What is the Alaska Insurance Exam Like?

Alaska has contracted with Pearson VUE, a testing service, to administer the Alaska insurance exams. The Alaska insurance licensing exams 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. Although there are short “story” problems on the exam, even those are quite brief. Even though the trend among many test writers is for longer questions, you will be surprised by how short the questions are.
  • 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 Problems Super Sheet found in your course materials to master the math problems.) The testing company provides you with scratch paper, but they do not allow you to use a calculator while taking the exam. 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.

Alaska Insurance Exam Details

You will take your exam on a computer, with your test results provided immediately afterwards. If you pass, you will not be given an actual score; if you fail, you will be given your actual score.

Minimum Passing Score.  Alaska requires that you receive a 70 or higher score to pass the exam. In our experience, this score is difficult to interpret because the passing score is curved and questions have different weight values. So there is really no way to know exactly how many questions you have missed with any particular score. Our experience has shown that most students who do have trouble on the exam receive a score within 5 points of passing. The problem of course is that missing a passing score by 5 points does not tell you how many questions you actually missed. And, you don’t know which particular questions you missed either.

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 Alaska Division of Insurance. For more information about obtaining your license, see our article Steps to Getting Your Alaska Insurance License.

Where is the Exam Given?

Online Testing:  When you register with Pearson VUE, you will be asked to specify a test center location. You can also get certified with OnVUE to test from your home or office.

If certified, you can take your Alaska Insurance exam conveniently from home through OnVUE online proctoring. A live proctor will monitor you through the webcam on your workstation to provide a secure exam experience.

Testing at a Test Center:  There are several ways to find a location include:

Online Test Locator.  To find a test center that is most convenient for you by using the online Pearson VUE Test Center locator, here.

Reference to The Candidate Handbook.  You can also find the list of test locations by viewing the Pearson VUE Alaska Insurance Candidate Handbook, here.

Although they may be changed from time to time, the usual testing locations in Alaska are:

Anchorage, Bethel, Dillingham, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Palmer, and Sitka.

For the most current exam locations call Pearson VUE at 866-496-2539.

How Do I Register for the Alaska Insurance Exam?

If you have any disabilities that require special attention, be sure to contact the Pearson VUE well ahead of time to make special arrangements. When signing up for your specific exam date, keep in mind that examination time slots may fill up quickly.

  • Schedule Your Exam.  To schedule a test, Pearson VUE requires that you notify them by phone at least one (1) business day in advance, or on the Web at least four (4) days in advance to schedule a test date. However, be sure to register well ahead of time to ensure that the location and date you prefer are available. The fee for taking the exam must be paid at the time of registration.
  • Exam Registration Phone Number:  866-496-2539
  • Exam Registration:  Website
  • Register for Fingerprinting. Alaska requires that you be fingerprinted and undergo a U.S. Department of Justice background check. The following test center may provide finger printing services: Anchorage, AK. Be sure to ask about fingerprinting when registering for the exam. (If you already have been fingerprinted in the past, ask whether those prints will work. Often they will not work, especially if they are the old ink and paper, instead of the new digital fingerprints.) To make a fingerprint reservation go here.
  • Change a Scheduled Exam Date.  Keep in mind that if you need to change your testing time or date, Prometric will sometimes cancel your existing testing time before they can see if other time slots are available. Reschedule as soon as possible in order to avoid forfeiting your registration fee. Visit the online registration page to view/edit your appointment.

When Should I Schedule My Alaska Insurance Exam?

We recommend that you plan to contact Pearson VUE at least three weeks prior to completing your exam prep. That will allow you to predict when you will complete your course and also give you the opportunity to pick an exam date that falls soon after finishing your prep. If you take the exam too long after completing the course, it becomes more difficult to remember the details.

Is the Alaska Insurance Exam Available in Any Other Language?

In Alaska, the exam is not given in languages other than English. But, candidates for whom English is a second language can request extra time by completing a Special Accommodations Request Form, found in the candidate handbook.

Test Accommodations

For individuals who demonstrate a documented need, appropriate arrangements and accommodations can be made. For more information, see the Pearson VUE accommodations page, go here.

Which Alaska Insurance Exam Will I Take?

The most common types of licenses and related exam names or numbers for Alaska 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.

Available Exams Number of Questions Time Allotted
Life 110 2 hours 15 mins
Health 110 2 hours 15 mins
Property 110 2 hours 15 mins
Casualty 110 2 hours 15 mins
Personal Lines 140 2 hours 15 mins

*For a complete list of license types, visit the Pearson VUE Website and review the Candidate Handbook. Go here.

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

Yes. Each state has a different rule on this and the rules change from time to time. The best source to find the answer is from the testing service’s handbook (see below).

Where can I Find Additional FAQ’s about Alaska’s Licensing Exam?

Find the current answers to many of your questions from the Alaska’s Insurance Licensing Candidate Information Bulletin/Handbook here.

What are my Exam Prep Options?

Our main online course offering provides all of our learning tools into one comprehensive package, which is designed to help you pass your Alaska insurance exam the fastest and easiest way possible. Most students choose our recommended National Exam Prep Package. They select either the National Property and Casualty Package or the National Life and Health Package, depending on which Alaska insurance exam they are prepping for. We also offer a less expensive Practice Questions only package, which contains our comprehensive 2000+ question test bank and Practice Questions PLUS Package, which combines our test bank with our famous Super Sheets, for last minute cramming.

 

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 Alaska 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). You must supplement our materials with your state’s specific state law rules. You may have access to such materials from your recruiter or another source. If not, we may be able to assist you in finding such materials. Our National courses are designed by award winning Professor Jerry Furniss and are excellent for getting you over the exam finish line the fastest and easiest way possible. Go here for more information.