.
Scoring, retakes and how long a pass is valid
California publishes a fixed bar: all producer license examinations require a 60 percent score to pass. Texas reports scores from 0 to 100, and the passing score is determined by the Texas Department of Insurance; you leave the test center with an official score report.
Texas allows unlimited attempts on the same exam and lets you schedule a new exam within one day of failing. After passing, you have one year to complete your Texas application; in New York, the exam must be passed within 2 years of applying.
Source: Pearson VUE — Texas Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (October 2024). Checked 19 October 2026.
Is the insurance license exam hard?
Is the insurance license test hard? The only official figures we found are the Texas pass rates for February 2021: 60% for life, accident and health and 53% for property and casualty. In other words, a large share of candidates did not pass on that sitting.
How hard is the insurance license test for you depends on your preparation more than on the state. How hard is the insurance license exam in practice? Expect insurance terminology, policy provisions and state law, with scenario questions that test whether you can apply a rule. The Texas Department of Insurance notes that you are a lot more likely to pass if you take a preparation course.
Source: Texas Department of Insurance — Careers in insurance. Checked 19 October 2026.
Insurance license exam study guide and study materials
The best insurance license exam study guide starts with the official content outline for your state. Pearson VUE recommends reviewing the Texas candidate handbook with special attention to the content outlines; the current Texas outlines are effective from 1 September 2026. California publishes educational objectives per exam, such as the Property Broker-Agent objectives, as free PDFs.
Good insurance license study materials map to those outlines. Life insurance license study materials should cover policy types, provisions, riders, annuities and the state’s insurance law; a P&C set adds homeowners, auto, commercial package policies and liability. Note that neither the Texas Department of Insurance nor Pearson VUE endorses specific study materials.
Source: California Department of Insurance — Educational objectives, Property Broker-Agent exam. Checked 19 October 2026.
How to pass the insurance license exam
Knowing how to pass insurance license exam questions starts with the outline: list every topic, then study for insurance license topics in the order of their weight. Insurance license exam prep works best in two phases: learn the concepts, then take an insurance license practice test under timed conditions and review every wrong answer.
Studying for insurance license exams also means learning state-specific law, because each state tests its own code. A life and health insurance license practice test or a life insurance license practice test should be built around the same lines you are applying for, and a life insurance license practice exam is only useful if its questions explain why each wrong option is wrong.
Source: Pearson VUE — Texas Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (October 2024). Checked 19 October 2026.
Virginia (VA) insurance license exam
If you are preparing for the VA insurance license exam, the rules come from Virginia’s State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance, which handles licensing, license testing and renewals. Its licensing pages and bulletin could not be read on our check date, so this page states no Virginia fees, question counts or passing scores. Use the Bureau’s current licensing bulletin as your reference.
Source: Pearson VUE — Virginia insurance continuing education. Checked 19 October 2026.
Insurance License practice questions
Certsqill’s insurance license exam practice test questions are expert-developed and organized by the content areas states test, from policy provisions to insurance regulation, for life and health as well as property and casualty.
Every question comes with an explanation for each answer option, and your results build a readiness score per exam area, so you can see where you stand before you book your exam. A 7-day money-back guarantee applies.
Insurance License questions people ask
How many questions are on the insurance license exam?
It depends on the state and line. Texas life, accident and health: 100 scored plus 10 pretest questions. California Life, Accident & Health: 150 questions. Sources: Pearson VUE and CDI, checked 19 October 2026.
How long is the insurance license exam?
Texas allows 150 minutes for each general lines exam. California allows 3 hours for combined exams and 1.5 hours for single lines. Checked 19 October 2026.
How do I schedule insurance license exam appointments?
Through your state’s vendor. Texas uses Pearson VUE (online or by phone, no walk-ins); California uses PSI (online or by phone, test center or remote). Checked 19 October 2026.
What is the passing score for the insurance license exam?
California requires 60 percent on all producer exams. In Texas the passing score is set by the Texas Department of Insurance. Checked 19 October 2026.
Is there a study guide for insurance license exam (free PDF)?
The official free PDFs are the state candidate handbooks, content outlines and educational objectives, such as the Texas handbook from Pearson VUE and California’s objectives from the CDI.
Is there an official insurance license exam practice test (free PDF)?
Not on the official Texas, California and New York pages we checked on 19 October 2026. For a free practice test for insurance license exams, ask your state regulator or testing vendor whether it publishes sample questions.
What is a good life and health insurance license exam practice test?
One that follows your state’s content outline for life and health, is timed like the real exam and explains every answer option, so you learn from each mistake.
Can I retake the insurance license exam?
In Texas there is no limit on attempts, and you can schedule a new exam within one day. Source: Pearson VUE Texas candidate handbook, checked 19 October 2026.
