Property & Casualty

Those figures are set by your state's insurance regulator and change periodically as vendor contracts are renewed, so there is no single national number. Your state regulator, or the testing vendor named on its licensing page, publishes the current question count, time limit, and appointment rules. Confirm them there before you schedule.

Passing scores are state-specific and are typically expressed as a scaled percentage rather than a raw number correct. The official licensing page or candidate handbook for your state publishes the current passing standard and explains how scoring works. Do not rely on a figure you heard from a coworker.

Difficulty comes from breadth, not trickery. Most questions are single-best-answer and test applied reasoning about coverage, exclusions, limits, and definitions. Candidates who memorize definitions but never practice scenarios tend to struggle; those who work several hundred practice questions and review every miss usually find the exam manageable.

Start with insurance principles and contract law, since every later topic assumes that vocabulary. Move next to general policy provisions, then property basics and homeowners, then commercial property and inland marine/crime. Finish with casualty concepts, personal auto, commercial auto, and workers' compensation. Spend the most time on the highest-weighted domains in your state's outline.

Three recurring problems: confusing similar terms (coinsurance versus deductibles, occurrence versus claims-made, named insured versus additional insured), skimming questions and missing words like 'EXCEPT' or 'NOT covered,' and ignoring the state-specific rules and definitions at the end of the outline. Slow down on stems and read every answer choice before selecting.

Retake rules, waiting periods, and any additional fees are set by your state regulator, and some states require a new application or additional pre-licensing hours after multiple failures. Check your state's candidate handbook for the current policy, then schedule through the same testing vendor.

Some states require a set number of pre-licensing course hours before you can schedule; others do not, and a few allow self-study with a certificate of completion. Requirements also differ for resident versus nonresident applicants. Verify the current rule on your state regulator's licensing page before paying for a course.

No. The general insurance content is broadly similar, but each state publishes its own outline with its own weightings and adds state-specific law, licensing, and regulatory material. If you move or apply in multiple states, study that state's outline separately rather than assuming your first exam transfers.

Many states offer a combined property and casualty exam, while others license the lines separately. Which option is available, the total testing time, and whether you can split the sittings are determined by your state regulator and its vendor. Combined sittings cover the same material in one longer session.