What Is the Passing Score for the California Insurance Exam?

Before scheduling your California insurance licensing exam, knowing exactly what you're up against helps you prepare effectively. The California Department of Insurance (CDI) and PSI Services, the state's exam vendor, publish specific requirements for each license type. This guide breaks down the passing scores, question counts, time limits, and format details you need to walk into your exam with confidence.

What Passing Score Do You Need for California Producer Exams?

All California producer license examinations require a 60% passing score, according to the California Department of Insurance0010 Producer Online Services 0200 Exam Info Examtimesandquestion.cfm 0200 Industry. This applies to Life, Accident and Health (also called Health or Sickness), Property, Casualty, Property and Casualty combination, Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Life Limited to Funeral and Burial Expenses licenses.

The 60% threshold might sound low compared to academic standards, but insurance exams are designed to thoroughly test your knowledge of complex regulations, policy provisions, and ethical requirements. Questions often include scenario-based problems requiring you to apply multiple concepts simultaneously, not just recall isolated facts.

Adjuster examinations—including Insurance Adjuster, Public Insurance Adjuster, and Life and Disability Analyst—require a higher 70% passing score. Bail Agent exams also require 70% to pass. These higher thresholds reflect the specialized knowledge and consumer protection responsibilities associated with these license types.

How Many Questions Are on Each California Insurance Exam?

Question counts vary by license type, ranging from 60 questions for Limited Lines and Commercial exams up to 150 questions for combination exams. Here's what you'll face for the most common license types:

The Life, Accident and Health combination exam contains 150 questions with a 3-hour time limit. This comprehensive test covers life insurance fundamentals, annuities, health insurance products, and California-specific regulations. Many candidates choose this combination because it qualifies them to sell the broadest range of financial protection products.

The Property and Casualty combination exam also contains 150 questions with a 3-hour time limit. This exam covers personal and commercial property coverage, liability insurance, auto insurance, and California regulatory requirements.

Single-line exams contain fewer questions but require the same depth of knowledge within their specific domains. Life-only and Accident/Health-only exams each contain 75 questions with 90-minute time limits. Property-only and Casualty-only exams also contain 75 questions with 90-minute time limits. Personal Lines contains 90 questions with a 2-hour limit, while Commercial Lines contains 60 questions with 90 minutes.

Understanding the differences between license typesPre License Property And Casualty Vs Life And Health Vs All Lines Resources helps you choose the exam that aligns with your career goals.

What Topics Does the California Insurance Exam Cover?

California insurance exams include two distinct sections: a general portion covering universal insurance concepts and a state-specific portion covering California laws, regulations, and ethical requirements. PSI publishes detailed content outlines specifying exactly which topics appear on each exam and their relative weights.

The general portion tests your understanding of insurance principles that apply nationwide. For life and health exams, this includes basic life insurance concepts, types of life policies, annuities, policy replacement rules, disability insurance, and health insurance fundamentals. For property and casualty exams, this includes insurance basics, dwelling policies, homeowners coverage, auto insurance, commercial packages, and liability concepts.

The California-specific portion accounts for a significant percentage of each exam—often close to half the total questions. This section tests knowledge of the California Insurance Code, CDI regulations, producer licensing requirements, ethical obligations, and consumer protection laws. Many candidates underestimate this section, focusing heavily on general concepts while neglecting state-specific material.

Developing effective study habitsPre License How To Study Insurance Licensing Exam Resources that address both sections equally improves your overall exam performance.

How Much Time Do You Get to Complete the Exam?

Time limits correspond to question counts, generally allowing about 1 to 1.5 minutes per question. For 150-question combination exams, you receive 3 hours (180 minutes), which works out to 72 seconds per question. For 75-question single-line exams, you receive 90 to 98 minutes depending on the specific license type.

Most candidates find the time limits adequate if they've prepared properly. Questions that require extensive deliberation often indicate knowledge gaps rather than insufficient time. Test-taking strategies like answering confident questions first, then returning to challenging ones, help maximize your available time.

The computer-based format delivers questions one at a time, allowing you to flag items for review before submitting your final answers. You can navigate forward and backward through the exam, but once you submit, you cannot return to change responses.

What Format Does the California Insurance Exam Use?

California insurance exams are multiple-choice, computer-based tests administered by PSI Services at testing centers throughout the state or via online remote proctoring. Each question presents four possible answers, and you select the single best response.

Exam questions fall into several categories. Knowledge questions test direct recall of facts, definitions, and regulatory requirements. Application questions present scenarios requiring you to apply concepts to specific situations. Analysis questions ask you to evaluate information and determine appropriate courses of action.

Questions are randomized from large question pools, so no two exams are identical. This prevents candidates from memorizing specific questions and ensures the exam measures genuine understanding. Some questions are experimental items being evaluated for future exams and do not count toward your score, but you won't know which ones.

Exams may be taken in English or several other languages including Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Language selection occurs during scheduling.

Where Can You Take the California Insurance Exam?

PSI operates testing centers throughout California, with the CDI maintaining its own examination site at 300 South Spring Street in Los Angeles. PSI locations charge a convenience fee on top of the base exam fee, while the CDI Los Angeles location does not. You can also take exams at PSI testing centers outside California if needed.

Remote proctored examinations allow you to test from home using a compatible computer with webcam and microphone. Before scheduling a remote exam, PSI requires you to verify your system meets technical requirements through their compatibility checker. Remote testing follows strict protocols to maintain exam integrity, including real-time monitoring and environmental requirements.

Scheduling happens online through PSI's examination scheduling service or by phone at (833) 518-7456. Appointments are typically available within a few days, though popular times may book further out. You can reschedule without penalty if you cancel at least 48 hours before your appointment.

What Should You Bring to the Testing Center?

Testing centers require one valid form of government-issued identification with your photograph and signature. Acceptable forms include a driver's license, passport, or military ID. The name on your ID must match exactly with your exam registration—even minor discrepancies can prevent you from testing.

California does allow expired California IDs if accompanied by the official paper extension, but out-of-state ID cards are not acceptable for California resident applicants. If you have questions about acceptable identification, contact PSI before your appointment to avoid surprises on exam day.

Arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment to complete check-in procedures. Late arrivals forfeit their exam fee and must reschedule and pay again. Testing centers prohibit most personal items in the testing room, including phones, watches, notes, and food. Secure storage is typically available for personal belongings.

When Will You Receive Your Exam Results?

You'll know whether you passed immediately upon completing your exam. The computer displays a pass or fail result on screen, and you receive a printed score report before leaving the testing center. PSI also emails detailed results afterward.

Your score report includes a diagnostic breakdown showing how many questions you answered correctly in each content area. If you didn't pass, this information helps you identify specific topics requiring additional study before retaking the exam.

Passed exam results remain valid for 12 months, giving you one year to complete your license application, fingerprinting, and background check. If you don't complete the licensing process within 12 months, you'll need to retake and pass the exam again.

What Happens If You Don't Pass the First Time?

Failing an insurance exam doesn't end your licensing journey—it simply means you need more preparation. You can retake the exam after scheduling a new appointment and paying the exam fee again. California imposes no waiting period between attempts for most exams.

However, California Insurance Code section 1682 does limit the number of attempts. Any examinees who fail an examination 10 times are barred from taking that license examination for a 12-month period from the date of their last failed attempt. This rule encourages candidates to prepare thoroughly rather than relying on repeated attempts.

Before retaking the exam, analyze your score report to understand which areas need improvement. Consider whether your study approach was effective or whether a different method might work better. Sometimes working with structured exam preparation resourcesPre License Tips Becoming A Successful Insurance Agent Resources makes the difference between marginal and confident performance.

How Can You Maximize Your Chances of Passing?

Successful candidates typically complete thorough preparation covering both general insurance concepts and California-specific regulations. While the state requires only 12 hours of Ethics and Code education, this minimum doesn't fully prepare you for exam content. Additional exam prep, including practice tests that simulate actual exam conditions, significantly improves first-attempt pass rates.

Focus your study time on high-weight content areas identified in PSI's exam outlines. Spend extra time on California regulations since this section trips up many candidates who studied only general concepts. Take multiple practice exams under timed conditions to build comfort with the format and pacing.

On exam day, read each question carefully before looking at answer choices. Eliminate obviously wrong answers to improve your odds on uncertain questions. Manage your time so you can review flagged questions before submitting. Trust your preparation rather than second-guessing yourself repeatedly.