Steps to Get Your Life Insurance License in Michigan
1
Complete an Insurance Prelicensing Course Michigan requires those seeking an insurance license to complete prelicensing before taking the state licensing exam. Prelicensing courses with Kaplan give you the best chance to pass—our pass rates are among the highest in the industry.
- Prelicensing Education Hour Requirements Life & Health: 40 Hours (34 hours on life and health insurance principles)
- Life: 20 Hours (14 hours on life insurance principles)
- Accident & Health: 20 Hours (14 hours on health insurance principles)
- Property & Casualty: 40 Hours (34 hours of property and liability insurance principles)
- Property: 20 Hours (14 hours on property insurance principles)
- Casualty: 20 Hours (14 hours on liability insurance principles)
- Personal Lines: 20 Hours (14 hours of property and liability insurance principles)
Note: Above hours include the required 6 hours of professional ethics and Michigan insurance laws. Important Pre-study Requirements Life and Accident & Health Accelerated Courses ONLY: This accelerated prelicensing review requires both pre-study and classroom attendance.
A minimum number of hours of pre-study is required prior to the start of class. Acceptable Methods of Education Classroom Self-study Online Live Class Requirements Pre-Class Study (for Accelerated Courses ONLY, must be completed prior to attending the live class):
- Life & Health: 16 total hours (8 hours Life, 8 hours Health) Health Only: 8 Hours Life Only: 8 Hours
- Property & Casualty: 16 Hours (8 hours Property, 8 hours Casualty)
In-Class Exam: In Michigan, an in-class graded exam is given in the Life & Health and Property & Casualty Accelerated classes to test your readiness for the state exam. The test must be passed with a 70% or greater in order to receive a certificate of completion.
Online Course Requirements Forced progression: This requires the user to successfully complete each page of the online course before being allowed to proceed to the next. Exam and/or Prelicensing Education Exemptions Prelicensing requirements may be waived for candidates who have obtained one or more of the following designations, certifications, or college credits: CLU®, CPCU®, RHU, ARM, CFP®, AAI, ChFC®, CIC, FLMI, REBC, LUTCF, HIA, CEBS, or have a particular concentration in college credits in insurance from an accredited college.
Note: Candidates must provide the required confirmation of their designation, certification, or college credits with their written request to the Michigan DIFS for a waiver. The written waiver must be received prior to taking the exam and presented to the exam provider at the exam site. Out-of-state Testing Out of state testing sites available as of February 12, 2015. Review for more information: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/difs/Out-of-State_Testing_Sites_313-561-2486_7.pdf
Adjuster License Requirements All insurance adjusters in this state are required to be licensed. Check with the Department of Insurance in your resident state to see how to obtain an adjuster license. Certificate of Completion Requirements Candidates are not required to present their certificate to the exam provider at the exam site. Certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of course completion.
2
Pass Your Michigan Licensing Exam After completing your required prelicensing course, you must pass a state licensing exam. Kaplan’s prelicensing content is based directly on the Michigan licensing exams, so you will be prepared to pass the first time. Exam Provider: PSI Upon completion of the course, passing the prelicensing exam, and passing your state exam with PSI, license candidates must file an Electronic Resident Licensing (ERL) application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) website at http://www.nipr.com. To greatly improve call center response time, candidates now have a dedicated number to call. For assistance, go to www.psiexams.com or call PSI at 313-561-2486. Call Center Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 10:00 pm Eastern Time Saturday –Sunday 8:30 am –6:00 pm Eastern Time
The ERL application is required even though candidates no longer need the NIPR confirmation page as part of the acceptance criteria to take an examination with PSI. To obtain a Licensing Information Bulletin, go to the PSI website at http://www.psiexams.com. To schedule an exam, contact PSI at http://www.psiexams.com or 313-561-2486. Starting 313-561-2486, candidates can begin scheduling for remote proctoring of their insurance pre-licensing exams through PSI Bridge: home.psiexams.com. Please view their website for technical requirements and other information.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Michigan Licensing Exam
After completing my prelicensing, what should I do next to prepare for exam day?
REPORTING TO THE EXAMINATION SITE
On the day of the examination, plan to arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled start time to allow for sign-in, identification check, and to become familiar with the examination process. If you are not checked in by your scheduled start time, you will not be allowed to test and you will forfeit your examination fee. All examination sites will provide ear plugs upon request.
REQUIRED IDENTIFICATION
Candidates must register for the exam with their LEGAL first and last name as it appears on their government issued identification. All required identification below must match the first and last name under which the candidate is registered. Candidates are required to bring two (2) forms of valid (non-expired) signature bearing identification to the test site. If the candidate fails to bring proper identification or the candidate names do not match, the candidate will not be allowed to test and their examination fee will not be refunded.
- PRIMARY IDENTIFICATION
Choose One (Note: ID must contain candidate’s signature, photo, be valid and unexpired.) State-issued Driver’s License State-issued Identification Card US Government Issued Passport US Government Issued Military Identification Card US Government Issued Alien Registration Card Canadian Government Issued ID
- SECONDARY IDENTIFICATION
Choose One Credit Card (must be signed) Social Security Card Note: Student ID and employment ID are NOT acceptable forms of identification.
What is the licensing exam like?
Copying or communicating examination content is a violation of a candidate’s contract with PSI, and federal and state law. Either may result in the disqualification of examination results and may lead to legal action. The following security procedures apply during examinations: All personal belongings of candidates should be placed in the secure storage provided at each site prior to entering the examination room.
Personal belongings include, but are not limited to, the following items:
Electronic devices of any type, including cellular/mobile phones, recording devices, electronic watches, cameras, pagers, laptop computers, tablet computers (e.g., iPads), music players (e.g., iPods), smart watches, radios, or electronic games. Bulky or loose clothing or coats that could be used to conceal recording devices or notes.
For security purposes outerwear such as, but not limited to: open sweaters, cardigans, shawls, scarves, hoodies, vests, jackets and coats are not permitted in the testing room. In the event you are asked to remove the outerwear, appropriate attire, such as a shirt or blouse should be worn underneath. Hats or headgear not worn for religious reasons or as religious apparel, including hats, baseball caps, or visors. Other personal items, including purses, notebooks, reference or reading material, briefcases, backpacks, wallets, pens, pencils, other writing devices, food, drinks, and good luck items.
Although secure storage for personal items is provided at the examination site for your convenience, PSI is not responsible for any damage, loss, or theft of any personal belongings or prohibited items brought to, stored at, or left behind at the examination site. PSI assumes no duty of care with respect to such items and makes no representation that the secure storage provided will be effective in protecting such items. If you leave any items at the examination site after your examination and do not claim them within 30 days, they will be disposed of or donated, at PSI’s sole discretion. Person(s) accompanying an examination candidate may not wait in the examination center, inside the building or on the building’s property.
This applies to guests of any nature, including drivers, children, friends, family, colleagues or instructors. No smoking, eating, or drinking is allowed in the examination center. During the check-in process, all candidates will be asked if they possess any prohibited items. Candidatesmay also be asked to empty their pockets and turn them out for the proctor to ensure they are empty. The proctor may also ask candidates to lift up the ends of their sleeves and the bottoms of their pant legs to ensure that notes or recording devices are not being hidden there. Proctors will also carefully inspect eyeglass frames, tie tacks, or any other apparel that could be used to harbor a recording device. Proctors will ask to inspect any such items in candidates’ pockets.
If prohibited items are found during check-in, candidates shall put them in the provided secure storage or return these items to their vehicle. PSI will not be responsible for the security of any personal belongings or prohibited items. Any candidate possessing prohibited items in the examination room shall immediately have his or her test results invalidated, and PSI shall notify the examination sponsor of the occurrence. Any candidate seen giving or receiving assistance on an examination, found with unauthorized materials, or who violates any security regulations will be asked to surrender all examination materials and to leave the examination center.
All such instances will be reported to the examination sponsor. Once candidates have been seated and the examination begins, they may leave the examination room only to use the restroom, and only after obtaining permission from the proctor. Candidates will not receive extra time to complete the examination. The following suggestions will help you prepare for your examination. Only consider the actual information given in the question, do not read into the question by considering any possibilities or exceptions.
Planned preparation increases your likelihood of passing. Start with a current copy of the Candidate Information Bulletin and use the examination content outline as the basis of your study. Read study materials that cover all the topics in the content outline. Take notes on what you study. Putting information in writing helps you commit it to memory and it is also an excellent business practice. Discuss new terms or concepts as frequently as you can with colleagues. This will test your understanding and reinforce ideas. Your studies will be most effective if you study frequently, for periods of about 45 to 60 minutes. Concentration tends to wander when you study for longer periods of time. Examination Content Outlines Individual examination content outlines are available from PSI for each examination. Content outlines indicate the examination time limit, minimum score required to pass, subject area and the number of items in each area. To obtain a content outline for your specific examination, visit www.psiexams.com /DIFS, select Government/State Licensing Agencies/Michigan/Insurance. The examination content outlines can be found under Information Links (on the right side of the page).
How is the licensing exam scored?
PSI, in cooperation with the DIFS, will be continually evaluating the examinations being administered to ensure that the examinations accurately measure competency in the required knowledge areas. Comments may be entered during the examination by clicking the Comments link on the function bar of the test question screen. Your comments regarding the questions and the examinations are welcomed. Comments will be analyzed by PSI examination development staff. While PSI does not respond to individuals regarding these comments, all substantive comments are reviewed.
If a discrepancy is found during the comment review, PSI and the Department may re-evaluate candidates’ results and adjust them accordingly. This is the only review of the examination available to you. Examination Results Reporting Passing examination results are valid for 12 months from the “pass” date. Your results will be given to you immediately following completion of the examination.
If you pass, you will receive an examination result report which will indicate “PASS”. If you do not pass, you will receive a diagnostic report indicating your strengths and weaknesses.
3
Apply for a Michigan Insurance License Once you have passed your state licensing exam, you are ready to apply for an insurance license. As part of the application process you are required to answer several background information questions. The answers are reviewed by the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Insurance Licensing staff. In addition to reviewing the application, DIFS staff members conduct several background checks on each applicant.
License applications are submitted through the NIPR electronic licensing system (www.nipr.com). You will be assigned an NPN. This unique identifier is assigned through the licensing application process and is used to track individuals and business entities on a national basis. The NPN is used by many states to replace a producer license number.4. Plan to Complete Required Insurance Continuing Education (CE) Credits Every insurance producer must adhere to their home state’s CE requirements. Stay on top of your CE and get ahead of the competition with 365 days of unlimited course access when you enroll in a CE library with Kaplan. Learn how to renew your Michigan insurance license by clicking here.
To find out more about how to get your Michigan Life Insurance License contact:
or call us at:313-561-2486
