Do I need a pre-licensing course in Texas?

Not for the permanent license. Passing the state exam is the requirement, and a course is optional preparation. Texas also has a one-time, 180-day temporary license that cannot be renewed; it has its own conditions, so check TDI for them before relying on it.

What score do I need to pass?

A scaled score of 70. That is not the same as 70 percent of the questions correct. Unscored pretest questions do not affect the result.

Can I get a health-only license in Texas?

No. Texas does not issue a separate health license. Health authority comes with life in the General Lines: Life, Accident, Health and HMO license. If you only want life, the Life Agent license has its own shorter exam.

Can a professional designation replace the exam?

In two cases, yes. TDI lists the CLU designation as an exemption from the General Lines LAH exam, and the CPCU designation as an exemption from the Property and Casualty exam.

How long do I have to apply after passing?

One year. If the application is not submitted within a year of passing, the exam has to be taken again.

Texas Insurance License Practice Exam

Regulated by Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)

Texas licenses insurance agents through the Texas Department of Insurance, and the route is shorter than in many states: there is no required pre-licensing course, so the Pearson VUE exam is the gate. Every scored paper pairs a general portion with a Texas law portion, and passing takes a scaled score of 70 rather than 70 percent correct.

Which license are you taking?

Texas Life and Health Practice TestGeneral Lines: Life, Accident, Health and HMOThe standard Texas license for life and health. 145 questions in two and a half hours, with 30 scored questions on Texas law.145 questions · 150 minutes · a scaled score of 70 to pass
Texas Property and Casualty Practice TestGeneral Lines: Property and CasualtyThe general lines property and casualty license. 145 questions in two and a half hours, with 30 scored questions on Texas law.145 questions · 150 minutes · a scaled score of 70 to pass
Texas Life Agent Practice TestLife AgentLife insurance without the health lines. A shorter exam than General Lines LAH, with a larger share of it on Texas law.90 questions · 120 minutes · a scaled score of 70 to pass
Texas Personal Lines Practice TestPersonal Lines Property and CasualtyA narrower property and casualty license with its own shorter exam. 110 questions in two hours, with 25 scored questions on Texas law.110 questions · 120 minutes · a scaled score of 70 to pass

663 practice questions available for this state: 498 on national principles and 165 on Texas law.

Choosing a license

Texas offers four exams for the common selling licenses. General Lines: Life, Accident, Health and HMO is the standard life and health license. General Lines: Property and Casualty is its counterpart on the property side. Life Agent is a narrower life license with its own exam, and Personal Lines Property and Casualty is a narrower property and casualty license with its own exam.

Texas does not issue a separate health-only license. Life and health come together in the General Lines LAH license, so a candidate who wants to sell health coverage sits that exam. The Life Agent license is the option for someone who wants life without the health lines.

License	Questions	Scored	Time
General Lines: Life, Accident, Health and HMO	145	130	150 minutes
General Lines: Property and Casualty	145	130	150 minutes
Life Agent	90	80	120 minutes
Personal Lines Property and Casualty	110	100	120 minutes

How the exam is built and scored

Each exam is given in person at a Pearson VUE test center. The scored questions come in two parts, a general portion and a Texas portion: 100 general and 30 Texas on both General Lines exams, 50 general and 30 Texas on Life Agent, and 75 general and 25 Texas on Personal Lines. The remaining questions are unscored pretest items that look like the rest and do not count.

The passing standard is a scaled score of 70, not 70 percent of the questions answered correctly. The result is reported on a scale, so it should not be read as a percentage, and practice scores are only a guide to where you stand.

According to Pearson VUE's published summary, roughly 56 percent of first-time candidates pass the LAH exam and roughly 60 percent pass the P&C exam. These figures are approximate and change over time, but they are a fair sign that the exam deserves real preparation.

The Texas law portion

The Texas portion covers licensing law and the unfair practices the Insurance Code prohibits on every exam, plus Texas law specific to the line: life and health rules on the LAH and Life Agent exams, property and casualty rules on the P&C and Personal Lines exams.

Licensing questions turn on how TDI operates. The commissioner runs the department and enforces the state's insurance laws, and is appointed by the governor with the consent of the Texas Senate. Appointments must be on file with TDI before an agent transacts any business, and license holders must notify TDI immediately when their name, address or contact details change.

What it costs and how the application works

The exam comes first. After passing, the license application must be filed within one year, or the exam has to be taken again. The TDI application fee is about 50 dollars, and most applicants also need fingerprints taken through IdentoGO so the results reach the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The Property and Casualty exam at a test center costs about 49 dollars. Exam fees change, so confirm the current figure with Pearson VUE when you book, and check tdi.texas.gov for the current application fee before you apply.

Keeping the license

Continuing education is 24 hours in each two-year license term, and 3 of those hours must be in ethics. Repeating a course in the same term earns credit only once, and paying a fine for missing hours does not replace the hours themselves.

A license that has been expired for more than 90 days but less than a year can be restored without a new exam. A longer lapse means sitting the exam again.

Common questions

Do I need a pre-licensing course in Texas?: Not for the permanent license. Passing the state exam is the requirement, and a course is optional preparation. Texas also has a one-time, 180-day temporary license that cannot be renewed; it has its own conditions, so check TDI for them before relying on it.
What score do I need to pass?: A scaled score of 70. That is not the same as 70 percent of the questions correct. Unscored pretest questions do not affect the result.
Can I get a health-only license in Texas?: No. Texas does not issue a separate health license. Health authority comes with life in the General Lines: Life, Accident, Health and HMO license. If you only want life, the Life Agent license has its own shorter exam.
Can a professional designation replace the exam?: In two cases, yes. TDI lists the CLU designation as an exemption from the General Lines LAH exam, and the CPCU designation as an exemption from the Property and Casualty exam.
How long do I have to apply after passing?: One year. If the application is not submitted within a year of passing, the exam has to be taken again.

Guides

Getting a Texas Insurance License Without a Prelicensing Course

Fees and requirements change, and several states have run temporary fee adjustments. Confirm current figures with Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) before relying on anything here.