Illinois Property & Casualty Exam Overview
Key Takeaways
- Illinois requires 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line, with at least 7.5 hours of live classroom (or webinar) instruction.
- A full P&C license requires passing FOUR exams: Property General, Property State, Casualty General, and Casualty State.
- Each exam costs $92; ordering the General and State portions of one line together waives the second $92 (so one line costs $92, not $184).
- Each exam must be passed with 70%; you must wait at least 5 days after passing before applying through NIPR.
- Illinois mandates 25/50/20 auto liability plus matching 25/50 uninsured-motorist bodily injury, and it is a fault (tort) state, not No-Fault.
Welcome to OpenExamPrep's FREE Illinois Property & Casualty (P&C) Insurance exam prep guide. This chapter maps the exact licensing path, fees, and exam structure you face in 2026 so nothing on test day or at the licensing stage surprises you.
Who Administers the Exam
The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) is the state regulator that sets licensing rules and approves pre-licensing courses. The exams themselves are written and delivered by Pearson VUE, the IDOI's contracted testing vendor. Illinois insurance exams are delivered only at a Pearson VUE test center — online (OnVUE) remote proctoring is not offered for these exams, and walk-ins are not accepted, so you must reserve a seat at least 24 hours in advance. Memorize this split: the IDOI makes the rules and issues the license; Pearson VUE runs the test.
Exam questions on "who regulates insurance in this state" always point to the Director of Insurance heading the IDOI.
The Four-Exam Structure
Illinois does not offer a single combined P&C exam. Instead, each line of authority is split into a General portion (national insurance concepts) and a State portion (Illinois statutes and rules). A full P&C license therefore requires four separate exams:
| Exam | Scope | Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Property — General | National property concepts | 70% |
| Property — State | Illinois property law | 70% |
| Casualty — General | National casualty/liability | 70% |
| Casualty — State | Illinois casualty law | 70% |
A frequent trap: candidates assume "Property and Casualty" is one ticket. It is two distinct lines, each with two parts. You can sit them on separate days, and a failed part is retaken alone — you do not redo a part you already passed.
Question Count, Timing, and Scoring
Each of the four exams is its own scheduled session with its own question count and time limit, per the Illinois content outlines effective January 1, 2026. Every exam adds 5 unscored pretest questions that look identical to scored ones, so answer every item:
| Exam | Scored | Pretest | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property — General | 50 | 5 | 85 min |
| Property — State | 30 | 5 | 50 min |
| Casualty — General | 50 | 5 | 80 min |
| Casualty — State | 37 | 5 | 55 min |
Scoring is reported on a scaled 0–100 range with 70 as the passing score on each exam, not a literal percentage of questions right. You leave the center with a Pass/Fail report immediately; a fail also shows a numeric score and diagnostic category feedback. Bring two forms of valid ID (one government-issued photo matching your registration). No notes, phones, or smartwatches are allowed in the testing room.
Pre-Licensing Education
Illinois requires 20 hours of IDOI-approved pre-licensing education per line of authority, of which at least 7.5 hours must be live instruction (in-person classroom or a real-time interactive webinar). The balance can be self-study online. If you combine Property and Casualty into one approved course, the requirement is 40 hours total with 15 hours of live instruction. Keep your certificate of completion — Pearson VUE confirms eligibility before letting you test.
Fees and Costs (Verified 2026)
The most-missed detail is the fee. Each examination is priced at $92. When you order the General and State portions of the same line on one transaction, the second $92 is waived — so one line (e.g., Property) costs $92, not $184. Order them separately and you pay $92 twice.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Pre-licensing course (per line) | $100–$250 |
| Property line exams (ordered together) | $92 |
| Casualty line exams (ordered together) | $92 |
| NIPR license application | $215 + $5.60 transaction fee |
| Fingerprinting (live scan) | ~$50–$70 |
| Approximate all-in total | ~$550–$700 |
After You Pass: Fingerprints and the 5-Day Wait
Illinois requires a state and federal criminal background check via electronic fingerprints (live scan) from an IDOI-approved vendor. Best practice: get fingerprinted after passing the state exam and at least one day before applying. You must then wait at least 5 days after passing before submitting the resident-producer application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). Apply within one year of passing or the exam results expire and you must retest.
Illinois Auto Insurance Minimums
Illinois is a fault (tort) state — not No-Fault — so the at-fault driver's liability coverage pays. The mandatory minimums are 25/50/20:
| Coverage | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Bodily Injury — per person | $25,000 |
| Bodily Injury — per accident | $50,000 |
| Property Damage | $20,000 |
| Uninsured Motorist BI (mandatory) | 25/50 |
Trap: The State portion frequently tests that uninsured-motorist bodily injury is mandatory in Illinois at the same 25/50 limits, while uninsured-motorist property damage is generally optional. Do not confuse the $20,000 property-damage liability minimum with UM coverage.
Continuing Education and Renewal
Resident P&C licenses renew every 2 years, requiring 24 hours of CE including 3 hours of ethics. Newly licensed producers complete the full CE in their first cycle. Numbers to memorize: 20-hour pre-license (7.5 live), four exams, 70% each, $92 per exam (one waived per line ordered together), 5-day wait, $215 + $5.60 application, 25/50/20 auto, 24 CE hours every 2 years.
How many separate examinations must you pass to obtain a full Illinois P&C producer license?
How many hours of live instruction are required within the 20-hour pre-licensing course for a single Illinois line of authority?
Regarding Illinois exam fees, which statement is correct?
Which best describes Illinois auto insurance law and minimum limits?
What must a candidate do after passing all Illinois P&C exams before the license is issued?