- Property and Casualty are two separate $64 exams, each with 110 scored questions and 150 minutes.
- You need 70% - exactly 77 correct scored answers - to pass either exam.
- North Dakota Laws and Regulations is the single largest domain on both tests: 27.3% of Casualty, 23.6% of Property.
- No prelicensing course is required, but you must pass fingerprinting, be 18+, and apply through NIPR.
What the ND-PC Exam Actually Tests
The North Dakota Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam isn't one test - it's two. Property and Casualty are administered as separate computer-based, multiple-choice exams by PSI Services LLC on behalf of the North Dakota Insurance & Securities Department. If you want a resident producer license covering both lines, you sit for both exams, pay for both, and pass both independently.
Each exam contains 110 scored questions plus 5-10 unscored experimental questions mixed in, so you won't know which items count toward your score. You get 150 minutes per exam, and a passing score is 70% - that's 77 correct answers out of the 110 scored questions. Retakes are unlimited, so a missed pass isn't the end of the road, but retaking costs time and another $64 fee, which is why a focused first attempt matters. For a deeper look at how the exam is scored and what "passing" really requires, see the ND-PC Passing Score breakdown.
Registration, Fees & Deadlines at a Glance
Before you sit for either exam, you'll register through NIPR and schedule with PSI. Here's the mechanical checklist condensed for quick reference:
- Each exam (Property or Casualty) costs $64.
- 110 scored questions + 5-10 unscored experimental questions, 150 minutes to complete.
- Passing score: 70% (77 of 110 scored questions correct).
- No prelicensing education course is mandated by the state.
- Exam scores remain valid for one year from the test date.
- The initial resident producer license fee is $100, separate from exam fees.
- The current state-hosted PSI candidate bulletin is dated December 27, 2024 - always confirm you're using the latest version before test day.
For a full accounting of every dollar involved - exam fees, license fees, and renewal costs - check the ND-PC Certification Cost breakdown. If you're still mapping out when to schedule around work or other commitments, the ND-PC Exam Dates guide covers testing windows and scheduling logistics in detail.
Key Takeaway
Budget for two exam fees ($64 each) plus the $100 initial license fee - that's the real total cost of getting licensed for both lines, not just the exam price alone.
The 20 Domains, Weighted
Across the two exams, there are 20 total content domains - 10 for Property, 10 for Casualty. They're not weighted evenly, and the single biggest signal in the entire blueprint is this: North Dakota Laws and Regulations dominates both exams.
| Metric | Property Exam | Casualty Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Scored questions | 110 | 110 |
| Time allowed | 150 minutes | 150 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% (77 correct) | 70% (77 correct) |
| Fee | $64 | $64 |
| Largest domain: ND Laws & Regulations | 23.6% | 27.3% |
Domain 2: North Dakota Laws and Regulations Pertinent to Property Insurance
This is the highest-weighted single domain on the Property exam at 23.6%. It covers state-specific licensing rules, unfair claims practices, policy provisions required by North Dakota statute, and producer conduct standards unique to this jurisdiction - not generic P&C theory.
- Expect scenario questions tied to ND-specific statutory language, not just national model acts.
Domain 12: North Dakota Laws and Regulations Pertinent to Casualty Insurance
At 27.3%, this is the largest domain on either exam. Mastering it alone moves the needle more than any other single topic area on the Casualty side.
- Prioritize state licensing procedures, penalties, and consumer protection statutes specific to casualty lines.
Beyond the two laws-and-regulations domains, the remaining Property domains include Insurance Regulation, Federal Laws and Regulations, General Insurance, Property Insurance Basics, Dwelling Policy Concepts, Homeowners Policy Concepts, Commercial Property Policies, Businessowners Policy, and Other Types of Property Insurance. The remaining Casualty domains cover Insurance Regulation, Federal Laws and Regulations, General Insurance, Casualty Insurance Basics, Personal Automobile Insurance, Commercial Automobile Policy, Commercial General Liability, Other Types of Casualty Insurance, and Workers' Compensation Laws. For anchor-by-anchor coverage of what each of these 20 areas tests, walk through the ND-PC Exam Domains Guide before you build a study plan.
Property Exam Cheat Sheet
When you're doing a final review pass on Property, run through these concept clusters in order of blueprint weight:
- ND Laws and Regulations (23.6%): state licensing statutes, policy filing requirements, unfair claims settlement practices specific to North Dakota.
- Dwelling and Homeowners Policy Concepts: perils covered, exclusions, coverage forms (DP-1, DP-2, DP-3 style structures), and endorsements that modify base coverage.
- Commercial Property Policies and Businessowners Policy: building and personal property coverage forms, causes-of-loss forms, coinsurance mechanics, and BOP eligibility.
- Property Insurance Basics and General Insurance: underlying principles like insurable interest, indemnity, and how policy structure ties back to those principles.
- Federal Laws and Regulations and Insurance Regulation: the federal layer that sits above state rules - flood insurance program basics, fair access to insurance requirements, and general regulatory oversight concepts.
- Other Types of Property Insurance: purpose and general characteristics of specialty property lines outside the standard dwelling/homeowners/commercial framework.
Casualty Exam Cheat Sheet
The Casualty exam leans even harder on state-specific rules, so review in this order:
- ND Laws and Regulations (27.3%): this single domain is worth more than any two other Casualty domains combined - treat it as your top priority.
- Personal Automobile Insurance: liability, medical payments, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and policy exclusions.
- Commercial General Liability and Commercial Automobile Policy: occurrence vs. claims-made triggers, covered autos, and business liability exposures.
- Workers' Compensation Laws: statutory benefits, employer obligations, and exclusive remedy concepts.
- Casualty Insurance Basics and General Insurance: foundational liability principles that connect the more applied domains together.
- Other Types of Casualty Insurance and Federal Laws and Regulations: supplemental lines and the federal regulatory layer relevant to casualty products.
Licensing Requirements Snapshot
Passing the exam is only part of getting licensed. North Dakota requires:
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- You must reside in North Dakota or maintain a principal place of business in the state.
- You must pass each line you're applying for - Property, Casualty, or both.
- You must complete a fingerprint-based criminal history background check.
- You must apply through NIPR (National Insurance Producer Registry), and your exam scores stay valid for one year from the test date.
- The initial license fee is $100, paid separately from your exam fees.
There is no state-mandated prelicensing course requirement - you can self-study and go straight to scheduling your exam once you're eligible. That said, "no course required" doesn't mean "no preparation needed." A structured plan still matters; see the ND-PC Study Guide for a full first-attempt strategy, or the ND-PC Requirements guide for the complete eligibility checklist with application steps.
Key Takeaway
Start your fingerprint-based background check early - it's a required step that can add processing time separate from your exam prep timeline.
Last-Week Domain Priority Plan
If you're in your final stretch before test day, don't spread review time evenly across all 10 domains per exam - weight your remaining hours toward what's actually tested most. Here's a compressed final-week structure built around the ND-PC blueprint specifically:
ND Laws and Regulations (the anchor domain)
- Drill state-specific statutes and licensing rules until recall is automatic - this is 23.6-27.3% of your score.
- Use timed practice questions that mimic the multiple-choice, 150-minute format.
Line-specific policy concepts
- Property candidates: Dwelling, Homeowners, Commercial Property, Businessowners.
- Casualty candidates: Personal Auto, Commercial Auto, CGL, Workers' Compensation.
Foundational and federal domains
- General Insurance, Insurance Regulation, and Federal Laws and Regulations - lower weight, but still scored.
- Review "Other Types" domains for both lines to close remaining gaps.
Full simulated exam
- Take a full-length, timed practice run at the ND-PC practice test platform to confirm pacing across 110 scored questions in 150 minutes.
This isn't a generic study calendar - it's built directly around the weighting differences between the Property and Casualty blueprints. If you want the full domain-by-domain content breakdown before building your own schedule, the Exam Domains Guide is the companion piece to this cheat sheet.
Renewal & Continuing Education Facts
Passing the exam gets you licensed, but the license doesn't last forever without upkeep. North Dakota producer licenses renew on a biennial cycle:
- Renewal is due by the last day of your birth month, every two years.
- The renewal fee is $25.
- You must complete 24 continuing education hours per renewal cycle.
- Of those 24 hours, 3 hours must be in ethics.
Mark your renewal deadline the moment you're licensed - biennial cycles are easy to lose track of, and missing the CE requirement or the birth-month deadline can complicate your active status.
Curious whether the time and cost investment pays off once you're licensed? The ROI analysis and earnings guide both dig into what licensed producers can expect after passing. And if you're wondering how the exam's difficulty compares across candidates, the Difficulty Guide and Pass Rate breakdown put the 70%/77-correct threshold in context.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two. Property and Casualty are separate exams, each with its own $64 fee, 110 scored questions, 150-minute time limit, and 70% passing threshold. You only take the exam(s) matching the license line(s) you want.
North Dakota Laws and Regulations Pertinent to Casualty Insurance is the largest domain overall at 27.3% of the Casualty exam. Its Property counterpart, at 23.6%, is also the top-weighted domain on that exam.
No. North Dakota does not mandate a prelicensing course. You still need to meet the age, residency, fingerprinting, and NIPR application requirements, and pass each exam you're applying for.
Exam scores remain valid for one year from the test date. You need to complete your licensing application within that window while your passing score is still current.
Retakes are unlimited, but each attempt requires paying the $64 fee again and rescheduling through PSI. Reviewing weak domains using resources like the domains guide before retesting is far cheaper than repeated attempts without a plan.