New York Life & Health Exam Overview
Key Takeaways
The New York Life, Accident & Health exam is administered by PSI Services, contains 150 multiple-choice questions, allows 2 hours 30 minutes, and requires 70% to pass.
Combined Life & Health licensing requires 40 hours of DFS-approved pre-licensing education (20 + 20); live-class approvals require a minimum of 20 classroom hours.
Candidates must pass a proctored Certification Exam at 70% to receive the Certificate of Completion before scheduling the state exam with PSI.
The PSI exam fee is $40 per attempt; the resident producer application fee through DFS is $80 (full) or $40 (half-period).
License renewal is on the producer's birthday every 2 years and requires 15 CE credits for each license, including mandatory ethics, insurance law, and DEI courses.
The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) — not a separate Department of Insurance — regulates all insurance producers and products in New York.
About the New York Life, Accident & Health Exam
Welcome to OpenExamPrep's FREE New York Life & Health Insurance exam guide. The New York Life, Accident & Health examination is delivered by PSI Services LLC under contract to the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) — New York merged its old Insurance and Banking departments into DFS in 2011, so there is no separate "Department of Insurance." Expect this naming distinction as a trap question.
The exam blends national insurance principles with New York Insurance Law (the statute) and Regulations (11 NYCRR, the DFS rule numbers). You will be tested on policy types, riders, provisions, beneficiary rules, annuities, accident & sickness coverage, replacement, Regulation 60, the Guaranty Corporation, and ethics/unfair trade practices.
Exam Logistics at a Glance
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Testing vendor | PSI Services LLC |
| Total questions | 150 multiple-choice |
| Time limit | 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes) |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Exam fee | $40 per attempt |
| Format | Proctored, computer-based; results immediate |
| Reschedule rule | Cancel/reschedule at least 2 business days before the appointment |
Trap: A score "report" shows pass/fail plus diagnostic categories on failed attempts — it does not give you a numeric score on a pass. Plan to answer roughly 105 of 150 correct.
Pre-Licensing Education
New York requires DFS-approved pre-licensing education before you may sit the state exam. The hours stack by line of authority.
| License | Required hours | Live-class classroom minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Life only | 20 hours | 10 classroom hours |
| Accident & Health only | 20 hours | 10 classroom hours |
| Combined Life & Health | 40 hours | 20 classroom hours |
For live-instruction approvals, at least 50% of hours must be in a supervised classroom. Approved online courses use forced progression — you cannot skip ahead, and timers enforce seat time. Choose one delivery method; you do not double-count.
The Certification Exam (the gatekeeper)
New York is unusual: completing the course is not enough. You must pass a separate, proctored Certification Exam administered by the course provider:
- Passing score: 70% or higher
- Time limit: 90 minutes, single sitting
- Result: the provider issues a Certificate of Completion
You cannot schedule the PSI state exam until you hold this certificate. The school certificate does not expire.
Basic Qualifications & Exemptions
| Requirement | Standard |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Residency | NY resident for a resident license (non-residents apply via reciprocity) |
| Education | 40 combined hours + Certification Exam |
| Exam | Pass PSI exam at 70% |
Designation exemptions. A CLU (Chartered Life Underwriter) is exempt from pre-licensing and from the principles portion, taking only the New York Laws & Regulations portion. CPCU, FLMI, ChFC, RHU, and CEBS holders may receive partial exemptions; confirm current eligibility with DFS rather than assuming — the list changes.
Application Process & Costs
- Finish education — complete 40 hours and pass the 90-minute Certification Exam at 70%.
- Schedule PSI — register online at psiexams.com or by phone, pay the $40 fee and schedule.
- Test — bring one valid government photo ID whose name matches your registration; pass at 70%.
- Apply to DFS — submit the electronic application; pay $80 (full term) or $40 (half term) for residents.
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Pre-license education | Set by the provider |
| PSI exam fee | $40 |
| DFS application (resident) | $80 or $40 |
Worked example: Maria finishes a 40-hour online course, scores 82% on the Certification Exam, and earns her certificate on March 1. Her school certificate never expires. She pays $40, scores 74% (111/150) — a pass — and must file her license application within two years of that exam date, paying the $80 resident fee. Out-of-pocket beyond tuition: $120.
License Maintenance & Continuing Education
Resident producer licenses renew on the holder's birthday every 2 years. Every Life, Accident & Health licensee owes the same 15-hour total per cycle — combining the Life and Health lines does not push the requirement to 30.
| License held | CE hours per 2-year cycle |
|---|---|
| Life and/or Accident & Health | 15 hours total |
| Both an L&H and a Property/Casualty license | 15 hours for each license (bridge courses approved for both lines count toward both) |
Mandatory CE topics every cycle
New York requires three distinct one-hour topics inside the 15 — do not collapse them into one:
| Topic | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Ethics & professionalism | 1 hour |
| Insurance law / regulation | 1 hour (separate from ethics) |
| Diversity, Inclusion & Elimination of Bias | 1 hour |
| Remaining electives | balance to reach 15 |
| Flood insurance | 1 hour (only if also P&C licensed) |
CE rules to memorize: carryover of excess hours is not allowed; you cannot repeat the same course for credit in the same cycle; the course final requires 70%; and newly licensed producers are exempt from CE for their first renewal (the first two-year period before the initial renewal). Active-duty military called up during the term receive renewal accommodations as well.
Study Plan
Use this guide for New York-specific law only — complete the national Life & Health prep first for core principles, then layer NY rules on top.
| Phase | Focus | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | National L&H principles | 15-20 |
| 2 | DFS-approved pre-license course | 40 |
| 3 | NY Insurance Law (this guide) | 12-18 |
| 4 | Timed practice exams + review | 12-18 |
Anchor facts: 150 questions, 150 minutes, 70% pass, $40 fee, PSI vendor, 40 combined education hours, DFS regulator, birthday-based 2-year renewal. Master these and the logistics questions become free points. Good luck.
How many hours of pre-licensing education does New York require for a combined Life & Health license, and what is the live-class classroom minimum?
20 hours total, 10 classroom
30 hours total, 15 classroom
50 hours total, 25 classroom
40 hours total, 20 classroom
What must a candidate obtain BEFORE they are allowed to schedule the PSI state licensing exam?
A passing score on the national SIE exam
Approval from a sponsoring insurance carrier
Two years of insurance work experience
A Certificate of Completion earned by passing the 90-minute Certification Exam at 70%
Which agency regulates insurance producers in New York?
The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS)
The New York State Department of Insurance
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
PSI Services LLC
How often must a resident New York Life & Health producer renew their license?
Every year on January 1
Every two years on the license issue date
Every three years on December 31
Every two years on the producer's birthday
What is the exam fee and passing standard for the PSI New York Life, Accident & Health exam?
$40 per attempt, 70% to pass
$15 per attempt, 65% to pass
$80 per attempt, 75% to pass
$40 per attempt, 60% to pass
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.