Is the insurance exam difficult?

The licensing exam is moderately difficult. Pass rates fluctuate considerably by state, and some states do not publish them, so no accurate national pass rate exists. Texas reported pass rates of 53% for property and casualty, 60% for life and health, and 47% for all-lines adjuster exams in February 2021. Exam-prep providers generally recommend about 35 to 40 hours of study before sitting the exam.

The exam can be challenging, but students who complete a structured pre-licensing course and practice exams have a much higher pass rate.

Idaho insurance exams require a 70% score to pass. Nationally, first-time pass rates for licensing exams generally fall between roughly half and two-thirds of takers, so careful preparation usually produces a first-attempt pass. Idaho does not require pre-licensing education, but each exam covers general insurance knowledge plus Idaho-specific laws and rules.

The passing score is 70% on every Maryland insurance exam, and national pass-rate data suggests many first-time takers do not pass: rates reported by the NAIC and cited by Insurance Business Magazine range from 53.6% for the Property exam to 64.8% for Life and Health. Maryland requires no prelicensing coursework since October 1, 2024, so preparation is self-directed, and Prometric publishes a content outline for each exam to guide study.

The New York insurance exam requires 70% correct to pass, with lengths ranging from 50 questions in 1 hour to 150 questions in 2.5 hours depending on the line. The required prelicensing education (90 hours for property/casualty, 40 hours for life, accident and health) sets the state's preparation standard. If you fail, you cannot rebook the same day but can retest as soon as the following Friday, with no limit on retakes.

Oklahoma insurance exams require 70% correct answers to pass, and national pass rates hover near 60% on most lines, so many candidates fail a first attempt. Oklahoma makes retaking easier than most states: the exams are open eligibility, and you may test as many times as needed. You cannot schedule a retake on the same day as the original exam, and the content follows the department's official study manuals, so preparation drives the outcome.

Most first-time candidates pass, but the margin is not large. NAIC first-attempt pass rates run 54.9% for Property & Casualty, 60.4% for Health, 61.4% for Personal Lines, 62.9% for Life, and 64.8% for Life & Health. Virginia law adds a cost to repeated failure: after a third failed attempt, a resident applicant must wait 30 calendar days before retaking the exam.