US Insurance exam difficulty
How hard is the insurance license exam?
Short answer: in the two largest states that publish results, about half of exam attempts pass. That is a real hurdle, so prepare for it. Here is exactly what the official reports say, and what they do not.
Texas, January-September 2024
Texas English-language exams: first-time takers did notably better than repeaters.
- Life, Accident & Health (InsTX-LAH05): 32,647 graded; 52% passed. First-time 60% of 20,495; repeaters 40% of 12,152.
- Life Agent (InsTX-Life01): 26,981 graded; 42% passed. First-time 47% of 17,168; repeaters 34% of 9,813.
- Property & Casualty (InsTX-PC06): 14,174 graded; 48% passed. First-time 58% of 7,894; repeaters 35% of 6,280.
- Personal Lines Property & Casualty (InsTX-PersPC55): 5,381 graded; 60% passed. First-time 68% of 3,805; repeaters 40% of 1,576.
- Spanish-language Life, Accident & Health (InsTX-LAH25): 3,693 graded; 33% passed. The report lists Spanish exams separately.
Florida, calendar year 2024
Florida: between 47% and 56% of candidates passed, depending on the exam.
- Health & Life (including Annuities & Variable Contracts): 30,883 candidates; 51.7% passed (150 scored items).
- Life (including Annuities & Variable Contracts): 15,413 candidates; 49.2% passed (85 scored items).
- Health: 9,276 candidates; 47.1% passed (85 scored items).
- General Lines (property and casualty): 6,454 candidates; 49.2% passed (160 scored items).
- Personal Lines: 5,680 candidates; 55.8% passed (100 scored items).
Florida's report is prepared under section 626.2415, Florida Statutes, to help the Department improve exam quality and fairness, and it publishes results for every candidate group, not only a headline rate.
How to read this
Treat it as a real exam, and plan for the first attempt to count.
The gap between first-time and repeat pass rates in Texas is the useful signal; the report does not explain it, but it shows that a second sitting is less likely to succeed than a first. A realistic plan is to learn the official outline, practice with explained questions, and book the exam when you can explain your misses, not when you merely recognize the answers.
What nobody publishes
We do not publish our own pass rate, and neither should anyone without data.
Many courses advertise a pass rate with no public report behind it. The figures above come from regulator or vendor documents you can open. Texas's handbook says its passing score was set by the Texas Department of Insurance with Pearson VUE after a comprehensive study of each exam. If your state does not publish results, check its regulator page for a report and plan to prepare thoroughly.
FAQ
Quick answers
How hard is the insurance license exam?
In published official data, about half of exam attempts pass: Texas reported 52% for Life, Accident & Health (January-September 2024, English, all attempts) and Florida reported 51.7% for Health & Life (calendar year 2024). First-time takers passed more often than repeat takers in Texas.
How hard is the insurance license test compared with other licensing exams?
This site only compares figures it can cite. The Texas and Florida reports above show roughly 42% to 60% of attempts passing across the insurance exams they cover. Check your own state's regulator for the exam you will take.
Is the property and casualty exam harder than life and health?
In Texas (January-September 2024) the Property & Casualty exam showed a 48% pass rate versus 52% for Life, Accident & Health. In Florida (2024), General Lines showed 49.2% versus 51.7% for Health & Life. The reports do not say why, and the exams differ in length and content.
Keep going
Related free guides and practice
- Life and health insurance practice test — free, original questions with a cited source for every answer
- How long is the insurance license exam? — time limits, scored items and passing scores
- Property and casualty insurance exam — pass rates and format, plus 100 practice questions