- You need 105 of 150 scored questions correct (70%) within 170 minutes to pass.
- Insurance Regulation is the largest domain at 20% - never skip it in final review.
- The exam costs $55, plus a separate $55 license application after passing.
- Pennsylvania dropped mandatory prelicensing education on April 29, 2025 - self-study now carries more weight.
Exam Snapshot: The Numbers You Must Know
Before you memorize a single policy provision, lock in the logistics. The Pennsylvania Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam (PA-PC) - officially the Producer's Property and Casualty Insurance Series 16-06 - is administered by PSI Services LLC under the authority of the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. It's a closed-book, computer-based test with 150 scored multiple-choice questions and a 170-minute time limit. You need to answer at least 105 questions correctly, or 70%, to pass.
Calculators and reference materials are not allowed at the testing station, so every formula and coverage limit you'll need has to live in your head on exam day. For a deeper walkthrough of how this compares to other producer exams, see the complete difficulty guide.
Domain Breakdown at a Glance
PA-PC content is split across 13 domains. Weighting tells you where to spend your limited study hours. Use this table as your one-glance reference, and cross-check it against the complete domains guide when you need topic-level detail.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1. Insurance Regulation | 20% |
| 2. General Insurance Concepts | 8% |
| 3. Property and Casualty Basics | 14% |
| 4. Dwelling Policy | 4% |
| 5. Homeowners Policy Concepts | 7% |
| 6. Personal Automobile Policy | 10% |
| 7. Commercial Automobile Policy | 5% |
| 8. Commercial General Liability | 7% |
| 9. Commercial Crime | 2% |
| 10. Commercial Property Policies | 7% |
| 11. Businessowners Policy | 3% |
| 12. Workers Compensation Law | 5% |
| 13. Other Types of Property and Casualty Insurance | 8% |
Notice that four domains - Insurance Regulation, Property and Casualty Basics, Personal Automobile Policy, and Other Types of Property and Casualty Insurance - together account for over half the exam. If your study time is limited, this cluster is non-negotiable.
Registration and Licensing Mechanics
PA-PC eligibility mechanics changed recently, and it's worth internalizing the exact sequence so you don't waste time on outdated advice:
- No mandatory prelicensing course. Pennsylvania eliminated the mandatory prelicensing education requirement effective April 29, 2025. Self-directed study and structured prep are now the primary path to readiness.
- Pass the exam first. You must pass the PA-PC exam before submitting your license application.
- Submit the license application with the $55 fee. This is a separate payment from the $55 exam fee.
- Complete fingerprint-based background review. This is a required step in the resident licensing process.
For the full checklist of who qualifies and what documentation is needed, read the eligibility and requirements guide. If you're still unclear on the exact passing threshold and how scoring works, the passing score breakdown covers it in detail.
Key Takeaway
Because there's no mandatory course anymore, your prep materials - practice questions, domain reviews, and a structured study guide - carry the full weight of your preparation. Treat self-study as the whole game, not a supplement.
High-Yield Topics by Domain
Below is a condensed cheat sheet of what to actually know inside each heavily weighted domain. This is not a substitute for full review - pair it with the first-attempt study guide - but it's a fast way to check your recall.
Domain 1: Insurance Regulation (20%)
The single largest domain. Expect questions on licensing authority, producer duties, unfair trade practices, and the role of the Pennsylvania Insurance Department in oversight.
- Producer licensing categories and authority lines
- Grounds for license denial, suspension, or revocation
- Unfair claims settlement and trade practices concepts
Domain 3: Property and Casualty Basics (14%)
Foundational policy structure questions - this domain underlies almost every other section on the exam.
- Policy structure: declarations, insuring agreement, conditions, exclusions
- Types of hazards, perils, and loss exposures
- Underwriting and rating fundamentals
Domain 6: Personal Automobile Policy (10%)
One of the most heavily tested lines. Know the coverage parts cold.
- Liability, medical payments, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
- Physical damage coverage: collision vs. comprehensive
- Exclusions and who qualifies as an insured
Domain 13: Other Types of Property and Casualty Insurance (8%)
A catch-all domain covering specialty lines not addressed elsewhere.
- Umbrella and excess liability policies
- Inland marine and specialty floaters
- Surety bonds and their distinction from insurance
Smaller domains - Dwelling Policy (4%), Commercial Crime (2%), and Businessowners Policy (3%) - still show up on the exam. Don't skip them entirely; just don't over-invest study hours relative to their weight.
Test-Day Rules and Format
PA-PC candidates can test at a PSI testing center or via online proctoring. Either way, the rules are identical:
- 150 scored multiple-choice questions
- 170 minutes total testing time
- 70% (105 correct answers) required to pass
- Closed-book format - no reference sheets, notes, or calculators permitted
- $55 exam fee, paid at registration
If you want a broader sense of how test-takers generally perform and where they struggle most, the pass rate analysis is worth reading before you schedule your seat. And if scheduling logistics are still unclear, the exam dates and scheduling guide walks through testing windows.
Last-Week Review Plan
If you only have seven days left before your test, don't restart your studying - triage it. This is the one place in this cheat sheet where general study technique applies, but it's mapped directly onto PA-PC's domain weights.
Anchor the heavyweights
- Review Insurance Regulation (20%) and Property and Casualty Basics (14%) - together over a third of the exam
- Run timed practice sets focused only on these two domains
Cover the auto and homeowners cluster
- Personal Automobile Policy (10%), Homeowners Policy Concepts (7%), Dwelling Policy (4%)
- Drill coverage part distinctions with flashcard-style recall
Commercial lines sweep
- Commercial General Liability (7%), Commercial Property Policies (7%), Commercial Automobile Policy (5%), Workers Compensation Law (5%)
- Focus on distinguishing similar-sounding coverage forms
Mop-up and simulation
- Businessowners Policy (3%), Commercial Crime (2%), Other Types of P&C Insurance (8%)
- Take one full-length timed practice exam under closed-book conditions
For a full-length simulated experience under realistic time pressure, use the practice tests on the main PA-PC practice site - they're built around the same 13-domain weighting shown above.
Renewal and Continuing Education Cheat Sheet
Passing the exam is the start of the license, not the end of the obligation. Producer licenses in Pennsylvania renew on a two-year cycle, and each renewal requires:
- 24 total continuing education hours
- 3 hours of ethics specifically
- 2 hours of flood coverage if you hold property and casualty authority
Mark these numbers somewhere you'll see them again - CE deadlines sneak up, and lapses can affect your ability to write business. If you're weighing whether the license is worth pursuing at all given the ongoing CE commitment, the ROI analysis breaks down the trade-offs.
Key Takeaway
Write "24 CE / 2-year cycle / 3 ethics / 2 flood" somewhere permanent. These four numbers govern your entire license maintenance schedule after you pass.
Who This License Opens Doors With
The PA-PC license qualifies you to sell property and casualty insurance products in Pennsylvania - auto, homeowners, dwelling, commercial property, general liability, and the specialty lines covered in Domain 13. Independent agencies, captive carriers, and brokerages hiring producers for personal and commercial lines typically list this license as a hard requirement or strong preference. If you're researching career paths before you commit to studying, the job market overview and earnings analysis give context on where license holders typically land.
For readers still confirming basic terminology - what the license actually authorizes, how it's described in job postings, or how it's distinct from other credentials sharing similar initials - the overview article and meaning explainer are good starting points.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam has 150 scored multiple-choice questions. You need 105 correct (70%) to pass, within a 170-minute time limit.
No. Pennsylvania eliminated the mandatory prelicensing education requirement effective April 29, 2025. Candidates can move directly to self-study and exam scheduling.
The exam itself costs $55. After passing, a separate $55 license application fee applies, plus fingerprint-based background review as part of the licensing process.
Insurance Regulation, at 20%, is the single largest domain and should be your top priority, followed by Property and Casualty Basics (14%) and Personal Automobile Policy (10%).
No. The exam is closed-book, and calculators and reference materials are not permitted at PSI testing centers or during online proctoring.
Producer licenses renew every two years. Each cycle requires 24 continuing education hours, including 3 ethics hours and, for property and casualty authority, 2 flood hours.