Completing Required Prelicensing Insurance Education Prior to Exam Registration

One of the reasons you are visiting this site is because you already understand that you must pass the Washington State licensing exam before you can obtain your individual resident insurance license. In order to take the Washington State licensing exam, you must first complete approved prelicensing education. Once you have completed your required education, you must then register with the testing service, PSI, to schedule your exam. PSI is the exam testing company that has been selected by Washington State to administer your licensing exam.

Prelicensing Education Required for Major Lines.  Washington State requires prelicensing education from an approved education provider if you are taking any of the following major lines of exams:

  • life
  • disability
  • property
  • casualty
  • personal lines

Prelicensing Education Waiver:  Individuals who have completed a specialty insurance designation within the last 12 months may not have to take the required prelicensing education. Specifically, the following are designation courses that may qualify an individual for a prelicensing education waiver: Life Insurance: CEBS, ChFC, CIC, CFP, CLU, FLMI and LUTCF; Disability Insurance: RHU, CEBS, REBC and HIA; Property or Casualty Insurance: AAI, ARM, CIC and CPCU. Contact the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) if you have questions here.

To register you may call PSI at 855-205-5825 or register online here. Before you register, you may want to read our informative guide entitled All About Registering For and Taking the Washington Insurance Exam. Please note that taking a 180 Licensing course DOES NOT register you for the exam.

How To Obtain Your Resident Washington State Insurance License

1)  Select an Approved Prelicensing Course.  You must select an approved provider and must complete your required prelicensing education for the type of license you are seeking.

The Washington State Office of Insurance Commissioner (OIC) maintains a list of approved prelicensing course providers. Go here to locate a provider.

Important Notice:  The state of Washington has a prelicensing education requirement. You must take a course from a provider on this list. Go here. 180 Licensing is not an approved provider; our focus is solely designed to help you pass your insurance licensing exam the fastest and easiest way possible. If you are still having trouble passing the exam after you have taken a prelicensing course from an approved provider, consider putting the odds in your favor by taking one of our premier exam prep courses. They are self-paced, online, and very affordable and effective.

Your Education Provider Choices: Here is a rundown of your choices and our opinions. These include:

  • Correspondence Courses.  Often these courses consist of a manual and perhaps some sample questions on a disc that may or may not be specific to your state’s exam. The course manuals are boring and often out-of-date, and do not effectively convey the critical points that need to be mastered by you. And, they do not use techniques that “teach” you the material; OR
  • Live Classes.  Sometimes these classes are effective and sometimes they are not- pick one and take your chances. Plus, these courses are often not located near you, and you must miss time from work or travel to take the class. And, if you don’t understand a point, it is virtually impossible to “rewind” the instructor to review any confusing points. OR
  • Online Courses with Simulated Instructors.  If you have listened to computer generated voices before, you know that they will drive you nuts after a few hours. We cannot imagine listening to a computer voice for 20-40 hours trying to prepare for a licensing exam; OR
  • Online Courses with Real Instructors.  A couple companies have online classes with real people lecturing. While good in theory, most of these “real people” are simply “talking heads” in the corner of the screen that you will soon tire of. Who wants to watch an instructor talk for 20-40 hours on a little computer screen? We know we don’t. But you may find that appealing. OR
  • Comprehensive Interactive Self-Study Course That Teaches.  You guessed it. 180 Licensing has spent hundreds of hours creating a manual that is not only fun to read, but that is also highly authoritative and effective. The founder of 180 Licensing has personally helped over 10,000 students pass their licensing exams using these materials and techniques. Our interactive source materials take you step by step through the critical points – our materials are “designed to teach”. And, our exam prep courses contain unlimited exam simulations with questions from one of the most comprehensive test banks in the industry. You can learn the key points at your own pace, anywhere you wish. With our materials, you do not need to “second guess” anything – it’s all there, in one easy package. Passing the exam cannot be made any easier or more enjoyable than with 180 Licensing. Supplement our national courses with the state law materials that you received from your prelicensing education provider to best prepare for your exam.

2)  Decide Where To Take the Exam.  The exam is given in a number of locations here in Washington State. Go here to find a test location. Before you actually choose a test and location, you may want more details. If so, go to our informative guide, All About Registering For and Taking the Washington Insurance Exam.

3)  Register To Take the Exam with PSI.  You should register to take the exam with PSI several weeks in advance so that you will be guaranteed a spot at the Test Center of your choice on the day of your choice. To register, you may call the testing company at 855-205-5825 or register online here. For details, read our All About Registering For and Taking the Washington Insurance Exam article that explains the process for registering with PSI.

Warning:  In Washington State, once you have complete an approved prelicensing education course, you must take and pass your exam within 12 months. Make sure to take the certificate of completion for each line (property, casualty, life, and/or disability) with you to the testing center. (You will receive a certificate of prelicensing education completion for each line of insurance you take.)

4)  Submit The Proper Licensing Paperwork.  Your employer will assist you in submitting the application paperwork. You can apply by paper application to the Washington Office of Insurance Commissioner (OIC), or you can submit electronically through NIPR here.

Warning:  Once you pass your exam, you must become licensed within 180 days; otherwise, you must start retake your exam!

 

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 Washington 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.