The life insurance exam, as each state runs it

Pearson VUE bulletins give a total and a scored figure; the gap is pretest items. Most Pearson VUE states add 10 to 15 unscored pretest questions. The bulletins do not flag which questions are the trial ones, so treat each item as scored.

When a guide answers "how many questions are on the life and health insurance exam" with one number, ask which number it means. Florida's bulletin, for one, lists 165 questions: 150 scored and 15 pretest. In Tennessee and North Carolina each line is its own shorter exam.

Scoring comes in two kinds: scaled score in Pearson VUE states, percent correct in PSI states and Florida. Texas reports a scaled score of 70, Ohio asks for 70% correct, and California sets its bar at 60% correct.

A scaled score converts the raw result onto a fixed scale, so each version of the exam is judged on the same footing. The raw count behind a scaled 70 is not published, which means a practice score of 70 percent says little about a scaled-score state. A failing report breaks the result down by section; that breakdown is the best map for a second attempt.

The wait before a retake is set by each state: from the next day to 60 days. A retake costs the full exam fee again. Some states also cap attempts, as the retake-limit row above shows.

Some states lengthen the wait after a fail. Georgia's rule is 14 days after the first and second attempts, 60 days after the third; Tennessee's is 10 days after the first failure, then 30 days after each later attempt. Illinois lets you rebook after 24 hours, but the general and state exams for a line must both be passed within 90 days.

Each state publishes its own outline; Texas outlines took effect September 1, 2026 and Tennessee outlines October 7, 2026. Older editions still apply elsewhere, for example in North Carolina (effective Mar 2, 2026) and Georgia (effective Oct 22, 2024).

Still to come: Florida and Illinois have published outlines effective January 1, 2027. Illinois reports that its question counts stay the same, so a plan built on today's outline should carry over there. Ohio's change this year was about delivery, not content: remote exams ended March 13, 2026, so the exam now runs at PSI centers only.

No single answer exists, because the pass rate is not published as one national figure; some states and vendors publish their own. Two things trip candidates up. The state law part, about 10–33% of the exam depending on the state, comes from your state's own code rather than general insurance knowledge. And the general part rewards exact definitions: grace periods, nonforfeiture options and policy provisions that sound alike but pay out differently. The study guide marks where those mix-ups happen.

Texas

Texas gives one combined exam, General Lines - Life, Accident & Health (InsTX-LAH05). It has 145 questions: 130 scored and 15 pretest (general 100 + 10, state 30 + 5), and the clock is 150 minutes. Passing takes a scaled score of 70, and a pass gives you 12 months to apply for the license.

Florida

The Florida exam is the 2-15 Health & Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts). It runs 2 hours 45 minutes. Candidates pass at 70% of the scored questions, and the retake rule allows up to 5 attempts within 12 months.

California

California offers a combined exam and two single-line exams. The combined one is 150 questions in 195 min, taken in person only, and the pass mark is 60% correct.

Georgia

Georgia uses one combination exam, Life/Accident/Sickness Combination (12-GA-05). It has 135 questions: 125 scored and 10 pretest, and the time limit is 2.5 hours. The pass mark is set by the Commissioner's office, reported as a scaled 70.

Illinois

Illinois tests Life and Accident & Health separately, and each line has a general and a state exam. Life and Accident & Health come to 91 / 99 questions, in that order, with 125 / 130 min on the clock.

New York

New York's combined code is 17-55, with 150 questions in 2.5 hours and a pass mark of 70% correct. The bulletin we read does not state a retake wait, so check it before rebooking.

North Carolina

North Carolina has no combined exam: Life and Accident & Health are booked as two exams. The bulletin gives 60 questions per exam on the general part: 55 scored and 5 pretest, so confirm the size of the state part in the outline. The time allowed is 1 hour 15 minutes per exam.

Ohio

Ohio's exam is the Life, Accident & Health (Series 11-35), with 150 questions in 2.5 hours. You pass at 70% correct, and retakes are not capped.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania sells a combined exam, 16-03, and single-line exams for Life and for Accident and Health. The PSI booklet we read does not give the question count, time limit or retake wait; the table's size and time come from a secondary source, so check the current outline before you book.

Tennessee

Tennessee tests Life and Accident & Health as separate exams. Each exam has 77 questions, 68 scored (general 50, state 18) and 9 pretest. The clock allows 1 hour 45 minutes per exam, and the retake wait is 10 days after the first failure, then 30 days after each later attempt.

Arizona

Arizona's figures rest on secondary sources, because the Prometric handbook was not available to read. Those sources describe a combined exam, 13-33, and report the passing mark as 70% correct. They put its size at about 155 questions on the combined exam (150 scored); 100 per single line. Fee, retake wait and delivery are unconfirmed; check the bulletin before you book.