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California · Insurance ProducerCalifornia Life and Health Insurance Practice Exam 2026
The California Department of Insurance (CDI) requires anyone who wants to sell life insurance, annuities, or accident and health coverage in California to pass a licensing exam. Most people take the combined Life, Accident and Health or Sickness exam: 150 multiple-choice questions, and you need 60 percent to pass. California has no separate state-law section. California Insurance Code and ethics questions are mixed into every part of the official exam objectives.
Our independent practice test has 290 original questions. It covers general life and health concepts plus the California rules that appear throughout the exam. Every question comes with an explanation and a cited statute or official source, along with the date we last checked it. You can take a timed full-length exam in the same format as the real one, and you can try 10 questions for free without making an account. Pricing is one-time with no subscription: $24.99 for 30 days or $34.99 for 60 days, with a 7-day money-back guarantee. ExamCleared is not affiliated with the California Department of Insurance or PSI Services LLC.
- Questions
- 150 (combined Life, Accident and Health or Sickness exam), plus possible unscored experimental items
- Time
- 195 minutes (PSI bulletin, October 2026); CDI web page lists 3 hours
- To pass
- 60 percent (90 of 150)
- Exam fee
- $55 CDI exam fee + $43 PSI convenience fee at PSI test centers
- Required course
- 12 hours of study on Ethics and the California Insurance Code, required before the license is issued (not before the exam)
Free California life and health insurance practice exam questions
Five sample questions from the bank — open each answer to see the explanation and the legal source. Take the free 10-question test to practice with a timer and a score.
1. Mia buys a life insurance policy on her own life and names a longtime friend as beneficiary. The friend has no financial interest in Mia's life. Is this allowed?
- No, because the beneficiary must be related to her by blood or marriage
- No, because every beneficiary must have an insurable interest in the insured
- Yes, a person has an unlimited insurable interest in her own life and may name anyone
- Yes, but only if the face amount is small and the insurer approves the friend
Show answer
Answer: C. Yes, a person has an unlimited insurable interest in her own life and may name anyone
When you insure your own life, insurable interest is met by you as the applicant. You may make the policy payable to anyone, even a beneficiary with no insurable interest.
Source: Cal. Ins. Code §10110.1(b) · verified 2026-11-07
2. A client compares Medigap Plan G from two different insurers in the same state. In most states, what is the only difference between these two policies?
- The premium charged
- The basic benefits covered
- The Medicare Part A deductible
- Whether the policy is guaranteed renewable
Show answer
Answer: A. The premium charged
Medigap plans are standardized and identified by letters in most states. All plans with the same letter offer the same basic benefits, so price is the only difference between companies.
Source: Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS), Section 2 – Medigap policies are standardized · verified 2026-11-07
3. A surgeon with a waiver of premium rider has been totally disabled for 30 months. She can no longer operate but is reasonably suited by education and training to teach at a medical school. Using the minimum total disability definition in the IIPRC standards, which statement is correct?
- She remains totally disabled for life, because she can no longer perform surgery in any setting
- After 24 months, she is not totally disabled if she can do another job suited to her training
- Waiver of premium never covers disability that lasts more than 24 months
- Her disability is judged only by whether she can do any job at all, starting from the first day
Show answer
Answer: B. After 24 months, she is not totally disabled if she can do another job suited to her training
For the first 24 months, total disability means being unable to do the duties of one's own job. After 24 months, it means being unable to do one's own job or any other job one is reasonably suited for by education, training, or experience.
Source: IIPRC Additional Standards for Waiver of Premium Benefits for Total Disability and Other Qualifying Events, §3A(1)(a)(ii) · verified 2026-11-07
4. A construction worker insured under a disability policy becomes an office clerk, an occupation the insurer classifies as less hazardous, and sends proof of the change. What does the Change of Occupation provision require the insurer to do?
- Reduce the premium rate and refund the excess pro-rata unearned premium
- Increase the monthly benefit but leave the premium unchanged
- Cancel the policy and issue a new one at office rates
- Make no change until the policy is renewed
Show answer
Answer: A. Reduce the premium rate and refund the excess pro-rata unearned premium
When the insured moves to a less hazardous occupation, the insurer reduces the premium rate after receiving proof and returns the excess pro-rata unearned premium.
Source: NAIC Model 180 §3B(1) Change of Occupation · verified 2026-11-07
5. A 35-year-old compares a 20-pay whole life policy with an ordinary (continuous-premium) whole life policy with the same face amount from the same insurer. How does the annual premium for the 20-pay policy compare?
- Higher, because premiums are paid over a shorter period
- Lower, because the insurer collects fewer payments
- The same, because the face amounts are equal
- Lower, because coverage ends after 20 years
Show answer
Answer: A. Higher, because premiums are paid over a shorter period
Limited-pay whole life fits the full lifetime cost into a shorter payment period, such as 20 years or to age 65, so each premium is higher. Coverage still lasts for the insured's whole life.
Source: Ill. Admin. Code tit. 50, pt. 930, Exhibit B (NAIC Life Insurance Buyer's Guide) – Whole Life Insurance · verified 2026-11-07
What the California life and health insurance exam is and who takes it
The exam is run for the CDI by PSI Services LLC. It is for people applying for a California resident Life-Only agent license, an Accident and Health or Sickness agent license, or both. California offers three versions:
- Life: 75 questions
- Accident and Health or Sickness: 75 questions
- Life, Accident and Health or Sickness (combined): 150 questions
Each exam is one computer-based multiple-choice test. California does not split the exam into a national part and a state part. The CDI says its Life and Accident and Health or Sickness objectives are “derived from the California Insurance Code and codes of ethics of major industry organizations.”
California accident and health exam format: questions, time, passing score
- Questions: 150 for the combined exam, or 75 for each single-line exam. PSI may also add one to ten unscored experimental items, about 10% of the question count. These are not scored, but they do use up your exam time.
- Time: The Candidate Information Bulletin (revised October 2026) allows 195 minutes for the combined exam and 105 minutes for Life or for Accident and Health. The CDI exam times page still lists 3 hours and 1.5 hours. Go by the time shown in your PSI booking.
- Passing score: 60 percent on all producer exams, which works out to 90 correct out of 150 or 45 out of 75.
- Results: You see pass or fail on screen when you finish. If you fail, the emailed score report includes a diagnostic report.
- Closed book: You cannot bring books, papers, or study materials. Phones, calculators, and other electronic devices are not allowed either. Test centers give you a pencil with scratch paper or an LCD writing tablet.
- Language: The CDI lists English and Spanish versions of the Life, Accident and Health, and combined exams.
Fees and how to register and schedule
- Exam fee: $55 per the CDI licensing fees page. This is the same for Life-Only, Accident and Health, or the combination.
- PSI convenience fee: $43 at PSI test locations, charged on top of the CDI exam fee. The CDI runs its own test center in Los Angeles.
- Booking: Make an account and schedule at test-takers.psiexams.com/cadi, or call PSI at (833) 518-7456.
- Cancelling: To keep your fee, PSI must receive your cancellation at least two business days before the exam. Voicemail and email do not count as cancellation.
- Where: The October 2026 bulletin limits remote online proctoring to the adjuster and Life and Disability Analyst exams, so plan to test at a test center. A CDI web page still says remote testing is available for all exams. Check your options when you book.
Prerequisites: the 12-hour ethics course
The 20-hour prelicensing course for life and accident and health agents was repealed effective January 1, 2026 by AB 943 (Chapter 566, Statutes of 2025). You still have to complete an approved course of 12 hours of study on ethics and the California Insurance Code (California Insurance Code section 1749) before the CDI can issue your license.
You do not have to finish the course before the exam. The bulletin recommends doing it first anyway, because the course “provides the study materials for the license examination.” This practice test is meant to go alongside the required 12-hour course. It does not replace it. See the CDI notice on AB 943.
What topics are tested: the official exam objectives
The CDI publishes separate objectives for each line, with question counts for the 75-question exams. The combined exam covers both lines.
Life (75 questions)
- General Insurance: 22 questions (30 percent). Covers basic concepts (9), contract law (6), and the insurance marketplace (7).
- Life Insurance: 49 questions (65 percent). Covers basics (8), types of life policies (10), annuities (8), replacement and cancellation (4), the individual life contract (10), taxation (3), group life (2), Social Security disability (1), and underwriting, pricing and claims (3).
- Life Policy Riders: 4 questions (5 percent).
Accident and Health or Sickness (75 questions)
- General Insurance: 18 questions (25 percent). Covers basic concepts (7), contract law (4), and the insurance marketplace (7).
- General Concepts of Medical and Disability Insurance: 4 questions (5 percent).
- Medical Expense Insurance: 45 questions (60 percent). Covers individual (14), group (8), the Affordable Care Act (8), and senior health products (15).
- Disability Income Insurance: 4 questions (5 percent).
- Long-Term Care Insurance: 4 questions (5 percent).
Study tips for California life insurance exam questions
- Study from the objectives. The official outline items cite specific California Insurance Code sections. Read the actual statute for each topic, including concealment, representations, rescission, agent fiduciary duties, unfair practices, and senior protections.
- Expect California law throughout. There is no separate state section. Insurance Marketplace topics such as licensing, ethics, and the Commissioner account for 7 questions on each single-line outline.
- Give senior health products extra time. They are the largest Accident and Health subsection at 15 questions. They include Medicare supplement rules such as open enrollment and application questions under the California Insurance Code.
- Watch commonly confused rules. The 12-hour ethics course is due before your license is issued, not before the exam. Your passing result is valid for one year. Life agent and accident and health agent are separate license types.
- Practice at full length. Unscored experimental items use up your time, so take timed 150-question practice exams to get used to the pace.
After you pass: getting your California license
- Submit a completed license application to the CDI. The filing fee for a Life-Only and Accident and Health agent license is $188.
- After you apply, get fingerprinted through Live Scan with the CDI vendor, Capital Live Scan. The total fee is $74.
- Complete the 12-hour ethics and California Insurance Code course if you have not already.
Under California Insurance Code section 1676(a), a passed exam is valid for one year from the date you pass. If you fail, register and pay again. Failing the same exam 10 times bars you from taking it for 12 months from the last failed attempt (section 1682).
Pricing
Practice free with 10 questions. Full access is a one-time payment — no subscription, no auto-renewal, 7-day money-back guarantee.
Full access unlocks all 290 questions with explanations and sources, practice by topic, a timed full-length practice exam and your results by topic. No account is needed: after checkout you get a personal access code — save it to use your access on your other devices. Your access period starts immediately after purchase.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the California Life, Accident and Health exam?
The combined exam has 150 multiple-choice questions. The separate Life and Accident and Health or Sickness exams have 75 each. One to ten unscored experimental items may be added.
What score do I need to pass?
60 percent. That is 90 correct out of 150 on the combined exam, or 45 out of 75 on a single-line exam.
How long is the combined exam?
The PSI bulletin revised in October 2026 allows 195 minutes. The CDI exam times page lists 3 hours. Check the time shown when you book.
How much does the exam cost?
The CDI exam fee is $55. PSI adds a $43 convenience fee at its test locations. The license application fee ($188) and Live Scan fingerprinting ($74) are paid separately after you pass.
Do I need a prelicensing course before the exam?
No. The 20-hour course was repealed as of January 1, 2026. You still need the 12-hour Ethics and California Insurance Code course before your license is issued. The CDI recommends taking it before the exam.
Is the exam open book?
No. Books, papers, study materials, phones, and calculators are not allowed. Test centers give you scratch paper or an LCD writing tablet.
Can I take the exam in Spanish?
Yes. The CDI lists Spanish versions of the Life, Accident and Health or Sickness, and combined exams.
Are these the real California life insurance exam questions?
No. Our questions are original practice questions written from the California Insurance Code and other official sources. ExamCleared is not affiliated with the CDI or PSI.
Is there a free California life and health insurance practice exam?
Yes. The first 10 questions are free, with no account or email needed. Full access to all 290 questions, practice by topic and the timed full-length exam starts at $24.99 as a one-time payment.
Is the California life and health insurance exam hard?
It depends on your preparation. To pass you need 60 percent (90 of 150). The most reliable way to check is a timed full-length practice exam: ours has 150 questions and is scored against the official passing standard, and your results by topic show which areas still need work.
Related practice tests
- Texas Life, Accident & Health practice test
- Texas Property & Casualty practice test
- Florida 2-15 Life & Health practice test
- New York Life, Accident & Health practice test
Sources
- https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0020-apply-license/0100-indiv-resident/upload/PSI-Candidate-Information-Bulletin-English-10-28-2026.pdf — Combined exam: 150 questions, 195 minutes; Life and A&H: 75 questions, 105 minutes each
- https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0010-producer-online-services/0200-exam-info/ExamTimesandQuestion.cfm — CDI web page lists 3 hours / 150 questions and 1.5 hours / 75 questions; Spanish versions
- https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0045-lic-fees/ — Exam fee $55 (Life-Only, A&H and combination); license filing fee $188
- https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0010-producer-online-services/0200-exam-info/index.cfm — PSI convenience fee $43
- https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0120-notices/upload/Notice111025linked.pdf — AB 943 repeals 20-hour prelicensing requirement effective January 1, 2026; 12 hours still required before license issuance
- https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0030-seek-pre-lic/upload/2025-Life-License-Examination-Objectives.docx — Life outline weights
- https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0030-seek-pre-lic/upload/2025-Accident-and-Health-or-Sickness-License-Examination-Objectives.docx — A&H outline weights
ExamCleared is independent and not affiliated with California Department of Insurance (CDI), Licensing Services Division / exam vendor PSI Services LLC. Our questions are original practice questions written from public law and official materials — not actual exam questions. Confirm current requirements with the official agency before you register.