This page is for people applying for a District of Columbia insurance license through the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB). The exams are taken on computer at Pearson VUE test centers and cost $75 per exam. Here you will find free practice sets by topic, worked explanations of sample questions, the main exam rules gathered together, and a short study plan for the weeks before test day.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
According to Government of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB); exams administered by Pea, “REQUIRED SCALED PASSING SCORES EXAM PASSING SCORE Producer 70”[2]
The DC insurance exam is the licensing test for people who want to work as a resident insurance producer in the District of Columbia. DISB handles licensing. Pearson VUE runs the exams on computer at test centers in its regulatory network, which has over 200 locations nationwide.
Resident applicants must pass the exam for the area they are applying for, unless they held a like license or authority in another jurisdiction within 90 days of applying. You must book online at least 24 hours before your exam date, and walk-ins are not accepted. The fee is $75 per exam, paid by credit card, debit card or voucher when you reserve.
Time limits depend on the line. Life, Health, Property and Casualty each allow 2 hours, and Public Adjuster allows 1 hour. Question counts also vary: the Public Adjuster exam has 50 scored questions and the Title exam has 80. Scores are scaled, and the passing score for the producer exam is 70.
If you do not pass, you must wait 24 hours before booking a retake, and each attempt costs $75. After you pass, you have 1 year to apply for your license. Licenses renew every 2 years in your birth month and require 24 continuing education credit hours. These rules can change, so check the details in the Pearson VUE DC candidate handbook and on the DISB website before you book.
The content areas below are copied from the official DC content outline published by Government of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB); exams administered by Pea. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Practice on this site |
|---|---|
| COMPLETING THE APPLICATION, UNDERWRITING, AND DELIVERING THE POLICES[1] | Start Practice Test Practise who signs the application, what the insurer reviews when underwriting, and what has to happen when a policy is delivered and the premium is collected. |
| DISTICT OF COLUMBIA LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS PERTINENT TO LIFE INSURANCE ONLY[1] | DC Insurance Licensing and Regulation Study the DC rules that apply only to life insurance, such as replacement, required disclosures and policy provisions set by law. |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS COMMON TO LIFE, ACCIDENT AND HEALTH, PROPERTY, AND CASUALTY INSURANCE[1] | DC Ethics and Unfair Practices in Insurance Review producer licensing duties, DISB authority and unfair trade practices such as misrepresentation, twisting and rebating. |
| POLICY RIDERS, PROVISIONS, OPTIONS, AND EXCLUSIONS[1] | DC Disability and Long-Term Care Insurance Learn what common riders add, how standard provisions work, and which exclusions limit coverage. |
| RETIREMENT AND OTHER INSURANCE CONCEPTS[1] | DC Annuities and Retirement Insurance Prod... Practise how annuities accumulate and pay out, how qualified and nonqualified plans differ, and the basics of how they are taxed. |
| TYPES OF POLICIES[1] | DC Life Insurance Compare term, whole, universal and variable life policies by premium, cash value and how long coverage lasts. |
Prepare for the DC - District of Columbia Insurance exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: What is 'surplus lines' insurance in DC?
Answer: B. Insurance placed with non-admitted insurers for risks that cannot be placed in the admitted market
Explanation:
The answer is B. Surplus lines insurance is coverage placed with non-admitted insurers, meaning insurers that are not licensed in DC, for risks the admitted market cannot or will not cover. Option A is wrong because an insurer's capital does not make its business surplus lines. A well-funded admitted insurer still writes admitted coverage. Option C is wrong because surplus lines is a private market, not a federal program. Option D describes reinsurance, which insurers buy to spread their own risk. It is not coverage sold to the public. Rule to remember: surplus lines means a non-admitted insurer covering a hard-to-place risk, usually arranged through a licensed surplus lines broker.
Question: All of the following are elements necessary for a contract to be valid, EXCEPT:
Answer: B. Signature
Explanation:
The answer is B. A signature is not a required element of a valid contract. A valid contract needs agreement (an offer and an acceptance), consideration (something of value exchanged), competent parties (people legally able to make a contract) and a legal purpose. Options A, C and D are all on that list, so none of them can be the exception. A signature is good evidence that the parties agreed, and insurance applications are normally signed for that reason. Still, a contract is valid because of the elements above, not because of the signature. Rule to remember: for an EXCEPT question, check each option against the list of required elements and pick the one that is missing from it.
Question: Which endorsement adds earthquake coverage to a DC commercial property policy?
Answer: B. Earthquake endorsement
Explanation:
The answer is B. Standard commercial property forms exclude earth movement, so the direct way to add earthquake coverage is an earthquake endorsement. Option A is wrong because an extended coverage endorsement adds perils such as windstorm, hail and smoke to older fire-only forms, not earthquake. Option C is a trap. Difference in conditions coverage can include earthquake, but it is written as a separate policy that fills gaps, not as an endorsement to the existing policy. Option D adds flood, which is a different excluded peril. Rule to remember: when the base form excludes a peril, look for the endorsement named after that peril.
Start with the official material. Download the Pearson VUE candidate handbook for DC, read the content outline for your line of authority, and note your exam's time limit. Then take the general DC practice test without notes to see where you stand.
Next, work through the topic sets that match your weak areas. Life and health candidates should focus on DC Life Insurance, Annuities and Retirement, Disability and Long-Term Care and Medicare Supplement. Property and casualty candidates should use Property, Homeowners, Auto, Commercial and General Liability. Everyone should practise Licensing and Regulation and Ethics and Unfair Practices, because DC laws common to all lines are on the outline.
After each set, read every explanation, including the ones for questions you got right, and write the rule down in your own words. Before you retake a set, review that topic in the handbook or your prelicensing course.
In the last days before the exam, take mixed sets under a timer. Book your seat at least 24 hours ahead. If you need a retake, you must wait 24 hours before booking and pay $75 again.
The exam costs $75 per exam. You pay by credit card, debit card or voucher when you make your reservation, and each retake costs another $75. The fee is listed in the Pearson VUE DC candidate handbook, so check that document before booking in case it has changed.
You need a scaled score of 70 to pass the producer exam. A scaled score is converted to a common scale instead of being reported as a raw count of correct answers. If you are taking a different DC license exam, look up its required score in the Pearson VUE handbook.
It depends on the line. Life, Health, Property and Casualty each have a 2 hour limit, and Public Adjuster has a 1 hour limit. The Public Adjuster exam has 50 scored questions and the Title exam has 80 scored questions. For question counts on other exams, see the Pearson VUE DC handbook.
You can take it again, but you must wait 24 hours before making a new reservation. Retakes cannot be booked at the test center. Each attempt costs $75. Before you rebook, use the time to review the topics where you lost points.
Maybe not. DISB says resident applicants must either pass the exam for the area they are applying for or have held a like license or authority in another jurisdiction within 90 days of applying. Check the DISB producer information page to see how this applies to you.
You must apply for your license within 1 year of passing the exam. After you are licensed, the license renews every 2 years in your birth month. By the expiration date you must complete 24 continuing education credit hours, and those hours count across all your lines of authority.
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