All About Registering For and Taking the South Carolina Insurance Exam

What is the South Carolina Insurance Exam Like?

South Carolina has contracted with PSI, a testing service, to administer the South Carolina insurance exams. The South Carolina 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 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 Problems Super Sheet found in your online 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, quiet 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.

South Carolina Insurance Exam Details

You will take your exam on a computer, with your test results provided immediately afterwards. Your score will be shown on the screen and you will also receive a printed score report.

Minimum Passing Score.  South Carolina requires that you receive a 70 or higher score to pass the exam. Your overall score and grade is 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 South Carolina Department of Insurance. (For more information about obtaining your license, see our article Steps to Getting Your South Carolina Insurance License.)

Where is the South Carolina Insurance Exam Given?

When you register with PSI Exams, you will be asked to specify a test center location. 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 PSI Exams Test Center locator, go here.

Test Locations in South Carolina.  Although they may be changed from time to time, the usual testing locations are:
Aiken, Beaufort/Hilton Head, Charleston, Charlotte, Columbia, Florence, Graniteville, Greenville/Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach, and Rock Hill

How Do I Register For the South Carolina Insurance Exam?

If you have any disabilities that require special attention, be sure to contact PSI 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.  Use the links below to schedule and register for your exam. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to ensure the location and date you prefer are available. We recommend scheduling you exam at least one week in advance.
• Exam Registration:  Website
• Register for Fingerprinting.  To schedule a fingerprint reservation, please contact PSI’s third party vendor, IdentoGO.
• Resident Producers may schedule fingerprint appointments online using the following steps:
  1. Go to IdentoGO and click on Get Fingerprinted (top right menu icon).
  2. Under Search for services by state, select “South Carolina” then “Go”.
  3. Click on “State Fingerprinting”.
  4. Under “For New Appointments” click on “Schedule a New Appointment”.
  5. In the drop-down box, select “SC920124Z-DOI Producer Licensing/Renewal” and click “Go”.
  6. Enter your Zip Code.
  7. Choose the location and date you want, select “Click to Schedule” and choose the time of your appointment.
  8. On the remaining screens, complete the fields as requested to schedule and pay for the fingerprints.

     If you need assistance scheduling an appointment with IdentoGo, please contact their office at 844-321-2124.

• Change a Scheduled Exam Date.  Keep in mind that if you need to change your testing time or date, PSI 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. Visit the registration page to view/edit your appointment.

When Should I Schedule My South Carolina Insurance Exam?

We recommend that you plan to contact PSI at least three weeks prior to completing our course. 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.

Is the South Carolina Insurance Exam Available in Any Other Language?

In South Carolina, the exam is not given in languages other than English. But, candidates for whom English is a second language may request extra time by filling out a Special Accommodations Request Form before registration (See Candidate Information Bulletin).

Which South Carolina Insurance Exam Will I Take?

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

*For a complete list of license types, visit the PSI Exams Website and review the Candidate Information Bulletin. 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 Information about South Carolina’s Licensing Exam?

Find the current answers to many of your questions from the South Carolina’s Insurance Licensing Information Bulletin 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 South Carolina 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.