MilesToPass

New York Life & Health Insurance License Exam Prep

Start a free lesson → Free practice test → Course outline ↓ Free flashcards

Want the full plan? See what it includes → · Take a mock exam

18 free lessons · 623 free practice questions with explanations · ♪ podcast feed -- no account needed. See all 105 lessons in order →

Take the free mixed practice test · Life-only (17-51) practice test

New York exam facts

Questions
150 scored + 5-10 unscored
Time
2.5 hours
Passing score
70% (105 of 150)
Exam fee
$40
Testing vendor
PSI (17-55 exam)
Pre-licensing course
40-hour DFS-approved course

Verified against Life, Accident and Health Agent and Broker Licensing - Individual and TBA (New York State Department of Financial Services) and New York Department of Financial Services Insurance Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 4/28/2023) (PSI Services LLC). Reviewed by Tony. More about the exam ↓

Official New York resources

What it costs

$69 one-time · 12-month access

Free
18 lessons and 623 practice questions — no account needed.
Plan adds
87 more lessons and 2842 more practice questions, plus spoken rationales, mock exams, and progress synced across phone and web.

One-time payment, no subscription. Full refund on request within 5 days — see the terms.

About the New York 17-55 exam

License
Life, Accident and Health Agent or Broker1
Exam
New York Life, Accident, and Health Insurance Agent/Broker (Series 17-55), given by PSI4
Questions
150 scored, plus 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions4
Time
2.5 hours4
Passing score
70% (105 of the 150 scored questions)4,5
Exam fee
$404
License fee
$80 for a New York resident, or $40 if the license is issued for one year or less1
Pre-licensing course
40-hour DFS-approved course (some designations waive it)1,3
Retakes
Pay the fee again each time; you can't book a retake on the day you test4

New York won't let you sit the licensing exam cold. You first complete a pre-licensing course approved by the Department of Financial Services (DFS): at least 40 hours for the combined life, accident and health authority. A Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) or CLU Associate designation can waive the course for an agent, who then takes a shorter laws-and-regulations exam instead.1,3,4

The combined 17-55 exam is 150 scored questions in 2.5 hours, covering life insurance, annuities, accident and health insurance and New York law. Between 5 and 10 unscored experimental questions are mixed in and aren't marked, so treat every question as if it counts. PSI's outline cites New York Insurance Law and DFS regulations throughout, not only in its insurance regulation section.4

The pass mark is 70%, which is 105 correct answers on this exam. Your score is shown on screen when you finish, and if you fail, the emailed score report shows your strengths and weaknesses. You pay the $40 fee again for each attempt.4,5

To be licensed you must be at least 18, pass the exam, and apply online through NY LINX within two years of passing. A resident license costs $80. It runs until your birthday in an even or odd year, matching the year you were born, so it lasts up to two years. To sell as an agent you also need an insurer's appointment, which must be filed within 15 days of signing the agency contract or sending in your first application.1,2,4

Our lessons and questions follow PSI's published content outline, section by section. The rules above belong to DFS and PSI, not to us, and fees and outlines do change, so check the official pages below before you book.4

Official sources

  1. New York State Department of Financial Services: Life, Accident and Health Agent and Broker Licensing - Individual and TBA
  2. New York State Department of Financial Services: Insurance Agent and Broker License Application - Individual or TBA
  3. New York State Department of Financial Services: Agent and Broker Prelicensing Education
  4. PSI Services LLC: New York Department of Financial Services Insurance Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 4/28/2023)
  5. New York State Department of Financial Services: Annual Report on Insurance Agent Licensing Examinations, year ending December 31, 2025

Checked against these sources as of .

Course outline

105 lessons in 18 modules, in study order. Tap a module to show its lessons.

Module 1 · 8 lessons

Insurance regulation

Includes a free lesson: New York producer licensing: process, definitions, and license types (Ins. Law 2101-2109, 2136)
Module 2 · 6 lessons

General insurance

Includes a free lesson: Risk, exposure, hazard, peril, and loss, and the methods of handling risk
Module 3 · 14 lessons

Life insurance basics

Includes a free lesson: Underwriting: insurable interest, medical information, and risk classification
Module 4 · 8 lessons

Life insurance policies

Includes a free lesson: Term life insurance types
Module 5 · 11 lessons

Life insurance policy provisions, options, and riders

Includes a free lesson: Core contract provisions: entire contract, insuring clause, free look, consideration, owner's rights
Module 6 · 6 lessons

Annuities

Includes a free lesson: The annuity principle
Module 7 · 1 lesson

Federal tax considerations for life insurance and annuities

Includes a free lesson: Tax treatment of life insurance premiums, proceeds, and MECs
Module 8 · 1 lesson

Qualified plans

Includes a free lesson: Qualified and nonqualified retirement plans
Module 9 · 3 lessons

Life settlements

Includes a free lesson: Life settlements
Module 10 · 8 lessons

Accident and health insurance basics

Includes a free lesson: Accident and health basics: perils, types of losses and benefits, classes of coverage, and common exclusions
Module 11 · 4 lessons

Individual health insurance policy general provisions

Includes a free lesson: Mandatory provisions I: entire contract, incontestability, grace period, reinstatement
Module 12 · 7 lessons

Disability income and related insurance

Includes a free lesson: Disability classifications: total, partial, recurrent, and residual
Module 13 · 6 lessons

Medical plans

Includes a free lesson: Basic and major medical expense insurance
Module 14 · 3 lessons

Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Includes a free lesson: ACA market reforms: preexisting conditions, annual and lifetime limits, essential health benefits, and medical loss ratio
Module 15 · 4 lessons

Long-term care insurance

Includes a free lesson: Individual and group long-term care insurance
Module 16 · 5 lessons

Group health and blanket insurance

Includes a free lesson: Group health insurance and COBRA
Module 17 · 7 lessons

Government insurance plans

Includes a free lesson: Workers' compensation
Module 18 · 3 lessons

Private insurance for senior citizens and special needs individuals

Includes a free lesson: Medicare supplement policies