California Life Insurance Exam Format and Topics
75 scored questions, 105 minutes and a 60 percent pass mark: the 13 topics with their weights, how retakes work, and a study plan built on the official objectives.
The California Life-Only Agent exam is a computer test with 75 scored multiple choice questions. You need 60 percent to pass.
The state tells you in advance how many questions come from each topic. That makes it possible to plan your study time instead of guessing.
This guide covers the format, the 13 topics with their weights, retakes and a simple study plan. This site is independent and is not affiliated with the California Department of Insurance (CDI) or PSI, the company that runs the exam.
In short
- 75 scored multiple choice questions, 60 percent to pass (45 correct).12
- The PSI bulletin lists 105 minutes for the life exam.1
- One to ten extra unscored questions may appear, and they use up time too.1
- Life insurance topics make up 65 percent of the exam, general insurance 30 percent and riders 5 percent.2
- After 10 failed attempts in 12 months you are barred for 12 months.1
The format
CDI describes the life agent exam as 75 multiple choice questions.2 It is taken on a computer at a test center, using a mouse and keyboard.1
In addition to the 75 questions, one to ten experimental items may be added. They are generally about 10 percent of the question count. They are not scored, but they do count against your exam time, and you cannot tell which ones they are.1
All CDI exams require 60 percent to pass, apart from the bail, adjuster and life and disability analyst exams.1 For the life exam that works out to 45 correct answers out of 75 (our own arithmetic).
No books, notes, phones or watches are allowed in the exam room. A pencil and scratch paper, or a writing tablet, are provided and must be returned.1
How much time you get
The sources disagree slightly. The 2025 CDI objectives say 90 minutes.2 The PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, revised in October 2026, lists 105 minutes for the life exam.1
The bulletin is the newer document and the one that sets out the exam process, so we use 105 minutes. Check the bulletin again when you book.
Before the exam starts there is a tutorial of up to 15 minutes. That time does not count against the exam clock.1 Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment for check-in.1
The 13 topics and weights
The CDI objectives give the number of questions for each topic.2 The percentages below are our own arithmetic from those counts and are rounded.
| Topic | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Basic insurance concepts and principles | 9 | 12.0 percent |
| Contract law | 6 | 8.0 percent |
| The insurance marketplace (producers, ethics, California law) | 7 | 9.3 percent |
| Life insurance basics | 8 | 10.7 percent |
| Types of life policies | 10 | 13.3 percent |
| Annuities | 8 | 10.7 percent |
| Policy replacement and cancellation | 4 | 5.3 percent |
| The individual life insurance contract | 10 | 13.3 percent |
| Taxation of life insurance and annuities | 3 | 4.0 percent |
| Group life insurance plans | 2 | 2.7 percent |
| Social Security disability program | 1 | 1.3 percent |
| Individual underwriting, pricing and claims | 3 | 4.0 percent |
| Life policy riders | 4 | 5.3 percent |
Group the topics and the pattern is clear. General insurance (the first three) is 22 questions. Life insurance (the next nine) is 49 questions. Riders add 4.2
Three topics, types of life policies, the individual contract and annuities, carry 28 of the 75 questions. Even so, the small topics are worth knowing. A topic with one question can still cost you a point.
Results and retakes
Your pass or fail result is shown on screen at the end, and a score report is emailed to you. If you fail, the report includes a diagnostic showing how many questions you answered correctly. To get the on-screen result, you must end both the exam and the survey portions.1
To retest, you register and book again with PSI.1 There is a cap. Under California Insurance Code section 1682, someone who failed an exam 10 times is barred from that exam for 12 months from the last failure. The count is kept per exam type.1
Passing is only one step. Our guide to getting a California life insurance license covers the rest, including the one year validity of a passed exam.
A study plan
Start from the objectives
CDI says the objectives are the basis for the exam.1 Read the list for each topic and check whether you could answer it without notes.
Weight your weeks
Spend the most time on policy types, the individual contract, annuities and basic concepts. Together with the marketplace and life basics topics, they cover most of the exam.
Do not skip California law
The objectives cite specific Insurance Code sections throughout. Replacement, free look and senior rules are good examples, and we cover them in our rules guide.
Practice under the clock
Do timed sets so the pace feels normal. Start a practice test and review every answer you miss, including the ones you got right by guessing. Note which topic each miss belongs to, then return to the objectives for that topic. Repeat until your weak topics stop changing.
Common questions
How many questions are on the California life insurance exam?
75 scored questions, plus up to ten unscored experimental ones.21
What score do I need?
60 percent.1
How long is the exam?
105 minutes according to the PSI bulletin.1
Is the exam open book?
No. Books, notes and electronic devices are not allowed.1
Sources
The exam facts come from the CDI objectives and the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin. Details can change, so check the current bulletin when you register.
Enough reading, time to practice
10 practice questions, the solution right away, and at the end you see where you stand.