IC-38 General

IC-38 General Insurance Agents Licensing Examination

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About this exam

IC-38, formally the General Insurance Agents Licensing Examination, is the licensing test that individuals must clear before acting as insurance agents for general (non-life) insurers in India. The Insurance Institute of India (III) administers the examination and the associated online training, and its IRDAI Examinations section lists "POSP/Insurance Agents" alongside an "Insurance Agents Examination Portal" at iiiexams.org, a downloadable Training Completion Certificate (TCC) for insurance agents, a help manual for agent registration, and a dedicated page for revised IC-38 course material. III publishes separate IC-38 study material and model question banks for four candidate categories: Insurance Agent, Corporate Agent, Insurance Marketing Firm, and Web Aggregator - so confirm you are studying the track that matches your registration. The syllabus spans general insurance practice: principles and regulations, fire and marine insurance, motor, health, personal accident, liability, and rural and social sector obligations, plus agent conduct, proposal and claims handling, and IRDAI regulatory requirements. Preparation typically means completing the prescribed online training, downloading the TCC, working through the official study material and model question bank, then registering for the online examination through the agent portal or a listed service provider. III also publishes a notice on grace passing marks for the IC-38 examination. This page is independent study support and is not affiliated with III or IRDAI; always verify fees, schedules, and eligibility on the official III pages before you register.

What you'll study

Common questions

About IC-38 General preparation

Who conducts the IC-38 examination and where do I register?

The Insurance Institute of India administers IC-38 through its IRDAI Examinations section. Registration runs through the Insurance Agents Examination Portal at iiiexams.org, and III also lists approved service providers. III publishes a help manual for insurance agent registration and a separate manual for photo and signature upload - read both before starting, since upload errors are a common cause of rejected applications.

Is training compulsory before I can sit the exam?

Yes. III issues a Training Completion Certificate for insurance agents after the prescribed online training, and there is a separate help manual covering how to start that training. Register for the training, complete it, then download your TCC from the dedicated page. Treat the TCC as a prerequisite document and keep a copy - you will need it for your licence application as well as the exam.

What is the exam format?

IC-38 is a computer-based multiple-choice examination delivered online. III publishes model question banks for each candidate category, and those are the best guide to the style and depth of the actual paper. Specific question counts, duration, and the pass mark are set out in III's examination handbook and current notices, so confirm them there rather than relying on secondhand figures.

What is the passing score, and does III allow grace marks?

III maintains a specific notice titled "Grace Passing Marks - IC-38 Examination," published separately for insurance agents, corporate agents, insurance marketing firms, web aggregators, and brokers. Because the pass standard and any grace provision are defined in that notice and the examination handbook, download the current version for your category before you sit the paper.

Which study material should I use?

Use III's revised IC-38 course material for your own category - Insurance Agent, Corporate Agent, Insurance Marketing Firm, or Web Aggregator - plus the matching model question bank. The four tracks are not interchangeable, so a corporate agent candidate should not revise from the individual agent material. III sells hard copy, e-book, and audio book versions through its Study Material section.

How should I sequence my preparation?

Complete the online training first, because the TCC gates your exam registration. Then read the study material chapter by chapter, with emphasis on general insurance principles, fire and marine, motor, health, and IRDAI regulations. Finish with the model question bank under timed conditions, and revisit any chapter where you repeatedly miss questions before booking a slot.

What are the most common reasons candidates fail?

Three recurrences stand out: treating IC-38 as a general-awareness paper and skipping technical chapters such as fire, marine, and liability; studying from outdated or unofficial notes instead of III's revised material; and rushing registration so the photo, signature, or TCC upload fails. Weak spots in claims procedure and regulatory duties also cost marks, so give those topics deliberate revision time.

How long is the licence valid, and what about retakes?

Licence validity and the retake policy are governed by IRDAI regulations and III's examination rules, not by a single fixed figure published on the IC-38 landing page. Check the current examination handbook and III's regulations page for the retake rules, and consult IRDAI's agent licensing regulations for validity and renewal requirements.

Where can I find exam dates and fees?

III publishes an online examination schedule and a time table, and maintains a dedicated notice on TAB-based exams fee revision for insurance agents. Fees and dates change, so read those pages directly rather than relying on coaching material. This page is independent study support and does not set, collect, or confirm any fee or date.