Texas Property and Casualty Insurance Exam: 10 Things to Know Before Test Day
The Texas property and casualty (P&C) insurance exam is a roughly 145-question, multiple-choice test administered by Pearson VUE. About 130 questions are scored and about 15 are unscored pretest items mixed in that do not count. You have two hours and 30 minutes and need 70 percent of the scored questions correct to pass. The exam fee is $55 per attempt. Texas does not require a pre-licensing course, but the test is demanding and covers both national insurance concepts and Texas-specific statutes under content outline number 124401. Here are ten things worth knowing before you sit down on test day.
The 10 things to know
1. It is about 145 questions, but only 130 count
The exam contains roughly 145 multiple-choice questions, but only about 130 are scored. The other 15 or so are unscored pretest items the testing company is trying out for future exams, and they are mixed in invisibly. You cannot tell which is which, so treat every question as if it counts. The practical effect is that you should pace yourself for the full set, not 130, and never leave a question blank because there is no penalty for guessing.
2. You need 70 percent, and there is no partial credit
Passing means answering at least 70 percent of the scored questions correctly. On a 130-question scored exam, that is about 91 correct. There is no partial credit and no curve. This is the same threshold used across Texas insurance lines, which our Texas insurance exam pass rate breakdown covers in more detail. Aim well above 70 percent in practice tests so a few tricky questions on exam day do not push you under the line.
3. Texas does not require a pre-licensing course, but that is not a free pass
Texas does not mandate a formal pre-licensing course before the P&C exam. That saves time and money compared with states that require 40 or more hours of classroom instruction. It also fools people into walking in unprepared. The exam covers a lot of ground, and the candidates who skip preparation because the state does not force it are the ones who pay the $55 fee twice. The absence of a required course is a convenience, not a signal that the test is easy.
4. The exam costs $55 every time you take it
The exam fee is $55 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE when you schedule. The key phrase is per attempt: every retake costs another $55, on top of the time and momentum you lose. That math is the strongest argument for proper preparation. Confirm the current fee on the Pearson VUE Texas insurance page when you register, since testing fees are adjusted from time to time.
5. Pearson VUE runs it, in person or online
The Texas Department of Insurance contracts with Pearson VUE to deliver the exam. You can take it at a Pearson VUE test center or online with remote proctoring from home. The online option needs a quiet, private room, a working webcam, and a stable connection, and the proctor will scan your space before you start. If your internet or environment is unreliable, the test center is the safer choice. Either way, you schedule through Pearson VUE after creating an account. Book a few days out rather than weeks, so you have a firm deadline to study toward, and plan to arrive or log in at least 15 minutes early for check-in. The room is monitored, scratch paper is provided and collected, and personal items including your phone go in a locker, so do not count on any outside reference once you begin.
6. Texas-specific statutes and rules are a big chunk of the test
A common mistake is to study only the national insurance concepts and skim the Texas material. That is backwards. A meaningful share of the exam covers Texas statutes and rules, both those common to all lines and those specific to property and casualty. This is rote material you cannot reason your way through, so it deserves dedicated study time. The good news is that it is finite and very learnable once you focus on it.
7. The content outline (number 124401) is your free study map
Texas publishes a detailed content outline, number 124401, that lists every topic on the exam and how heavily it is weighted. It covers roughly eight major areas: insurance terms and related concepts, policy provisions and contract law, types of property policies, types of casualty policies, bonds and related terms, Texas statutes and rules common to all lines, and Texas statutes and rules specific to property and casualty. Each area carries a set number of questions, so the outline tells you exactly where to spend your study hours. It is free, official, and the single best tool for organizing your study. Pull it from Pearson VUE or the Texas Department of Insurance and use it as a checklist, ticking off each subtopic only once you can answer practice questions on it. Our guide on how to pass the Texas insurance exam shows how to turn the outline into a week-by-week study plan.
8. Bring the right ID, or you will be turned away
Pearson VUE requires valid, government-issued photo identification, and the name has to match your exam registration exactly. An expired license or a mismatched name will get you turned away, and you will forfeit the fee. Check the candidate handbook for the current ID rules before test day. This is one of the most avoidable reasons people lose an exam slot, and it has nothing to do with how well they studied.
9. You get your results immediately
You do not wait days for a score. The exam is computer-based, and you receive a pass or fail result before you leave the test center or finish your online session. If you pass, you get documentation confirming it, which you will need for the next steps. If you do not pass, you get a breakdown by topic area that tells you exactly where to focus before you rebook, which is far more useful than a single number. Use that report to target your weak areas rather than restudying everything, and you can often turn a fail into a pass on the next attempt with a few focused days of review.
10. Fingerprinting and your NIPR application come after you pass
Passing the exam is not the license. After you pass, you complete a fingerprint-based background check through IdentoGO and submit your license application through NIPR, which carries a state application fee plus a small transaction fee. Only after the Texas Department of Insurance approves the application are you licensed. Our full walkthrough of how to get a Texas insurance license covers those post-exam steps in order so nothing catches you off guard.
What a Texas P&C license lets you do
Passing this exam leads to the general lines property and casualty license, which authorizes you to sell home, auto, commercial property, liability, and related coverages in Texas. It is one of the most marketable licenses in the state because nearly everyone needs auto and homeowners insurance, and businesses need commercial coverage. Many agents pair it with a life and health license later to round out what they can offer. Knowing what the license unlocks helps you stay motivated through the statutes section, because every rule you memorize maps to a product you will eventually sell.
How to actually pass
The pattern across all ten points is the same: Texas makes it easy to start but the exam itself is real. The candidates who pass on the first try do three things. They use the content outline as a checklist so nothing is a surprise. They give the Texas statutes section dedicated time instead of saving it for last, because that is the material people most often underestimate. And they practice with a question bank until they are scoring comfortably above 70 percent, not just at it, so a handful of tricky questions on the day cannot sink them. Do those three things and the $55 fee is a one-time cost rather than a recurring one, and you walk out with a pass result and a clear path to the fingerprinting and application steps that follow.
Ready to pass the Texas P&C exam on your first try?
Ava Pro Licensing's Texas property and casualty exam prep is built to get you licensed in 14 days, with a lifetime access guarantee. The full course is $124 and includes Texas-specific content mapped to the official outline, a complete practice question bank, and structured study built by working Texas agents.
Start for free — no credit card required
Official sources & further reading
Always confirm current fees, the content outline, and exam logistics with the official source before you rely on them, because they change.
- Texas Department of Insurance, general lines property and casualty
- Pearson VUE, Texas insurance licensing exams
- NIPR, license application portal
- IdentoGO, Texas fingerprinting
Last updated: June 2026
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Texas property and casualty exam?
- The Texas general lines property and casualty exam has about 145 questions. Roughly 130 are scored and about 15 are unscored pretest items mixed in that do not count. You need 70 percent of the scored questions correct to pass, and you have two hours and 30 minutes.
How much does the Texas P&C exam cost?
- The exam fee is $55 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE when you schedule. You pay it again each time you retake the exam, which is one reason preparing properly the first time saves money. Confirm the current fee on the Pearson VUE Texas insurance page before scheduling.
Does Texas require a pre-licensing course before the P&C exam?
- No. Texas does not require a formal pre-licensing course for the property and casualty license, so you can schedule the exam without completing one. The exam is still demanding and covers Texas-specific statutes, so most candidates use a prep course or question bank to prepare.
What passing score do I need on the Texas P&C exam?
- You need 70 percent of the scored questions correct to pass. There is no partial credit, and the unscored pretest questions do not count toward your result. You receive a pass or fail result before you leave the test center, so you know your outcome the same day.
What is the Texas P&C exam content outline?
- The exam follows content outline number 124401, which lists every topic and its weight, from insurance terms and policy provisions to Texas statutes and rules. It is published by the Texas Department of Insurance and Pearson VUE and is the most reliable free study map you can use.