- What Is a ND-PC, Exactly?
- Who Runs the Exam and Who Regulates It
- Two Exams, Not One: Property vs. Casualty
- Exam Format, Timing, and Scoring
- The 20 Content Domains
- Eligibility and How to Apply
- After You Pass: License Fees and Renewal
- Who Actually Needs a ND-PC
- Preparing Without Wasting Time
- Frequently Asked Questions
- ND-PC refers to the North Dakota Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam, not a national or corporate credential.
- Property and Casualty are separate $64 exams, each with 110 scored questions and a 150-minute limit.
- Passing requires 70%, meaning 77 correct scored answers on each exam.
- North Dakota laws and regulations is the single largest content area: 27.3% of Casualty and 23.6% of Property.
What Is a ND-PC, Exactly?
ND-PC stands for the North Dakota Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam - the licensing test that anyone selling property or casualty insurance in North Dakota must pass before they can legally represent an insurer or write policies for consumers in the state. It is not a designation you earn once and display on a business card indefinitely; it is the gateway exam tied to a state producer license that must be renewed on a regular schedule.
If you've landed here after searching for a broader definition, this page focuses specifically on the North Dakota version of the test. For a deeper breakdown of terminology and how the acronym is used across licensing materials, see ND-PC Meaning and What Does ND-PC Stand For?
Who Runs the Exam and Who Regulates It
Two separate organizations play distinct roles in the ND-PC process. The North Dakota Insurance & Securities Department is the regulatory authority - it sets licensing rules, approves lines of authority, and issues the actual producer license. PSI Services LLC is the third-party testing vendor that builds, schedules, and delivers the computer-based exam itself.
This split matters practically: PSI publishes the candidate bulletin that governs exam-day rules, identification requirements, and content outlines, while the Insurance & Securities Department handles the licensing application, background check, and renewal process. The most recent state-hosted PSI candidate bulletin is dated December 27, 2024, and it's the authoritative source for exam logistics.
Two Exams, Not One: Property vs. Casualty
One of the most misunderstood facts about the ND-PC is that "Property and Casualty" isn't a single combined test. It's two independent exams - a Property exam and a Casualty exam - each with its own fee, its own question bank, and its own pass requirement. If you plan to write both lines, you sit for both exams separately and must pass each one on its own merits.
- Each exam costs $64
- Each has 110 scored questions plus 5-10 additional unscored (experimental) questions mixed in
- Each allows 150 minutes to complete
- Each requires a 70% score (77 correct scored answers) to pass
Because the unscored questions are indistinguishable from scored ones during the test, candidates should treat every question as if it counts. For a full walkthrough of what "passing" actually means numerically, see ND-PC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Exam Format, Timing, and Scoring
The ND-PC is delivered as a computer-based, multiple-choice exam at PSI testing centers. There's no essay component, no simulation exercises, and no oral portion - just multiple-choice items pulled from the published content outline. Candidates who don't pass on their first attempt aren't penalized with a waiting period restriction from an unlimited-retake standpoint: retakes are unlimited, though each attempt requires paying the $64 fee again.
| Feature | Property Exam | Casualty Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | $64 | $64 |
| Scored Questions | 110 | 110 |
| Unscored Questions | 5-10 | 5-10 |
| Time Allowed | 150 minutes | 150 minutes |
| Passing Score | 70% (77 correct) | 70% (77 correct) |
| Largest Domain | North Dakota Laws & Regs (23.6%) | North Dakota Laws & Regs (27.3%) |
Because there is no state-mandated prelicensing course requirement for the ND-PC, candidates are largely responsible for building their own study plan. That makes understanding the exam's structure - not just memorizing insurance trivia - essential. A detailed cost comparison of exam fees, license fees, and renewal fees is available in ND-PC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
The 20 Content Domains
The ND-PC content outline splits into two halves - ten domains for Property and ten for Casualty. Each half follows a similar logical progression: regulation first, then state law, then federal law, then general insurance concepts, then product-specific policy knowledge.
Property Domains 1-10
Covers the regulatory framework and product knowledge needed for the Property exam.
- Insurance Regulation
- North Dakota Laws and Regulations Pertinent to Property Insurance (largest single topic at 23.6%)
- Federal Laws and Regulations
- General Insurance
- Property Insurance Basics
- Dwelling Policy Concepts
- Homeowners Policy Concepts
- Commercial Property Policies
- Businessowners Policy
- Other Types of Property Insurance - Purpose and General Characteristics
Casualty Domains 11-20
Covers liability, auto, and workers' compensation topics tested on the Casualty exam.
- Insurance Regulation
- North Dakota Laws and Regulations Pertinent to Casualty Insurance (the single largest domain across both exams at 27.3%)
- Federal Laws and Regulations
- General Insurance
- Casualty Insurance Basics
- Personal Automobile Insurance
- Commercial Automobile Policy
- Commercial General Liability
- Other Types of Casualty Insurance
- Workers' Compensation Laws
Key Takeaway
Because North Dakota laws and regulations make up more than a quarter of the Casualty exam and nearly a quarter of the Property exam, candidates who under-study state-specific statutes are taking on unnecessary risk, regardless of how strong their general insurance knowledge is.
For an item-by-item breakdown of what each of these 20 areas actually tests - including sample concepts and common trip-up points - see ND-PC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 20 Content Areas.
Eligibility and How to Apply
Before you can even sit for the exam, you need to meet a short list of eligibility requirements set by the North Dakota Insurance & Securities Department:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Reside in North Dakota or maintain a principal place of business in the state
- Pass the exam for each line of authority you intend to hold (Property, Casualty, or both)
- Complete a fingerprint-based criminal history check
- Apply through NIPR (the National Insurance Producer Registry)
There is no prelicensing education course required in North Dakota - you can register for the exam and take it without sitting through a mandated class first. That said, exam scores remain valid for only one year, so timing your license application soon after passing matters. The full checklist, including background-check specifics and NIPR application steps, is covered in ND-PC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
After You Pass: License Fees and Renewal
Passing the exam is a milestone, not the finish line. Once you pass, the initial license fee is $100, paid when you submit your producer license application. After that, the license doesn't last forever without upkeep:
- Licenses renew biennially, by the last day of your birth month
- The renewal fee is $25
- Renewal requires 24 continuing education hours, including 3 hours of ethics
Who Actually Needs a ND-PC
The ND-PC is required for anyone who wants to act as an insurance producer selling property or casualty coverage within North Dakota - this includes independent agents, captive agents working for a single carrier, and staff at agencies who bind or quote P&C policies. Common hiring paths include:
- Independent insurance agencies writing homeowners, dwelling, commercial property, and auto lines
- Regional and national carriers hiring captive agents in North Dakota territories
- Commercial lines producers handling businessowners policies, commercial general liability, and workers' compensation
- Claims and underwriting-adjacent roles where a producer license is a hiring preference, even if not strictly required
If you're weighing whether pursuing this license is worth the time and cost, Is the ND-PC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and ND-PC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis dig into the career angle in more depth. For a sense of where licensed producers actually get hired, see ND-PC Jobs.
Preparing Without Wasting Time
Because there's no mandatory prelicensing course, candidates who skip structured preparation often underestimate how dense the North Dakota-specific statute sections are compared to general insurance principles they may already know from other states or prior coursework. A reasonable approach allocates more study time to the two largest domains - North Dakota Laws and Regulations for each exam - before moving to product-specific chapters like Dwelling Policy Concepts, Commercial Automobile Policy, or Workers' Compensation Laws.
Foundations
- Review Insurance Regulation and Federal Laws domains for whichever exam you're taking first
- Get comfortable with the 150-minute, 110-question format using practice questions
State Law Deep Dive
- Focus heavily on North Dakota Laws and Regulations - the largest domain on both exams
- Drill definitions and statutory thresholds until recall is automatic
Product Knowledge
- Work through Homeowners, Dwelling, Commercial Property, or Personal Auto and Commercial General Liability concepts depending on which exam you're prepping
- Take full-length timed practice sessions
Final Review
- Retake missed-question sets and revisit weak domains
- Confirm NIPR application and fingerprinting steps are scheduled before your exam date
For a complete step-by-step study framework, see ND-PC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. If you want a realistic gauge of exam difficulty before you commit to a timeline, How Hard Is the ND-PC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and ND-PC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows are worth reading first. You can also run through timed practice questions on our practice test platform to get a feel for the pacing before test day, and use ND-PC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts as a quick final review the night before.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's two separate exams - Property and Casualty - each with its own $64 fee, 110 scored questions, 150-minute time limit, and 70% passing requirement. You only take the exam(s) matching the line(s) of authority you want.
No. North Dakota does not require a state-mandated prelicensing course before sitting for the exam, though many candidates still use structured study materials to prepare.
You need 70% correct on the 110 scored questions, which equals 77 correct scored answers. The 5-10 unscored experimental questions don't count toward your score but aren't identified during the exam.
You apply for your producer license through NIPR, complete the fingerprint-based criminal history check if not already done, and pay the $100 initial license fee. Your exam score stays valid for one year, so don't delay the application.
Renewal is biennial, due by the last day of your birth month, costs $25, and requires 24 continuing education hours, including 3 hours of ethics content.
Understanding exactly what the ND-PC is - two distinct exams, twenty specific content domains, and a licensing process governed jointly by the North Dakota Insurance & Securities Department and PSI Services LLC - is the first real step toward passing it. For related definitional questions, browse What Is ND-PC?, What Does ND-PC Mean?, and What Is ND-PC Certification?, or explore ND-PC Certification and ND-PC Training for next steps in your prep.