Mastering the Insurance License Exam: Key Tips and Strategies

Passing the insurance license exam is one of the most important steps towards building a satisfying and lucrative insurance career or making sure that your team is consistently bringing qualified brokers or other staff on board. In addition to those beginning their careers, all staff with an insurance license should be trained regularly so they can keep up to date with their continuing education and the latest Utah insurance licensing requirements.

However, it’s important to understand the details of the online license application process and licensing exam before scheduling your exam day. Preparing with professional advice, practice tests, exam prep, and other health insurance exam prep course material can significantly improve your chances of passing the Utah insurance license exam or seeing your staff take the next step in their professional development and other life goals.

Life and health insurance training

Utah Insurance Department Basics

Before getting into the details of the insurance licensing exam prep, it’s important to understand the various options available to those who need training. First, you’ll have to choose from the following license types:

Producer

This type of license is the most common and is for someone who sells, solicits, negotiates, or services insurance policies or plans.

Consultant

This type of license allows you to provide advice for a fee to an insurance customer.

Broker

A broker works specifically on behalf of the consumer to find the right product for them.

Adjuster

An adjuster settles insurance claims and specializes in investigating the details of each complete insurance claim.

Most beginners start with an insurance producer license because if you pass that examination, your line of authority will extend through many regulations and existing license benefits. A Producer license is a great way to start a career in the insurance field, but you should familiarize yourself with all four types of licenses before scheduling an examination to make sure you choose the right state insurance exam license for your needs.

Utah insurance training program

Utah Insurance Lines of Business

Once you have chosen which specific license type is right for you, you’ll have to choose which line of business you will be held responsible for. The four options you will have to choose from are:

Property Casualty Insurance

This type of insurance covers common products like auto, homeowners, umbrella, commercial, business owners, and worker’s compensation insurance.

Personal Lines

Personal lines of insurance cover policies like personal auto, home, or umbrella insurance.

Life Insurance

Life insurance covers products like life insurance policies and life insurance annuities.

Accident or Health Insurance

This type of insurance covers public safety and health choices like major medical, disability, Medicare, and long-term health insurance.

Once you’ve found the right license type and line of business for you, you’ve likely already made some challenging choices, avoided some common mistakes, and spent some time researching the basics of Utah insurance license exam prep. Making these two choices will grant you a lot of clarity moving forward in life, enabling a more specific and tailored selection of pre licensing help like classes and a practice insurance exam.

It’s important to stay calm and remember that as long as you prepare for the test date beforehand, you will have a good chance of passing the exam. Don’t panic, as all you have to do is spend a little time familiarizing yourself with the study materials, state laws, the insurance exam provider, and other Utah exam specifics so that you can follow the processes accurately and answer the questions accordingly.

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Utah Insurance License Exam Strategies

Now that you know which Utah insurance exam to study for, you can begin preparing to master it. The goal is to know the material so confidently that you don’t have any anxiety distracting you at the test center. With the right study materials and methods, anyone can achieve this level of success.

Tip #1: Be Prepared With All Documentation

Before completing your Utah insurance licensing exam, the federal bureau and Utah department responsible for licensing exams will need your license application online. A live scan fingerprinting appointment and social security card are usually required for those being licensed for the first time, which will then be used for a background check and criminal identification score report.

After the fingerprint service, make sure that you bring your ID and any other required documentation with you to the exam, as well as money for a license application fee that varies from around $50 to $70 depending on which exam you are taking. Utah uses a Prometric test center to run its exams, so the process and fee at the testing site will be based on their protocols and the fee they usually charge.

Tip #2: Know What to Expect

It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with what will likely be on the exam. Most of the tests are multiple choice, and you will need at least 70% correct to pass. The tests range from 1 – 2.5 hours each depending on question length, which ranges from 50 to 100.

However, no matter what state you’re in, the state licensing exam questions can be very difficult and without a pre licensing plan of action like training courses there will likely be inaccuracies contained in your answers. That’s why studying and making a real plan of action is so important to building your career and improving your life in Utah.

Tip #3: Make Sure to Study

Before going to take your Utah insurance license exam, make sure to choose a program that can help you study and pass the exam. A good baseline is to plan on studying 20 hours per line of business spread out over 1 to 2 weeks. This will give you a complete foundation to build upon insurance license concepts that are needed to pass the examination.

When choosing an educator to help you pass the test, look for one that offers an online course with quizzes and a practice exam, a study guide, and webinar instruction. These state exam test tricks will help you prepare as much as possible and raise your chances of passing.

Tip #4: Self-Care is Key

Whether you’re taking a health exam, a Utah life exam, or any other type of state exam, it’s important to make sure to take care of yourself and your own health along with studying an adequate amount.

So, make sure to eat enough the night before your examination, get a good night’s sleep, and practice calming techniques like deep breathing before taking the exam to boost your odds on the test.

Tip #5: Know the Insurance Basics

Before arriving at the exam center, it’s important to make sure that you understand the differences between each type of policy and how the differences affect liabilities and license exam questions in Utah. For example, life insurance and health insurance can lead to rendering legal services in very different ways, while property casualty insurance can require a whole different set of skills.

Before signing up for the exam and choosing which Utah insurance department license would fit you best, you can always check out some of the old PSI exams or other old exams for Utah life, health, or property casualty insurance tests.

Tip #6: Know What to Follow-Up On

After you take the test, it’s important to follow up with the right agencies. Utah has used both PSI exams and a PSI test center, along with Prometric, so all questions should go through them or the Utah health or regulations agencies.

The Utah insurance license department will be able to tell you if your fee and examination were accepted, and from there the status of your license. From there, you can also check with the National Insurance Producer Registry to see if you can find your license on an NIPR confirmation page.

Auto, health, life insurance training program Utah

How Insurance Training Courses Save You Time and Money

No matter what insurance department you work for or hope to start a career in, all can benefit from up-to-date training courses and convenient modern professional advice and development. Whether in Utah or any other state, staff should all be able to pass a licensing exam or a practice exam and should be familiar with aspects of the industry.

Keeping on top of Utah insurance exam training for health insurance, Utah life insurance, casualty insurance, and other continuing education will allow you to avoid paying the state insurance exam fee more than once and will ensure a smooth transition into or upwards in your health insurance career. Also, being aware of trends in the insurance field can be the key to future success.

Health insurance offers the opportunity to charge a good fee while also working to tangibly improve the health and life of the people around you. No matter which line you want to go into, passing the Utah insurance exam is one of the best ways to take your life and license to the next level.

Insurance is all about helping people, and whether you choose Utah life or health insurance, you’ll always have a way to help people with their health and help them build a better life in Utah. Through insurance you can help the people around you and build a strong career. However, finding the right training and education instructor is an important first step to take to ensure your success in the future

Completed insurance training program Utah

Insurance Training Programs Trends & Innovations

Man Talking and Smiling With Another Man

Are you thinking of becoming an insurance agent? There are plenty of insurance training programs to help you get your insurance license or to help you keep it once you have it – you will have to take certain tests to retain certification.

These insurance courses used to be taught in person. That’s not the case anymore. One of the main innovations of late is to have an online course, where you can get all the tools that you need. Before we go any further, let’s look at what happens in the insurance industry.

What Does an Insurance Agent Do?

Man Smiling

Once you have your insurance license after taking a state exam, you can join an insurance company or you can work as an independent broker. Generally, your job duties will be to contact potential customers about certain policies that might fit what they need.

This is done by generating leads and also marketing certain products to these people. The types of insurance can be anything from property to casualty to health to life insurance. It’s a potentially rewarding career for you.

What Insurance License Makes The Most Money?

You have a lot of choices when it comes to picking a niche in the insurance field. If you want to get the insurance license that can potentially make you the most money, you would want to work in the life insurance field.

Life insurance agents will fall into one of two camps – they are “captive” where they can only sell from one company and a “non-captive” can sell insurance from multiple companies. Giving their potential customers multiple choices can give them a competitive edge.

How to Keep Your Insurance License

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When you first get your insurance license, you will see that it has an expiration date. Some of them are a year, others two years, and some of them last longer than that. Then you need to see what your state’s continuing education requirements are. There are courses that you can enroll in so that you get continuing education credits, which will then allow you to renew your license.

Why Consider An Online Course?

Woman Studying With a Tablet

The good thing about doing an online course is that you can look over all the course material at your own pace. You can do it when you’re at home, on your lunch break or anywhere else. This way, you can go over the key concepts over and over – something that you can’t do when you take in-person insurance courses.

Also, you will be able to get the tools that you need to use or study online – the course material will be available to download. You won’t have to find books at the bookstore or order them from sites like Amazon. Instead, you’ll be able to scroll through them on your tablet or your phone.

If you have to take any state exam again, like if you did let your license lapse (perhaps you got sick or wanted to try something else only to find you want to stay in insurance), take an online insurance course. That way, you’ll be in good shape when exam day comes. You can also do insurance training online as well, which will increase your chances of success.

Other Thoughts

Woman Studying at Laptop

No matter how busy you get, you need to stay on top of your ce requirements. That way, the expiration date won’t sneak up on you. If this is the business that you want to work in, then you will want to know everything about it, including what you have to do stay accredited.

As we move further into the 2020’s, chances are good that prospective insurance agents will go online to learn the tools of their trade and in-person courses will be something of the past, though some may be offered for those who still like the older ways of learning. This will help prepare the next generation for the world of insurance.

Mistakes to Avoid While Enrolling in an Insurance Training Program

If you’re in the insurance field or looking to advance your career, insurance training programs are the best way to make sure you are successful in achieving these goals. Whether you’re training to pass an exam and receive your certification or simply keeping up to date with your continuing education (CE), training programs are a critical component of success in the industry. However, it’s important to approach the enrollment process carefully and be aware of some common mistakes that can derail your career goals.  

Top Mistakes to Watch Out For

Mistake #1: Having Unclear Goals 

Before enrolling in an insurance training program, it’s important to make sure that your goals are clearly laid out and defined. Without defining your goals, you might end up wasting time and money on courses that do not accurately align with your objectives, so always take the time to first reflect on your career goals and what you hope to achieve through the training. 

For example, which insurance field would you like to specialize in? Have you decided if you want to be an underwriter, claims adjuster, agent, or some combination of these? If you are already in the insurance field, what continuing education do you need specifically to make sure your career keeps moving forward and your license stays current?    

Taking the time to make sure that the training you choose will meet these goals is the first step towards making sure that the time you spend is well worth it

Mistake #2: Choosing the Wrong Program

Before completing the enrollment procedure, it’s important to examine the program carefully and make sure that it not only meets your goals and career objectives but is also an objectively good program that is conducted by qualified and capable individuals. Try to look for programs that are accredited by industry associations, have a good reputation in the industry, have positive reviews, and offer the skills and knowledge you need to succeed.  

It’s also smart to make sure that the program fits into your schedule and budget before enrolling. Programs that offer online exams and classes will fit into more schedules and can be overall more convenient. Make sure that the format, cost, and duration of the program will work for you before enrolling.

Mistake #3: Choosing an Unqualified Instructor

Part of making sure that you choose the best program is making sure that the instructor is qualified and capable of teaching it. The quality of the instructor can make a major difference in the quality of education you receive, whether you truly understand the continuing education, and whether you pass your exams. Make sure that they offer effective exam prep courses and possess all the necessary state licensing and qualifications to be teaching insurance courses. 

Some other factors to check out before completing the enrollment process are their relevant experience, the reviews of others who have completed the courses, and what experience they have in the field. Ideally, the best instructor will have a relevant degree and many years of experience working in the insurance field and learning all the ins and outs you will need to know to succeed.   

Mistake #4: Neglecting Networking 

Like many other professional industries, networking is one of the most important aspects of success in the insurance field. While you are in the program, even if you’re just completing your continuing education as a matter of necessity, you’ll have the opportunity to meet a lot of people that can advance your career and offer potentially valuable connections.  

When enrolling, try to make sure the program will offer networking opportunities, whether it’s in-person or online. Find out what type of setting it will be in, and if it’s a group setting then take full advantage of that.  

However, when building your network, it can be helpful to focus not on the quantity of people you know, and building up as huge of a network as possible, but rather on the quality of the network. Sometimes, a smaller network can be more helpful, as long as it’s composed of more tightly-knit connections with a stronger connection and focus on helping each other. 

So, when enrolling in the program, try and make sure it is somewhere where you can potentially meet people you can build strong friendships and relationships with. When in the program, try to be personable, outgoing, and friendly, and be sure to try and get people’s contact information. Do a professional favor for them when possible and they will likely reciprocate it, which can lead to advantages down the line.

If you’re planning on taking insurance training program classes, you’re already on the right track to success. Nothing is more important than acquiring the knowledge you need, and training programs are the best way to go about doing that. When enrolling, avoid these simple mistakes and watch your career blossom and grow in ways you didn’t even expect!  

Why Insurance Training Programs Are Worth Your Time

The insurance industry is an exciting and dynamic field that provides lucrative careers benefiting both the insurance agent and the many customers they deal with. Accidents and unfortunate events are a part of life, but when the unexpected happens, as an insurance agent, you will be the first person your customers call and the one to help them get their life back on track. 

Whether you’re looking to pass an insurance exam, train your insurance team, or get up to date on your continuing education, insurance training programs are the single most important and effective way to ensure success in your career.

Why Insurance Training Programs are Critical to Success

In the insurance field, like many other professional careers, you won’t get far without training and continuing education. Let’s look at some of the top reasons why insurance training programs are the key to a successful career in insurance:

Reason #1: Passing Exams is Critical

If you’re looking to get into the insurance field, you won’t even be able to get off the ground without passing the exams. All licensed insurance agents are required to pass their state’s exams, have a current license to practice, and keep up to date with any required CE (continuing education). Passing these exams is the most difficult and time-consuming aspect of becoming an insurance agent, so it’s important to do everything you can to ensure success.

These exams usually cover the following material:

  • Contract law
  • Different types of policies and their purposes
  • What functions insurance underwriters perform
  • Provisions, options, and riders of different policies
  • Commercial property insurance and casualty insurance
  • Flexible feature policies
  • State-specific insurance regulations and laws

In order to pass the exam, you’ll need to have a firm grasp of all the above information, along with other material you’ll want to study. The best way to pass the exam on your first try successfully is through insurance training programs. You wouldn’t go into the Bar Exam as a prospective lawyer without training, and insurance exams are no different.

Reason #2: Training Is Necessary to Keep Your License

Once you’ve passed the exams – congratulations! After a background check and a review of your application, you should receive your license and be able to start your career as an insurance agent or associated professional. However, like many other professions, it is necessary to complete certain continuing education courses to keep your license current and make sure that you can keep your job.

It’s easy to see why this type of insurance training is well worth your time. Without it, all the effort you went to in order to pass the exams will go to waste, you can lose income, and might have to get recertified to keep working. Don’t neglect your continuing education training as an insurance professional.

Reason #3: A Trained Insurance Staff Is More Productive

For those who manage a staff of insurance agents or a company, training your staff has benefits that keep on giving. Training your employees periodically has numerous research-backed benefits, like greater profitability, employee cohesion, and staff retention. Before issues arise, you can negate them with the right form of training, and insurance training experts can help you take your company and workforce to the next level.  

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of train-the-trainer type education. The manager or trainer at your workplace is the foundation for all the workers they encounter, and making sure that whoever is performing the trainer role at your company is at the top of their game is important to overall success. Insurance training programs come in many forms, and providing the most modern, up-to-date education to those tasked with training others is just one of the ways these programs can benefit you.

Reason #3: Insurance Training Is Flexible and Convenient

With the greater advent of remote learning and virtual work, you’ll want to be able to find a convenient method of training that will fit into you and your worker’s schedules and can be done when you have the time. A modern insurance training course that offers online webinars to complete CE courses and other training is critical to this goal. It’s important to find a training course that offers anytime, anywhere access so that you can complete it with the highest level of convenience.  

No matter what your needs are, from passing an exam, keeping your license current, or managing and training employees, insurance training programs are more than worth your time – they are critical to your professional success. Without it, you risk falling behind on current trends, research, or requirements and can find yourself struggling to keep up with more modern, better-trained companies.  

Just like any other high-intensity professional career, training, schooling, and learning are the three most important steps to success. Don’t fall behind and let the other insurance agents or companies get ahead of you, find the right insurance training program for you today and make the most of your career!

License renewal: did you forget the last step?

“Hey, I loved your courses, and now that I’m finished what am I supposed to do next?”

We get this question all the time, and we’re happy to point you in the right direction! First, if you’re not sure, you can double-check that you’ve taken all the CE you need by seeing your Continuing Education transcript at Compliance Express ™ (sircon.com)

Next, renew your license at License Renewals | Sircon powered by Vertafore

And as always, if you have any questions, call us at (801) 518-1956. Your compliance is our business, and we’re here to help!