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Property & Casualty Insurance Practice Exam

137 free Property & Casualty Insurance practice questions with answers and explanations.

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The Property & Casualty Insurance exam is administered by State DOI, with 130 scored questions and a time limit of 2 hours 30 minutes.

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These are original study questions written from published exam objectives—not recalled, copied, or confidential live-exam items. Always confirm current coverage with the official sources linked on this page.

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QUESTION 1 / 100General Insurance ConceptsEasy0/0
A candidate wants to know the minimum percentage of questions they must answer correctly to pass the licensing exam. What is the passing score?
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General Insurance Concepts

26 questions
  1. 1. A candidate wants to know the minimum percentage of questions they must answer correctly to pass the licensing exam. What is the passing score?

    • A. 60%
    • B. 65%
    • C. 70%
    • D. 75%
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    A passing score of 70% is typically required. The other percentages are common distractors but do not match the stated requirement.

  2. 2. Two exam attributes are the fee to register and the passing-score percentage. Which pairing correctly matches each attribute to its value?

    • A. Fee = $130; Passing score = 150%
    • B. Fee = $70; Passing score = 49%
    • C. Fee = $49; Passing score = 70%
    • D. Fee = $49; Passing score = 49%
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    The exam fee is $49 and the passing score is 70%. Option C is the only pairing that matches both stated values; the others swap or invent numbers.

  3. 3. An insured's property is covered by two policies when a single covered loss occurs. Under the other insurance condition with a pro rata provision, how is the loss handled?

    • A. The policy with the earlier effective date pays the entire loss.
    • B. Each insurer pays the full loss, allowing the insured to recover twice.
    • C. The loss is divided among the insurers in proportion to their limits.
    • D. The insured chooses one insurer to pay the entire loss.
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    When more than one policy covers the same loss, the other insurance and pro rata conditions divide the loss among insurers in proportion to their limits. Choice B would let the insured recover more than the loss, which conflicts with the principle of indemnity, which limits recovery to the actual amount of the loss.

  4. 4. An insurance producer is explaining loss-related terminology to a new client. Which statement correctly distinguishes a peril from a hazard?

    • A. A peril is the actual cause of loss, while a hazard is a condition that increases the likelihood or severity of a loss.
    • B. A peril is a condition that increases the chance of loss, while a hazard is the event that directly causes the loss.
    • C. Perils and hazards are interchangeable terms for any event that damages covered property.
    • D. A peril applies only to liability insurance, while a hazard applies only to property insurance.
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A peril is the actual cause of loss, such as fire, windstorm, theft, or lightning. A hazard, by contrast, is any condition that increases the likelihood or severity of a loss. Choice B reverses the two definitions, and choices C and D misstate the relationship between the terms.

  5. 5. A policyholder stops locking the back door of her insured home, reasoning that her insurance will pay if anything is stolen. This attitude BEST illustrates which concept?

    • A. Moral hazard
    • B. Morale hazard
    • C. Physical peril
    • D. Proximate cause
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    A morale hazard reflects indifference or carelessness because insurance exists, such as leaving a door unlocked. It differs from a moral hazard, which arises from a dishonest tendency such as intentionally causing a loss to collect proceeds. The scenario describes carelessness, not dishonesty, so morale hazard is correct.

  6. 6. Under a named perils policy, who bears the burden of proof after a loss, and how does that change under an open perils policy?

    • A. The insured must prove the loss was caused by a covered peril under named perils; under open perils, the insurer must demonstrate that an exclusion applies.
    • B. The burden of proof always rests with the insured under both forms.
    • C. The burden of proof always rests with the insurer under both forms.
    • D. The insurer must prove coverage under named perils; the insured must prove an exclusion under open perils.
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    In a named perils policy, the burden of proof is on the insured to show the loss was caused by a covered peril. An open perils policy covers all direct physical losses except those specifically excluded, which shifts the burden of proof to the insurer to demonstrate that an exclusion applies.

  7. 7. Which of the following BEST defines proximate cause in property insurance?

    • A. Any condition that makes a loss more severe once it has begun
    • B. The final event in a series of events that damages the property
    • C. The primary event that sets in motion an unbroken chain of events leading to the loss
    • D. A cause of loss that is specifically excluded from the policy
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    Proximate cause is the primary event that sets in motion an unbroken chain of events leading to the loss. Choice A describes a hazard, which increases the likelihood or severity of a loss, and choices B and D do not describe proximate cause.

  8. 8. The principle of indemnity is designed to accomplish which of the following?

    • A. Allow the insurer to recover claim payments from a responsible third party
    • B. Guarantee the insured a profit whenever a covered loss occurs
    • C. Require the insured to pay a portion of every claim out of pocket
    • D. Limit recovery to the actual amount of the loss so the insured cannot profit from a loss
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    The principle of indemnity limits recovery to the actual amount of the loss, preventing the insured from profiting from a loss. Choice C describes a deductible, and choice A describes subrogation — related conditions, but not the principle of indemnity itself.

  9. 9. For a property insurance claim to be payable, when must the insured's insurable interest exist?

    • A. Insurable interest is never required in property insurance
    • B. Only when the claim payment is issued
    • C. Only when the policy is first purchased
    • D. At the time of loss
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    Insurable interest requires that the insured suffer a genuine financial loss if the covered property is damaged, and in property insurance this interest must exist at the time of loss. The other choices misstate the timing requirement.

  10. 10. After paying a covered claim, an insurer pursues the negligent third party who caused the damage in order to recover the amount it paid. Which policy condition permits this?

    • A. Pro rata other insurance
    • B. Subrogation
    • C. Coinsurance
    • D. Proof of loss
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    Subrogation allows the insurer, after paying a claim, to pursue any third party responsible for the loss to recover the amount paid. Coinsurance concerns the percentage of value the insured must carry, proof of loss is one of the insured's duties after a loss, and the pro rata condition divides a loss among multiple insurers.

  11. 11. Which statement BEST describes the purpose of a deductible in an insurance policy?

    • A. It is the maximum amount the insurer will ever pay for a single claim.
    • B. It is the amount the insured pays out of pocket before the insurer pays, which reduces small claims and lowers premiums.
    • C. It is a penalty applied only when the insured fails to carry adequate limits.
    • D. It is the portion of every claim the insurer recovers from a third party.
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    A deductible is the amount the insured pays out of pocket before the insurer pays, and it reduces small claims and lowers premiums. Choice A describes a policy limit, choice C alludes to a coinsurance penalty, and choice D describes subrogation recovery.

  12. 12. A commercial building has a replacement value of $100,000 and the policy contains an 80 percent coinsurance clause, so the insured is required to carry $80,000 of coverage. The insured carries only $60,000. A covered loss of $20,000 occurs, and the policy has a $1,000 deductible. Applying the coinsurance formula, how much will the insurer pay?

    • A. $14,000
    • B. $15,000
    • C. $19,000
    • D. $20,000
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    The coinsurance formula is: amount carried divided by amount required, multiplied by the loss, minus the deductible. Here, $60,000 divided by $80,000 equals 0.75; 0.75 multiplied by the $20,000 loss equals $15,000; subtracting the $1,000 deductible leaves $14,000. Choice B omits the deductible, and choices C and D ignore the coinsurance penalty.

  13. 13. An insurer's actuaries explain that predictions about aggregate losses become more accurate as the number of similar, independent exposure units in a pool increases. This is an application of:

    • A. The principle of indemnity
    • B. Adverse selection
    • C. Subrogation
    • D. The law of large numbers
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    The law of large numbers holds that as the number of similar independent exposures grows, actual results converge more closely to the expected probability, allowing insurers to predict losses reliably. The principle of indemnity instead concerns limiting claim payments to actual loss and has nothing to do with predicting aggregate losses across a pool.

  14. 14. An applicant for a homeowners policy intentionally fails to disclose that the home has a history of repeated water damage, hoping the insurer will not find out before binding coverage. This is an example of:

    • A. Warranty
    • B. Concealment
    • C. Waiver
    • D. Estoppel
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    Concealment is the intentional withholding of a material fact that the applicant knows should be disclosed, which violates the utmost good faith duty owed by both parties to an insurance contract. A warranty is instead a promise the insured makes about facts or future conduct that becomes part of the contract, not a failure to disclose something already known at application.

  15. 15. An underwriter reviews a life insurance applicant's medical history, occupation, and lifestyle before deciding whether to issue a policy and at what rate. This evaluation and classification process is called:

    • A. Underwriting
    • B. Rate making
    • C. Claims adjusting
    • D. Reinsurance
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Underwriting is the process of evaluating and classifying an applicant's risk to decide whether to accept it and on what terms. Rate making is the actuarial process of setting premium rates for a class of risks generally, not evaluating an individual applicant, which makes it a tempting but incorrect distractor here.

  16. 16. Only individuals who believe they have a high likelihood of loss tend to seek out insurance at standard rates, while lower-risk individuals decline coverage. This tendency is known as:

    • A. Risk pooling
    • B. Reinsurance
    • C. Adverse selection
    • D. Moral hazard
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    Adverse selection describes the tendency of higher-risk individuals to seek insurance more often than lower-risk individuals, skewing the pool toward worse outcomes if underwriting does not screen for it. Moral hazard is a different concept describing how having insurance changes an insured's behavior after coverage is in force, so it does not fit a scenario about who chooses to apply for coverage in the first place.

  17. 17. An applicant states on an insurance application that the building has a monitored fire alarm, and this statement is later found to be false at the time it was made. Under contract law principles applied to insurance, how is this statement most likely classified, and what follows?

    • A. As a covenant, so only monetary damages are available to the insurer
    • B. As a condition precedent, so the policy pays only after the statement is corrected
    • C. As a warranty, so the policy is automatically void regardless of materiality
    • D. As a representation, so the insurer may void the contract only if the false statement was material to the risk
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    Statements made on an insurance application are generally treated as representations rather than strict warranties, meaning the insurer can only avoid the contract if the misrepresentation was material to the risk and relied upon in issuing the policy. Treating the statement as an automatically voiding warranty ignores the modern legal trend of requiring materiality before a misstatement defeats coverage.

  18. 18. A fire destroys a retail store's inventory, and the store also loses sales revenue while it is closed for repairs. The lost inventory is a direct loss; the lost revenue is best classified as what type of loss?

    • A. A consequential (indirect) loss
    • B. A direct loss
    • C. A speculative loss
    • D. A fundamental loss
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A consequential or indirect loss flows from the direct physical damage but is not the damage itself, such as lost income resulting from a covered fire; business income coverage is designed to address exactly this type of loss. Calling the lost revenue a direct loss confuses the physical destruction of inventory with the downstream financial consequence of that destruction.

  19. 19. A large number of homeowners each pay a relatively small premium into a common fund, from which the few who suffer covered losses are indemnified. This arrangement primarily illustrates the insurance concept of:

    • A. Subrogation
    • B. Reinsurance
    • C. Risk pooling (transfer and sharing)
    • D. Coinsurance
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    Risk pooling is the fundamental mechanism of insurance: many exposure units contribute premiums to a common fund so that the relatively few who suffer losses can be indemnified from it. Subrogation instead deals with an insurer's right to recover payments from a party responsible for the loss and has nothing to do with how the premium fund itself is structured.

  20. 20. A business owner considers investing in a new product line, which could result in either a profit or a loss depending on market conditions. From an insurance standpoint, why is this risk generally not insurable?

    • A. Because it is a speculative risk that carries the chance of gain as well as loss
    • B. Because it is a pure risk with only the chance of loss
    • C. Because it is a fundamental risk affecting society as a whole
    • D. Because it lacks any hazard
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Insurance is designed to address pure risk, which involves only the chance of loss or no loss, whereas speculative risk involves the possibility of gain as well as loss and is generally not insurable through conventional insurance mechanisms. A business investment decision inherently has upside potential, which places it in the speculative category rather than the pure-risk category insurers underwrite.

  21. 21. An underwriter compares two commercial accounts: one has many small claims each year, and the other has very few claims but each is extremely costly when it occurs. These two accounts differ primarily in their loss:

    • A. Peril and hazard
    • B. Warranty and representation
    • C. Frequency and severity
    • D. Indemnity and subrogation
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    Loss frequency refers to how often losses occur, while loss severity refers to how costly each loss is; the two accounts described differ along exactly these two dimensions. Peril and hazard describe the cause of loss and conditions that increase its likelihood, not the pattern of how often or how large losses tend to be.

  22. 22. A risk manager estimates that under a worst-case combination of failures, a building could be completely destroyed, but under normal firefighting and sprinkler response, the realistic largest loss expected is far smaller. The larger, worst-case estimate is best described as the:

    • A. Probable maximum loss
    • B. Actual cash value
    • C. Coinsurance requirement
    • D. Maximum possible loss
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    Maximum possible loss is the worst-case dollar amount that could occur if every protective feature failed, while probable maximum loss is the more realistic estimate assuming normal functioning of protective systems such as sprinklers; the scenario describes the worst-case figure. Confusing this with probable maximum loss would understate how severe the underwriting exposure could theoretically be.

  23. 23. A large corporation decides to set aside its own funds to pay for anticipated losses instead of purchasing a commercial insurance policy for that exposure. This approach to handling risk is known as:

    • A. Risk retention (self-insurance)
    • B. Risk avoidance
    • C. Risk transfer
    • D. Risk sharing through reinsurance
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Risk retention, often implemented as self-insurance, means the organization keeps the financial responsibility for losses itself rather than shifting it to an insurer, typically because it can absorb predictable losses more cheaply than paying commercial premiums. Risk transfer is the opposite approach, shifting the financial burden to a third party such as an insurer, which does not describe a company funding its own losses.

  24. 24. A group of related manufacturing companies forms its own wholly owned insurance company to write coverage exclusively for the risks of its parent organizations. This arrangement is best described as a:

    • A. Reinsurer
    • B. Reciprocal exchange
    • C. Surplus lines insurer
    • D. Captive insurer
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    A captive insurer is an insurance company created and owned by one or more non-insurance businesses specifically to insure the risks of its owners, often used to gain more control over cost and coverage than the commercial market offers. A reinsurer instead insures other insurance companies rather than being formed by non-insurance parent companies to insure themselves.

  25. 25. A factory installs an automatic sprinkler system that will limit the size of a fire already in progress, rather than a system designed to prevent fires from starting in the first place. This measure is best classified as:

    • A. Loss prevention
    • B. Risk avoidance
    • C. Loss reduction
    • D. Risk transfer
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    Loss reduction refers to measures that minimize the severity of a loss once it has already occurred, such as a sprinkler system suppressing an active fire, while loss prevention refers to measures aimed at stopping the loss from happening at all. Because the sprinkler activates only after a fire has started, it addresses severity rather than preventing the occurrence, making prevention the wrong classification.

  26. 26. An agent provides an applicant with temporary written evidence of coverage while the insurer completes full underwriting and issues the formal policy. This temporary document is called a:

    • A. Declarations page
    • B. Endorsement
    • C. Binder
    • D. Certificate of insurance
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    A binder provides temporary evidence of coverage that takes effect immediately and remains in force until the formal policy is issued or the binder expires, allowing coverage to begin before underwriting is complete. A certificate of insurance, by contrast, merely summarizes existing coverage for a third party and does not itself create or extend coverage the way a binder does.

Policy Provisions

23 questions
  1. 27. A candidate wants to know the minimum percentage of correct answers needed to pass the licensing examination. What is the required passing score?

    • A. 60%
    • B. 65%
    • C. 70%
    • D. 75%
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    A passing score of 70% is typically required for this examination. The other percentages do not match the published passing threshold.

  2. 28. A warehouse is covered by two property policies: Policy 1 with a $200,000 limit and Policy 2 with a $100,000 limit. A $60,000 covered loss occurs. Under the pro rata other insurance condition, how is the loss divided?

    • A. Policy 1 pays $40,000 and Policy 2 pays $20,000
    • B. Each policy pays $30,000
    • C. Policy 1 pays the entire $60,000 because it has the higher limit
    • D. Policy 2 pays first and Policy 1 pays only the excess
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    When more than one policy covers the same loss, the other insurance and pro rata conditions divide the loss among insurers in proportion to their limits. Policy 1 carries two-thirds of the total limits ($200,000 of $300,000) and Policy 2 one-third, so Policy 1 pays two-thirds of $60,000 ($40,000) and Policy 2 pays one-third ($20,000).

  3. 29. After paying a covered fire claim, Meridian Insurance discovers the fire was caused by a negligent contractor and sues the contractor to recover the amount it paid its insured. Which policy provision permits this action?

    • A. Salvage
    • B. Abandonment
    • C. Appraisal
    • D. Subrogation
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    Subrogation allows the insurer, after paying a claim, to pursue any third party responsible for the loss to recover the amount paid. Here the insurer paid the claim and is pursuing the negligent contractor, which is exactly the subrogation mechanism.

  4. 30. A windstorm damages an insured's roof. Under the policy conditions describing the insured's duties after a loss, all of the following are required of the insured EXCEPT:

    • A. Giving prompt notice of the loss
    • B. Protecting the property from further damage
    • C. Submitting a signed proof of loss
    • D. Determining which third party was legally at fault for the loss
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    The insured's duties after a loss include giving prompt notice, protecting property from further damage, and submitting a signed proof of loss. Establishing a third party's legal fault is not among these duties; pursuing responsible third parties is the insurer's role through subrogation after it pays the claim.

  5. 31. Dana sells her house in March but forgets to cancel the homeowners policy. In June, the house burns down while owned by the new buyer. Why would Dana's claim under the old policy fail?

    • A. She no longer has an insurable interest, which in property insurance must exist at the time of loss
    • B. She failed to submit a signed proof of loss within the policy period
    • C. Fire is an excluded peril once a property changes ownership
    • D. The insurer's right of subrogation was impaired by the sale
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Insurable interest requires that the insured suffer a genuine financial loss if the covered property is damaged, and in property insurance that interest must exist at the time of loss. Because Dana sold the house before the fire, she suffers no financial loss from its destruction and cannot recover.

  6. 32. Which statement best describes the purpose of the principle of indemnity in a property policy?

    • A. It guarantees the insured receives the full policy limit for any covered loss
    • B. It divides a loss among multiple insurers in proportion to their limits
    • C. It restores the insured to the same financial position as before the loss, preventing profit from a loss
    • D. It requires the insured to carry a stated percentage of the property's value
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    The principle of indemnity limits recovery to the actual amount of the loss so the insured is restored to the same financial position as before, preventing profit from a loss. Coinsurance requirements and pro rata sharing among insurers are separate conditions, and indemnity limits recovery to the actual loss rather than guaranteeing the policy limit.

  7. 33. An agent explains to a client why her policy includes a deductible. Which explanation is accurate?

    • A. It is the amount the insurer pays before the insured's obligation begins
    • B. It is the amount the insured pays out of pocket before the insurer pays, which reduces small claims and lowers premiums
    • C. It is a penalty applied only when the insured underinsures the property
    • D. It is the portion of the loss transferred to a third party through subrogation
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    A deductible is the amount the insured pays out of pocket before the insurer pays, and it reduces small claims and lowers premiums. It is not a penalty for underinsurance (that describes a coinsurance penalty) and it has nothing to do with subrogation, which is the insurer's recovery from responsible third parties.

  8. 34. A commercial building valued at $500,000 is insured for $300,000 under a policy with an 80 percent coinsurance clause and a $1,000 deductible. A covered loss of $40,000 occurs. Using the coinsurance formula, how much will the insurer pay?

    • A. $40,000
    • B. $39,000
    • C. $30,000
    • D. $29,000
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    The coinsurance formula is amount carried divided by amount required, multiplied by the loss, minus the deductible. The amount required is 80 percent of $500,000, or $400,000. The insured carried $300,000, so $300,000 ÷ $400,000 = 0.75; 0.75 × $40,000 = $30,000; and $30,000 − $1,000 deductible = $29,000.

  9. 35. An insured's personal property is written on a named perils basis, while a neighbor's is written on an open perils basis. After each suffers a loss, who bears the burden of proof, and for what?

    • A. The open perils insured must show the loss was caused by a listed peril; the named perils insurer must prove an exclusion
    • B. Both insurers must prove the cause of loss before denying any claim
    • C. The named perils insured must show the loss was caused by a covered peril; under the open perils form, the insurer must demonstrate an exclusion applies
    • D. Both insureds must prove an exclusion does not apply
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    In a named perils policy, the burden of proof is on the insured to show the loss was caused by a covered peril. An open perils policy covers all direct physical losses except those specifically excluded, shifting the burden of proof to the insurer to demonstrate an exclusion applies. The burdens therefore run in opposite directions for the two insureds.

  10. 36. A manufacturer's CGL policy is written on an occurrence form. A customer is injured by the manufacturer's product during the policy period but does not file a claim until three years after the policy expires. How does the occurrence form respond?

    • A. The claim is covered because the injury occurred during the policy period, regardless of when the claim is filed
    • B. The claim is denied because it was not first made during the policy period
    • C. The claim is covered only if it falls after the policy's retroactive date
    • D. The claim is denied unless an extended reporting period was purchased
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    An occurrence form covers injury or damage that occurs during the policy period regardless of when the claim is filed, so the late-filed claim is covered. Choices B, C, and D describe features of a claims-made form, which covers only claims first made during the policy period and is often subject to a retroactive date and extended reporting periods.

  11. 37. A homeowner insured under an open perils dwelling form asks which causes of loss could still be denied. Which of the following is commonly excluded even under an open perils form?

    • A. Flood
    • B. Fire
    • C. Windstorm
    • D. Lightning
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Common exclusions found even in open perils forms include flood, earthquake, war, nuclear hazard, wear and tear, and intentional acts. Fire, windstorm, and lightning are classic examples of covered perils — actual causes of loss — rather than standard exclusions.

  12. 38. A commercial building with a mortgage suffers a fire loss. The property owner's coverage is voided because the owner committed arson, yet the mortgagee's interest is still paid up to its insurable interest. This outcome is explained by which policy provision?

    • A. The loss payable clause
    • B. The subrogation condition
    • C. The coinsurance clause
    • D. The standard mortgage clause
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    The standard mortgage clause creates an independent contract between the insurer and the mortgagee, so the mortgagee's right to payment survives even when the named insured's own acts, such as arson, would otherwise void coverage. A simple loss payable clause does not provide this independent protection and would leave the mortgagee's payment vulnerable to the same acts that void the owner's coverage.

  13. 39. A commercial policy names a lender as loss payee under a basic loss payable clause rather than a standard mortgage clause. If the insured's own fraud voids the policy, how is the lender's interest affected?

    • A. The lender's payment is unaffected because loss payable clauses always survive the insured's misconduct
    • B. The lender's interest is voided along with the insured's coverage because a basic loss payable clause does not create a separate contract with the lender
    • C. The lender automatically becomes the named insured
    • D. The lender must independently insure the property regardless of the clause used
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    A basic loss payable clause merely directs claim payment to a named payee and does not create an independent contractual right the way a standard mortgage clause does, so the payee's interest rises and falls with the named insured's own coverage. This is the key structural difference from a standard mortgage clause, which insulates a lender from the insured's misconduct.

  14. 40. An insurer and insured agree that a covered loss occurred but disagree sharply on the dollar amount of the loss. Neither wants to go to court. Which policy condition allows each side to select a competent appraiser to resolve the value dispute?

    • A. The other insurance condition
    • B. The subrogation condition
    • C. The appraisal condition
    • D. The arbitration condition
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    The appraisal condition allows each party to select its own appraiser, and the two appraisers select an umpire, to resolve disagreements specifically over the amount of loss when coverage itself is not in dispute. Arbitration is a broader dispute-resolution mechanism that can address coverage disputes generally and is not the specific policy tool designed for valuation disagreements alone.

  15. 41. After a covered fire loss, the insured is required to submit a signed, sworn statement itemizing damaged property and its value. This requirement is generally imposed under which policy duty?

    • A. The proof of loss requirement
    • B. The other insurance condition
    • C. The appraisal condition
    • D. The subrogation condition
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    The proof of loss requirement obligates the insured to submit a signed, sworn, and itemized statement of the loss within a specified time after the insurer requests it, giving the insurer the documentation needed to evaluate the claim. The appraisal condition instead applies later, only if the parties disagree on the dollar amount after the loss has already been documented, and is not itself a documentation duty.

  16. 42. A property policy states that any legal action against the insurer must be brought within a specified period after the date of loss. What is the purpose of this policy condition?

    • A. To extend the insured's time to file a proof of loss indefinitely
    • B. To require the insured to sue before filing any proof of loss
    • C. To waive the insurer's right to investigate the claim
    • D. To set an outer time limit within which the insured must sue if a claim dispute is not resolved
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    The suit-against-us or legal action condition establishes a deadline by which the insured must file any lawsuit over a disputed claim, providing certainty and limiting the insurer's open-ended exposure to litigation. It does not extend the time for filing a proof of loss, which is a separate, earlier duty that must generally be satisfied well before any lawsuit would even be contemplated.

  17. 43. After a covered loss, an insured attempts to turn over badly damaged property to the insurer and demand payment as though a total loss occurred, even though the insurer has not agreed to accept the property. Under the abandonment condition, what is the result?

    • A. The insured may unilaterally force a total loss settlement
    • B. The policy is automatically voided
    • C. The insurer must accept the property and pay a total loss
    • D. The insurer is not obligated to accept abandoned property, and the insured cannot force a total loss this way
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    The abandonment condition specifically states that the insurer is not required to accept property abandoned by the insured, preventing an insured from forcing a total loss settlement simply by relinquishing damaged property. Without this condition, insureds could shift the burden and cost of disposing of damaged property onto insurers any time they preferred a total loss payout over a repair-based settlement.

  18. 44. A state files a revised edition of a standard property form that broadens coverage with no additional premium charge, and an insurer has already issued policies on the prior edition. Which policy condition may automatically extend the broader coverage to existing policyholders?

    • A. The coinsurance clause
    • B. The liberalization clause
    • C. The vacancy clause
    • D. The pro rata clause
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    The liberalization clause automatically extends a broadening of coverage to in-force policies when the insurer adopts a revised edition of the same form without an additional premium, so existing policyholders benefit without having to request an endorsement. The coinsurance clause instead governs how much coverage an insured must carry relative to value and has no bearing on adopting a more generous edition of a form.

  19. 45. A dry cleaner damages a customer's coat while it is in the cleaner's care. The customer's own homeowners policy pays for the loss. Which policy provision prevents the dry cleaner, as a bailee, from benefiting from the customer's insurance?

    • A. The other insurance clause
    • B. The mortgage clause
    • C. The appraisal clause
    • D. The no benefit to bailee clause
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    A no benefit to bailee clause specifically prevents a party holding another's property, such as a bailee, from being relieved of its own liability simply because the property owner's insurance paid the claim, preserving the insurer's subrogation rights against the negligent bailee. The other insurance clause instead addresses how multiple policies covering the same insured's own property share a loss and does not target third-party bailees at all.

  20. 46. A commercial general liability policy lists a construction company as the named insured and, by endorsement, adds the project owner as an additional insured. How does the project owner's status typically differ from the named insured's?

    • A. The additional insured has identical rights to the named insured under every provision of the policy
    • B. The additional insured's coverage is generally limited to liability arising from the named insured's work or operations, not the additional insured's own independent acts
    • C. The additional insured becomes responsible for paying the policy premium
    • D. The additional insured replaces the named insured as the primary policyholder
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    An additional insured endorsement typically extends coverage only for liability arising out of the named insured's ongoing or completed operations, so the project owner is protected from claims tied to the contractor's work but not for the owner's own separate negligence. Treating the additional insured as having identical, unrestricted rights ignores the scope limitation that additional insured endorsements almost always contain.

  21. 47. A building damaged by a covered fire must, under current building codes, be demolished and rebuilt to updated code standards rather than simply repaired, at a cost well above the basic property coverage. Which type of coverage is designed to address this additional cost?

    • A. Ordinance or law coverage
    • B. Extra expense coverage
    • C. Debris removal coverage
    • D. Business income coverage
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Ordinance or law coverage specifically addresses the added cost of complying with current building codes when repairing or rebuilding after a covered loss, including increased construction costs and demolition of the undamaged portion of the building. Extra expense coverage instead reimburses costs incurred to continue operations during a loss and does not address code-upgrade construction costs.

  22. 48. A homeowner buys an endorsement that will pay a specified percentage above the dwelling coverage limit if rebuilding costs exceed that limit after a covered total loss, due to a sudden spike in construction costs. This endorsement is best described as:

    • A. Guaranteed replacement cost coverage
    • B. Extended replacement cost coverage
    • C. Functional replacement cost coverage
    • D. Agreed value coverage
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    Extended replacement cost coverage pays a stated percentage above the dwelling limit, such as an added margin, when rebuilding costs exceed the limit, offering a cushion against unexpected cost increases while still capping the insurer's exposure. Guaranteed replacement cost coverage is a more expansive version with no percentage cap at all, which does not match a scenario describing a specified percentage above the limit.

  23. 49. A commercial property owner knows a building will sit vacant for an extended period during renovation and wants to avoid the coverage restrictions the policy's vacancy provision would otherwise trigger. What can the owner request from the insurer to address this?

    • A. A coinsurance waiver
    • B. An agreed value endorsement
    • C. A vacancy permit endorsement
    • D. A liberalization clause
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    A vacancy permit endorsement is added to a policy specifically to suspend or modify the standard vacancy provision's coverage restrictions for a building the insurer knows in advance will be unoccupied, allowing continued fuller coverage during the vacancy period. A coinsurance waiver addresses an unrelated issue, the relationship between coverage carried and value, and would not solve the vacancy restriction problem described.

State Regulations

13 questions
  1. 50. Workers compensation benefit levels and coverage requirements are primarily established by:

    • A. Each state's statutes
    • B. A single uniform federal statute
    • C. Each insurer's underwriting guidelines
    • D. Private agreements between employers and employees
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Workers compensation benefits and requirements are established by each state's statutes, and most states mandate that employers carry the coverage. It is not governed by a single federal statute, insurer guidelines, or private agreement.

  2. 51. A state insurance department reviews an insurer's claims handling, underwriting practices, and advertising materials to determine whether the company is treating policyholders fairly and complying with state law. This type of regulatory review is called a:

    • A. Market conduct examination
    • B. Financial examination
    • C. Rate hearing
    • D. Guaranty fund assessment
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A market conduct examination focuses on how an insurer treats policyholders and claimants in practice, including claims handling, underwriting, and marketing, to verify fair dealing and legal compliance. A financial examination instead focuses on the insurer's solvency and financial condition, not its day-to-day treatment of customers, so it would not be the review described.

  3. 52. To satisfy state financial responsibility laws, most states require drivers to carry which of the following?

    • A. Medical payments coverage for all passengers
    • B. Collision coverage on every registered vehicle
    • C. Comprehensive (other than collision) coverage
    • D. At least minimum liability limits
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    Most states require drivers to carry at least minimum liability limits to satisfy financial responsibility laws. Collision, comprehensive, and medical payments are optional physical damage or first-party coverages, not what financial responsibility laws mandate.

  4. 53. State workers compensation statutes provide several categories of benefits on a no-fault basis for job-related injuries. Which of the following is NOT among those statutory benefits?

    • A. Medical expenses
    • B. A portion of lost wages
    • C. Punitive damages against the employer
    • D. Death benefits
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    Workers compensation provides statutory benefits for job-related injuries including medical expenses, a portion of lost wages, rehabilitation, and death benefits, all on a no-fault basis. Punitive damages against the employer are not among these statutory benefit categories.

  5. 54. An employee brings a lawsuit against an employer for a work-related injury that falls outside the scope of the state workers compensation statute. Which part of the workers compensation policy is designed to respond?

    • A. The commercial general liability policy's products coverage
    • B. The businessowners policy's property section
    • C. Part Two, employers liability
    • D. Part One, the statutory workers compensation benefits
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    Part Two, employers liability, covers the employer against lawsuits for work-related injuries that fall outside the workers compensation statute. Statutory benefits under the compensation system address injuries within the statute, and the CGL and BOP serve different exposures.

  6. 55. Under the exclusive remedy arrangement in state workers compensation systems, what does an injured employee generally give up in exchange for guaranteed statutory benefits?

    • A. The right to sue the employer for the work-related injury
    • B. The right to rehabilitation benefits
    • C. The right to any portion of lost wages
    • D. The right to receive medical expense benefits
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    In exchange for guaranteed benefits, the employee generally gives up the right to sue the employer — this is known as the exclusive remedy. Medical expenses, a portion of lost wages, and rehabilitation are among the statutory benefits the employee receives, not what is surrendered.

  7. 56. To pass the Texas general property licensing exam, a candidate typically must achieve a score of at least:

    • A. 70 percent
    • B. 80 percent
    • C. 90 percent
    • D. 100 percent
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A passing score of 70 percent is typically required on the exam. Percentages such as 80, 90, and 100 appear elsewhere in insurance contexts (for example, common commercial coinsurance percentages) but are not the exam passing standard.

  8. 57. In one state, an insurer must submit new rates to the department of insurance and receive approval before using them. In another state, the insurer may begin using new rates immediately upon filing, subject to later regulatory review. These two approaches to rate regulation are known respectively as:

    • A. Prior approval and file-and-use
    • B. Community rating and experience rating
    • C. Admitted and non-admitted
    • D. Retrospective and prospective rating
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Under a prior approval system, rates must be approved by the regulator before they take effect, while under a file-and-use system the insurer can implement rates upon filing, with the regulator retaining authority to review and challenge them afterward. Community rating and experience rating instead describe methods of setting individual rates based on group versus individual loss experience, not the regulatory approval process itself.

  9. 58. A property owner in a high-crime urban area is repeatedly declined coverage by standard-market insurers. What type of state-supported mechanism exists in many states specifically to provide basic property coverage to such otherwise hard-to-place risks?

    • A. A FAIR plan
    • B. A guaranty association
    • C. A reciprocal exchange
    • D. A risk retention group
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plan is a state-supported mechanism designed to make basic property coverage available to owners who cannot obtain it in the standard market, often due to location-related risk factors. A guaranty association serves an entirely different purpose, paying certain claims when an insurer becomes insolvent, and does not help someone obtain coverage in the first place.

  10. 59. A driver with a poor accident history is turned down by every standard auto insurer he applies to, yet the state requires him to carry liability coverage. What mechanism exists to ensure he can still obtain the required coverage?

    • A. A retrospective rating plan
    • B. A reinsurance treaty
    • C. An assigned risk plan
    • D. A guaranty association
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    An assigned risk plan is a shared-market mechanism that allocates hard-to-place drivers among licensed insurers in the state so that everyone required to carry auto liability coverage can obtain it, even after being declined in the standard market. A guaranty association instead protects policyholders when their insurer becomes insolvent and has no role in helping someone find coverage in the first place.

  11. 60. A licensed insurance producer must complete a set number of approved course hours periodically to keep the license active. What is the primary regulatory purpose of this continuing education requirement?

    • A. To help ensure producers remain current on products, laws, and ethical obligations
    • B. To generate additional licensing fee revenue only
    • C. To replace the need for an initial licensing examination
    • D. To qualify producers to act as claims adjusters
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Continuing education requirements exist so that licensed producers stay current with evolving products, regulations, and ethical standards throughout their careers, protecting consumers from advice based on outdated knowledge. Framing the requirement as existing only to generate fee revenue mischaracterizes its consumer-protection purpose, which regulators consistently cite as the rationale for mandating ongoing education.

  12. 61. An insurer decides to terminate its appointment of a producer to sell its products. Insurance regulations in most states require the insurer to take which action regarding this termination?

    • A. Automatically revoke the producer's license
    • B. Obtain the producer's written consent before terminating
    • C. Notify the state insurance department of the termination
    • D. Refund all commissions the producer ever earned
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    Most states require an insurer to notify the state insurance department when it terminates a producer's appointment, which helps regulators track producer relationships and investigate terminations involving misconduct. Terminating an appointment does not automatically revoke the producer's license, since the producer may still hold appointments with other insurers or seek new ones.

  13. 62. A producer reasonably suspects that a client has submitted a fraudulent claim involving staged property damage. Under most state insurance codes, what is the producer generally expected to do?

    • A. Ignore the suspicion unless directly asked about it by the insurer
    • B. Independently investigate and adjudicate the claim before the insurer does
    • C. Advise the client on how to avoid detection
    • D. Report the suspected fraud to the appropriate authority, such as the insurer's fraud unit or the state fraud bureau
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    Most state insurance codes impose a duty on producers and other licensees to report suspected insurance fraud to the appropriate authority, such as the insurer's special investigations unit or a state fraud bureau, supporting the broader regulatory effort to combat fraud. A producer independently investigating and adjudicating the claim would overstep the producer's role, which is to report suspicions rather than make final coverage determinations.

Property Insurance Basics

6 questions
  1. 63. A fire forces a homeowner to live in a rental apartment for two months while the covered dwelling is repaired. Which homeowners policy coverage reimburses the increased cost of living during that displacement?

    • A. Coverage C - Personal Property
    • B. Coverage E - Personal Liability
    • C. Coverage D - Loss of Use
    • D. Coverage A - Dwelling
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    Coverage D, Loss of Use, reimburses the insured for additional living expenses incurred to maintain the household's normal standard of living while a covered loss makes the residence uninhabitable during repairs. Coverage C, Personal Property, instead applies to damaged belongings themselves, not the cost of temporary housing while those repairs are underway.

  2. 64. A roof with a replacement cost of $20,000 is fifteen years into a twenty-year useful life when it is destroyed. What is the actual cash value settlement before any deductible?

    • A. $5,000, being replacement cost less depreciation for the fifteen years consumed
    • B. $20,000, the full replacement cost
    • C. $15,000, being replacement cost less the five remaining years
    • D. $10,000, being half the replacement cost
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Actual cash value is replacement cost minus depreciation, and fifteen of twenty years consumed leaves five twentieths of the life, so 20,000 times 5 divided by 20 equals 5,000. A replacement cost policy would pay the full 20,000 subject to policy conditions, which is why the valuation basis matters far more than the limit on older property.

  3. 65. What distinguishes a named perils property form from an open perils form?

    • A. A named perils form covers only listed causes with the burden on the insured to show the loss falls within one, while an open perils form covers all causes except those excluded, shifting the burden to the insurer
    • B. An open perils form covers only listed causes
    • C. A named perils form has no exclusions
    • D. The two forms differ only in premium, not in coverage scope
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    The distinction is which party bears the burden of proof. Under named perils the insured must place the loss within a listed cause; under open perils, sometimes called all-risk, coverage applies unless the insurer identifies an applicable exclusion. That burden shift is why open perils forms cost more despite both containing exclusions.

  4. 66. A hurricane drives storm surge into a building whose roof the same wind had already torn open. The property form excludes flood using anti-concurrent causation wording. How does that wording operate?

    • A. Loss caused directly or indirectly by the excluded peril is barred regardless of any other cause contributing concurrently or in sequence
    • B. The loss is apportioned between the covered wind cause and the excluded flood cause
    • C. Coverage applies in full because a covered peril contributed to the loss
    • D. The exclusion applies only if flood was the sole cause
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Anti-concurrent causation language was written specifically to defeat the argument that a covered cause contributing to the same damage restores coverage, so the excluded peril's involvement bars the loss. Damage attributable solely to wind before any water intrusion can still be covered, which is why separating wind from water damage dominates coastal catastrophe claim adjustment.

  5. 67. A landlord insures a rental dwelling under a policy that covers direct physical loss to the dwelling from any cause not specifically excluded, rather than only from a list of named perils. Which type of dwelling policy form is this?

    • A. DP-3 (special form)
    • B. DP-1 (basic form)
    • C. A named perils endorsement
    • D. A monoline liability form
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A DP-3, or special form, dwelling policy covers the dwelling on an open perils (all-risk) basis, meaning direct physical loss is covered unless a specific cause is excluded, which matches the broad coverage described. A DP-1, or basic form, instead covers only a limited list of named perils, which is a narrower structure than the one in the scenario.

  6. 68. A homeowner's detached garage, which is not attached to the main dwelling, is damaged in a covered windstorm. Under a standard homeowners policy, which coverage section responds to this loss?

    • A. Coverage B - Other Structures
    • B. Coverage A - Dwelling
    • C. Coverage D - Loss of Use
    • D. Coverage C - Personal Property
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Coverage B, Other Structures, applies to structures on the residence premises that are separated from the dwelling by clear space or connected only by a fence, utility line, or similar connection, such as a detached garage. Coverage A, the Dwelling coverage, applies to the main dwelling itself and structures attached to it, which does not fit a detached structure.

Commercial Lines

15 questions
  1. 69. An insured signs a statement of values and the insurer attaches an agreed value provision to the commercial property policy. What is the effect at claim time?

    • A. The coinsurance percentage is raised to 100 percent
    • B. The coinsurance condition is suspended, so a partial loss is paid in full up to the limit without any recovery-ratio penalty
    • C. The insurer must rebuild regardless of the policy limit
    • D. The deductible is waived on all partial losses
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    Agreed value trades the insurer's coinsurance protection for the insured's declaration of values, so the penalty for underinsurance disappears for the term. The provision typically expires with the policy and must be renewed with an updated statement of values, which is where insureds are caught out when property values have risen and the provision lapses unnoticed.

  2. 70. What does a businessowners policy combine that a commercial package policy assembles separately?

    • A. Property and liability coverage in a preassembled form designed for small to medium businesses with limited eligibility
    • B. Workers compensation and commercial auto
    • C. Only property coverages, with liability written separately
    • D. Surety and fidelity bonds
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    The businessowners policy bundles property and liability into a standardized package with broader built-in coverages and less flexibility, restricted to eligible classes and size thresholds. A commercial package policy assembles chosen lines with individual limits and endorsements, which suits larger or unusual risks the businessowners eligibility rules exclude.

  3. 71. Business income coverage responds to a covered property loss. What does it pay?

    • A. The cost to repair the damaged property
    • B. Net income that would have been earned plus continuing normal operating expenses during the period of restoration
    • C. The market value of the business as a going concern
    • D. Gross revenue for the entire policy year
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    Business income restores the earnings position, covering lost net income and expenses that continue despite the shutdown such as payroll for key staff and lease obligations. It is a time element coverage triggered by direct physical loss to covered property, and the period of restoration runs from the loss until the property should reasonably be repaired.

  4. 72. Extra expense coverage differs from business income coverage in what respect?

    • A. It pays additional costs incurred to continue operating rather than replacing income lost while shut down
    • B. It pays for damage to the building itself
    • C. It applies only after business income limits are exhausted
    • D. It covers the insured's liability to customers for delayed delivery
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Extra expense funds the cost of staying open, such as renting temporary premises or expediting equipment, which suits businesses that cannot afford to close such as a data centre or a medical practice. Business income assumes a shutdown and replaces earnings, and the two are frequently written together because most losses involve some of each.

  5. 73. What does an inland marine policy typically cover?

    • A. Ocean-going vessels and their cargo
    • B. Property in transit, movable property and instrumentalities of transportation and communication such as bridges and radio towers
    • C. Buildings at a fixed location only
    • D. Employee dishonesty losses
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    Inland marine evolved from ocean marine to cover property that moves or is not confined to one location, including transit, contractors equipment, fine arts and bailee exposures, along with fixed instrumentalities of transportation and communication. Ocean marine covers the water exposure, and employee dishonesty belongs to fidelity coverage.

  6. 74. How does a surety bond differ structurally from an insurance policy?

    • A. A surety bond involves three parties and the surety expects to recover from the principal after paying a loss
    • B. A surety bond involves two parties with losses absorbed by the surety
    • C. A surety bond covers fortuitous loss like any other insurance
    • D. A surety bond is purchased by the party it protects
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Surety involves the principal who must perform, the obligee who is protected and the surety that guarantees performance, and the principal indemnifies the surety for anything paid. Insurance is a two-party contract transferring fortuitous loss with no expectation of recovery from the insured, which is why surety underwriting resembles credit analysis more than loss forecasting.

  7. 75. What is the function of reinsurance from a primary insurer's perspective?

    • A. It insures the policyholder directly against the insurer's insolvency
    • B. It provides coverage to the insurer's employees
    • C. It replaces the need for the insurer to hold reserves
    • D. It transfers part of the insurer's assumed risk to another insurer, stabilizing results and increasing capacity to write business
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    Reinsurance lets an insurer accept risks larger than its own surplus would prudently allow and smooths results against catastrophe or unusual severity. The policyholder has no contractual relationship with the reinsurer, so an insurer's insolvency is addressed by state guaranty associations rather than by reinsurance.

  8. 76. How does treaty reinsurance differ from facultative reinsurance?

    • A. Treaty reinsurance covers an entire class of business automatically, while facultative is negotiated risk by risk
    • B. Treaty reinsurance is negotiated for each individual policy
    • C. Facultative reinsurance is mandatory for all insurers
    • D. The two differ only in the commission paid
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A treaty obliges the reinsurer to accept every risk falling within its terms, which suits volume business and removes per-risk negotiation. Facultative is used for individual risks that fall outside a treaty or exceed its limits, and it is slower and costlier per unit precisely because each risk is underwritten separately.

  9. 77. A commercial auto policy uses symbol 1 for liability. What does that designate?

    • A. Any auto, the broadest designation covering owned, hired and non-owned vehicles
    • B. Owned private passenger autos only
    • C. Hired autos only
    • D. Trailers only
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Covered auto designation symbols determine which vehicles a coverage applies to, and symbol 1 is the broadest, reaching autos the insured does not own or specifically schedule. Because physical damage coverage cannot apply to vehicles the insured does not own, symbol 1 is used for liability while narrower symbols apply to physical damage.

  10. 78. What does hired and non-owned auto liability coverage protect a business against?

    • A. Physical damage to employees' personal vehicles
    • B. Vicarious liability arising when employees use rented vehicles or their own cars on company business
    • C. Liability arising from vehicles the business owns and schedules
    • D. The employee's personal liability for their own accidents
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    The exposure arises because a business can be held liable for an employee's driving in the course of employment even in a vehicle the business does not own. The coverage protects the business, not the employee, whose own auto policy remains primary, and it is one of the most frequently overlooked commercial exposures.

  11. 79. A workers compensation experience modification factor of 0.85 is applied to an employer's manual premium. What does it indicate?

    • A. Better than average loss experience for the class, producing a 15 percent credit to manual premium
    • B. Worse than average loss experience, producing a surcharge
    • C. That the employer has no employees
    • D. That the state has capped the employer's premium
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A modification below 1.00 reflects loss experience better than the class average and reduces premium proportionally, while above 1.00 surcharges it. The mechanism gives employers a direct financial return on safety programs, and because frequency weighs more heavily than severity in the calculation, many small claims hurt more than one large one.

  12. 80. A commercial building has stood empty for more than sixty consecutive days when a vandalism loss occurs. How does the vacancy provision affect the claim?

    • A. Vandalism is among the perils excluded once the vacancy period is exceeded, and other covered losses are paid at a reduced percentage
    • B. The entire policy is void from the start of the vacancy
    • C. The claim is paid in full, since vacancy affects only rating
    • D. Coverage continues unchanged if the insured intends to re-let the building
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Vacancy sharply raises the risk of vandalism, theft and undetected water damage, so the form suspends those perils past the stated period and reduces payment on remaining covered losses. The policy is not void, and the insured's intentions do not matter; the remedy is a vacancy permit endorsement obtained before the period runs.

  13. 81. A commercial insured is offered a large deductible program instead of a guaranteed cost policy. What is the practical effect?

    • A. The insured retains a substantial portion of each loss, lowering premium but requiring collateral and stronger cash flow
    • B. The insurer retains all losses and the insured pays a fixed premium
    • C. The insured's total cost becomes fixed and predictable
    • D. The insured no longer needs claims handling services
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A large deductible converts predictable loss into retained cost, so premium falls but the insured funds losses within the deductible and typically posts collateral because the insurer remains liable to third parties for those amounts. Total cost becomes less predictable rather than more, which is the trade the insured accepts for the premium saving.

  14. 82. An equipment breakdown policy covers a boiler explosion. What does it add beyond a standard commercial property form?

    • A. Coverage for fire damage to the building
    • B. Liability for injuries to employees
    • C. Coverage for loss from mechanical or electrical breakdown and pressure equipment accidents that property forms exclude, often with inspection services included
    • D. Coverage for theft of equipment
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: C
    Standard property forms exclude mechanical and electrical breakdown, leaving a gap for the equipment that runs the business, which equipment breakdown coverage fills along with resulting business income loss. The inspection service bundled with the coverage is a significant part of its value, since preventing a breakdown is worth more than indemnifying one.

  15. 83. A crime policy insures against employee dishonesty. How does this differ from a fidelity bond's traditional structure?

    • A. Modern commercial crime coverage is written as insurance covering the employer's own loss, whereas traditional fidelity bonding guaranteed an employee's honesty to a third party
    • B. Employee dishonesty is covered by the general liability policy
    • C. Crime coverage protects the employee against accusations
    • D. Fidelity coverage applies only to losses caused by outsiders
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Employee theft coverage under a commercial crime form indemnifies the employer directly for its own loss, which is first-party insurance. General liability does not respond, since it covers liability to others rather than the insured's own property loss, and the dishonest employee is excluded from being an insured.

Casualty and Liability Insurance

9 questions
  1. 84. A business switches from a claims-made liability carrier to a new insurer and buys a supplemental extended reporting period from the departing carrier. What does that purchase accomplish?

    • A. It preserves the right to report claims arising from pre-expiration occurrences for an extended time, closing the gap the new policy's retroactive date creates
    • B. It extends the expiring policy's coverage to new occurrences after expiration
    • C. It increases the expiring policy's limits for the reporting period
    • D. It transfers the expiring policy's claims to the new insurer
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A tail extends the reporting window, not the coverage window, so occurrences must still predate expiration. It matters because the new carrier's retroactive date typically starts at inception, leaving prior acts uncovered, and the alternative of negotiating a matching retroactive date with the new insurer accomplishes the same protection from the other direction.

  2. 85. A commercial general liability policy has a $1,000,000 each occurrence limit and a $2,000,000 general aggregate. Three unrelated claims are paid at $800,000, $700,000 and $900,000 in one policy year. What is paid?

    • A. $2,000,000, because the general aggregate exhausts before the third claim is fully paid
    • B. $2,400,000, the sum of all three claims
    • C. $1,000,000, the each occurrence limit
    • D. $3,000,000, three times the each occurrence limit
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Each claim is individually within the 1,000,000 per occurrence limit, but the three total 2,400,000 against a 2,000,000 aggregate, so the insurer's total obligation stops at 2,000,000 and the third claim is only partly covered. The aggregate is the annual ceiling across all occurrences, and once exhausted the insured is uninsured for the remainder of the term.

  3. 86. What does the products-completed operations hazard in a commercial general liability policy cover?

    • A. Damage to the insured's own product when it fails
    • B. Injury or damage arising away from the insured's premises from the insured's product or from work already completed
    • C. Injury occurring on the insured's premises during operations
    • D. The cost of recalling a defective product
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    This hazard covers third-party injury and damage caused by the product or completed work after it has left the insured's control, and it carries its own aggregate separate from the general aggregate. Damage to the insured's own product and the cost of a recall are excluded, since those are business risks rather than liability to others.

  4. 87. A commercial general liability policy excludes damage to property in the insured's care, custody or control. Why?

    • A. Because that exposure belongs to bailee or inland marine coverage, where it can be rated on the values actually handled
    • B. Because such damage is never insurable
    • C. Because the property owner's policy always responds instead
    • D. Because the exposure is too small to warrant coverage
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A liability policy is priced for the risk of harming others' property incidentally, not for assuming custody of it, which is a fundamentally different and far more predictable exposure. Bailee forms and inland marine policies cover property in the insured's care and are rated on the values involved, which is why the general liability form pushes the exposure there.

  5. 88. A commercial umbrella policy sits above a $1,000,000 general liability limit. A covered claim of $2,500,000 is settled. How does the umbrella respond?

    • A. It pays the $1,500,000 above the underlying limit, provided the underlying insurance was maintained as required
    • B. It pays the full $2,500,000 and seeks reimbursement from the primary insurer
    • C. It pays nothing, since the primary limit was not exhausted by a single claim
    • D. It pays half the claim alongside the primary insurer
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    The umbrella attaches above the required underlying limits and pays the excess, so 2,500,000 minus 1,000,000 leaves 1,500,000. Failing to maintain the scheduled underlying insurance does not void the umbrella but leaves the insured responsible for the gap as if the underlying had been in force, which is the trap in letting a primary policy lapse.

  6. 89. Beyond providing excess limits, what else can an umbrella policy do?

    • A. Drop down to cover some claims the underlying policies exclude, subject to a self-insured retention
    • B. Reduce the premium on underlying policies
    • C. Replace the need for underlying coverage entirely
    • D. Cover intentional acts of the insured
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    A true umbrella is broader than the policies beneath it, so where it covers something the underlying does not, it responds as primary after the insured absorbs a self-insured retention. That breadth distinguishes an umbrella from a straight excess policy, which follows the underlying form exactly and offers no broader coverage.

  7. 90. Workers compensation insurance is described as an exclusive remedy. What does that mean for an injured employee?

    • A. Statutory benefits are provided without proving employer fault, and in exchange the employee generally cannot sue the employer in tort
    • B. The employer may deny benefits if the employee was careless
    • C. The employee may collect benefits and also sue the employer for the same injury
    • D. The employee must prove employer negligence to receive benefits
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    The workers compensation bargain trades certainty for limitation: benefits flow without proving fault and are not reduced by the employee's own carelessness, but tort recovery against the employer is barred. Employers liability, the second part of the policy, responds to the narrow situations where an employer can still face suit outside the exclusive remedy.

  8. 91. An insurer receives a lawsuit against its commercial insured alleging both a covered negligence claim and an excluded intentional act. What is the insurer's obligation?

    • A. It must defend the entire suit if any allegation potentially falls within coverage, though it may indemnify only the covered portion
    • B. It may refuse to defend because one allegation is excluded
    • C. It must indemnify every allegation once it agrees to defend
    • D. It must wait for a verdict before deciding whether to defend
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    The duty to defend is broader than the duty to indemnify and is triggered by the allegations rather than the eventual outcome, so a single potentially covered claim obliges a defense of the whole action. The insurer protects itself by defending under a reservation of rights, which preserves the ability to deny indemnity for the excluded portion once the facts are determined.

  9. 92. What does an additional insured endorsement on a contractor's general liability policy provide to the project owner?

    • A. Status as an insured under the contractor's policy for liability arising from the contractor's work, subject to the endorsement's wording
    • B. A certificate confirming the contractor carries insurance
    • C. Coverage for the owner's own independent negligence in all cases
    • D. The right to receive the contractor's premium refunds
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Additional insured status places the owner on the contractor's policy for liability connected to the contractor's operations, and the specific endorsement form determines how far that reaches, particularly regarding the owner's own negligence and completed operations. A certificate of insurance is only evidence and confers no coverage, which is why relying on a certificate alone is a common contractual failure.

Policy Provisions and Contract Law

5 questions
  1. 93. An insurance policy is a contract of adhesion. What consequence follows when a term is genuinely ambiguous?

    • A. It is construed against the insurer, which drafted the wording
    • B. The parties must renegotiate the term
    • C. The entire policy is void
    • D. It is construed against the insured, who accepted it
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Because the insurer drafts the contract on a take-it-or-leave-it basis, courts resolve genuine ambiguity in the insured's favour under contra proferentem. The doctrine applies only where language is truly ambiguous, not merely unfavourable, and it does not rewrite clear exclusions the insured would prefer not to have.

  2. 94. An insurer pays a property claim and then pursues the party who caused the damage. What principle permits this?

    • A. Contribution, which apportions loss among insurers
    • B. Subrogation, which transfers the insured's recovery rights to the insurer up to the amount paid
    • C. Novation, which substitutes a new party to a contract
    • D. Estoppel, which prevents denial of a represented fact
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    Subrogation supports indemnity by preventing the insured from collecting twice and placing cost on the responsible party. It also explains why an insured who signs a waiver of subrogation before a loss can prejudice the insurer's rights, which is why such waivers generally require the insurer's consent by endorsement.

  3. 95. A representation on an application later proves untrue. What determines whether the insurer may rescind?

    • A. Whether the misstatement was material, meaning it would have affected the insurer's decision to accept the risk or the terms offered
    • B. Whether the statement was made in writing
    • C. Whether the insured benefited financially from the misstatement
    • D. Any untrue statement permits rescission regardless of significance
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Representations are statements believed true and must be material to support rescission, unlike warranties, which historically had to be literally true regardless of significance. Concealment is the related doctrine covering silence about a material fact the applicant knew, and modern statutes have generally softened the strict warranty rule toward the materiality standard.

  4. 96. An insurer accepts a late premium without objection for three consecutive years, then denies a claim because that year's premium was late. What doctrine may prevent the denial?

    • A. Subrogation
    • B. Coinsurance
    • C. Abandonment
    • D. Waiver and estoppel, since the insurer's consistent conduct led the insured to rely on the practice
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: D
    Waiver is the voluntary relinquishment of a known right, and estoppel prevents asserting a position inconsistent with conduct the other party relied upon. Repeatedly accepting late payment can waive strict compliance, which is why insurers use non-waiver agreements and reservation of rights letters when they wish to act without surrendering a defense.

  5. 97. Two liability policies both respond to the same claim, and each contains wording stating it applies only as excess over any other collectible insurance. How do courts commonly resolve the conflict?

    • A. The mutually repugnant clauses are disregarded and the loss is shared, since giving both effect would leave the insured with no primary coverage
    • B. Neither policy responds, since each is excess over the other
    • C. The older policy is always primary
    • D. The insured must elect one policy and forfeit the other
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    When two excess clauses would cancel each other out, the result leaves an insured who bought two policies with none, which courts refuse to accept, so the clauses are set aside and the loss apportioned. Where one policy says excess and the other is silent or pro rata, the excess clause is generally given effect and the other responds first.

State Law, Rules and Ethics

3 questions
  1. 98. An insurer wishes to cancel a commercial property policy mid-term for nonpayment. What is generally required?

    • A. The insured's written consent
    • B. Written notice to the insured within the timeframe state law prescribes, which is typically shorter for nonpayment than for other reasons
    • C. Approval from the state insurance department
    • D. No notice, since nonpayment terminates coverage automatically
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: B
    Cancellation requires notice on a statutory timetable, with nonpayment typically carrying a shorter notice period than underwriting reasons. Nonrenewal is governed separately with its own notice requirement, and after a policy has been in force beyond an initial period, permissible cancellation reasons are usually narrowed by statute.

  2. 99. What is the function of a state insurance guaranty association?

    • A. To pay covered claims of an insolvent insurer up to statutory limits, funded by assessments on solvent insurers
    • B. To guarantee that insurers pay all claims regardless of solvency
    • C. To set the rates insurers may charge
    • D. To license insurance producers
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    The guaranty association is a backstop funded by assessments on remaining insurers, paying covered claims up to statutory caps that are usually well below large commercial limits. Because coverage is capped, advertising an insurer's participation as a selling point is prohibited in most states, since it implies a guarantee the association does not provide.

  3. 100. A risk cannot be placed in the admitted market and is written by a surplus lines insurer. What does the insured give up?

    • A. Access to guaranty association protection and to rate and form filing oversight, since surplus lines insurers are not admitted in the state
    • B. The right to sue the insurer for breach of contract
    • C. The ability to purchase liability limits above a set amount
    • D. Nothing, since surplus lines insurers are regulated identically
    Show answer & explanation

    Answer: A
    Surplus lines exists to cover risks the admitted market will not take, with the trade-off that the insurer's forms and rates are not filed and the guaranty association does not stand behind it. That is why surplus lines placement requires diligent search of the admitted market and a disclosure to the insured, and why the broker must confirm the insurer is on the state's eligible list.

Showing 100 of 137 questions.

2026 statistics

Key facts: Property & Casualty Insurance exam

Questions
130
Time limit
2h 30m
Passing score
70% (varies by state)
Exam fee
$49
Governing body
State DOI

This free Property & Casualty Insurance practice test has 137 original questions written to State DOI's official content outline, last checked against it on September 6, 2026, 100 of them listed on this page and the rest loaded by the drill. Every question shows a worked explanation, and nothing here requires a signup.

The questions are grouped under eight outline areas: General Insurance Concepts, Policy Provisions, State Regulations, Property Insurance Basics, Commercial Lines, Casualty and Liability Insurance, Policy Provisions and Contract Law and State Law, Rules and Ethics.

As of 2026, the Property & Casualty Insurance exam fee is $49 (typical, varies by state).

How the Property & Casualty Insurance practice bank covers the outline

137 questions across 8 outline areas — the same areas the page's sections use.

Counts are the live question bank, grouped by the outline area each question was written to.

137 questions across eight outline areas. The largest, Commercial Lines, holds 30 questions (22%); the page's sections follow the same split.
Exam format and study resources

Printable practice exam

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Official sources

Primary documents used to verify the exam details shown on this page.

Last verified against the official exam content outline:

Frequently asked questions

Do these free Property & Casualty practice questions match the real exam?

They are written to mirror the real exam's multiple-choice style and cover the same core content areas: homeowners and dwelling forms, personal auto coverage, policy conditions, and commercial lines like the CGL and workers compensation. State exams vary in their exact outlines, so treat these as skill-builders and check your state's candidate handbook for the official topic weights.

How many practice questions should I do before taking the P&C exam?

Enough that you are consistently scoring above your state's passing threshold across full-length mixed sets, not just short topic drills. Most candidates benefit from several hundred questions spread over a few weeks, revisiting weak topics like coinsurance math and named versus open perils until they stop missing them. Quality of review matters more than raw volume.

How should I use the answer explanations on practice questions?

Read the explanation for every question, including the ones you got right, because a lucky guess is a hidden weak spot. For each miss, identify whether you misread the question, forgot a rule, or confused two similar concepts, like uninsured versus underinsured motorists coverage. Then re-attempt missed questions a few days later to confirm the fix stuck.

How do I know I'm ready to sit for the Property & Casualty exam?

You are close to ready when your practice scores are stable and comfortably above the passing mark, and misses come from careless errors rather than concept gaps. In Texas, for example, a passing score of 70% is typically required, so aim to consistently score well above that with time to spare on timed sets. If entire topics like commercial lines or policy conditions still feel shaky, keep drilling before you book.

Are these Property & Casualty practice questions really free?

Yes, the practice questions on this page are free and you can start answering immediately without creating an account. There is no signup wall, no credit card, and no limit that forces you into a paid tier to see explanations. Use them as often as you like while you prepare.

What topics do P&C practice questions test most often?

Expect heavy coverage of the homeowners policy structure with its six coverages from A through F, personal auto parts including liability, medical payments, and collision versus comprehensive, and policy conditions such as subrogation and the coinsurance formula. Commercial lines questions focus on the CGL, the businessowners policy, and workers compensation. Drilling these clusters gives you the widest score improvement per hour of study.