Study Plan for the Maryland Insurance License Exam

Maryland's exam study plan is entirely self-directed since PLE was eliminated in October 2024 — no mandated course hours, no required course sequence, no PLE certification exam checkpoint. This creates maximum flexibility but also maximum risk: candidates who underestimate the state section content (approximately 20 interleaved state questions on each exam) and study only national content miss the Maryland-specific provisions that determine pass/fail on the margin. The 6-month score validity creates a clear imperative to apply promptly after passing. And the 4-day retake wait allows quick recovery if a first attempt misses. Here's a study plan calibrated to Maryland's actual exam.

How Long to Study

Single line (Life, A&H, Property, or Casualty):

Recommended study: 2-3 weeks (1-2 hours/day)

Practice exam target: 78%+ consistently before scheduling

Combined L&H or P&C:

Recommended study: 3-4 weeks (1-2 hours/day)

Cover both lines' content

Phase 1: National Content Foundation (Week 1)

For Life/A&H:

Life insurance product types; policy provisions; annuities; tax treatment; qualified plans

Health insurance plan structures (HMO, PPO); Medicare A/B/C/D; Medicare Supplement

Disability income; LTC provisions; ACA provisions; COBRA; HIPAA

Group insurance; dental; senior/special needs coverage

For P&C:

Homeowners (HO-3, HO-5, HO-8); dwelling; personal property

Personal auto (liability, UM/UIM, collision, comprehensive, MedPay/PIP)

Commercial package policy (CPP); BOP; general liability

Workers' compensation concepts; NFIP flood

Daily target: 30-50 practice questions with full answer review.

Phase 2: Maryland State Law (Week 2)

Priority 1 — MIA and licensing (all exams):

MIA: dedicated insurance regulator; Commissioner authority; Maryland Insurance Article

PLE eliminated October 1, 2024 (Bulletin 24-19) — testable as recent regulatory change

Prometric exam: $60; 70%; 6-month validity; 4-day retake wait; ProProctor option

No fingerprinting; ITIN accepted; $54 NIPR application; 7-10 business days

15-month temporary Life license

Renewal: 2 years; last day birth month; $69; 90-day window; 1-year late renewal ($169)

CE: 24 hours (3 Ethics; NFIP Flood 2 hours; LTC training; annuity training); no carryover

Appointment reporting: NOT required except terminations for cause

Civil penalties: up to $5,000/violation (increased Oct 1, 2024)

Priority 2 — Unfair practices:

Maryland Insurance Article Title 27: misrepresentation, twisting, churning, rebating, defamation, unfair discrimination, unfair claims settlement

Priority 3 — Life/A&H-specific Maryland law:

Maryland Health Connection — state exchange; Maryland Health Benefit Exchange; NOT Healthcare.gov

Maryland Medicaid (expanded) — 138% FPL

No MD individual mandate — no state tax penalty

LTC tax credit — Maryland state income tax credit for LTC premiums

Maryland required health benefits mandates (Md. Code, Insurance § 15-300 et seq.)

Annuity training requirement before selling annuities

15-month temporary Life license

Priority 3 — P&C-specific Maryland law:

30/60/15 auto minimums — at-fault state

Contributory negligence — any fault = zero recovery; same as Virginia

UM required at 30/60/15; cannot be waived

EUIM (Md. Ins. § 19-509.1) — stacks on top of at-fault liability; opt out required

PIP: $2,500; can be waived in writing

Credit history: prohibited in auto underwriting (Md. Ins. § 27-501); prohibited all uses in homeowners (COMAR 31.15.11.04)

MAIF = assigned risk pool

Workers' comp: 1+ employee; Chesapeake Employers Insurance; $25,000 penalty; NCCI state

Satellite/aerial imagery restrictions (Bulletin 25-10, June 2025)

Maryland State Law Quick Reference — Numbers to Memorize

Common Study Mistakes for MD Exams

Ignoring the October 2024 PLE elimination. This is a current, testable regulatory change. Questions about Maryland's current licensing requirements have a specific answer: no PLE required as of October 1, 2024.

Forgetting the contributory negligence standard. Maryland and Virginia both use contributory negligence — any fault = zero recovery. On MD P&C exam scenarios involving a partially-at-fault plaintiff, the Maryland answer is always "cannot recover from the defendant." This is tested repeatedly.

Missing the UM/UIM nuances. MD UM cannot be waived (unlike most states where UM can be rejected in writing); EUIM adds to (not offsets) at-fault liability; PIP can be waived in writing.

Confusing Maryland Health Connection with Healthcare.gov. Maryland has its own state exchange. Virginia uses Healthcare.gov. On MD A&H exam questions about the Maryland ACA marketplace, the answer is Maryland Health Connection.

Not knowing the LTC tax credit. This is specifically in the MD exam content outline (A&H state section: "LTC Tax Credits — 1 item"). Maryland's state income tax credit for LTC premiums is a specifically Maryland advisory and exam topic.

Scheduling before 78%+ on practice exams. 70% is passing, but aim for 78%+ consistently. The 20 interleaved state questions can drop a 72% practice score to a 68% actual score if Maryland-specific knowledge gaps exist.

Exam Day for Maryland

In-person (Prometric test center):

Arrive 30 minutes early

Two government-issued IDs (one with photo + signature)

No personal items in testing room — bags, wallets, cell phones all outside

No breaks during exam

Remote (ProProctor):

Log in 15 minutes early

Private room; two IDs ready for proctor

Corded headphones only; no bluetooth

Desk clear of all objects

Exam strategy:

Questions are interleaved — answer every question on first pass; flag uncertain ones

Maryland state law questions don't cluster at the end — they're throughout

For P&C Maryland scenarios: always determine fault allocation first before applying contributory negligence

For A&H Maryland scenarios: Maryland Health Connection vs. Healthcare.gov distinction matters

5 Frequently Asked Questions

• How long should I study for Maryland's exam since PLE was eliminated? 2-3 weeks for individual single-line exams; 3-4 weeks for combined L&H or P&C. The PLE elimination removes a mandatory foundation but doesn't change the exam content — the Prometric exam tests the same material that was previously covered by PLE. More self-directed study upfront means less re-study after a failed attempt.
• What are the top 3 Maryland state law topics to master? For L&H: (1) Maryland Health Connection (state exchange, NOT Healthcare.gov; 255,612 enrolled for 2026); (2) LTC tax credit (Maryland state income tax credit for LTC premiums — specifically in content outline); (3) producer licensing update (no PLE; $54 NIPR; no fingerprinting; 6-month score validity). For P&C: (1) contributory negligence (any fault = zero recovery); (2) UM cannot be waived; EUIM stacks; PIP can be waived; (3) credit history prohibition in auto underwriting.
• How many practice questions should I complete? 300-400 per exam. At least 20-25% should specifically target Maryland state law content, matching the ~25% state section weight on the 80-question individual exams.
• Can I pass the Maryland exam without a prep course? Technically yes — no course is required. However, without a structured preparation that covers Maryland Insurance Article provisions, MIA structure, Bulletin 24-19 changes, Health Connection, contributory negligence, EUIM, and the credit prohibition, the interleaved state questions will disproportionately reduce your score. Study preparation is optional by law but practically essential.
• How quickly should I apply after passing? Same day or next business day — there's no reason to wait. No fingerprinting appointment to schedule, no vendor processing. Submit the NIPR application promptly after passing; the 6-month score validity is generous but there's no benefit to delaying. Apply within 2 weeks of passing and your license will be active within 4 weeks of your exam date.

Build Your Maryland Study Plan Right

Maryland's self-directed study environment post-PLE elimination rewards candidates who prepare specifically. JustInsurance's MIA-approved Maryland courses cover the full Prometric content outline with Maryland state law depth.

Enroll today and prepare for the Maryland exam with genuine state-specific preparation.