Start by reviewing the official West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) candidate handbook and Pearson VUE examination content outline. Focus your study on life insurance policy provisions, health and disability income principles, annuities, and West Virginia-specific insurance statutes (WV Code Chapter 33). West Virginia does not require mandatory pre-licensing education hours, so thorough self-study using exam-style practice questions is essential. Take full-length 150-question practice tests under timed conditions (2 hours and 30 minutes) and aim to score consistently at 80% or higher before test day to maintain a comfortable margin above the 70% passing threshold.

The combined West Virginia Life, Annuities, and Accident & Sickness examination consists of 150 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes). You must achieve a score of 70% or higher to pass. West Virginia also offers single-line examinations (Life-Only or Accident & Sickness-Only) with 75 questions and a 90-minute time limit. On the combined exam, you must answer at least 105 out of 150 questions correctly. Score reports are issued immediately upon completion at Pearson VUE test centers.

The examination is divided into five core sections: General Insurance Principles (~10%), Life Insurance Policies & Riders (~35%), Health & Accident Insurance (~28%), Annuities & Tax Treatment (~12%), and West Virginia Insurance Law & Ethics (~15%). The West Virginia-specific portion covers the authority of the Insurance Commissioner, producer licensing requirements under WV Code Chapter 33, biennial continuing education (24 hours with 3 hours Ethics), producer appointment and termination rules, replacement regulations (Form A/B disclosures), policy grace periods (31 days for life), free-look periods (10 days standard, 30 days LTC/Medicare), and the West Virginia Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association coverage limits.

The examination fee is $47 per attempt, paid directly to Pearson VUE when scheduling online or by phone. All West Virginia insurance examinations are in-person only and administered by Pearson VUE at authorized testing centers across West Virginia (including Charleston, Wheeling, Morgantown, Huntington, Hurricane, Princeton, Moundsville, Bridgeport, Martinsburg, Parkersburg, and Beaver). Additional licensing costs include a $50 electronic fingerprinting background check fee through Fieldprint/IdentoGO and a $100 initial resident producer license application fee paid to the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner via NIPR or SBS. If you fail the exam, each retake requires paying the full $47 exam fee.

West Virginia does not require resident applicants to complete a mandatory pre-licensing education course prior to taking the licensing examination, though comprehensive self-study is strongly encouraged. To qualify for a resident producer license, you must be at least 18 years of age, pass the Pearson VUE state licensing exam, complete electronic fingerprinting for a state and federal background check, and submit a resident producer application with the $100 fee to the OIC via NIPR. Once licensed, producers must complete 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years, including at least 3 hours of approved ethics training, and notify the OIC of any address change within 30 days.

If you fail the West Virginia insurance exam, you must wait at least 24 hours before scheduling a re-examination with Pearson VUE. There is no statutory limit on the number of retake attempts, but you must pay the full $47 exam fee for every attempt. Pearson VUE provides a diagnostic score report immediately following your exam showing your performance by topic section. Use this report to identify weak areas — particularly state-specific laws or annuity tax rules — and focus your review on those sections before taking the test again. We recommend retaking practice tests until you achieve scores of 85% or higher across all 5 sections.

The West Virginia insurance licensing examinations are contracted and administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC). All WV Insurance Exams are in-person only and administered by Pearson. Pearson VUE manages exam registration, test center proctoring, and score delivery. Candidates can schedule exams online at pearsonvue.com/us/en/wv/insurance.html or by calling Pearson VUE candidate services.