By passing the life insurance test and earning your life insurance license, you will be able to sell insurance in your respective state. Once you get your license, you will be allowed to build a book of business and can work on behalf of an insurance agency or as an independent broker. It’s encouraged that an agency’s support staff, such as appraisers or customer service representatives, earn their license as well since they handle a lot of the administrative management of a life insurance policy.

Each state will have different qualifications in order to earn the license, but the first step is usually preparing for the state life insurance test. In some states, you must first apply for the license before you can take the test and the application will last for six months. During this time you want to enroll in an education course that is tailored to the content that is expected on the exam. Each course you take will be worth a set amount of credit hours. In some states, you will need a certain amount of hours before you can take the test.

How to Prepare for the Exam

First, understand that the exam is proctored and will be multiple choice. A proctored exam means an individual will be present while you take the test, either in person or monitoring via a computer. This means that no additional aids can be used during the exam. When studying, it can be easy to get distracted. For the brain to absorb the new information, it’s important to avoid multitasking so you can focus on what you are studying. You may find that setting a study schedule can help you carve out time in order to prepare for the exam. Once you feel like you have a handle on the material, use practice exams. This can help you gauge if you have absorbed the information and if there are areas you need to work on. Take a practice exam with the same testing conditions. This will show you if your pacing is enough to get through the exam in the time allowed.

Recommended Study Time

The exam pass rates will fluctuate by state. Some states will publish the pass rates while others don’t, which makes it hard to determine the national pass rate for the exam. Utilizing exam study tools can help you determine whether or not you will pass on your first attempt. The average exam taker should spend about 40 hours studying to pass the exam. It’s also recommend that you spend your time studying over the course of a few weeks instead of trying to cram it in a week or even the day before the exam. After your course, spend about two to three days studying to keep the information fresh in your mind.