Michigan Life & Health Exam Overview

Michigan Life & Health Insurance Exam 2026

Welcome to your FREE Michigan Life & Health producer exam guide. The exam is built and delivered by PSI Services (PSI Exams) under contract with the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) — the state agency that licenses producers, approves pre-licensing courses, and enforces Chapter 500 of the Michigan Insurance Code. PSI replaced earlier vendors, so any older guide that names Pearson VUE for Michigan is out of date.

The exam is roughly 80% national content (insurance fundamentals, products, provisions, taxation) and 20% Michigan-specific law. Master both; candidates who skip the state material fail the small but graded Michigan section.

Exam Format by Line of Authority

Michigan does not use one universal passing score. Each line has its own exam code, question count, time limit, and cut score:

Trap: A widely copied claim says Michigan requires a flat 70% across all lines. That is wrong. Per the DIFS Insurance Examination Cut Scores schedule, the cut scores are line-specific: Life (16-65) clears at 72% (72 of 100), Accident & Health (16-66) at the highest bar of 76% (76 of 100), and the combined Series 16-80 at 75% (113 of 150). The A&H 76% is the toughest of the three, so do not assume health is easier than life. Anchor your practice goal to 80%+ so a few missed Michigan-law items don't sink you.

Pre-Licensing Education (REQUIRED)

DIFS requires a state-approved pre-licensing course before you test. Each line is 20 hours: 14 hours of line-specific content + 6 hours of ethics and Michigan insurance law. Pursue both lines together and the requirement is 40 hours.

• Lessons must be completed sequentially; providers track seat time electronically.
• The course-end certification exam is closed-book and requires 70%+ to pass (separate from the higher state cut scores above).
• Your completion certificate is valid for 12 months — you must pass the PSI state exam within that window or repeat the course.

Critical sequencing: Complete pre-licensing first, then test. Sitting the PSI exam without a valid certificate of completion on file means your result will not count toward licensure.

The Variable Contracts Exception

Applicants seeking the Variable Life and Variable Annuity (Variable Contracts) authority do not take a separate Michigan pre-licensing course. Because variable products are securities, the path runs through a FINRA registration (typically Series 6 or 7 plus a state securities exam) layered on the resident life license — not the standard 20-hour DIFS course. Do not confuse this with a blanket exemption from all education.

Costs, Application, and Renewal

What You Actually Pay (2026)

Verify the live PSI fee in the DIFS candidate bulletin before you book — fees are set by contract and can change. Budget under $400 total for one line; a retake only adds another $41 PSI sitting, not a new course.

Step-by-Step Licensing Path

1. Enroll in a DIFS-approved pre-licensing course (20 hours/line, 40 combined).
2. Complete lessons sequentially and pass the course certification exam at 70%+.
3. Receive your certificate — valid 12 months.
4. Schedule the PSI exam at candidate.psiexams.com/DIFS (online or 855-579-4639).
5. Pass the state exam at the line-specific cut score (Life 72% / A&H 76% / Combined 75%).
6. Apply through NIPR (nipr.com) for the resident producer license.
7. DIFS issues the license, usually within days of a clean background review.

Continuing Education & Renewal

Michigan resident producers renew on a 2-year cycle keyed to your birth month (born in an even year → renew in even years; odd year → odd years). Each cycle you must complete:

• 24 total CE hours, including 3 hours of ethics.
• A course cannot be repeated for credit within the same 2-year term.
• Up to 12 unused hours carry over to the next term as general credit.

Finish CE before your expiration date. A lapsed license forces reinstatement steps and, if it lapses too long, retaking the exam.

Worked Scenario

Maria wants to sell both life and health products. She takes a single 40-hour combined course, scores 84% on the closed-book certification exam, and gets a certificate dated March 3. She books the 150-question combined Series 16-80 PSI exam, scores 79% (above the 75%, or 113-of-150, cut), pays the $41 fee once, then applies via NIPR for $15.60. Because her birthday is in September of an even year, her first renewal lands two Septembers later, when she will owe 24 CE hours (3 ethics).

Exam Content Weighting

The national portion dominates scoring. Study to these approximate blueprint weights:

• General insurance concepts — 15–20% (risk, insurable interest, indemnity, contract law, producer authority)
• Life products — 30–35% (term, whole, universal, variable, annuities)
• Life provisions, riders, taxation — 25–30% (incontestability, grace period, settlement options, MEC rules)
• Health products & provisions — 30–35% on the A&H side (medical expense, disability income, LTC, Medicare/Medicaid)
• Michigan law — the graded state slice (DIFS authority, free-look, replacement, continuation, unfair trade practices)

Michigan-Specific Anchors to Memorize

• DIFS administers licensing and enforces the Insurance Code, Chapter 500.
• Life policies carry a statutory free-look (commonly 10 days) and strict replacement disclosure rules.
• Unfair trade practices (rebating, twisting, misrepresentation, defamation) carry fines and license action.
• Group health continuation and Medicare supplement standards follow Michigan-adopted rules layered on federal law.

Know these cold: vendor (PSI), per-line cut scores (Life 72% / A&H 76% / Combined 16-80 = 75%, i.e. 113 of 150), hours (20/line, 40 combined; 6 ethics/MI law per line), fee ($41), and renewal (24 CE / 3 ethics every 2 years on your birth month). Always confirm current figures with DIFS at michigan.gov/difs before relying on them for a licensing decision.