All About Registering For and Taking the Alabama Insurance Exam

What is the Alabama Insurance Exam Like?

The Alabama insurance licensing exam will test your knowledge and understanding of broad insurance concepts. The exam is also designed to challenge your reading comprehension, product knowledge, and test-taking skills.

The following are key points about the exam format: 

• Multiple Choice Questions.  All examination questions are multiple-choice with 4 possible answers. The typical question is short – usually just one sentence followed by 4 answer choices. Three different multiple-choice formats are used. These include direct question, incomplete question, and “all of the following are correct except.” 
• Very Few Math Problems.  There are very few math questions and the math problems on the exam are very straightforward. Basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division skills are all the math skills required. (Please review our Math Super Sheet found in the 180 Licensing course materials to master the math problems.) No reference materials, papers, or study materials are allowed while taking the exam. A calculator or slide rule is allowed and must be battery powered, solar powered, quite and paperless. Calculators will be provided at the test center. 180 Licensing will provide you with sample math problems so there will be no surprises at exam time. 
• Read Key Words Carefully.  Test questions are not designed to mislead. However, just like any other exam questions, misreading the questions will impact your score. Words such as ALL, NONE, EXCEPT are often used and, if misread, can dramatically impact your score.
• Question Types.  About 80 percent of exam questions cover conceptual knowledge, while the remaining 20 percent cover specific facts, such as number of days, dollar amounts, etc.

Alabama Insurance Exam Details

Minimum Passing Score.  Alabama requires that you receive a 70 or higher score to pass the exam. Your overall score and grade are shown on the score report including the numerical percentage of questions answered correctly and if you passed or failed. Section percentages will not average to total percentage score because of the way questions are allocated to different sections. 180 Licensing takes this into account when preparing you for the exam. 

Passing the Exam Does Not Equal a License.  Passing the insurance exam does not automatically mean that you receive an insurance license. You must work with your employer in order to apply for and receive your insurance license from the Alabama Department of Insurance. For more information about obtaining your license, see our article Steps to Getting Your Alabama Insurance License.

Where is the Alabama Insurance Exam Given?

When you register, you will be asked to specify a test center location.

Test Locations in Alabama.  Although they may be changed from time to time, the usual testing cities are:  Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and Gadsden.

To access the up-to-date testing sites, go here.

Online Testing (an alternative to taking the exam at one of the test centers)

Select “Insurance Testing – Online Proctor” from the testing sites and dates page. You must have a desktop or laptop with built in camera and mic. No Chromebooks.

Online Testing exams can be taken anytime at your convenience once the prelicensing certificate and driver’s license have been uploaded and approved. Please wait 24-48 business hours after registering to receive an invite from email to start the online testing process.

How do I Register for the Alabama Insurance Exam?

When signing up for your specific exam date, keep in mind that examination time slots may fill up quickly.

• Ensure you are eligible and have your prelicensing certificate.
• Schedule Your Exam.  To schedule a test with the University of Alabama’s Continuing Studies Program, you can register online. However, be sure to register at least seven days in advance, and well ahead of time to ensure that the location and date you prefer are available. The application fee varies between $50 and $75 depending on the exam type. The registration/exam fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable.
• Exam Registration:  Website
• Change a Scheduled Exam Date.  Once an exam is scheduled and the fee is received, you may not change the type of exam, the date, the time, or the location. In the event that you are too late or absent, a registration was created with errors, or any other incorrect exam registration issue, you will forfeit the registration fee. In any of these cases, you must register again online and pay the fee again online. An exam can only be rescheduled in the event of an illness, death in the family (immediate family) or an emergency in which you must provide proof on official letterhead within 30 days from the physician that you were treated by in order to have your exam rescheduled.

When should I Schedule My Exam?

180 Licensing recommends taking the Alabama insurance exam as soon as possible after completing your state approved and required prelicensing course. We recommend that you plan to contact the University of Alabama at least three weeks prior to completing your course and receiving your certificate. That will allow you to predict when you will complete the course and also give you the opportunity to pick an exam date that falls soon after finishing the course. If you take the exam too long after completing the course, it becomes more difficult to remember the details. If you are having a difficult time passing your exam after you have taken your required prelicensing education, consider taking our course to help you get that passing score. Supplement our materials with the state law materials that you received from your prelicensing course to best prepare for the exam. Our courses are not approved for Alabama prelicensing education, but are specifically designed to help you pass your exam in the event you are having difficulty passing the test after taking your required prelicensing education.

Is the Exam available in any Other Language?

Not at this time. In Alabama, the exam is available only in English.

ADA Accommodations

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, covered individuals may be eligible for reasonable accommodations. To request accommodations, please provide proof on official letterhead of your disability and accommodation requested. Requests should be submitted seven working days prior to your scheduled test. Medical documentation must be signed, dated and no more than one year old. These requests should be sent to email, or you may send documentation via fax to 205-348-8505.

Which Alabama Insurance Exam will I take?

The most common types of licenses and related exam names or numbers for Alabama are listed below, along with the number of questions and the time allotted for each exam. Students report to us that they normally complete their exams with time left over. But, be sure to watch the clock on your test computer to keep track of the remaining time on each exam. And, if you have any doubt as to which exam you need, your employer is the best person to ask.

This is not a complete list of all insurance licenses in Alabama. For a complete list, go here.

How do I find an Approved Prelicensing Education Provider in Alabama?

The state of Alabama requires prelicensing education from an Alabama approved provider prior to you being able to take your insurance exam. You must take the required course and receive a certificate of completion and must pass your insurance exam within a 12 month period. Find a provider here.

STILL NEED HELP PASSING THE EXAM?

Have you taken an prelicensing course, have your valid certificate, and still having trouble with the exam? We have highly effective courses designed to make passing the exam easier. We recommend our National Exam Prep Package for your Life and Health or Property and Casualty exam prep needs.

We have not sought to be an approved provider. Our focus in Alabama is on helping you pass your insurance licensing exam as fast and easy as is possible. Purchasing our materials does not meet your prelicensing education requirement. To best prepare to pass your exam, you will need to supplement our National course materials with the state specific rules provided to you by your approved prelicensing education provider.

What About Fingerprinting?

You obtain your fingerprints through Gemalto, the fingerprint service company contracted by Alabama. Preregistration is required before visiting a Gemalto location in Alabama. Get fingerprinted after passing your exam and immediately before applying for your license. Go here to make a reservation with Gemalto, Alabama’s fingerprinting vendor.

What is the Alabama Department of Insurance’s Exam Content Outline?

The Alabama Insurance Exam is based on an Exam Content Outline created by Alabama Department of Insurance. To view, go here.

The content outline itself does not describe the details of the test topics, but rather sets forth the general concepts to be covered and makes reference to the sections of laws and regulations applicable to a broad topic. Because the content outline itself does not give much detailed subject matter information, you may not find the content outline to be very useful in your test preparation, unless you do the necessary research to fill in the details yourself.

What if I Fail the Test? Can I Retake It?

If you fail the exam, you can retake it. In Alabama, if you do not pass the examination, in order to retake it, you must re-register and reschedule the examination. You must also pay another registration fee. There is no limit to how many times you may take an examination, however after the second attempt there will be a waiting period before you can retake it.

How Do I Obtain My License After I Pass the Exam?

Alabama has contracted with the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) to provide online license application services. Go here.

Disclaimer:  180 Licensing Exam Prep, Inc. makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, information is subject to change. The final authority for the latest insurance licensing information is your state’s department of insurance.

Must Read:  Our National online, self-paced, exam prep courses offered in Alabama do not meet your state’s prelicensing education requirement. They contain national insurance and general state law rules, but do not contain your exam’s specific state law content (about 15-20% of your exam). If you have taken an approved prelicensing education course, have a valid certificate, and still need a passing score, use our materials and supplement with the state law material from your prelicensing provider. Designed by award winning Professor Jerry Furniss, our interactive exam prep materials are excellent for getting you over the finish line the fastest and easiest way possible. Go here for more information.