How many questions are on the North Carolina Life & Health Insurance exam?

There are 60 multiple-choice questions per exam. North Carolina administers Life and Health as two separate exams. On each exam, 55 questions are scored, and 5 are unscored pretest items used to evaluate questions for future tests.

How long do I have to complete the NC-LH exam?

You are allotted 75 minutes to complete each exam. If you are taking both the Life and the Health exams back-to-back, you will have 75 minutes per section.

What is the passing score for the North Carolina insurance exams?

You must achieve a score of 70% to pass the North Carolina Life and Health exams. Because insurance licensure requirements vary by state, candidates MUST verify the exact passing score and exam structure with their specific state licensing agency (e.g., North Carolina Department of Insurance).

How much does it cost to take the exam?

The exam registration fee is $45 per exam (e.g., $45 for Life, and $45 for Health).

Where can I take the North Carolina insurance license exam?

Exams can be taken in-person at a Pearson VUE testing center or online from your home or office via OnVUE remote proctoring.

How many hours should I study for the life and health exam?

We recommend dedicating approximately 40 to 45 hours of study time to thoroughly cover all domains, particularly general insurance regulations and state-specific laws, which make up a quarter of the curriculum.

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NC-LH · Syllabus & Exam Outline 2026

North Carolina Life & Health Insurance License Exam

In short

The North Carolina Life and Health Insurance exams are two separate 75-minute tests, each containing 60 multiple-choice questions (55 scored, 5 pretest). Candidates must score at least 70% to pass. Major topics include life policies, health coverage, provisions, and state regulations. Free practice questions and a full study plan are below.

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Questions: 60 questions per exam (55 scored, 5 pretest). Note: North Carolina administers Life and Health as two separate exams.
Time limit: 75 minutes per exam
Passing score: 70%
Cost: $45 per exam
Format: Multiple choice
Delivery: In-person at a Pearson VUE testing center or online via OnVUE remote proctoring
Prep time: ~41 hours

Exam overview

The North Carolina Life & Health Insurance License Exam, administered by Pearson VUE for the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI), evaluates a candidate's understanding of foundational insurance concepts, policy frameworks, and state-specific regulations. Successfully passing these assessments is a critical step for professionals seeking to sell, solicit, or negotiate life, accident, and health insurance products within the state of North Carolina. While this certification is commonly referred to as a single track, candidates must be aware that North Carolina administers Life and Health as two separate exams. The combined curriculum covers a wide array of topics, from traditional whole life policies and major medical coverage to intricate regulatory compliance standards like the McCarran-Ferguson Act and North Carolina's Unfair Trade Practices. One quarter of the entire syllabus is strictly devoted to general insurance regulation and state-specific laws. To make this rigorous preparation more manageable, Only Ever maps every domain in this syllabus to precise, 15-minute study topics. This highly structured, topic-by-topic approach ensures that you build steady retention across complex legal provisions, policy riders, and tax treatments without feeling overwhelmed by the breadth of the material.

Exam domains & weighting

Each domain's share of the exam — study deepest where the weight is highest. Open one for how to study it and its objectives.

How to study this domain

Focus on the differences between permanent life insurance, term policies, and annuities. Create a comparison chart distinguishing universal, variable, and traditional whole life products. Understand the mechanics of payout options and combination plans.

Key objectives

Traditional Whole Life Products
Interest, Market-Sensitive, and Adjustable Life
Term Life Insurance
Annuities
Combination Plans and Variations

Study this domain

Readiness self-check

Tick off everything you can confidently explain. Anything left unchecked is your study list — tap “Review” to jump straight into that domain.

Readiness

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Types of Policies

Review

Can you explain the difference between a variable life policy and a traditional whole life policy?
Are you able to define an immediate versus a deferred annuity?

Policy Riders, Provisions, Options, and Exclusions

Review

Can you list the common nonforfeiture options available to a policyholder?
Do you know how the incontestability clause affects an insurer's right to deny a claim?

Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policy

Review

Can you distinguish between a warranty and a representation in the context of an insurance application?
What are the four essential elements of a legal contract?

Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts

Review

Can you describe a scenario that necessitates a key person life insurance policy?
Do you understand the general tax treatment of individual life insurance death benefits?

Types of Accident & Health Policies

Review

Can you differentiate the operational models of an HMO versus a PPO?
How do Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) work in conjunction with High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs)?

Health Policy Provisions, Clauses, and Riders

Review

Are you familiar with the purpose of a free look provision in a health policy?
Can you identify the differences between noncancellable and guaranteed renewable policies?

Social Insurance

Review

Which part of Medicare covers hospital expenses versus medical/outpatient expenses?

Other Health Insurance Concepts

Review

Can you define residual disability and explain how it differs from partial disability?
What is the principle of subrogation as it applies to health insurance claims?

Field Underwriting Procedures

Review

What are the agent's responsibilities when replacing an existing health insurance policy?

General Insurance Regulation

Review

Can you name three examples of unfair trade practices according to North Carolina insurance law?
What are the continuing education requirements for maintaining an insurance license in North Carolina?
Do you understand the purpose and limits of the North Carolina Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association?

Quick reference

Key Insurance Acronyms

Common acronyms tested across life, health, and regulatory domains.

HDHP: High Deductible Health PlanOften paired with Health Savings Accounts.
HSA: Health Savings AccountTax-advantaged savings account for individuals with HDHPs.
HRA: Health Reimbursement AccountEmployer-funded plan that reimburses employees for medical expenses.
LTC: Long Term CareInsurance covering nursing home care, home health care, and related services.
AD&D: Accidental Death and DismembermentProvides benefits for accidental death or loss of limbs/eyesight.
HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability ActFederal law dictating medical privacy and point-of-sale disclosures.
COBRA: Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation ActFederal law ensuring continuation of group health coverage.
ERISA: Employee Retirement Income Security ActFederal law setting standards for voluntarily established retirement and health plans.
NAIC: National Association of Insurance CommissionersOrganization that creates model laws utilized by state regulatory systems.

Important Laws & Regulations

Federal and state acts frequently tested in the general regulation section.

McCarran-Ferguson Act

Establishes that the regulation of the insurance industry is left to the states.

Federal law applies only to the extent that state law does not regulate.

USA PATRIOT Act

Federal anti-money laundering legislation.

Requires insurers to establish anti-money laundering programs.

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act

Federal privacy law.

Requires financial institutions to explain their information-sharing practices and protect sensitive data.

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

Regulates the collection and use of consumer credit information.

Mandates consumer notification if an adverse underwriting decision is based on a consumer report.

Frequently asked questions

Good to know

North Carolina administers Life and Health as two separate exams; candidates must register and test for each accordingly.
Each exam includes 5 unscored pretest questions mixed in with the 55 scored items. You will not know which questions are scored.
All questions are presented in a multiple-choice format.
Candidates can utilize Pearson VUE testing centers or the OnVUE remote proctoring system.

Reading isn’t remembering.

North Carolina Life & Health prep blends nationally-uniform insurance concepts with North Carolina-specific law, and most materials muddle the two.

Only Ever teaches the shared national Life & Health core once, then layers North Carolina insurance law - regulation, licensing, unfair practices, guaranty protection, and state-specific rules - as focused 15-minute topics.

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