API study plan

API · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Personal Insurance Foundations & Personal Property Insurance

Define the core personal-lines policy structure (declarations, insuring agreement, conditions, exclusions) and label each part on a sample policy outline you write yourself
Distinguish named-peril from open-peril coverage and list which personal property forms use each
Explain insurable interest, indemnity, and coinsurance concepts in your own words without notes

A one-page handwritten glossary of 20 foundational terms with your own one-sentence definitions

Week 2

Map the coverage parts of a homeowners-style property form (dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use) to what each protects
Calculate a replacement-cost vs. actual-cash-value settlement for a sample loss given depreciation figures
Identify at least six common property exclusions and state the rationale for each

Three worked ACV/replacement-cost settlement problems with correct arithmetic shown

Week 3

Compare HO-2, HO-3, HO-5, HO-4, HO-6, and HO-8 by peril basis and eligible occupancy
Explain how deductibles, coinsurance clauses, and policy limits interact in a total loss scenario
Describe endorsements that modify personal property coverage (scheduled items, replacement cost, water backup) and when each applies

A comparison table of six homeowners forms across at least four attributes

Week 4

Separate personal liability (Coverage E) from medical payments to others (Coverage F) by trigger and fault requirement
Trace how a liability claim flows from occurrence through duty to defend, settlement, and limits
Explain additional coverages such as claim expenses and loss assessment in your own words

A written walkthrough of one hypothetical liability claim showing each coverage part that responds

Week 5

List the standard personal liability exclusions (business, professional, intentional acts, auto, watercraft) and give a fact pattern for each
Identify who qualifies as an insured under a personal liability section, including resident relatives
Describe umbrella/excess liability purpose and how it sits over underlying limits

A matrix of 10 liability exclusions, each paired with a one-line fact pattern

Week 6

Apply a structured underwriting process: gather, evaluate, classify, and decide on a personal-lines risk
Identify loss-exposure factors underwriters weigh (protection class, occupancy, claims history, condition, moral hazard indicators)
Explain how credit-based insurance scores and inspection reports may be used in personal-lines decisions

A completed underwriting worksheet for one hypothetical applicant with a written accept/decline/modify recommendation

Week 7

Distinguish field underwriting from home-office underwriting and describe each role in the application process
Explain how reinsurance, pooling, and rate-making basics affect the availability and price of personal coverage
Describe regulatory constraints (rate filing, unfair discrimination, cancellation/nonrenewal rules) on underwriting decisions

A two-page summary connecting underwriting decisions to regulatory and financial constraints

Week 8

Synthesize all four domains by answering 60 self-written practice questions you compose from your notes
Diagnose your three weakest sub-topics and re-teach each in a short written explanation
Time yourself on a mixed-topic set and review every missed item to root cause

A scored 60-question self-made practice exam with a written error-analysis log

Week 2: Correctly compute two ACV and replacement-cost settlements and explain the difference aloud without notes

Week 4: Explain the difference between Coverage E and Coverage F and map a claim through both, scoring at least 80% on a self-quiz

Week 6: Complete an underwriting worksheet and justify the decision with at least three cited risk factors

Week 8: Score 80% or higher on the self-made 60-question mixed exam with all missed items root-caused