How to pass the Virginia Insurance Licensing Exam
**Please note: Effective June 1, 2020, Prometric will administer insurance and public adjuster licensing examinations. Pearson VUE no longer administers exams.
Remotely proctored exams will be available. Prometric’s ProProctor gives candidates the ability to test at home or elsewhere.
Prometric will operate the following testing centers starting June 1, 2020 in the following Virginia cities: Bristol, Chesapeake, Falls Church, Lynchburg, Richmond, and Roanoke. In addition, Prometric plans to deliver exams at test centers as they are able to open in the following Virginia localities: Abingdon, Alexandria, Ashburn, Chantilly, Fairfax, Glen Allen, Grundy, Herndon, Norfolk, Reston, Sterling, Virginia Beach, and Winchester. Prometric will also make available testing centers in Bethesda, MD; Greensboro, NC, Hyattsville, MD, Raleigh, NC; and Washington, DC.
Social distancing restrictions will limit test sites to 50% capacity limiting appointment availability.
The Virginia Licensing Information Bulletin (Bulletin) and exam Content Outlines are available on Prometric’s website.
Register for examinations administered by Prometric online or call toll free 866-891-6396.
The examination fee will be $35 for each examination.
Extended Time for Application Submissions & Processing:
Virginia has extended the timeframe for applicants to submit required documentation from 30 days to 90 days. Application processing may exceed 15 business days. To check your application status or view license/appointment information, go to License Search.
Prometric will require a Criminal History Record Report (CHRR) for their background check. This can be obtained from the VA State Police website: https://vspapps.vsp.virginia.gov/catspublic/public/publicHome.html
Are you considering getting an insurance license in the state of Virginia? If you are, then you probably have a lot of questions about where to go, who to talk to and what to do. Fortunately, America’s Professor has pulled together all of our knowledge and resources to create one comprehensive site with the answers you require. Below you will find sample questions, basics of test format and scoring, pricing, testing locations, how to fully prepare yourself for the exam and more!
We’re here to help you succeed and that means providing you with the best information available. Our courses offer preparation for all types of state insurance licensing exams and they are available to you at the click of a mouse. Read on and enroll today!
What kind of questions do they put on the Virginia insurance test?
What score do I need to pass the Virginia insurance exam?
Are questions grouped by category?
What is the cost of the Virginia insurance exam?
How many questions are on the Virginia insurance exam?
Where can I take the Virginia insurance exam? (Testing center locations)
How do I sign up to take the Virginia insurance exam?
Which Virginia insurance test is the toughest?
Will I have adequate time to complete the Virginia insurance test?
Is the Virginia insurance exam still given by the “paper and pencil” method?
What is the best test prep method for the Virginia insurance exam?
Helpful Links
General Insurance License Exam Information (Video)
What kind of questions do they put on the Virginia insurance test?
All of the Virginia insurance exam questions are multiple choice. There are no fill-ins (no need to memorize) and no essay (no need to be ready to explain anything) questions.
For example:
A multiple choice test will usually test heavily on definitions (terminology) and numbers (dollar amounts and number of days).
The exam is drawn from a large pool of questions – you will have a different set of questions than the person sitting next to you. If you retake the exam, expect to see very few of the questions repeated on the next exam. Students report that the exams vary greatly in terms of the number of questions on any given topic.
Students report that about 1/3 of the questions are terminology (definitional) questions, 1/3 are number/day questions, and 1/3 are questions where you have to apply the knowledge to reason through a practical situation (story problems – usually short).
What score do I need to pass the Virginia insurance exam?
In Virginia there are 7 basic exams – Life and Annuities, Health, Life, Annuities and Health Combo, Property and Casualty Combo, Personal Lines (no commercial), Public Adjuster and Title.
In Virginia, you need a score of 70 to pass the exam. Please be aware that if you take the exam and fail 3 times you will have to wait 30 days to reschedule.
Are questions grouped by category?
Our students always want to know if the questions regarding indemnification (for example) are grouped together. No, questions and topics are randomly scrambled, but that never seems to be a problem for anyone.
What is the cost of the Virginia insurance exam?
The cost is $35 for an examination. You may take up to two exams for that fee. A retake of any portion is the same fee.
What insurance exams are available?
| Series (with link to Test Content Outline) | Title |
| 11-01 | VA Life, Annuities and Health Insurance |
| 11-03 | VA Property and Casualty Insurance |
| 11-04 | VA Title Insurance |
| 11-05 | VA Life and Annuities Insurance |
| 11-06 | VA Health Insurance |
| 11-07 | VA Personal Lines Insurance |
| 11-08 | VA Public Adjuster |
How many questions are on the Virginia insurance exam?
Virginia Property and Casualty Insurance – 135 scored (10 pre-test) questions – 2.5-hour time limit
Virginia Personal Lines Insurance – 100 scored (5 pre-test) questions – Two-hour time limit
Virginia Public Adjuster – 50 scored (5 pre-test) questions – 1-hour time limit
Virginia Life, Annuities and Health Insurance – 140 scored (10 pretest) questions – 2.5-hour time limit
Virginia Life and Annuities – 90 scored (15 pre-test) questions – Two-hour time limit
Virginia Health Insurance – 90 scored (15 pre-test) questions – Two-hour time limit
Virginia Title Insurance – 75 scored (10 pre-test) questions – 90 minute time limit
Pretest questions do not count towards your score. You will not know what questions are real or pre-test questions when taking your exam. It’s very possible the pre-test questions will not even be covered in the Test Content Outline. It’s very important to know that these pre-test questions will be in your exam so you don’t start second guessing yourself when you see a question that you have no idea how to answer (make your best guess and stay calm!).
Where can I take the Virginia insurance exam? (Testing center locations)
Testing locations vary depending on the test you will be taking. Visit the ProScheduler website to see which locations near you are available. You also have the option to schedule a remotely proctored exam and you can do that here. Please review the environmental and computer systems requirements before you schedule a remotely proctored exam to make sure this option works for you.
Prometric will operate the following testing centers starting June 1, 2020 in the following Virginia cities: Bristol, Chesapeake, Falls Church, Lynchburg, Richmond, and Roanoke. In addition, Prometric plans to deliver exams at test centers as they are able to open in the following Virginia localities: Abingdon, Alexandria, Ashburn, Chantilly, Fairfax, Glen Allen, Grundy, Herndon, Norfolk, Reston, Sterling, Virginia Beach, and Winchester. Prometric will also make available testing centers in Bethesda, MD; Greensboro, NC, Hyattsville, MD, Raleigh, NC; and Washington, DC.
How do I sign up to take the Virginia insurance exam?
We recommend that you call Prometric (the company administering the exams) at 1-866-891-6396 or visit their website to schedule online https://www.prometric.com/virginia/insurance . Please be sure to call or visit the website well in advance of when you plan to take the test as the testing centers and online opportunities are filling up fast. The earlier you sign up, the better your chances of getting the test date of your choice. You can also use their test center/exam tool to see exam availability.
Which Virginia insurance test is the toughest?
Each insurance licensing exam presents its own challenge. Between Life, Annuities and Health, students say that the Virginia Health insurance exam is the more difficult. Health insurance policies are simply more complicated than life insurance policies.
The Property insurance part of the exam is easier than the Casualty insurance part of the exam. Property insurance deals with easy to understand issues – fire, flooding, earthquake, etc. On the other hand, Casualty insurance deals primarily with Liability insurance – protection against lawsuits. Casualty insurance is a more conceptual topic and one that is more difficult for students to grasp – particularly if you have never been sued.
The state portion of the Virginia insurance exam is very detailed and presents its own challenges. The state topics tend to cover trivial details relating to complicated state regulations. None of this is easy, but that is why we work so hard to make the material both understandable and memorable.
This is a challenging exam. Put yourself on a strict schedule as you do your exam prep work. Be focused and disciplined as you do your insurance test prep.
If you are getting a Property and Casualty license you must take the Property and Casualty exams at the same time. If you are getting Life, Annuities and Health licenses then you may take the Life & Annuities exam at a different time than the Health exam. For some people it is easier to get one exam out of the way at a time.
Will I have adequate time to complete the Virginia insurance test?
Yes. We have never had students say that they ran out of time to complete the exam. Most students finish in about half of the allotted time (up to 3 1/2 hours). The only students who ever report that they ran out of time were those who were trying to memorize questions in the event they had to repeat the exam. If English is not your first language or you require other testing accommodations, you can request accommodations by visiting Prometric’s “Arrange Testing Accommodations” page. Here is a list of accommodations Prometric can provide. Keep in mind that accommodations need to be requested and approved prior to testing and availability can vary by location. Please arrange these prior to scheduling your exam as you will be asked whether you have been approved for accommodations when you schedule.
Is the Virginia insurance exam still given by the “paper and pencil” method?
No, this is a computerized exam. However, as an accommodation to test takers you may request to take the test via “paper and pencil” method. More information on that can be found here. You can also visit Prometric’s Arrange Testing Accommodations page for more information.
Virtually all of the students say the proctors were helpful, the room was quiet, and the computer worked well. The testing software gives you the opportunity to complete a practice exam to learn how to use the system. When you are finished testing and submit your exam, you will NOT be given a copy of the exam, nor will you be given the opportunity to review particular questions and their answers. The exam will be scored immediately and you will know your results when you leave.
What is the best test prep method for the Virginia insurance exam?
There is no alternative to knowing the material. There are no shortcuts to learning but there are more effective and less frustrating ways to learn. We recommend that you follow a 4-step process:
- watch and listen to the lecture;
- highlight key concepts in the text;
- review questions in the test bank; and
- send AP an email if you have any questions.
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| Virginia Online Video Courses | Virginia Sample Insurance Questions |
Helpful links:
- America’s Professor Insurance Courses for Virginia – https://americasprofessor.com/course_cat/virginia-insurance-exam-prep-courses/
- Virginia Department of Insurance – https://scc.virginia.gov/pages/Bureau-of-Insurance
- Virginia Department of insurance Licensing and Renewals – https://scc.virginia.gov/pages/License-Renewals
- Virginia Criminal Background Check – https://www.vsp.virginia.gov/CJIS_Criminal_Record_Check.shtm
- NAIC Website – http://www.naic.org/
- Prometric Virginia – https://www.prometric.com/virginia/insurance
- Prometric Testing Accommodations Page – https://www.prometric.com/test-takers/arrange-testing-accommodations
General Insurance License Exam Information:
I am told I need a personal lines license in my resident state of Virginia to be paid referral fees by one of the multiple quote auto and home insurance companies. I am confused as to how the exam is different from the Property and Casualty licensing exam. Is it essentially the same study material and is the personal lines exam any easier than p/c exam?
Hi Jefro, A full Property and Casualty license includes commercial insurance as well as the personal lines. As you can imagine, there can be pretty good commissions with commercial policies. If a student takes a full Property and Casualty course from us we can tell them which chapters (commercial) to not study. Although we would recommend you just complete the whole course and have a full license so that you are not limited in the future on any PC commissions. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Hello Dennis, The only exam in Virginia that requires you to take an approved pre-licensing course is for Title insurance. Our Virginia Property, Casualty, Life, Annuities and Health courses will prepare you to pass the Virginia insurance exams for those respective lines. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks and have a great day.
Hello Diane, If you fail the insurance license exam in Virginia 3 times you must wait 30 days before you can take the exam again. I don’t think there is really a limit to the amount of times you can take it but in most situations a student is able to pass within those 3 attempts. My guess is that if you fail three times the state wants you to take another course and be better prepared for your next (and hopefully last) attempt. Please let us know if you are in need of a great Virginia P & C… Read more »
Hi Allendy,
It’s very important that you know the test content (course material) inside and out. The test centers get paid each time you have to take the exam so yes, the exams are difficult. For the best possible chance of passing it’s very important that you follow our course study guide and fully complete the course before testing. Please call in (1-800-870-3130) and let us know if you have any questions. Thanks and have a great day!
Hi Larry, you first need to get a Personal Lines license by studying up (unfortunately we only have full Property and Casualty courses) then taking the Personal Lines exam with Pearson VUE. After passing the exam you will apply for the license with the state of Virginia (as you did with your Life and Annuities license). After you have your license you will want to call the insurance department in the states you would like have reciprocity with and inquire as requirements change from state-to-state. Good luck!
Hi Brittany, As an underwriter I don’t think you do, but I think it would help tremendously. You should probably call the Virginia licensing department at 804-371-9631 and ask them specifically. Often companies will want you licensed from a liability standpoint, but not all. In Virginia there is only one Pearson VUE license exam that requires an approved pre-licensing class/course… and that’s the Title exam. So if you go the license route (recommended) Yes, you must take a test with Pearson VUE and the test must be preceded with an approved 16-hour Title pre-licensing course (Which we do not have).… Read more »
I passed the Life, Health, and Annuities exam, and received my license about 10 years ago. Unfortunately I didn’t keep up the continuing education. I’m sure it has expired. Do I need to retake the exam again or is there a way to make up the credits needed to bring the license(s) to current status?
Hi Barbara, Beings you are 10 years out you would need to start over and take the state licensing exam again. Most states only allow you to make up the CE credits and pay a reinstatement fee if you are within 1 year of license expiration. It might not hurt to call the state licensing department (804-371-9631) to see if they could help you out though. Good luck!
Hello! There is not a pre-licensing course requirement for Life or Health testing in Virginia (only Title insurance) so you don’t have to worry about credit or certificates of completion. Just be sure to choose a course students are have great success with and that matches your learning style. Here is a link to our online video Virginia Life Health license course. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Hello Ron, You will need a Property and Casualty (PC) license to sell auto insurance. We have a great Virginia Property and Casualty course that will prepare you for the licensing exam. You will then want to research auto insurance companies and see which one of them will allow you to sell their policies. Let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Hello Brandon, You would want to get your Property and Casualty (PC) license to sell home and auto types of policies. Here is a link to our VA PC course. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks and have a great day!
Hi Sabrina, If you are looking to pick up a non-resident license in Virginia you can look at NIPR’s Virginia page for the process and fees. Good luck!
