How To Pass The Life Insurance Exam

Study advice that will help guide you to success

The national pass rate for first-time exam candidates is 62%. That number may seem a little low, but it's likely due to the fact that not enough people that prepare for the life insurance exam formulate good study habits.

Studies have shown that implementing and following positive study habits may increase your chances of passing a test or exam by 49%. Life insurance exams can be challenging since the information is likely new to you, so it's imperative to not only study, but to study the right way.

Studying The Insurance Practice Questions Alone Isn’t Enough

Memorization of the life & health insurance exam questions in your insurance pre-licensing course is not a good substitute for the comprehensive knowledge you’ll need to pass your insurance exam.

We encourage you to also learn the concepts of the study content that we provide. Our pre-licensing study courses provide you with the extensive information foundation that you’ll need to pass your state insurance exam the first time. It is nearly impossible to predict exactly what questions will be on the exam, so there are no specific questions to memorize. This is because the license exam providers consistently randomize their questions. If you can learn the concepts, you should have no problem passing your insurance license exam, regardless of what questions are presented.

State insurance licensing exams are typically written by third-party companies that have an incentive to make the exams as difficult as possible—the more times you take the exam, the more money they make.

This is why it’s important to enroll in & complete one of our comprehensive prelicensing insurance courses, so that you’re prepared for the insurance exam questions you might encounter on your state insurance exam.

What kind of questions do they ask on the life insurance exam?

All of the life or health insurance exam questions are multiple choice (usually 4 choices). There are no fill-ins (no need to memorize) and no essay type questions.

A multiple choice insurance exam will usually test heavily on definitions (terminology) and numbers (typically number of days, etc.).

The insurance exam is drawn from a large pool of questions, randomized and delivered one at a time. Therefore it’s crucial to understand the concepts of the reading content. Be prepared for misleading and “tricky” questions especially with those question that use “EXCEPT” at the end of the question.

Students report that about 1/3 of the exam questions are terminology questions, 1/3 are number of days questions, and 1/3 are questions where you have to apply the knowledge to reason through a practical situation (story problems – usually short). Be on the lookout for additional information in the questions that’s only there to throw you off, such as the use of "EXCEPT".

In the United States, there are 3 primary state insurance exam providers that you will schedule your insurance exam with, depending on which state you want to test for:

Don’t Stick to One Study Area

By changing your environment, you force your brain to recollect the same information in different places. That means that your brain will see that material as more useful and worth keeping.

To maximize your performance, take into consideration the context of your testing environment while studying. It’ll be easier to recall the information during the exam if you learned it in a similar environment.

Organize Your Study Area

Dispose of any clutter you have on your table. Make sure that the light is right, your chair is cozy, and you have enough fresh air.

Before getting started, find what works for you and make your study space as comfortable as possible. For example, some people work better in complete silence, while others prefer having some background music.

Remove All Distractions

Put aside all of your social networks, mobile apps, and computer games during your study sessions. If you can’t resist the urge to check notifications or reply to messages, search for an app that will block all sources of distractions for a certain period.

Divide Studying Into Small Sessions

Going to try and learn everything in one night by reading your study materials over and over again? Contrary to popular belief, cramming doesn’t work.

In fact, it can cause more harm than help. It’s better to plan everything ahead of time and spread out your study periods for at least one week before the exam. In this way, you will have enough time to develop a deeper understanding of the subject.

For better long-term retention of knowledge, be sure to take regular breaks. Take time to go outside and enjoy nature or to do something that you enjoy.

Divide your studying into sessions of just 20 to 30 minutes, and focus on a single topic during each session. Always try to think of multiple ways to use the same information—that’s one of the most effective study skills.

Exercise Your Brain With Practice Exams

Your brain, in some ways, is like a muscle and needs to be exercised. Taking practice exams multiple times leading up to your license exam will not only allow you to become familiar with the questions on the test, but will also exercise your brain. This can lead to "muscle memory" and develop the skill of taking exams through practice.

Study Healthy

Keep in mind that the brain is not only like a muscle, but it's an organ and needs to be at full capacity when you study. Make sure to get plenty of sleep, eat healthy, drink fluids, and exercise. Doing these things will not keep your body in good shape, but will also provide your brain with more stamina and efficacy.

Notes Are Not Meant To Replace Online Studying

In your insurance pre-licensing course, you will find printable ‘Chapter Notes’. These “notes” are convenient to use for study while you’re offline, however they should not be used as a replacement for the online content & features that are in your course. Your insurance licensing study course contains not only comprehensive reading material, but also chapter quizzes, online flashcards, lesson videos, and a final course exam as well.

While the chapter quizzes provide you rationale feedback on your answer after each question/answer, the course final exam will not. The final exam simulates a state insurance exam by not providing immediate feedback per answer and is approximately the same number of questions as your state insurance exam. This simulates the state license exam.

Since the Final Exam in your course mimics the state insurance exam, we advise that you take the course Final Exam several times to familiarize yourself with the format. All quizzes and the final exam may be taken an unlimited number of times within your course. We also have Exam Simulator Modules available.

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