What Score Do You Need to Pass the Ohio Insurance Exam?

The 70% Passing Score Requirement

Ohio requires a minimum score of 70% on all insurance licensing exams administered by PSICandidate.psiexams.com. This standard applies to every line of authority without exception.

What 70% Means: You must answer at least 70 out of 100 questions correctly on single-line exams (Life, Health, Property, or Casualty). For combined exams with 150 questions (Property and Casualty or Life and Health), you need at least 105 correct answers.

No Curve System: Your score depends entirely on your knowledge and preparation, not on how other test-takers perform. If everyone else fails, you still need 70% to pass. If everyone else scores 95%, you still only need 70%. This fixed standard means thorough preparation directly determines your success.

Why 70%: The Ohio Department of InsuranceInsurance.ohio.gov set the 70% threshold to ensure licensed agents possess adequate knowledge to serve consumers competently while keeping the standard achievable for well-prepared candidates. It's high enough to demonstrate competency but reasonable enough that focused study leads to success.

Immediate Scoring: Computer-based testing provides your score immediately upon exam completion. You'll know within seconds whether you passed. No waiting days or weeks for results—walk out of the testing center knowing your status.

Exam Format by License Type

Ohio offers several insurance licensing exams, each with specific formats tailored to the line of authority:

Life Insurance Exam

• Questions: 100 multiple-choice questions
• Time Limit: 2 hours (120 minutes)
• Passing Score: 70 correct answers minimum
• Content Focus: Life insurance products (term, whole, universal, variable), policy provisions and riders, taxation of life insurance, beneficiary designations, underwriting and risk classification, and Ohio life insurance regulations

Accident and Health Insurance Exam

• Questions: 100 multiple-choice questions
• Time Limit: 2 hours (120 minutes)
• Passing Score: 70 correct answers minimum
• Content Focus: Health insurance policies and coverage, disability income insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, long-term care insurance, medical expense coverage, claims procedures, and Ohio health insurance regulations

Property Insurance Exam

• Questions: 100 multiple-choice questions
• Time Limit: 2 hours (120 minutes)
• Passing Score: 70 correct answers minimum
• Content Focus: Homeowners insurance policies, dwelling and fire coverage, commercial property insurance, inland marine coverage, risk assessment and loss prevention, and Ohio property insurance regulations

Casualty Insurance Exam

• Questions: 100 multiple-choice questions
• Time Limit: 2 hours (120 minutes)
• Passing Score: 70 correct answers minimum
• Content Focus: Auto insurance and liability coverage, general liability insurance, workers' compensation, professional liability, commercial casualty products, claims handling procedures, and Ohio casualty insurance regulations

Combined Property and Casualty Exam

• Questions: 150 multiple-choice questions
• Time Limit: 2.5 hours (150 minutes)
• Passing Score: 105 correct answers minimum
• Content Focus: All Property exam content plus all Casualty exam content integrated into one comprehensive examination

Combined Life and Health Exam

• Questions: 150 multiple-choice questions
• Time Limit: 2.5 hours (150 minutes)
• Passing Score: 105 correct answers minimum
• Content Focus: All Life exam content plus all Health exam content integrated into one comprehensive examination

Time Management and Pacing

Understanding time constraints helps you pace yourself effectively during the exam.

Time Per Question: For 100-question exams with 2 hours, you have approximately 1.2 minutes per question. For 150-question exams with 2.5 hours, you have approximately 1 minute per question.

This timing is generous. Most test-takers finish with time remaining for review. The key is not rushing through questions but working steadily and efficiently.

Pacing Strategy: Don't spend excessive time on any single question. If you're unsure, mark it for review and move forward. Answer all questions you know confidently first, then return to marked questions with remaining time. Use your final minutes to review marked questions and verify you didn't make careless errors on questions you felt confident about.

No Breaks Allowed: Ohio insurance exams don't permit breaks during testing. Use the restroom before entering the testing room. Plan accordingly if you have medical conditions requiring regular breaks—contact PSI in advance to discuss accommodation options.

Question Types and Format

All Ohio insurance licensing exams use multiple-choice questions exclusively. Understanding question styles helps you prepare effectively.

Standard Multiple Choice: Questions present a scenario or ask for specific information, followed by four answer choices labeled A, B, C, and D. Only one answer is correct.

Scenario-Based Questions: Many questions describe realistic insurance situations and ask you to apply your knowledge. For example: "A client owns a $200,000 homeowners policy with a $1,000 deductible. Their home suffers $15,000 in covered fire damage. How much will the insurance company pay?" These application questions test whether you understand concepts deeply enough to use them in real-world situations.

Definition and Terminology: Some questions test your understanding of insurance terminology and definitions. These tend to be more straightforward if you've learned the vocabulary thoroughly.

Calculation Questions: Certain questions require mathematical calculations, particularly on Property and Casualty exams. PSI provides scratch paper and pencils for working through calculations. Common calculation topics include premium calculations, deductibles, coinsurance penalties, and coverage limits.

Regulatory Questions: Approximately 25-30% of your exam focuses on Ohio-specific laws and regulations. These questions test your knowledge of state requirements, consumer protections, licensing rules, and Ohio Department of Insurance procedures.

"EXCEPT" and "NOT" Questions: Watch carefully for questions asking which answer is NOT correct or which statement is the EXCEPTION. These reverse questions trip up test-takers who read too quickly. PSI typically formats these questions with the key word in all caps: "All of the following are true EXCEPT..."

Content Distribution

Understanding what topics receive the most emphasis helps you allocate study time effectively.

General vs. State-Specific: Approximately 70-75% of exam questions cover general insurance concepts applicable nationwide. The remaining 25-30% focus specifically on Ohio laws, regulations, and procedures.

Both areas matter equally for passing. You can't ignore Ohio-specific content and expect to pass, even if you master general insurance concepts.

Heavily Tested Topics: While every exam is unique, certain content areas consistently receive heavy emphasis:

• For Life exams: Policy types and provisions, taxation of life insurance, beneficiary designations
• For Health exams: Medicare and Medicaid, disability income, medical expense coverage
• For Property exams: Homeowners policies, coverage triggers and exclusions, deductible applications
• For Casualty exams: Auto insurance, liability coverage, workers' compensation

Quality pre-licensing education emphasizes these high-weight topics appropriately, ensuring you're prepared for what actually appears on the exam. If you're just starting your journey, understanding how to get licensedPre License How To Get An Insurance License In Ohio Resources helps you plan your complete path from education through exam success.

Computer-Based Testing Interface

Ohio insurance exams use PSI's computer-based testing platform. Understanding the interface reduces test-day stress.

Navigation Features: The testing software allows you to move forward and backward through questions, mark questions for later review, change answers before submitting your exam, and view a summary showing which questions you've answered and which you've marked.

Pre-Exam Tutorial: Before your actual exam begins, PSI provides a brief tutorial explaining how to use the testing interface. Take a few minutes with this tutorial—it doesn't count against your exam time. Familiarize yourself with navigation buttons, how to mark questions, and how to submit your exam.

On-Screen Calculator: The testing platform includes a basic on-screen calculator for questions requiring calculations. However, PSI also provides scratch paper and pencils, which many test-takers find faster for working through problems.

Question Display: Each question appears on screen with four answer choices. Select your chosen answer by clicking the corresponding button. You can change your answer anytime before submitting the exam.

Experimental Questions

Your Ohio insurance exam includes some experimental questions that don't count toward your score.

Purpose: PSI includes unscored experimental questions to test new content for future exam versions. These questions help PSI determine difficulty levels and ensure question quality before using them as scored items.

You Won't Know Which Questions: Experimental questions look identical to scored questions. You cannot identify which questions are experimental during your exam. This means you must treat every question seriously and answer to the best of your ability.

Why It Matters: Understanding experimental questions exist helps explain why your exam might include seemingly unusual or unexpectedly difficult questions. Don't panic if you encounter a question that seems beyond what you studied—it might be experimental. Answer it thoughtfully and move on.

Scoring and Results

Immediate Pass/Fail: Upon completing your exam, your score appears on screen immediately. You'll see your percentage score and whether you passed (70% or higher) or didn't pass (below 70%).

Detailed Score Report: PSI provides a comprehensive score report showing your overall percentage, performance by content area (helping identify strengths and weaknesses), number of questions per content area, and passing status.

This report is available for printing at the testing center and is also emailed to you. Save this report—if you didn't pass, use the content area breakdown to focus your retake preparation on weak areas.

Automatic Reporting to ODI: If you pass, PSI automatically reports your passing scores to the Ohio Department of Insurance within two business days. No action required from you—ODI receives your results electronically and updates your file.

Retake Policies

If you don't achieve 70% on your first attempt, Ohio's retake policies are among the most flexible in the nation.

24-Hour Waiting Period: You can schedule another exam after waiting just 24 hours. Test Monday and don't pass? You can retest as early as Tuesday (subject to appointment availability).

Unlimited Attempts: Ohio places no limit on the number of times you can retake the exam. Test as many times as needed until you pass.

Exam Fee Each Time: Each retake requires paying the full exam fee again. Multiple retakes become expensive, which is why thorough preparation for your first attempt matters. Learning about passing on your first attemptPre License How Can I Pass The Ohio Insurance Exam On My First Try Resources helps maximize your chances of passing the first time.

Certificate Validity: Your pre-licensing education Certificate of Completion remains valid for 180 days according to Ohio Administrative CodeOhio Administrative Code Rule 3901 1 04 Codes.ohio.gov. You can retake the exam multiple times within this window without repeating coursework. If 180 days pass without passing, you must retake your pre-licensing education.

Most students who don't pass on the first attempt succeed on their second try with focused preparation on weak content areas identified in their score report.

Preparing for the 70% Standard

Achieving 70% requires strategic preparation focused on understanding concepts, not just memorizing facts.

Quality Education Matters: Comprehensive pre-licensing courses covering all exam topics thoroughly form your foundation. Courses integrating practice questions throughout help you learn while simultaneously preparing for the exam format.

Practice Exams Are Critical: Taking full-length practice exams under timed conditions is the single best predictor of actual exam performance. Practice exams help you identify weak content areas requiring additional study, get comfortable with question formats and phrasing, develop time management and pacing skills, and build confidence by demonstrating you can achieve 70%+ consistently.

If you're consistently scoring 80%+ on quality practice exams, you're ready for the actual exam. If you're scoring below 75%, invest more time in studying weak areas before scheduling your exam.

Focus on Ohio-Specific Content: Don't neglect the 25-30% of questions covering Ohio laws and regulations. This state-specific content often trips up test-takers who focus only on general insurance concepts. Your pre-licensing course should thoroughly cover Ohio requirements—if it doesn't, you're not adequately prepared.

Understand, Don't Memorize: The exam emphasizes application and understanding over rote memorization. Scenario-based questions require you to apply concepts to realistic situations. Memorizing definitions helps, but understanding how concepts work in practice is what separates passing from failing scores. Learning effective study strategiesPre License How To Study Insurance Licensing Exam Resources significantly increases your chances of passing on the first attempt.

Exam Day Success Tips

Arrive Early and Prepared: Get to the testing center 30 minutes before your appointment with required identification and your education certificate. Being rushed creates unnecessary stress. Make sure you understand what to expectPre License What To Expect On The Ohio Insurance Exam Resources at your appointment.

Stay Calm and Focused: Test anxiety affects performance. Remember that 70% is an achievable standard. You don't need perfection—you need solid preparation and clear thinking.

Read Questions Carefully: Take time to read each question completely before selecting an answer. Watch for words like "EXCEPT" and "NOT" that reverse the question. Careless reading errors cost points unnecessarily.

Use Process of Elimination: If you're unsure of the correct answer, eliminate obviously wrong choices first. Narrowing to two possibilities significantly improves your odds.

Don't Leave Blanks: There's no penalty for wrong answers, so answer every question. If you're completely stumped, make your best educated guess and move on. Blank answers guarantee zero points; guessing gives you a chance.

Manage Your Time: Keep an eye on the clock but don't obsess over it. Work steadily through the exam, marking difficult questions to return to later. Most test-takers finish with time for review.

After Passing: Next Steps

Congratulations on passing your exam! Your 70%+ score moves you forward in the licensing process:

PSI Reports to ODI: Your passing scores reach the Ohio Department of Insurance automatically within two business days.

Complete Fingerprinting: Schedule your background check fingerprinting appointment if you haven't already.

Submit License Application: Apply for your license through NIPRNipr.com after passing your exam and completing fingerprinting.

Understanding what insurance agents doPre License What Does Insurance Agent Do Resources helps you transition from exam success to career success. Following proven success strategiesPre License Tips Becoming A Successful Insurance Agent Resources positions you well once licensed.

The 70% Standard Is Achievable

Ohio's 70% passing score requirement is neither impossibly difficult nor trivially easy. It's designed to ensure competency while remaining accessible to well-prepared candidates.

With quality pre-licensing education, thorough exam preparation, consistent practice testing, focused study on weak areas, and strategic test-taking approaches, most motivated students pass on their first attempt.

The exam tests whether you possess adequate knowledge to serve insurance clients competently. Preparation that builds genuine understanding—not just memorization—leads to passing scores and prepares you for actual insurance work.