Delaware Life & Health Insurance License Exam Overview
The Delaware Life & Health Insurance License Exams are administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Delaware Department of Insurance (DOI). Delaware requires two separate exams for full Life & Health authority: one for Life and one for Accident & Health. Both exams draw from a national general-knowledge section and a Delaware state-specific section.
Exam Format at a Glance
Delaware requires two separate exams for Life & Health licensing:
| Component | Life Exam | Accident & Health Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Total Questions | 101 (90 scored, 11 pretest) | 110 (92 scored, 18 pretest) |
| Time Limit | 135 minutes (1 hr 15 min general + 1 hr state) | 135 minutes (1 hr 15 min general + 1 hr state) |
| Passing Score | 70% | 70% |
| Testing Vendor | Pearson VUE | Pearson VUE |
| Exam Fee | $90 (or $90 total if both taken same day) | $90 (or $90 total if both taken same day) |
| Pre-licensing Education | Not required | Not required |
| Exam Series | InsDE_Life01 | InsDE_Health02 |
Same-day discount: If you schedule both the Life and Accident & Health exams on the same day, you pay only one $90 examination fee. This does not apply to Personal Lines.
Complete Cost Breakdown
| Expense | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Exam fee (one exam) | $90 | Paid to Pearson VUE at reservation |
| Exam fee (both exams same day) | $90 total | Single fee covers both exams |
| License application | $125 | Via NIPR (state fee) |
| NIPR transaction fee | ~$5-7 | Added at checkout |
| Background check | ~$85 | FBI and state criminal history report |
| Fingerprinting | Varies | Via IdentoGO |
| Estimated total | ~$300-350 | Without optional prelicensing course |
Why Get Licensed in Delaware?
- High income market — Wealthy clientele with high per-capita income
- Corporate hub — Many businesses incorporated here
- Small but concentrated — Easy to network
- Strategic location — Philadelphia/Baltimore proximity
- Business-friendly — Low regulatory burden
- Career outlook — Insurance sales agents earn a median annual wage of $60,370 nationally (BLS, May 2024); Delaware's mean wage is approximately $66,100 (Delaware LMI, 2024)
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Official Pearson VUE Content Outline Weights
The Delaware insurance exams follow official content outlines published by Pearson VUE, effective January 15, 2025. Each exam has a general-knowledge section and a Delaware state-specific section.
Delaware Life Exam — 90 Scored Questions
| Content Section | Scored Questions | % of Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Types of Policies | 15 | 17% |
| Policy Riders, Provisions, Options, and Exclusions | 15 | 17% |
| Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering Policies | 12 | 13% |
| Taxes, Retirement, and Other Insurance Concepts | 8 | 9% |
| DE Statutes Pertinent to All Lines | 13 | 14% |
| DE Statutes Common to Life & Health Insurance | 5 | 6% |
| DE Statutes Pertinent to Life Insurance Only | 10 | 11% |
| Insurance Ethics | 12 | 13% |
| Total Scored | 90 | 100% |
Delaware Accident & Health Exam — 92 Scored Questions
| Content Section | Scored Questions | % of Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Types of Policies | 16 | 17% |
| Policy Provisions, Clauses, and Riders | 15 | 16% |
| Social Insurance | 6 | 7% |
| Other Insurance Concepts | 5 | 5% |
| Field Underwriting Procedures | 8 | 9% |
| DE Statutes Pertinent to All Lines | 13 | 14% |
| DE Statutes Common to Life & Health Insurance | 5 | 5% |
| DE Statutes Pertinent to Accident & Health Only | 12 | 13% |
| Insurance Ethics | 12 | 13% |
| Total Scored | 92 | 100% |
Source: Pearson VUE Delaware Insurance Content Outlines (#120801, effective January 15, 2025).
Key Topics Covered on the Exam
1. Life Insurance Products
The Life exam devotes 50 scored questions (56% of the exam) to general product knowledge. Annuities are tested within "Types of Policies," not as a separate section.
Key Policy Features:
| Feature | Delaware Standard |
|---|---|
| Grace Period | 30 days (individual), 31 days (group) |
| Incontestability | 2 years |
| Suicide Clause | 2 years |
| Free Look | 10 days (20 days for replacements) |
2. Health Insurance Products
The Accident & Health exam devotes 50 scored questions (54% of the exam) to general product knowledge, covering disability income, medical expense, Medicare supplement, long-term care, and group health.
Delaware-Specific Topics:
- Healthcare.gov (Delaware uses federal exchange)
- Delaware Medicaid
- CHIP (Delaware Healthy Children Program)
- Essential health benefits
3. Annuities
Annuities are tested as a subset of "Types of Policies" on the Life exam (within the 15-question, 17% section). Key concepts include:
- Fixed, variable, and indexed annuities
- Single vs. flexible premium
- Immediate vs. deferred
- Accumulation and annuitization phases
- Suitability requirements
- Surrender provisions
4. Delaware Insurance Regulations
The state-specific section includes 40 scored questions on the Life exam (44%) and 42 scored questions on the Health exam (46%). This covers:
- Title 18 Delaware Code (Insurance)
- DOI authority and powers
- Producer licensing requirements
- Unfair trade practices
- Replacement regulations
- Credit life and health
5. Ethics
Ethics accounts for 12 scored questions (13%) on each exam. Key topics include:
- Fiduciary duties
- Disclosure requirements
- Privacy protections
- Fair Credit Reporting Act compliance
- Unfair methods of competition
Insurance Agent Career Outlook in Delaware
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $60,370 for insurance sales agents (SOC 41-3021) as of May 2024. In Delaware, approximately 1,140 insurance sales agents are employed, with a mean hourly wage of $31.78 (approximately $66,100 annually), according to the Delaware Labor Market Information publication (2024).
Delaware's high per-capita income and concentration of incorporated businesses create a strong market for licensed insurance producers. The state's proximity to Philadelphia and Baltimore also expands the potential client base.
Study Timeline for Success
| Week | Focus Area | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1-2 | Life insurance | 12-15 |
| Week 2-3 | Health insurance | 12-15 |
| Week 3-4 | Annuities/Delaware regs | 12-15 |
| Week 4-5 | Practice exams | 12-15 |
Total recommended study time: 50-60 hours
Delaware-Specific Exam Tips
Key Numbers to Know
| Topic | Delaware Requirement |
|---|---|
| Grace period | 30 days (individual), 31 days (group) |
| Free look | 10 days (20 days for replacements) |
| Pre-licensing | Not required |
| CE requirement | 24 hours/2 years (3 hours ethics) |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Exam fee | $90 (both exams same day = $90 total) |
| License application | $125 via NIPR (plus transaction fee) |
| License validity | 2 years |
| Exam score validity | 12 months from exam date |
| Background check | Required (FBI + state, within 90 days of application) |
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How to Use This Guide Without Missing State-Specific Details
Treat this article as your working roadmap, then verify the administrative details against official sources before you schedule. Insurance licensing changes are usually small, but small changes matter on exam day: a vendor switch, new fingerprinting workflow, revised candidate handbook, or updated application checklist can delay a license even when you know the content. Start with your state insurance department, then confirm the testing vendor account, then check the National Insurance Producer Registry licensing flow if your state uses it. The NAIC state insurance department directory is a practical starting point when you need the current regulator website, and NIPR state requirements can help you verify application steps after the exam.
For the content itself, separate national insurance knowledge from Delaware-specific law. National life and health questions test concepts that transfer across states: contract parties, insurable interest, beneficiary designations, policy riders, annuity phases, health policy renewability, disability income definitions, Medicare supplement basics, group health coordination, and unfair trade practices. The state section asks how those ideas are administered in Delaware. When a question includes a number, deadline, appointment step, replacement notice, continuing education rule, or regulator power, slow down and decide whether it is a national default or a Delaware rule.
A Practical Study Workflow for the Final Two Weeks
Use the last two weeks to convert recognition into decision speed. On day one, take a mixed diagnostic in /study-guides/de-life-health and tag every missed question by reason: did you miss a definition, confuse two similar products, overlook a state rule, or run out of time? Definitions need flashcards. Similar products need comparison tables. State rules need a short checklist. Timing mistakes need practice blocks with a visible clock.
During the first week, work in focused sets. Do life insurance one day, health insurance the next, annuities after that, and Delaware law at least every other session. Do not wait until the end to study regulations. Many candidates know term versus whole life but lose points on replacement, advertising, producer authority, unfair claims practices, or what must happen before a license is issued. After each set, rewrite the explanation in your own words. If you cannot explain why the wrong answer is wrong, you have not finished the question.
During the second week, switch to exam simulation. Use full mixed quizzes, then spend more time reviewing than answering. For life insurance, drill policy provisions, riders, beneficiary changes, settlement options, nonforfeiture options, and taxation at a high level. For health insurance, drill renewability, exclusions, disability definitions, long-term care, Medicare supplement rules, group versus individual contracts, and coordination of benefits. For annuities, make sure you can distinguish accumulation from annuitization, fixed from variable, immediate from deferred, and suitability from general sales preference.
Common Life and Health Traps
A common trap is answering from everyday sales language instead of policy language. "Cash value," "premium," "benefit," "owner," "insured," and "beneficiary" have precise exam meanings. Another trap is treating Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and Medicaid as interchangeable. They are different programs or products, and exam questions often reward the candidate who notices which one is actually named.
Replacement questions deserve special attention. The exam may ask what must be disclosed, when notices are required, how existing coverage should be treated, or why twisting is prohibited. Do not memorize replacement as simply "bad." Replacement can be legitimate, but it becomes a compliance issue when comparison, disclosure, or suitability duties are ignored.
Health questions also use similar-sounding renewability terms. Noncancelable, guaranteed renewable, conditionally renewable, optionally renewable, and cancelable policies allocate power differently between insurer and insured. Build a one-page table and practice from both directions: given the term, state the rule; given the rule, name the term.
Exam-Day Checklist
Before test day, confirm your appointment time, approved identification, remote-proctoring rules if applicable, calculator policy, and reschedule deadline from the testing vendor. Use the exact legal name from your licensing and exam records. If your ID and registration do not match, content knowledge will not help at check-in.
On the exam, answer the direct question first before reading extra meaning into the facts. Insurance exams often include plausible distractors that are true statements but do not answer the question asked. Mark long calculation or scenario questions and come back after securing the easier definition and rule points. If you are stuck between two options, identify which answer is broader, which is more specific, and whether the question asks for an exception. Exceptions are where many state-law points hide.
If You Do Not Pass on the First Attempt
A failed attempt is useful data if you treat the score report correctly. Do not simply reread the same chapter. Sort weak areas into national product knowledge, Delaware law, and test-taking process. For product knowledge, rebuild comparison charts. For state law, verify the current rule from official regulator materials and then practice short recall prompts. For process issues, take timed sets and force yourself to explain why each wrong answer was attractive.
Schedule the next attempt only after your weakest two categories have improved in practice. A good target is not just a passing average; it is consistency. When you can pass several mixed sets in a row without relying on memorized question wording, you are closer to exam readiness.
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