100+ Free GH 101 Practice Questions

Pass your SOA GH 101 Benefits and Pricing exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately

100+ Questions

100% Free

1 / 100

Question 1

Score: 0/0

Under IRC Section 79, what dollar amount of employer-provided group term life insurance is excludable from an employee's gross income?

The first $25,000 of coverage

The first $50,000 of coverage

The first $100,000 of coverage

All employer-paid premium regardless of face amount

to track

Same family resources

More SOA Actuarial Exams Prep

Continue through related practice pages, study guides, comparisons, and articles from the same exam family.

Practice Pages

SOA Exam ALTAM - Advanced Long-Term Actuarial Mathematics Practice200 questions SOA Exam ASTAM - Advanced Short-Term Actuarial Mathematics Practice200 questions SOA Exam FAM - Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics Practice200 questions SOA Exam FM - Financial Mathematics Practice200 questions SOA Exam P - Probability Practice200 questions SOA Exam PA - Predictive Analytics Practice200 questions

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: GH 101 Exam

~5 hrs

Exam Time

SOA GH 101 syllabus

~$1,275

Exam Fee

SOA fee table

3/yr

Sittings (Mar/Jul/Nov)

SOA exam schedule

20%

Pricing Methodology Weight

SOA GH 101 syllabus

20%

Medical Plan Designs Weight

SOA GH 101 syllabus

100

Free Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

GH 101 Benefits and Pricing is the first of two SOA Group and Health FSA-track exams under the 2025 restructuring, replacing the legacy GH-DP and GH-CORE content. It is offered three times per year (March, July, November), runs roughly 5 hours, and uses a written-response case study. The 2026 syllabus weights Pricing Methodology and Medical Plan Designs at 20% each, with Group Insurance Products and Trend/IBNR at 15%, Reserve Setting, Stop-Loss, and Regulatory each at 10%. The pass mark is set per sitting by SOA and is not published as a fixed raw score.

Sample GH 101 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your GH 101 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under IRC Section 79, what dollar amount of employer-provided group term life insurance is excludable from an employee's gross income?

A.The first $25,000 of coverage

B.The first $50,000 of coverage

C.The first $100,000 of coverage

D.All employer-paid premium regardless of face amount

Explanation: IRC Section 79 allows employees to exclude the cost of the first $50,000 of employer-provided group term life insurance from gross income. Coverage above $50,000 generates imputed income calculated using IRS Table I age-banded rates.

2An employee is hospitalized on the date a new group medical plan would otherwise become effective. Under a typical Active-At-Work provision, what happens to that employee's coverage?

A.Coverage begins as scheduled with no condition

B.Coverage is deferred until the employee returns to work

C.Coverage begins but excludes the current condition forever

D.The employee must convert to an individual policy

Explanation: An Active-At-Work clause requires the employee to be actively performing the customary duties of their job on the effective date. If they are not, the start of coverage is typically deferred until the day they return to active service.

3An employee terminates employment and elects to convert their group term life coverage to an individual policy. Within how many days must they typically apply for conversion?

A.15 days

B.31 days

C.60 days

D.90 days

Explanation: Under standard group life conversion provisions, a terminated employee generally has 31 days from the date group coverage ends to apply for an individual conversion policy without evidence of insurability.

4Which feature distinguishes group life portability from group life conversion?

A.Portability lets the employee continue the group term certificate at group rates without converting to whole life

B.Portability requires evidence of insurability while conversion does not

C.Portability is mandated by ERISA while conversion is voluntary

D.Portability is always cheaper than the original group rate

Explanation: Portability allows a departing employee to continue the same group term coverage at modified group rates, typically without medical underwriting up to a cap. Conversion, by contrast, transitions the certificate to an individual permanent (often whole life) policy at higher individual rates.

5A 55-year-old employee has $200,000 of employer-paid group term life. Using IRS Table I, the monthly cost per $1,000 of coverage above $50,000 at age 55 is $0.43. What is the employee's monthly imputed income?

A.$21.50

B.$43.00

C.$64.50

D.$86.00

Explanation: Imputed income applies to the $150,000 of coverage above the $50,000 exclusion. $150,000 / $1,000 = 150 units, multiplied by $0.43 per unit per month equals $64.50 of monthly imputed income reportable on the employee's W-2.

6Under a typical AD&D schedule, what is the benefit for the loss of one hand?

A.25% of the principal sum

B.50% of the principal sum

C.75% of the principal sum

D.100% of the principal sum

Explanation: Standard AD&D dismemberment schedules pay 100% of the principal sum for accidental death or loss of two members (e.g., both hands), and 50% of the principal sum for loss of one member such as one hand, foot, or eye.

7A group short-term disability plan has a 7-day elimination period and a 26-week benefit duration replacing 60% of pre-disability earnings. The employer pays 100% of the premium. How are STD benefits taxed when paid?

A.Tax-free to the employee

B.Fully taxable as ordinary income

C.Taxable only on the portion above 50% of earnings

D.Subject only to FICA, not income tax

Explanation: When the employer pays 100% of the disability premium with pre-tax dollars, the resulting benefit payments are fully taxable to the employee as ordinary income. If the employee paid the premium with after-tax dollars, the benefits would be received tax-free.

8A group LTD policy has a 180-day elimination period and benefits payable to age 65. After 24 months of disability, the policy switches from an own-occupation to any-occupation definition. Which feature does this describe?

A.Residual disability rider

B.Two-tier disability definition

C.Cost-of-living adjustment

D.Recurrent disability provision

Explanation: A two-tier (sometimes called split or modified own-occupation) definition pays benefits during the initial period (commonly 24 months) if the insured cannot perform their own occupation, then tightens to any reasonable occupation thereafter. This balances benefit security with cost.

9A claimant with a $5,000 monthly LTD benefit begins receiving $1,800 per month from Social Security Disability Insurance. The LTD contract has a primary SSDI offset. What is the new LTD payment?

A.$5,000

B.$3,200

C.$1,800

D.$0

Explanation: A primary SSDI offset reduces the LTD benefit dollar-for-dollar by the SSDI amount paid to the claimant. $5,000 minus $1,800 equals $3,200 of LTD benefit, ensuring total replacement remains at the contract target without overpayment.

10Which medical plan design uses a primary care physician as a gatekeeper to coordinate referrals to specialists and pays providers via capitation?

A.PPO

B.HMO

C.HDHP

D.Indemnity

Explanation: An HMO requires members to select a primary care physician (PCP) who acts as a gatekeeper for specialist referrals. HMOs traditionally reimburse PCPs through capitation (a fixed per-member-per-month payment), which transfers some utilization risk to the provider.

About the GH 101 Exam

GH 101 Benefits and Pricing is the first of two exams in the SOA Group and Health FSA track introduced under the 2025 FSA restructuring. The exam tests group product design, US medical plan structures, plan-level pricing, trend and IBNR, reserves, stop-loss, and the federal regulatory environment using a written-response case study.

Assessment

Written-response exam with case study; covers group insurance product design, medical plan designs, pricing, trend and IBNR, reserves, stop-loss, and US health regulation.

Time Limit

~5 hours

Passing Score

Pass mark set by SOA

Exam Fee

~$1,275 (Society of Actuaries (SOA))

GH 101 Exam Content Outline

20%

Pricing Methodology

Manual rating versus experience rating, credibility blending (Z = sqrt(n/k) and Bühlmann Z = n/(n+k)), large-claim pooling, retrospective rating, and renewal mechanics.

20%

Medical Insurance Plan Designs

HMO, PPO, EPO, POS, HDHP/HSA, level-funded, and self-funded with stop-loss; ASO administration, TPAs, ICHRA, and PBM contracting.

15%

Group Insurance Products

Group life (Active-At-Work, conversion, portability, IRC §79), AD&D, group disability (STD and LTD), dental, vision, critical illness, and accident insurance.

15%

Trend Analysis and IBNR Estimation

Decomposition of medical trend (utilization, unit cost, intensity), pharmacy and specialty drug trend, leveraging effects, and lag-triangle, chain-ladder, and Bornhuetter-Ferguson methods.

10%

Reserve Setting

Claim reserves (RBP plus pure IBNR), contract reserves and active life reserves for level-premium long-duration health, GAAP DAC, and premium deficiency reserves.

10%

Reinsurance and Stop-Loss

Specific and aggregate stop-loss attachment design, lasers, advance funding, and 12/12 vs. 12/15 paid contract basis aligned to plan document and run-in/run-out windows.

10%

Regulatory Environment

ACA MLR (80% individual/small group, 85% large group), MHPAEA parity, ERISA Form 5500, COBRA 18/29/36 month durations, HIPAA, Section 125, RxDC (CAA 204), gag clause attestation (CAA 201), and the No Surprises Act.

How to Pass the GH 101 Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Pass mark set by SOA
Assessment: Written-response exam with case study; covers group insurance product design, medical plan designs, pricing, trend and IBNR, reserves, stop-loss, and US health regulation.
Time limit: ~5 hours
Exam fee: ~$1,275

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

GH 101 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master the credibility framework end-to-end: limited-fluctuation Z = sqrt(n/k) versus Bühlmann Z = n/(n+k), and how each is used in blended renewal pricing.

2Build a one-page reference of US group regulation: ACA MLR 80/85, MHPAEA parity, COBRA 18/29/36, ERISA Form 5500, RxDC, gag clause attestation, and No Surprises Act IDR.

3Practice walking a case study from plan document to stop-loss recovery, including run-in/run-out windows and how 12/12 vs. 12/15 paid bases change reported claims.

4Memorize the three-part medical trend decomposition (utilization, unit cost, intensity), and be ready to add demographic trend, pharmacy/specialty drug trend, and the leveraging effect of fixed deductibles.

5For each group product, know the standard provisions: Active-At-Work, 31-day conversion, portability, IRC §79 $50K group life exclusion, AD&D dismemberment schedule, STD/LTD elimination periods, own-occupation vs. any-occupation, and SSDI/WC offsets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GH 101 and how does it fit the new SOA FSA Group and Health track?

GH 101 Benefits and Pricing is the first of two FSA-track exams in the Group and Health specialty under SOA's 2025 FSA restructuring. It replaces the legacy GH-DP and GH-CORE exam content and pairs with GH 301 Health Analytics and Management to satisfy the GH track's exam requirement.

How long is GH 101 and how is it administered?

GH 101 is a roughly 5-hour written-response exam built around case-study material. SOA delivers it three times per year — typically March, July, and November sittings — via Prometric. There is no fixed multiple-choice question count; candidates write structured responses to project tasks.

What topics carry the most weight on GH 101?

Pricing Methodology and Medical Plan Designs each carry roughly 20% of the syllabus. Group Insurance Products and Trend/IBNR Estimation each carry about 15%, while Reserve Setting, Reinsurance and Stop-Loss, and the Regulatory Environment each carry about 10%.

What is the passing score for GH 101?

SOA does not publish a fixed raw passing score. The pass mark is set per sitting using SOA's content-based grading process. Results are reported on the SOA 0-10 scale, with grades 6-10 generally considered passing for fellowship exams.

Are there prerequisites for GH 101?

GH 101 is a fellowship-track exam, so candidates are expected to have completed the ASA designation (preliminary exams P, FM, FAM, ALTAM or ASTAM, SRM, PA, the FAM-L or FAM-S short-term/long-term modules, plus FSA general modules and other ASA requirements). The syllabus also assumes working familiarity with US health insurance and basic actuarial reserving.

How much does GH 101 cost and how do I register?

The standard SOA fellowship-track exam fee is approximately $1,275 in 2025-2026 (verify current pricing on SOA's exam-and-module fees page before registering). Candidates register for sittings through SOA's e-learning portal, then schedule the seat at Prometric.