Colorado Life & Health Insurance License Exam Guide (2026)
Colorado requires pre-licensing education before you may sit for the exam. Each line is a separate exam: Life Insurance — 80 scored questions plus 10 unscored, in 120 minutes, passing Scaled score (value not published), fee $41; Accident & Health — 80 scored questions plus 11 unscored, in 120 minutes, passing Scaled score (value not published), fee $41. Verified 2026-09-02 against official Colorado sources.
Colorado’s exams are delivered by Pearson VUE. Two features stand out: Colorado has one of the heaviest pre-licensing education loads in the country (50 hours per line), but one of the cheapest exam structures — a single $41 session can cover both Life and A&H papers.
Colorado L&H exam facts at a glance
Last verified:
- Pearson VUE
- Exam provider
- Life Insurance (Life-Only)
- Exam line
- 80
- Scored questions
- 120 min
- Time limit
- Scaled score (value not published)
- Passing score
- $41
- Exam fee
- 50h per line — heaviest in the top 16
- Pre-licensing education
- 69.2%
- 2024 first-attempt pass rate
Verified against official sources as of · primary source. Question formats and fees change — always confirm details in the current official candidate handbook (linked below) before scheduling.
Exam format, question counts and fees
| Exam | Scored | Unscored (pretest) | Time limit | Passing score | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life Insurance (Life-Only) | 80 | 10 unscored | 120 min | Scaled score (value not published) | $41 |
| Accident & Health | 80 | 11 unscored | 120 min | Scaled score (value not published) | $41 |
Unscored pretest questions are mixed in with scored questions and are not identified. Where a state reports a scaled score, the passing value is not a percentage of questions answered correctly.
What the official 2024 pass-rate data says
In 2024, the first-attempt pass rate for Colorado insurance exams (all lines) was 69.2%.
Nationwide, the overall first-attempt pass rate for state insurance licensing exams was 59.4% in 2024 (all lines).
Pre-licensing education in Colorado
Colorado requires 50 hours of approved pre-licensing education per major line (Colorado Insurance Regulation 1-2-5), including 3 hours of ethics, 3 hours of general Colorado insurance law, and 4 hours of line-specific Colorado law. The ethics module is taken once even if you pursue multiple lines. Course completion certificates are valid for one year.
If you fail: retake rules
Retake rules follow the Pearson VUE Colorado handbook; failed candidates register for a new session at the standard fee.
Total cost to get licensed
- Exam fee: $41 per session — and one session can cover two exams, effectively halving the per-line cost
- License application: $44 per line of authority
- No fingerprint requirement
Common outdated figures for the Colorado exam — corrected
Third-party prep sites frequently publish the values below. Each is contradicted by the current official document; the corrected figure is shown alongside it.
- Outdated claim: “$59/$72 exam fee” and “40 hours of education”
- Correct value (official, verified 2026-09-02): The current Pearson VUE handbook (2026-04) lists $41 per session, and Colorado regulation requires 50 hours per line — not 40.
Every figure on this page is drawn from the current official candidate handbook, content outline or state statute, with sources listed at the bottom. If a prep site disagrees with the official document, the official document wins.
Practice the national core — free
Roughly 70–80% of every state’s L&H exam is national content: policy types, contract law, annuities, tax treatment, Medicare, PPACA, LTC. Our national core question bank covers exactly that layer — 2,180 questions, every one free with a 3-part explanation, no account required. Colorado state-law drills are live too — 450 state-specific questions, every one free with the full explanation.
Try a national-core question right now
Free forever — click a question, answer it, and read the full 3-part explanation.
- For federal estate tax purposes, the death proceeds of a life insurance policy are included in th…Answer free →Beneficiaries·Difficulty 3/5·National content
- When life insurance proceeds are paid to the insured's estate rather than a named beneficiary, th…Answer free →Beneficiaries·Difficulty 2/5·National content
- Under a group life insurance plan, the beneficiary of a covered employee's death benefit is typic…Answer free →Beneficiaries·Difficulty 1/5·National content
National-core practice domains
The nationally reusable layer of the Colorado exam — organized by official content domain.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Colorado life and health insurance exam?
Scored question counts by exam: Life Insurance (Life-Only) — 80 scored questions (plus 10 unscored); Accident & Health — 80 scored questions (plus 11 unscored). Unscored pretest questions may be mixed in and are not identified.
How long is the Colorado insurance licensing exam?
Time limits by exam: Life Insurance (Life-Only) — 120 minutes; Accident & Health — 120 minutes.
What score do you need to pass the Colorado exam?
Passing scores by exam: Life Insurance (Life-Only) — Scaled score (value not published); Accident & Health — Scaled score (value not published). Note that a scaled score is not a percentage of questions answered correctly.
How much does the Colorado insurance exam cost?
Current exam fees: Life Insurance (Life-Only) — $41; Accident & Health — $41. Fees are paid at registration and are generally non-refundable.
Does Colorado require pre-licensing education for a life & health license?
Yes — 50h per line — heaviest in the top 16. See the pre-licensing education section above for the current statutory requirement.
What happens if I fail the Colorado insurance exam?
Retake rules follow the Pearson VUE Colorado handbook; failed candidates register for a new session at the standard fee. See the retake section above for the full policy.
The optional $59 Exam Engine (one-time) adds unlimited randomized practice, full exam simulations, timed quizzes and a wrong-answer book around the national core plus Colorado state law.
Official sources for this page
- https://www.pearsonvue.com/content/dam/VUE/vue/en/documents/publications/120600.pdf
- https://www.pearsonvue.com/content/dam/VUE/vue/en/documents/publications/120606.pdf
- https://doi.colorado.gov/sites/doi/files/documents/Regulation-1-2-05-Insurance-Producer-Prelicensing-Education-Requirements-For-Residents.pdf
- https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/co/insurance.html
- https://nipr.com/licensing-center/state-requirements/colorado-resident-licensing-individual
This page is maintained by PassSprint. Data current as of 2026-09-02; report discrepancies to us and we will re-verify against the official document.
L&H exam guides by state
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