How to pass the life insurance licensing exam

Is the life insurance licensing exam the same in every state?

No. Each state writes its own exam and picks a vendor to run it. The Florida, Texas and Georgia candidate handbooks are all published by Pearson VUE, and the Texas Department of Insurance sends applicants to Pearson VUE for the exam. Other states use vendors such as Prometric or PSI, so start with your state insurance department, not a national study site.

The format is similar everywhere. It is a computer-based, multiple-choice test with a general section on insurance products and a state section on your state's insurance law. Each exam also carries unscored pretest questions that the vendor is trying out. They are mixed in and not marked, so treat every question as if it counts.

Florida's $44 exam fee is also listed on the state's fee page. The Texas fee comes from the October 2024 handbook and the Georgia fee from the October 2026 handbook. Fees change, so confirm the number on your vendor's page when you book.

What is on the life insurance licensing exam?

The exam covers what the state's content outline lists, and the outline gives each section a weight. Florida's handbook says the outline takes precedence when a course or study manual disagrees with it. That makes the outline the first thing to download. Florida has published a revised outline for exams taken on or after January 1, 2027, so pick the one that matches your test date. The section weights for the Health and Life exam are the same in both versions.

Read that table for what it tells you. Florida law is 33 percent of the combined exam, and health topics are 34 percent, so a candidate who studies only life products leaves a large share of the score untouched. The Florida Life and Annuity exam has its own shorter outline, so check which exam your license class needs.

Texas and Georgia publish counts instead of percentages. Both life exams score 80 questions: 50 on general product knowledge and 30 on state law.

• Texas general section (50): types of policies 15, riders, provisions, options and exclusions 15, completing the application, underwriting and delivering the policy 12, retirement and other insurance concepts 8.
• Texas state section (30): Texas statutes and rules common to life and health 20, life insurance only 10.
• Georgia general section (50): the same four topics, weighted 15, 15, 12 and 8.
• Georgia state section (30): Georgia laws and rules for life, accident and sickness insurance 24, rules and codes for life insurance only 6. The life-only part includes replacement of life insurance.

What score do you need to pass?

The pass mark is 70 in all three states, but it is measured differently. Florida's handbook says the passing score is 70 percent, computed from the number of questions answered correctly. Georgia's handbook says you need 70 percent of questions correct. Texas reports a scaled score from 0 to 100 with a pass mark of 70, and its handbook states that the scaled score is neither the number nor the percentage of questions you answered correctly. Scaling adjusts for the fact that one version of the exam can be slightly harder than another.

The state's own data says the exam is a real test. In 2025 the average candidate answered 67 percent of Florida Health and Life questions correctly, just under the 70 percent pass mark. Treat the pass figure as a share of exam candidates, not as a first-time pass rate, because the report does not separate first attempts from retakes. Pass rates quoted on study sites often cite no source or old data.

How do you study for the exam?

1. Download the content outline for your exam and test date from your vendor's state page. Print the section weights.
2. Learn the general section from your course or a state-approved manual. Florida's handbook lists approved study manuals and notes that Florida-specific questions are drawn from state-approved materials and Florida statutes.
3. Study your state's law as its own subject. It is one third of the Florida exam and 30 of 80 scored questions in Texas and Georgia.
4. Spend study time in proportion to the weights, then add extra time where your practice results are weakest.
5. Take timed practice tests. Pearson VUE sells state practice tests that mirror the real format, and its Florida handbook warns that passing a practice test does not guarantee passing the real exam.
6. Review every miss by topic. If you keep missing riders or replacement rules, go back to that outline section.
7. Book the exam when your practice scores sit at or above the pass mark consistently, not on a date picked in advance.

No handbook publishes a number of study hours that guarantees a pass, and neither does this guide. Pace is the one number you can calculate. Florida's Health and Life exam has 165 questions in 165 minutes, about a minute each. Texas and Georgia give you 90 questions in two hours. Practice at that speed.

What are the test-day rules?

• Arrive 30 minutes early. All three handbooks say to report to the test center 30 minutes before the exam.
• Bring the right ID. Florida requires one current, unexpired, government-issued photo ID with a signature. Texas and Georgia require two: a government photo ID with a signature plus a second ID with a signature, such as a Social Security card or a credit card. The name must match your registration exactly, and there is no grace period for an ID that expired yesterday.
• Leave your things outside the room. Phones, watches, bags, coats, wallets and notes are not allowed in the testing room, and you cannot study in the test center. The center gives you note materials in the room.
• Know the break rule. You can usually ask for a break, but the clock keeps running and you must stay on the floor or in the building.
• Check the calculator rule. Florida does not allow personal calculators but lets you request one from staff. Texas allows a silent, hand-held, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad, and the test center does not provide one.
• Do not miss the appointment. Florida's handbook says a no-show forfeits the fee, and you must cancel or change a reservation at least 48 hours ahead.

You get a score report when you finish. Florida and Texas candidates leave with their official scores in hand, and Georgia's report is marked pass or fail. Florida and Georgia failers also get diagnostic information about how they did by topic.

What happens if you fail the exam?

• Florida: you pay the exam fee again and book through Pearson VUE. The limit is five attempts on the same exam type in a 12-month period. The state also requires a procedure for people who failed to review their most recent exam questions and answers, and the handbook says to register at a test center if you want that option.
• Texas: there is no limit on attempts, and you can book a new exam within one day. Exam material is not available for review.
• Georgia: you can book the new exam within one day but must wait 14 days to retest after attempts one and two, and 60 days after the third attempt and any later attempt. There is no cap on attempts. Exam material is not available for review.

What comes after you pass?

A pass is not a license. You still apply to the state, usually online, and a carrier still has to appoint you before you can sell. The clock matters too. Florida's handbook says a passing score is valid for one year, and Texas says you must finish the application within 12 months of passing or retake the exam. Georgia's handbook says pre-licensing courses are valid for one year, so you must pass the exam within a year of finishing the course.

• Florida: apply through the state's MyProfile system. The handbook lists a $50 application fee, a $5 license identification fee and fingerprints through Live Scan. A Florida license also has to be backed by a carrier appointment within 48 months or it expires.
• Texas: apply through Sircon or the NIPR after passing. The Texas Department of Insurance lists a $50 application fee and a fingerprint background check through IdentoGO.
• Georgia: apply through Sircon after passing. New applicants also submit a notarized citizenship affidavit.

Our license guide covers the steps before the exam, and the state guides for Florida, Texas and Georgia cover each state's requirements. After the license comes carrier contracting, then your first-week checklist.

How does Checkmate fit once you pass?

Checkmate Financial Group is an independent agency with 1,000+ licensed agents and 40+ A-rated carriers. Contracts, carrier appointments and portal access are handled during onboarding, so the paperwork after the exam does not fall on you. Agents work inbound calls and qualified web leads, and live training runs every day with mentors who have built their own books. See the full picture on our agent page.