The Pennsylvania insurance exam covers insurance concepts, policy provisions, producer responsibilities, and Pennsylvania-specific laws and regulations for the line of authority you are pursuing. The exact subjects vary depending on whether you take the Life, Accident and Health, or combined Life, Accident and Health examination.
Pennsylvania’s exams are administered by PSI using content outlines approved for each examination. These outlines identify the subjects tested, how heavily each area is weighted, and the structure of the exam.
Which Pennsylvania Insurance Exam Do You Take?
Pennsylvania offers separate Life and Accident and Health examinations, along with a combined examination for candidates pursuing both lines.
For Life and Health licensing, the primary exam options are:
- Life Insurance, Series 16-01
- Accident and Health, Series 16-02
- Life, Accident and Health, Series 16-03
The combined Life, Accident and Health exam includes material from both individual lines. PSI states that candidates taking the combination examination must pass the overall examination to qualify for either line.
What Topics Are Covered on the Pennsylvania Insurance Exam?
The subjects tested depend on whether you take the Life, Accident and Health, or combined Life, Accident and Health examination. Each exam covers material for the applicable line of authority along with Pennsylvania insurance laws and regulations.
Pennsylvania Life Insurance Exam
The Life examination covers general insurance concepts, life insurance fundamentals, types of life insurance policies, policy provisions and riders, annuities, and federal tax considerations. Candidates are also tested on Pennsylvania insurance laws and regulations applicable to Life insurance and insurance producers.
Pennsylvania Accident and Health Exam
The Accident and Health examination covers general insurance concepts, Accident and Health insurance fundamentals, individual policy provisions, disability income insurance, medical expense coverage, group health insurance, Medicare and other coverage for seniors, and applicable Pennsylvania insurance laws and regulations.
Pennsylvania Life, Accident and Health Exam
The combined Life, Accident and Health examination includes material from both lines of authority. Candidates are tested on Life insurance policies and provisions, annuities, Accident and Health policy provisions, disability income insurance, medical coverage, group health insurance, senior health products, and related insurance concepts.
Pennsylvania insurance laws and regulations are also included throughout the combined examination. Candidates should prepare for both the insurance concepts covered by the lines of authority and the state-specific requirements identified in the current PSI examination content outline.
How Is the Pennsylvania Insurance Exam Structured?
The number of questions and testing time depend on the examination:
- Life Insurance, Series 16-01: 100 questions and 120 minutes
- Accident and Health, Series 16-02: 100 questions and 120 minutes
- Life, Accident and Health, Series 16-03: 150 questions and 170 minutes
PSI may also include 5 to 10 experimental questions in addition to the questions specified in the content outline. Experimental questions are not scored, and additional time for them is already included in the examination time.
For information about testing locations, scheduling, and exam-day procedures, review our Where Do You Take the Pennsylvania Insurance Exam? article.
What Type of Questions Are on the Pennsylvania Insurance Exam?
Pennsylvania insurance licensing exams use multiple-choice questions with four answer options.
PSI identifies three common question formats:
- Incomplete sentences
- Direct questions
- Questions asking you to identify an exception
Only one question appears on the screen at a time. You can return to previous questions and change an answer as long as examination time remains.
Understanding the format can help you focus on what the question is actually testing, especially when several answer choices use familiar insurance terminology.
What Score Do You Need to Pass?
Pennsylvania requires a minimum score of 70% to pass the applicable insurance licensing examination.
Your score is displayed when you finish the exam, and PSI also emails a score report. Candidates who do not pass receive diagnostic information showing areas of stronger and weaker performance.
Why Pennsylvania-Specific Material Matters
The Pennsylvania insurance exam does not test only general Life or Health concepts. Each examination also includes Pennsylvania insurance laws and regulations.
Depending on the exam, state-specific material can include licensing requirements, producer responsibilities, unfair insurance practices, policy requirements, replacement rules, consumer protections, and other Pennsylvania statutes and regulations.
This is why exam preparation should be designed specifically for Pennsylvania rather than relying only on general insurance material.
For a closer look at the overall difficulty of the examination, review our How Hard Is the Pennsylvania Insurance Exam? article.
How Should You Prepare for the Pennsylvania Insurance Exam?
Begin with the content outline for the examination you plan to take and make sure your study material covers each major subject area.
As you work through the material, use practice questions to reinforce individual concepts and identify weaker areas. Comprehensive practice exams can then help determine whether you can apply that knowledge consistently across the broader range of subjects tested on the state exam.
National Online Insurance School’s Pennsylvania exam prep covers Life and Health insurance concepts along with Pennsylvania-specific laws and regulations and includes unlimited customizable practice exams through our Exam Simulator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on the Pennsylvania insurance exam?
The exam includes insurance concepts, policy provisions, producer responsibilities, and Pennsylvania-specific insurance laws and regulations. The exact content depends on whether you take the Life, Accident and Health, or combined Life, Accident and Health examination.
Does Pennsylvania have a combined Life and Health insurance exam?
Yes. Pennsylvania offers the combined Life, Accident and Health examination, Series 16-03, for candidates pursuing both lines of authority.
How many questions are on the Pennsylvania insurance exam?
The Life and Accident and Health examinations each contain 100 questions, while the combined Life, Accident and Health examination contains 150 questions. PSI may also include 5 to 10 additional experimental questions that are not scored.
What score do you need to pass the Pennsylvania insurance exam?
A minimum score of 70% is required to pass the Pennsylvania insurance licensing examination.
Are Pennsylvania insurance exam questions multiple choice?
Yes. PSI uses multiple-choice questions with four answer options. Question formats include direct questions, incomplete sentences, and questions that ask you to identify an exception. For examples of how licensing exam questions and answer choices are structured, review our Insurance Exam Question Examples article.
Does Pennsylvania-specific law appear on the insurance exam?
Yes. Pennsylvania insurance laws and regulations are included in the examination content outlines along with general insurance concepts and material specific to the line of authority.
Next Steps
Understanding what is tested on the Pennsylvania insurance exam can help you focus your study time on the subjects included in the examination you plan to take.
Review our Pennsylvania Exam Prep to prepare for the licensing exam with Pennsylvania-specific course material and unlimited practice exams, or use our Insurance Exam Simulator to learn more about the practice-exam tools included with enrollment.
