Study Plan for the Indiana Insurance License Exam

Indiana's exam study plan is shaped by several structural facts: 20-hour PLE provides the content foundation but the 6-month clock creates urgency to complete the exam promptly after PLE. The combined exam saves $69 and a sitting for candidates pursuing both lines simultaneously. The 48-hour retake wait (more generous than a 4-day wait but requiring deliberate post-PLE review time) creates the rhythm for retake planning. And the state section — Healthcare.gov, HIP 2.0 POWER accounts, Annuity Best Interest, 51% comparative fault, ICRB — is where underprepared candidates most commonly underperform. Here's a study plan calibrated to Indiana's actual exam.

How Long to Study

Single line (Life, A&H, Property, or Casualty) after 20-hour PLE:

Exam-focused prep: 1-2 weeks (1-2 hours/day)

Target 78%+ consistently on practice exams before scheduling

Combined L&H or P&C after 40-hour PLE:

Exam-focused prep: 2-3 weeks

Cover both lines' content

Phase 1: PLE Completion (Concurrent Content Foundation)

Engage seriously with Indiana PLE — the 20-hour content maps directly to Pearson VUE exam questions. The PLE certification exam (70% threshold with disinterested proctor) is a quality checkpoint; scoring 85%+ signals solid preparation.

Start the 6-month clock intentionally: Once the Certificate of Completion is issued, schedule the Pearson VUE exam promptly — don't let weeks slip before scheduling.

Phase 2: Indiana State Law Focus (Week 2)

Priority 1 — IDOI and IC 27-1-15.6 (all exams; ~10-12 questions):

IDOI: Commissioner Amy L. Beard; 311 W. Washington Street, Suite 103, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2787; 317-232-2389; [email protected]; in.gov/idoi

PLE: 20 hours; 6-month validity; bring Certificate to exam; 70% PLE exam; $4 roster

Pearson VUE: $69; 70%; 48-hr retake; 1 OnVUE; Ivy Tech/PVue/military; bring Certificate + ID

Gemalto fingerprinting: ~$47.35

Application: $40 + $5.60 NIPR; 5-7 days; 6-month apply window

Designation exemptions: CLU, CFP, CFC, CPCU, CIC, AAI; bachelor's in insurance; email IDOI; exam still required

180-day temp license

Renewal: 2 years; last day birth month; $40; late $160

CE: 24 hours (3 Ethics); professional org up to 2 hours (IC 27-1-15.7-2.4)

Unfair practices: misrepresentation, twisting, churning, rebating, defamation, unfair discrimination, unfair claims settlement

Priority 2 — Life/A&H Indiana specifics:

Annuity Best Interest (760 IAC 1-72-4.5; July 1, 2024): 4-hour one-time; life line holders before selling annuities; within 6 months of July 1, 2024 or obtaining life line

Healthcare.gov — Indiana's ACA exchange; NOT state-based

HIP 2.0 (Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0): Medicaid expansion; adults to 138% FPL; POWER accounts; HIP Plus (contributors; better benefits) vs. HIP Basic (non-contributors; limited benefits)

No Indiana individual mandate

Priority 2 — P&C Indiana specifics:

25/50/25 auto minimums — at-fault state

Modified comparative fault (IC 34-51-2): 51% bar — >50% at fault = no recovery; ≤50% = reduced by fault %

UM/UIM: Automatically included; can reject in writing; UM 25/50; UIM $50k/person

No PIP requirement

Diminished value: Indiana allows claims; 6-year SOL

INAIP: Indiana Auto Insurance Plan = assigned risk pool

Workers' comp (IC 22-3-2-2): 1+ employee; ICRB (not NCCI); 4th lowest rates nationally; exclusive remedy IC 22-3-2-6; non-compliance: Class A infraction, $100/day, misdemeanor

Indiana State Law Quick Reference — Numbers to Memorize

Common Study Mistakes for IN Exams

Assuming Healthcare.gov is common to all states. Indiana uses Healthcare.gov — but many candidates from states with state-based exchanges (NJ, MN, MD, CO) may assume other states have exchanges too. Indiana uses the federal marketplace. On the exam, the correct answer for Indiana's ACA marketplace is Healthcare.gov.

Missing HIP 2.0's POWER account structure. Standard Medicaid expansion content doesn't cover POWER accounts. Indiana's HIP Plus/Basic distinction based on member contributions is specifically Indiana and specifically tested.

Underestimating the 51% bar rule. Many candidates know "modified comparative fault" in the abstract but don't know Indiana's specific 51% threshold. Memorize: Indiana's bar is at >50% — if plaintiff is 51% or more at fault, no recovery.

Forgetting that UM/UIM is auto-included (not mandatory). Indiana automatically includes UM/UIM in every policy — but it CAN be rejected in writing. This is different from Maryland (UM cannot be waived) and different from states where UM is entirely optional. On exam questions about Indiana UM: automatically included in all policies unless rejected in writing.

Not knowing the July 1, 2024 Annuity Best Interest rule. This recent IDOI rule (760 IAC 1-72-4.5) requiring 4-hour one-time training before selling annuities is a testable current regulatory development. Know the effective date (July 1, 2024) and the requirement (4-hour one-time; within 6 months of rule date or obtaining life line).

Ignoring the ICRB. Generic study materials use "NCCI" for workers' comp rating administration. Indiana uses ICRB. On IN exam questions about workers' comp rating, the correct answer is ICRB.

Scheduling before 78%+ practice performance. 70% is passing, but the equating system means the actual number of correct answers required varies. Aim for 78%+ consistently — this provides buffer for the state section gap and any form difficulty variation.

Exam Day for Indiana

In-person (Pearson VUE or Ivy Tech):

Arrive 30 minutes early

Two items to bring: (1) Government-issued photo ID; (2) PLE Certificate of Completion

No personal items in testing room

Score report provided immediately

Remote (OnVUE) — 1 attempt only:

Run compatibility check at home.pearsonvue.com/in/insurance/onvue first

Log in 30 minutes early

Private room; quiet environment

Spanish not available via OnVUE

5 Frequently Asked Questions

• How long to study for Indiana after completing PLE? 1-2 weeks for individual single-line exams; 2-3 weeks for combined. Indiana's state section (HIP 2.0, Healthcare.gov, Annuity Best Interest, ICRB, 51% comparative fault) requires specific targeted study beyond PLE content.
• Should I take the combined LA&H or separate Life and A&H exams? Combined LA&H (150 questions, 180 min, $69) covers both lines at the same price as one individual exam — saves $69 and one exam sitting. For candidates pursuing both Life and Health lines, the combined exam is almost always the better choice. Only candidates who want to stagger their preparation should take separate exams.
• What is the #1 Indiana-specific state law topic to master? For L&H: HIP 2.0's POWER account structure (HIP Plus for contributors; HIP Basic for non-contributors) — this is uniquely Indiana and the most likely state section topic to catch candidates who studied only national content. For P&C: the 51% modified comparative fault bar — know the specific threshold and how it differs from contributory negligence and MN/CO's 50% bar.
• Does the Annuity Best Interest training (July 1, 2024) affect exam questions? Yes — recent regulatory changes are commonly tested on state licensing exams. The IDOI's July 1, 2024 Annuity Best Interest rule (760 IAC 1-72-4.5) requiring 4-hour one-time training for life producers before selling annuities is a testable current development. Know the rule number, effective date, and requirement.
• How many Indiana-specific questions should I expect on the Life exam? Approximately 20-25 of the ~95-100 questions on the Life exam are Indiana state section questions — approximately 20-25%. This is the margin that distinguishes first-attempt passes from fails for well-prepared national content students. Target at least 85%+ on Indiana state law practice questions specifically.

Build Your Indiana Study Plan Right

Indiana's state section has genuinely distinctive content — HIP 2.0, ICRB, Annuity Best Interest — that rewards specific Indiana preparation. JustInsurance's IDOI-approved Indiana courses cover the full Pearson VUE content outline with Indiana state law depth.

Enroll today and prepare for the Indiana exam efficiently.