Exam factTime limit and format
As ofOctober 8, 2026
How long is the P&C exam, and what does it look like?
Combined P&C exams in the states we checked run 2.5 to 3 hours: 150 minutes in Texas, 3 hours in Florida and California. The handbooks we checked describe a computer-based, four-option multiple-choice exam at a test center, with unscored pretest items mixed in (checked October 8, 2026).
Texas allows 150 minutes for its combined exam (Pearson VUE Texas handbook); Florida and California allow 3 hours (California Department of Insurance). Where Property and Casualty are separate exams, each one has its own clock.
Source: Pearson VUE Florida insurance candidate handbook · checked October 8, 2026
Time limits by state
| State | Time | Setup | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 150 min | Combined | Pearson VUE Texas insurance candidate handbook checked October 8, 2026 |
| Georgia | 2.5 h (2 h per line if separate) | Combined; single lines offered | Pearson VUE Georgia insurance candidate handbook checked October 8, 2026 |
| Florida | 3 h | Combined 2-20 | Pearson VUE Florida insurance candidate handbook checked October 8, 2026 |
| Illinois | Property 75 + 50 min; Casualty 75 + 55 min | Separate lines, General + State | Pearson VUE Illinois insurance candidate handbook checked October 8, 2026 |
| North Carolina | 1 h 15 min each | Separate | Pearson VUE North Carolina insurance candidate handbook checked October 8, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | 170 min | Combined 16-06 | PSI Pennsylvania insurance candidate information booklet checked October 8, 2026 |
| New York | 2.5 h | Combined 17-56 | PSI New York insurance candidate bulletin (updated April 28, 2023) checked October 8, 2026 |
| California | 3 h (1.5 h per line if separate) | Combined or separate | California Department of Insurance, exam time limits and questions checked October 8, 2026 |
| Ohio | 2.5 h | Combined 11-36 | PSI Ohio insurance candidate information bulletin checked October 8, 2026 |
| New Jersey | 3.5 h each | Separate | PSI New Jersey insurance producer bulletin checked October 8, 2026 |
| Michigan | 2.5 h (2 h per line if separate) | Combined 16-81 | PSI Michigan insurance candidate information bulletin checked October 8, 2026 |
| Virginia | 2.5 h | Combined 11-03 | Prometric Virginia P&C content outline (series 11-03) checked October 8, 2026 |
Stem formats in PSI sample items
- Incomplete sentence
- The PSI Pennsylvania bulletin's first sample format: the stem breaks off and each option finishes it. Read every option as the end of that sentence; the ones that don't complete it cleanly go first.
- Direct question
- A full question, such as which coverage part pays. Pin down who holds the policy and when the loss happened before you weigh anything else.
- All of the following … EXCEPT
- Three options are true and one is not. In the bulletin's sample, the capitalized EXCEPT or NOT flips the task, so mark each option true or false and take the odd one out.
Three passes against the clock
Pass one: take the quick ones
Answer the items that resolve on the first read and leave the rest, so the clock never stalls on one question.
Pass two: return with time in hand
Work the items you left. Use the review option if your exam screen offers one; if it doesn't, decide each one before moving on.
Pass three: leave nothing blank
Watch the clock for the last stretch and pick an answer for anything still open. A blank earns nothing.
Rehearse against a clock
The passes only hold up if you have run them under time. The timed P&C mock exam puts a 60-minute clock on a 60-item general-block set, shorter than the combined exams above, so you find out where your minutes go before the real sitting does.
For your state's item count, see how many questions are on the P&C exam. For the content behind the questions, see what the P&C exam actually tests.
Sittings and clocks by state
Is the P&C exam taken at a test center?
The handbooks and bulletins we checked describe computer-based exams at centers run by Pearson VUE, PSI or Prometric (checked October 8, 2026). Check your state's bulletin for current delivery options before you book.
How long is the Texas P&C exam?
150 minutes for the combined General Lines exam (Pearson VUE Texas handbook, checked October 8, 2026). The Texas P&C license page covers the full route.
How long are the separate Property and Casualty exams?
1 h 15 min each in North Carolina, 3.5 hours each in New Jersey, and 1.5 hours each in California when taken separately (sources below, checked October 8, 2026).
Sources
- Pearson VUE Texas insurance candidate handbook · checked October 8, 2026
- Pearson VUE Georgia insurance candidate handbook · checked October 8, 2026
- Pearson VUE Florida insurance candidate handbook · checked October 8, 2026
- Pearson VUE Illinois insurance candidate handbook · checked October 8, 2026
- Pearson VUE North Carolina insurance candidate handbook · checked October 8, 2026
- PSI Pennsylvania insurance candidate information booklet · checked October 8, 2026
- PSI New York insurance candidate bulletin (updated April 28, 2023) · checked October 8, 2026
- California Department of Insurance, exam time limits and questions · checked October 8, 2026
- PSI Ohio insurance candidate information bulletin · checked October 8, 2026
- PSI New Jersey insurance producer bulletin · checked October 8, 2026
- PSI Michigan insurance candidate information bulletin · checked October 8, 2026
- Prometric Virginia P&C content outline (series 11-03) · checked October 8, 2026