California Life Agent License Examination ('Life' exam; license type Life-Only Agent (LO)), administered by PSI Services LLC for the California Department of Insurance

The California life insurance exam.

The California life insurance exam is 75 scored questions, in 90 minutes, passing at 60%, $55 per attempt, administered by PSI Exams. We sell study materials and practice exams for it, written from the official California outline. The first questions are free, and the full License Pass is $149, yours until you pass. Below are the licensing steps, exactly what the exam covers, and free practice questions written to this state's outline.

At a glance

ExamCalifornia Life Agent License Examination ('Life' exam; license type Life-Only Agent (LO)), administered by PSI Services LLC for the California Department of Insurance
Scored questions75
Pretest questionsvaries
Time limit90 minutes
Passing score60% (CDI: all producer license examinations require a 60 percent score to pass)
Exam fee$55
Testing vendorPSI Exams
Retake rulesNo published mandatory waiting period. Failed candidates reschedule through PSI's Examination Scheduling Service and pay the examination fee again; cancellations within 48 hours of the appointment forfeit the fee.
Prelicensing educationrequired, from a state-approved provider

Verified against official PSI Exams materials, Life License Examination Objectives effective January 1, 2026 (the pre-2026 edition, PreEduObjLO.pdf rev. 07-08-2019, has the identical 22/49/4 breakdown). Specs change; confirm when you register.

How to get your California life insurance license

  1. 1

    Meet the basics

    Be 18 or older and able to pass the background screening. California handles licensing through the NIPR system like most states.

  2. 2

    Complete the required prelicensing education

    California requires prelicensing education from a state-approved provider before you can test. Complete it with that provider, keep your completion record, then drill practice questions until the material sticks.

  3. 3

    Book the exam with PSI Exams

    Register at PSI Exams, pick a test center or online proctoring where offered, and pay the $55 exam fee.

  4. 4

    Pass the exam

    Walk in knowing the format, 75 scored questions in 90 minutes, passing at 60%. About 62% of first-time life exam takers pass nationally (NAIC, latest published data).

  5. 5

    Apply for the license and get appointed

    Submit the license application (fingerprints where required), then get appointed with carriers so you can write business.

What the California exam covers

From the official exam outline, each section's share of the exam and how many of the 75 scored questions it earns.

SectionWeightQuestions
General Insurance29%22 questions
Life Insurance65%49 questions
Life Policy Riders6%4 questions

Free California practice questions

Original questions written to the California outline, the same bank our students drill. Tap a question to check the answer.

Question 1

What is the key difference between concealment and misrepresentation on an insurance application?

  1. A. Concealment is failing to disclose a known material fact, while misrepresentation is stating something false
  2. B. Concealment applies only to health, while misrepresentation applies only to finances
  3. C. Concealment is legal, while misrepresentation is illegal
  4. D. There is no difference; the terms mean the same thing
Show the answer

Answer: A

Concealment is staying silent about a material fact the applicant knew and should have disclosed. Misrepresentation is actively giving false information. Both can allow the insurer to rescind if material. Neither is limited to only health or only finances. Concealment of a material fact is not legal; it can void the contract just as misrepresentation can.

California Insurance Code Sections 330 to 339 (concealment)

Question 2

An insurance contract is described as aleatory, which means:

  1. A. Both parties exchange equal dollar values
  2. B. The amounts exchanged by the parties may be unequal
  3. C. Only the insurer can enforce the contract
  4. D. The contract must be in writing to be valid
Show the answer

Answer: B

Aleatory means the values exchanged may be unequal and depend on chance; a small premium may buy a large benefit, or the insurer may collect premiums and never pay a claim. Equal values would describe a commutative contract, not an aleatory one. Enforceability is not limited to the insurer. A writing requirement relates to the statute of frauds, not to the aleatory nature.

General Insurance > Contract Law: aleatory contract

Question 3

James wants to place coverage that no admitted California insurer will write. Through what channel may this risk lawfully be placed with a nonadmitted insurer?

  1. A. Directly by any licensed life agent
  2. B. Surplus lines
  3. C. The California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association
  4. D. A group certificate
Show the answer

Answer: B

Surplus lines allows placement with an eligible nonadmitted insurer when coverage is unavailable from admitted carriers, and it requires a specially licensed surplus lines broker. An ordinary life agent cannot simply place business with a nonadmitted insurer. The guarantee association protects policyholders of insolvent admitted insurers, not a placement channel. A group certificate is unrelated to admission status.

Cal. Ins. Code sec. 1760 et seq. (surplus lines)

Question 4

Maria sold a life policy and wants to keep her license in good standing, so she must complete continuing education. In California, what is the general purpose of the continuing education requirement for licensed producers?

  1. A. To ensure producers keep their knowledge current before each license renewal
  2. B. To allow producers to sell in other states without a new license
  3. C. To replace the need for an appointment by an insurer
  4. D. To exempt producers from the state examination
Show the answer

Answer: A

Continuing education exists so licensees keep their product and law knowledge current, and it must be completed before renewal. It does not create reciprocity for selling in other states. It does not replace the required insurer appointment, which is a separate obligation. It does not exempt anyone from the original licensing exam, which is a one time entry requirement.

California Insurance Code Sections 1749 et seq. (continuing education).

Question 5

What feature distinguishes whole life insurance from term life insurance?

  1. A. Whole life builds cash value while term does not
  2. B. Whole life pays no death benefit
  3. C. Term life lasts for the entire life of the insured
  4. D. Term life always builds cash value faster
Show the answer

Answer: A

Whole life is permanent and accumulates a cash value the policyowner can borrow against or surrender, while term insurance is pure protection with no cash value. Whole life does pay a death benefit, so that choice is wrong. Term does not last the whole life; it covers only a set term. Term does not build cash value at all, so it cannot build it faster.

Life Insurance > Types of Life Policies

Take the free California practice test, every question with the answer and the explanation

California exam FAQs

How many questions are on the California life insurance exam?

75 scored questions, with 90 minutes on the clock.

What score passes the California exam?

You need 60% to pass.

How much does the California life insurance exam cost?

The exam fee is $55 per attempt, paid to PSI Exams. Licensing application and fingerprint fees are separate.

What happens if I fail the California exam?

No published mandatory waiting period. Failed candidates reschedule through PSI's Examination Scheduling Service and pay the examination fee again; cancellations within 48 hours of the appointment forfeit the fee. About 62% of first-time life exam takers pass nationally (NAIC, latest published data). Failing once is common, and the fix is drilling the sections your score report names.

Does California require prelicensing education before the exam?

Yes. California requires prelicensing education from a provider your state insurance department lists before you can sit for the exam. We sell study materials and practice exams, not prelicensing education, so plan for both, the required education first, then practice here until the exam feels familiar.

What RingReady is, and is not

RingReady sells study materials and practice exams for the life insurance licensing exam. We are not a state-approved prelicensing education provider, and practicing here does not by itself satisfy any state's education requirement.

If your state requires prelicensing education, you must complete it with an approved provider; your state insurance department publishes the approved list. What we do is make sure that when you sit down for the real exam, the questions feel familiar.

Practice the California exam until it feels familiar.

Practice questions written to every section of the outline above, full timed practice exams matched to the real format (75 questions, 90 minutes), and a mastery map that shows what to study next.

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Take the free California practice test · How to pass the exam