Virginia Property and Casualty Exam: What's on It and How to Master Every Section

The Virginia Property and Casualty licensing exam — Series 11-03 — has 135 scored questions across 10 national content sections and a 35-question Virginia state law section, delivered in 135 minutes. The split scoring rule applies here as well: you must score 70% or higher on both sections independently. With a first-time pass rate around 74%, more than one in four candidates fails on their first attempt — almost always due to insufficient preparation in one or both sections. This post maps the full content of the P&C exam and tells you exactly where to focus to avoid joining that quarter.

National Content Section: 100 Scored Questions

Prometric's Series 11-03 content outline covers the following national sections:

Insurance Regulation (~6% — ~6 questions)

The foundational regulatory framework for insurance in the United States. Types of insurers (stock, mutual, reciprocal, Lloyd's). Reinsurance concepts. How insurance is regulated at the state level. The role of the NAIC. The concept of admitted vs. non-admitted carriers. Insurable interest and the principle of indemnity. The law of large numbers and risk pooling. These questions test conceptual understanding — you need to explain why insurance works, not just what products exist.

General Insurance Concepts (~6% — ~6 questions)

Policy structure: declarations, insuring agreement, conditions, exclusions. The concept of insurable interest at inception vs. at time of loss (property vs. life distinction). Subrogation. Coinsurance and pro-rata calculation. The principle of indemnity applied to property insurance. Multiple coverage situations and how primary/excess relationships work.

Property and Casualty Basics (~10% — ~10 questions)

Property insurance fundamentals: replacement cost vs. actual cash value, coinsurance requirements, the 80% coinsurance rule and how it affects claim settlements. Named perils vs. open perils (all-risk) policy forms. Direct loss vs. indirect (consequential) loss. Basic perils covered under standard property forms.

Dwelling Policy (~8% — ~8 questions)

The DP-1, DP-2, and DP-3 forms and their perils coverage levels. Coverage for the dwelling structure, other structures, personal property, and fair rental value/additional living expenses. Who uses dwelling policies (non-owner-occupied residential property, older homes, investment properties). The distinction between DP and HO policy applicability.

Homeowners Policy (~15% — ~15 questions)

The most heavily tested single section of the national P&C content. HO-1 through HO-8 form types, with HO-3 (special form) and HO-6 (condo unitowners) most heavily tested. Section I (property coverage): Coverage A (dwelling), B (other structures), C (personal property), D (loss of use). Section II (liability coverage): Coverage E (personal liability) and F (medical payments to others). Common exclusions: flood, earthquake, intentional acts. Standard deductible structures. Replacement cost vs. ACV for personal property. Endorsements: scheduled personal property, inflation guard, earthquake, home business rider.

Auto Insurance (~15% — ~15 questions)

The second most heavily tested section. Personal Auto Policy (PAP) structure: Part A (liability), Part B (medical payments/PIP), Part C (UM/UIM), Part D (physical damage — collision and comprehensive). Policy declarations and covered vehicles definition. Omnibus clause (who is an insured). Exclusions. High-risk driver designation. Commercial auto vs. personal auto. The Virginia-specific auto law content appears in the state law section, but the PAP structure is tested in the national section.

Commercial Package Policy (CPP) (~10% — ~10 questions)

The modular commercial lines policy system. Common policy conditions (CPP declarations, common conditions, and individual coverage parts). Commercial property coverage part: building and personal property form (BPP), business income form, causes of loss forms (basic, broad, special). Commercial general liability (CGL): occurrence vs. claims-made forms, coverage A (BI/PD liability), coverage B (personal and advertising injury), coverage C (medical payments). Products-completed operations. Additional insured endorsements.

Businessowners Policy (BOP) (~8% — ~8 questions)

The packaged small-business policy combining property and liability. Eligibility requirements (size and revenue limitations for BOP-eligible businesses). Standard coverages vs. CPP differences. BOP property coverage structure. BOP liability coverage. Common BOP endorsements: data breach, professional liability add-ons, hired and non-owned auto.

Workers' Compensation (~10% — ~10 questions)

The no-fault employer liability system. Four benefits types: medical benefits, disability income (temporary total, temporary partial, permanent total, permanent partial), rehabilitation, death benefits. Experience modification factors. The workers' comp insurance market structure: voluntary market, assigned risk plans, state funds (Virginia has a competitive private market, no exclusive state fund — but this is tested in the state law section). The exclusive remedy doctrine and its exceptions.

Other Coverages (~12% — ~12 questions)

Inland marine (floaters, scheduled articles, commercial inland marine). Ocean marine. Surplus lines/non-admitted market. Crime insurance (employee dishonesty, robbery, burglary). Directors and officers (D&O). Professional liability (E&O). Umbrella and excess liability policies — how they layer over primary policies, drop-down coverage concept.

Virginia State Law Section: 35 Scored Questions

The 35 Virginia state law questions are broken down approximately as: 23 questions on Virginia-specific P&C law, 14 on common statutes and regulations, and 8 on licensing and producer regulation. Key topics:

Virginia Auto Insurance Law (~10 questions)

The most heavily tested state law topic for P&C. Must-know facts:

Minimum liability: 50/100/25 (effective January 1, 2025 — up from 30/60/20)

Insurance mandatory as of July 1, 2024 (the $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee option was eliminated)

UM/UIM stacking effective July 1, 2023 under Va. Code § 38.2-2206 — UIM adds on top of at-fault driver's liability rather than being offset

FR-44 for DUI convictions: 100/200/50 (double standard minimums), required for 3 years

SR-22 for certain violations

Virginia is an at-fault state with pure contributory negligence — plaintiff barred from recovery if even 1% at fault

Virginia P&C Insurance Law (~8 questions)

Virginia property insurance statutes. Homeowners insurance requirements and prohibited practices. Cancellation and nonrenewal notice requirements. The Virginia FAIR Plan (insurer of last resort). Flood insurance provisions and NFIP requirements. Virginia's rules on coastal and windstorm coverage.

Workers' Compensation in Virginia (~5 questions)

Virginia uses a competitive private workers' comp market — there is no exclusive state fund. Over 400 carriers authorized to write workers' comp. Coverage mandatory for any employer with 3+ employees in most industries. Benefits structure under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act. Penalty for non-compliance: up to $5,000 per 10-day period of non-coverage.

Producer Licensing and Conduct (~8 questions)

Virginia licensing requirements for P&C producers. Appointment requirements. Unfair trade practices under Virginia law. Required disclosures. Grounds for license suspension or revocation. Reporting obligations.

Common Statutes and Regulations (~4 questions)

Virginia Insurance Fraud Act provisions. Market conduct examination authority. Insurance guaranty association protections. Rate-filing requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many P&C exam questions involve homeowners and auto insurance?

Combined, homeowners (15%) and auto (15%) account for approximately 30 questions of the 100-question national section — the single largest content concentration. Add the approximately 10 Virginia auto law questions in the state section, and auto insurance alone accounts for roughly 25 questions across both sections. Candidates who master HO policy forms, the Personal Auto Policy structure, and Virginia's auto insurance laws have a strong foundation for passing the exam. Do not underestimate commercial lines, however — CPP, BOP, and CGL together account for approximately 18 national questions that many candidates under-prepare.

What is pure contributory negligence and why does it matter for the Virginia P&C exam?

Virginia is one of only four states (along with Alabama, Maryland, and North Carolina) that applies the doctrine of pure contributory negligence in civil liability cases. Under this doctrine, if a plaintiff is found even 1% at fault for an accident, they are completely barred from recovering any damages from the defendant. This is dramatically different from the comparative negligence system used in most states, where fault is apportioned and damages are reduced proportionally. For P&C producers in Virginia, this doctrine affects how auto liability claims, premises liability claims, and general liability claims are defended and settled. It also affects the value of adequate liability coverage — since a Virginia defendant who is entirely at fault cannot hide behind the plaintiff's partial fault to reduce damages. The P&C state law section tests awareness of this doctrine as one of Virginia's defining liability characteristics.

Does the Virginia P&C exam test commercial umbrella and excess liability?

Yes — umbrella and excess liability appear in the "Other Coverages" national section, typically at approximately 12% of national content. The exam tests how umbrella policies layer over primary liability policies, the concept of "drop-down" coverage when primary policy limits are exhausted or a claim falls within the umbrella's retained limit (SIR — self-insured retention), and the difference between a true umbrella (which provides broader coverage than the underlying policy) versus an excess policy (which simply extends the limits of the underlying form). Personal umbrella policies are also tested in the context of homeowners coverage — the standard $300,000 liability limit on an HO policy and how umbrella policies provide additional coverage above that threshold.

How is workers' compensation tested on the Virginia P&C exam, and what is unique about Virginia's system?

Workers' compensation appears in both the national section (~10 questions, covering no-fault system mechanics, benefit types, experience modification, and the exclusive remedy doctrine) and the Virginia state law section (~5 questions, covering Virginia-specific rules). The key Virginia distinction: Virginia uses a competitive private workers' compensation market without an exclusive state fund. Over 400 carriers are authorized to write workers' comp in Virginia. Employers with 3 or more employees in most industries must carry coverage. The penalty for non-compliance is severe: up to $5,000 for each 10-day period without required coverage, plus personal officer liability. The Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission (not the Bureau of Insurance) administers claims disputes. These Virginia-specific facts are directly tested in the state law section.

What is the best way to tackle the 135-minute time limit on the Virginia P&C exam?

The 135-minute time limit for 145 total questions (including 10 unscored pretest questions) gives you slightly under 56 seconds per question on average. Most candidates find this is ample time — the exam is not primarily a speed test. A practical strategy: answer questions in order without stopping to review marked ones. Mark any question you are uncertain about and continue. After completing all questions, return to marked questions and reconsider. Do not spend more than 90 seconds on any single question — make your best answer, mark it, and move on. Most candidates finish with 15–25 minutes to spare. The two sections are delivered as one integrated exam (national and state questions are mixed together, not separated by section), so you cannot allocate time separately to each — just maintain a consistent pace throughout.

The Virginia P&C exam rewards systematic preparation across all 10 national content sections and deep preparation on Virginia's auto insurance law changes. Both sections must pass independently — and both are achievable with the right preparation.

Visit JustInsurance to enroll today and study the Series 11-03 exam with a Virginia-approved course that covers every section in the current Prometric content outline.