How to Pass the Iowa Life and Health Insurance Exam: 5 Tips for Success
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If you’re thinking about getting your Iowa Life and Health insurance license, the big question on your mind is: How do I pass the exam?
The answer is pretty straightforward. It’s all about preparation. Choosing the right Iowa life and health insurance exam study materials intended to help you pass the test will provide you with the critical information you need to be successful.
Why Iowa Is a Great State for Life & Health Agents
Iowa is an ideal place to work as an insurance agent/producer.
The cost of living is low, and the state has seen rapid growth in tech, manufacturing, and biotechnology. These industries are attracting workers from all over the country—workers who need insurance products to protect their families and their assets. From Des Moines to Cedar Rapids, and from Sioux City to Davenport, people from all across America are flocking to the fastest growing cities in Iowa, and with this migration comes a wealth of clients in need of Iowa life and health insurance policies.
This is good news for insurance agents. It means there’s no shortage of opportunities to sell insurance or work in a supporting role like customer service.
What Can You Do with an Iowa Life & Health Insurance License?
You can sell life and health insurance! And you can answer questions about coverage and make changes to insurance policies.
In case you need a refresher:
- Life insurance pays a death benefit to a person’s beneficiaries when they die.
- Health insurance covers medical costs for illnesses, injuries, and health conditions.
Licensed Life & Health agents in Iowa can also sell fixed annuities, long-term care, and disability insurance.
What’s on the Exam?
The Iowa Life and Health insurance exam covers topics ranging from life and health insurance basics to disability insurance to group health insurance.
Depending on the line of authority (Life only, Accident & Health only, or a combination of both) you can expect to see anywhere from 100-150 multiple choice questions on the exam.
The exams have two parts: a general section that deals with basic insurance knowledge, and a state rules section that deals with rules, regulations, and practices specific to Iowa. You need a score of 70% on each section to pass—the two scores are not averaged together.
Here’s an example of the kind of multiple-choice question you might see on your exam:
An applicant for an accident and health insurance policy does not know she has a heart condition. On the application, she answers no to the question pertaining to heart problems. Her answer is considered to be a:
- Warranty
- Representation
- Concealment
- Fraudulent answer
5 Tips to Prepare for the Iowa Life and Health Insurance Exam
There’s no sugarcoating it, the life and health exam in Iowa is challenging. Preparation is everything. Here’s how to do your best in the weeks and days leading up to your exam.
1: Create a plan.
Give yourself plenty of time to study for the exam. Two weeks is ideal. Much more than that and you might forget the material come test day. Less than that and you might not have enough time to absorb the information. Don’t rely on cramming in the last few days. This creates stress and makes it hard to concentrate. And studies show cramming is the worst way to study.
2: Complete an exam prep course.
Whether you use an Iowa Life and Health insurance exam study guide or take an exam prep course, it should offer a comprehensive overview of the material covered on the exam. A quality study guide or course will give you a sense of what to expect and will provide quizzes/practice tests to help you gauge whether you’re on track. But as with anything worth doing, you must be willing to put in the work.
3: Figure out how you study best.
Some people learn best by hearing. Others by seeing. If flashcards have always helped you, make and use them. If videos help you learn, watch them until you feel confident you’ve absorbed the material. If it helps to hear lessons again and again, listen while driving or exercising (this is the advantage of online courses). Do whatever works best for your learning style. Not sure how you learn best? Take this questionnaire.
4: Break up studying into manageable sessions.
We already mentioned that cramming is the worst way to study. But studying for extended periods at a time can also take its toll, especially if you don’t take breaks. Your brain can only handle so much material at a time. Use the 50-10 rule. Study for 50 minutes and then take a 10-minute break. Get up and stretch, do some pushups, walk around the block, grab a snack—just get your body moving.
5: Take care of yourself right before the exam.
Nerves can get the best of anyone before a big event. But some things are within your control. Do what you can to get a good night’s sleep before the exam. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready in the morning and eat a decent breakfast. The last thing you want is to rush out of the house or scramble to your computer in a hurry. Plan ahead so you can be your best, rested self on exam day.
Why Enroll in an America’s Professor Course?
For decades America’s Professor has been helping students across the U.S. prepare for their insurance licensing exams. Our affordable online classes are taught by award-winning professor, Dr. Jack Morton. Through stories and real-world examples, Dr. Morton makes difficult concepts and terminology easier to understand.
Each of our Life, Accident, & Health courses includes 100-day access to video lessons (with more time at no charge, if needed), an Iowa Life and Health insurance exam study guide in textbook format, sample questions and practice quizzes, and customer support.
Enroll in a course today and be on your way to launching or expanding your career in the lucrative insurance industry!