Massachusetts life insurance exam content outline
Last updated
The Massachusetts Life Producer exam follows a content outline published by Pearson VUE, effective July 22, 2026. This page walks through every section of that outline, how many scored questions each one carries, and the Massachusetts laws the outline points to. [1]
How many questions are on the Massachusetts life insurance exam?
80 scored questions: 50 on general life insurance knowledge and 30 on Massachusetts law. Each part also has 5 unscored pretest questions, so you will see 90 questions in total. [1]
- Passing score: 70 on a converted scale, set by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance with Pearson. [2]
- Fee: $37. [2]
Section weights
| Section | Scored questions | Share of the 80 |
|---|---|---|
| I. Types of Policies | 15 | 18.75% |
| II. Policy Riders, Provisions, Options, and Exclusions | 15 | 18.75% |
| III. Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policy | 12 | 15% |
| IV. Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts | 8 | 10% |
| Massachusetts Laws and Rules Pertinent to All Lines of Insurance | 15 | 18.75% |
| Massachusetts Laws and Regulations Pertinent to Life Insurance | 15 | 18.75% |
Share = section questions divided by 80. Massachusetts law adds up to 30 of 80, or 37.5%. [1]
General knowledge (50 questions)
I. Types of Policies (15). Ordinary whole life, limited-pay and single-premium life; universal, variable whole, variable universal, interest-sensitive whole and indexed life; term life (level, decreasing, return of premium, annually renewable, plus renewable and convertible features); annuities (single and flexible premium, immediate and deferred, fixed and variable, indexed, accumulation and annuity periods, payout options); joint life (first to die) and survivorship life (second to die). [1]
II. Policy Riders, Provisions, Options, and Exclusions (15). Ten riders, from waiver of premium and guaranteed insurability to long term care, return of premium and cost of living. Seventeen provisions, including free look, owner's rights, beneficiary designations (revocable and irrevocable, common disaster, minors, by class), grace period, automatic premium loan, reinstatement, nonforfeiture options, dividends, incontestability, assignments, suicide, misstatement of age and gender, settlement options and accelerated death benefits. Exclusions for war, aviation and dangerous occupation. [1]
III. Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policy (12). Signatures, changes and incomplete applications; warranties and representations; the initial premium and receipt; replacement; point of sale disclosures such as HIPAA and HIV consent; the USA PATRIOT Act; GLBA privacy; insurable interest; consumer reports and the Fair Credit Reporting Act; risk classification; STOLI and IOLI; when coverage begins; and contract law (elements of a contract, plus conditional, unilateral, adhesion and aleatory). [1]
IV. Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts (8). Third-party ownership, life settlements, group life (conversion, contributory vs. noncontributory), qualified and nonqualified plans, needs analysis (key person, buy sell), Social Security benefits, and tax treatment including Modified Endowment Contracts. [1]
Massachusetts law, all lines (15 questions)
The outline cites Massachusetts General Laws chapter 175 ("175") and chapter 176D, plus 211 CMR regulations. [1]
- Licensing: the process (175:162G to 162X); producers, business entities, nonresidents, temporary licenses, advisers, reinsurance intermediaries, life settlement brokers (175:213) and exemptions (175:162J); renewal, address changes (175:162M(f)), reporting of actions (175:162V), assumed names (175:162P) and continuing education (175:177E; 211 CMR 50.00).
- Discipline: cease and desist orders (176D:7), hearings, probation, suspension and revocation, penalties and fines.
- State regulation: the Commissioner's powers (175:3A; 176D:5), certificates of authority, solvency, rates, policy forms, producer appointments and terminations (175:162S, 162T).
- Producer conduct: impersonation, larceny, paying unlicensed persons.
- Unfair or deceptive practices (176D:3): misrepresentation, false advertising, defamation of an insurer, boycott and coercion, unfair discrimination, unfair claims settlement, and rebating (175:182 to 184).
- Fraud, privacy (chapter 175I) and types of insurers (domestic and foreign, authorized and unauthorized, stock and mutual).
The life settlement broker license appears only in the Life version of this section, not the Accident and Health version. [1]
Massachusetts law, life only (15 questions)
- Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association (175:146B).
- Producer responsibilities: solicitation rules, the policy summary and buyer's guide, cost comparison methods (211 CMR 31.00), replacement (211 CMR 34.01 to 34.09), notice of information practices (175I:4) and backdating (175:130).
- Insurer underwriting: investigative consumer reports (175I:7), medical exams and HIV tests (211 CMR 36.03), and unfair discrimination (175:120, 120A to E).
- Policy provisions: assignability (175:134C), entire contract, grace period, reinstatement, incontestability and misstatement of age (175:132), free look (175:187H; 211 CMR 34.06(1)(d)), interest on proceeds (175:119A, 119C), cash surrender value (175:144), cash loans (175:142), waiver of premium (175:24), accelerated benefits (211 CMR 55), long-term care riders (211 CMR 65.00), group life conversion (175:134(4), 134A), variable life (211 CMR 95) and equity index products (Bulletin 98-17).
- Annuities: deferred annuities (175:144A 1/2), equity indexed and variable annuities (175:132F, G, H).
- Life Settlement Act (175:212 to 223E): definitions, broker authority, disclosure and fraudulent acts. [1]
How to use this outline
- Start with the biggest blocks. Sections I and II and the two Massachusetts sections each carry 15 questions.
- If you will also take the Accident and Health exam, the all-lines Massachusetts section is shared, so you study it once. [1]
- Test yourself by section with the free Massachusetts Life practice test, then the free Massachusetts insurance law questions.
FAQ
How many questions are on the life insurance exam in Massachusetts?
80 scored plus 10 unscored pretest questions, 90 in all. [1]
Is there a combined life and health exam in Massachusetts?
No. The handbook's fee table lists Life and Accident and Health as separate exams at $37 each. [2]
Where is the outline itself?
Pearson VUE's Massachusetts content outlines PDF, linked below. [1]
Prep Retention is independent and is not affiliated with Pearson VUE or the state.
Sources
- Pearson VUE, Massachusetts content outlines 122301 (effective July 22, 2026): https://www.pearsonvue.com/content/dam/VUE/vue/en/documents/publications/122301.pdf
- Pearson VUE, Massachusetts candidate handbook 122300 (June 2026): https://www.pearsonvue.com/content/dam/VUE/vue/en/documents/publications/122300.pdf