Hawaii life insurance exam content outline
Last updated
Hawaii's Life Producer exam follows a Pearson VUE content outline that took effect on January 1, 2026. This page covers every section of that outline and the Hawaii Revised Statutes it points to. [1]
How many questions are on the Hawaii life insurance exam?
| Part | Scored | Pretest | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life general knowledge | 50 | 5 | 75 minutes |
| Life Hawaii specific | 35 | 6 | 45 minutes |
| Total | 85 | 11 | 120 minutes |
Counts are from the outline; times are from the handbook, which prints the two parts separately. The totals are added up from those numbers. [1][2]
- Pretest questions are mixed in, not marked, and do not affect your score. [2]
- Passing score: 70 for a resident producer. This is a scaled score, not a percent. The handbook says the scaled score "is neither the number of questions you answered correctly nor the percentage." [2]
- Fee: $75, paid when you book. [2]
Section weights
| Section | Scored questions | Share of the 85 |
|---|---|---|
| I. Types of Policies | 15 | 17.6% |
| II. Life Provisions, Riders, Options, and Exclusions | 15 | 17.6% |
| III. Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policy | 12 | 14.1% |
| IV. Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts | 8 | 9.4% |
| Hawaii laws and rules common to all lines | 23 | 27.1% |
| Hawaii laws and rules pertinent to life insurance only | 12 | 14.1% |
Share = section questions divided by 85, rounded. Hawaii law is 35 of 85, about 41%. The all-lines Hawaii section is the single largest block on the exam. [1]
General knowledge (50 questions)
This half of the exam is product knowledge. Each section, with a few of the items the Hawaii outline prints under it: [1]
- Types of Policies, 15 questions. Term coverage in four forms (level, decreasing, return of premium, annually renewable) and its renewable and convertible features; universal and indexed life; annuities, including the accumulation and annuity periods; first-to-die joint life and second-to-die survivorship life.
- Life Provisions, Riders, Options, and Exclusions, 15 questions. Seventeen provisions in all. Expect beneficiary questions (common disaster, minors, designation by class), the cost of living rider, accelerated death benefits and the three printed exclusions.
- Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policy, 12 questions. Federal rules show up here: the USA PATRIOT Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley privacy and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. So do stranger-owned policies and the four unique traits of an insurance contract (conditional, unilateral, adhesion, aleatory).
- Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts, 8 questions. The smallest section: group life (conversion privilege, contributory vs. noncontributory), retirement plans, business needs such as key person and buy sell, Social Security, and the tax side, including Modified Endowment Contracts.
Hawaii law, all lines (23 questions)
References are to HRS chapter 431 unless noted. [1]
- Insurance Commissioner: general powers and duties (431:2-201 to 216; 431:3-217), examination of records (431:2-301 to 306), notice of hearings (431:2-308; 431:13-106), and penalties (431:2-203; 431:9A-112, 126, 127, 129; 431:13-201 to 204).
- Definitions: authorized and unauthorized insurers (431:8-102 to 204); domestic, foreign and alien (431:3-101, 104, 105); stock, reciprocal and mutual (431:3-106, 108, 110); certificate of authority (431:3-201 to 206); and "insurance" itself (431:1-201 to 216).
- Licensing: general qualifications (431:9A-101 to 130), producers, temporary licenses (431:9A-111), nonresidents (431:9A-108), exemptions (431:9A-104), denial, suspension and revocation, and renewal and continuing education (431:9A-107(c), 124).
- Marketing practices: unfair and deceptive practices (431:13-101 to 108), reporting and accounting for premiums (431:9A-123.5), sharing commissions (431:9A-113), records and retention (431:9A-123, 125), controlled business (431:9A-112.5), and premiums (431:10-218).
- Guaranty associations (431:16-201 to 218).
Hawaii law, life only (12 questions)
- Replacement (431:10D-501 to 509): the definition, and the duties of producers, insurers that use producers, replacing insurers and the existing insurer.
- Annuities: disclosure (10D-601 to 605) and suitability (10D-621 to 625).
- Variable contracts (431:10D-118).
- Policy clauses: protection of beneficiaries from creditors (431:10-232), policy loan interest rate (431:10D-103), and spouse's rights (431:10D-212).
- Group life: group requirements, assignment of proceeds (431:10D-215) and conversion (431:10D-213, 214).
- Participation in surplus (431:10D-102(6)) and credit life (431:10B-101 to 114). [1]
Before you book
- Life and Accident and Health are separate exams. At a test center you may take up to two exams in one session. On OnVUE, exams can not be combined. [2]
- If you fail, you wait 24 hours to retest at a test center. Online, the first retest waits two weeks, and later online retests wait four weeks. [2]
- HRS 431:9A-105(d): "An applicant's examination scores shall be valid for two years from the date of the examination." [3]
- The handbook says the Hawaii Insurance Division "does not require a specific program of pre-licensing education." [2]
FAQ
How many questions is the Hawaii life and health insurance exam?
Hawaii has no combined exam. Life has 85 scored questions plus 11 pretest. Accident and Health has 85 scored plus 10 pretest. [1][2]
How long is the Hawaii life insurance exam?
75 minutes for the general part and 45 minutes for the Hawaii part. [2]
What score do I need?
A scaled score of 70. [2]
Work through the free Hawaii Life practice test and the free Hawaii insurance law questions.
Prep Retention is independent and is not affiliated with Pearson VUE or the state.
Sources
- Pearson VUE, Hawaii content outlines 121201 (effective January 1, 2026): https://www.pearsonvue.com/content/dam/VUE/vue/en/documents/publications/121201.pdf
- Pearson VUE, Hawaii candidate handbook 121200 (January 2026): https://www.pearsonvue.com/content/dam/VUE/vue/en/documents/publications/121200.pdf
- HRS 431:9A-105: https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol09_Ch0431-0435H/HRS0431/HRS_0431-0009A-0105.htm