Washington Life & Health Exam Overview

What This License Is — and Why the Name Matters

Washington does not issue a license literally titled "Life & Health." The state classifies health insurance under the statutory line of authority called disability (see Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Title 48, the Insurance Code). The product you study and the credential you earn is therefore a Life and Disability producer license. Exam questions will use "disability" where other states say "health," and reading carelessly here is a classic trap: a question about "disability coverage" may simply mean major-medical and accident-and-health products, not just disability-income insurance.

The license is issued and regulated by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC), an elected statewide office in Olympia. The OIC is separate from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), which only writes model laws Washington may adopt; the OIC actually enforces RCW Title 48 and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Title 284.

Lines of authority you may add

national Life & Health preparationFree exam prep with practice questions & AI tutor

Exam Structure — Exact Numbers

Every Washington producer exam blends general questions (national insurance product and producer knowledge) with state questions (Washington law and OIC rules). Question counts differ sharply by how many lines you sit at once, so memorize the line that applies to you.

Key points the exam expects you to know:

• Pretest questions are unscored items PSI is evaluating for future exams. You cannot tell which is which, so answer every question. Extra time is built in to cover them.
• The passing score is 70%, computed only on scored questions. There is no scaled-score curve you can game — roughly 35 of 50 scored items on a single line.
• Results are pass/fail and delivered immediately at the PSI center. Failing candidates receive a diagnostic by content area; passing candidates get a score report to attach to the application.
• The combined exam saves a trip and a fee but is long; pace at roughly 1.3 minutes per question (195 minutes for 150 items) to leave review time.

Fees, Vendor, and Scheduling

PSI Services LLC is the OIC's testing vendor. Schedule online at the PSI Washington portal or by phone at (855) 205-5825. You choose an in-person PSI test center or a remote online-proctored session.

Worked example: A new producer wanting both lines pays $52 once for the combined exam rather than $35 × 2 = $70 for two single-line exams — and books one appointment. Trap: the fee is per attempt, so a retake costs the full exam fee again.

Exam-day requirements

• Bring two valid forms of government-issued ID; at least one must show your name and photograph (driver's license, passport, military ID). Names must match your registration.
• No personal items, notes, phones, or smart devices are allowed in the testing room.
• Arrive early (in-person) or complete the system/identity check (remote). No-shows forfeit the fee.

Pre-Licensing Education — No Longer Required

Effective July 23, 2023, Washington eliminated mandatory pre-licensing education (PLE) for the producer exam. There are no required classroom hours, no mandated online course, and no certificate of completion to sit the exam.

• The OIC still recommends about 20 hours of study per line of authority, built from the published exam content outline.
• Voluntary prep courses remain widely available but are optional.
• Do not confuse this with continuing education (CE), which is still mandatory after you are licensed (covered below).

Fingerprinting, Application, and Renewal

Washington requires a fingerprint-based background check through the OIC. Fingerprinting may be done at the PSI site at your appointment or scheduled separately afterward; the OIC reviews results before issuing the license.

After passing, apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) or the OIC online portal:

1. Pass the exam (keep your score report).
2. Complete fingerprinting/background check.
3. Submit the producer application via NIPR and pay the application fee.
4. OIC reviews the background check and any disclosure answers.
5. License is issued and printable from the OIC portal.

Continuing education and renewal

Washington resident producers renew on a two-year cycle tied to the licensee's birth month (renewal is due the last day of the birth month). Each cycle requires:

Trap: candidates confuse the optional 20 recommended pre-exam study hours with the mandatory 24 CE hours. The 20 hours are advisory and pre-license; the 24 hours are a legal renewal requirement. The OIC charges no processing fee for using its online services portal, though renewal/late fees may apply.