- The combined exam has 150 questions, 3 hours, and a 60% passing score.
- Total cost per attempt is $98 ($55 state fee plus $43 PSI convenience fee).
- Domains 1-3 (Life) and Domains 4-8 (Accident and Health) each carry 75 questions.
- Life Insurance (32.5%) and Medical Expense Insurance (30%) are the two heaviest domains.
Quick-Reference Fact Table
Before you dive into domain content, print or bookmark this table. It's the fastest way to confirm the mechanics of the California Life, Accident & Health or Sickness Insurance Exam (CA-LAHS) without digging through regulatory PDFs. For a deeper narrative version of these numbers, see the CA-LAHS Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown and CA-LAHS Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass articles.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Administered by | California Department of Insurance, delivered via PSI |
| Format | 150 multiple-choice questions, combined Life + Accident and Health test |
| Time allowed | 3 hours |
| Passing score | 60% |
| Delivery options | Test-center or remote online-proctored |
| State exam fee | $55 |
| PSI convenience fee | $43 |
| Total cost per attempt | $98 |
| First-attempt pass rate (Jan-June 2026, English) | 59% |
| Repeat-attempt pass rate (Jan-June 2026, English) | 41% |
| License filing/renewal fee | $188 |
| CE requirement per 2-year term | 24 hours, including 3 hours ethics (1 hour fraud) |
The 8 Domains at a Glance
The CA-LAHS exam is really two 75-question halves stitched into one 150-question session. Domains 1-3 make up the Life component; Domains 4-8 make up the Accident and Health or Sickness component. Together they're weighted evenly, so half your study time should live on each side of the exam. For the full walkthrough of subtopics and question phrasing inside each domain, see the CA-LAHS Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 8 Content Areas.
Domain 1: General Insurance
Covers foundational insurance principles, contract law basics, and regulatory concepts that apply across both the Life and Accident and Health components.
- Insurable interest, indemnity, and legal contract elements
Domain 2: Life Insurance
The single largest domain on the entire combined exam at 32.5% weight. Expect heavy coverage of policy types, underwriting, and beneficiary provisions.
- Term, whole, universal, and variable life structures
- Underwriting classifications and premium factors
Domain 3: Life Policy Riders
Focuses on optional policy add-ons that modify base life coverage.
- Waiver of premium, accelerated death benefit, and guaranteed insurability riders
Domain 4: General Insurance
Mirrors Domain 1's foundational concepts but applied through the lens of the Accident and Health or Sickness component.
- Policy provisions common to health-related contracts
Domain 5: General Concepts of Medical and Disability Insurance
Bridges basic terminology into the specific mechanics tested in Domains 6-8.
- Coinsurance, deductibles, and coordination of benefits
Domain 6: Medical Expense Insurance
The second-largest domain at 30% weight, second only to Life Insurance. This is a must-master area.
- Group and individual health plan structures
- Managed care concepts and plan types
Domain 7: Disability Income Insurance
Tests understanding of income-replacement coverage during periods of disability.
- Elimination periods, benefit periods, and definitions of disability
Domain 8: Long-Term Care Insurance
Covers policies designed for extended custodial or skilled care needs.
- Benefit triggers, inflation protection, and partnership policies
Key Takeaway
Since Life Insurance and Medical Expense Insurance together account for the two heaviest domain weights, candidates who feel shaky on either should prioritize review sessions there before touching lighter domains like riders or general insurance.
Registration, Delivery, and Fees
Registration runs through PSI on behalf of the California Department of Insurance. Every candidate chooses between an in-person test center or a remote online-proctored session - both options carry the same $98 total cost ($55 state exam fee plus $43 PSI convenience fee), and both use the identical 150-question, 3-hour format with a 60% passing threshold.
Because that fee applies per attempt, not per registration window, a failed exam means paying the full $98 again to retake it. That's one reason the repeat-attempt pass rate trails the first-attempt rate - candidates who don't diagnose their weak domains before retesting tend to repeat the same mistakes. For a structured retake strategy, review the CA-LAHS Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Scoring and Pass Rate Snapshot
The exam requires a 60% score across the combined 150 questions to pass - there's no separate cutoff for the Life half versus the Accident and Health half based on the published scoring rule. For the January through June 2026 window, the English-language first-attempt pass rate was 59%, while candidates retesting after a failed attempt passed at a 41% rate.
For the complete data breakdown and how these numbers compare across question types, see the CA-LAHS Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows and How Hard Is the CA-LAHS Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
What Changed for 2026
Two structural changes took effect January 1, 2026, and both matter for anyone planning their timeline:
- Prelicensing hours reduced: California eliminated the former 20-hour line-specific prelicensing education requirement that used to precede exam eligibility.
- Ethics education still required: Applicants must still complete 12 hours of Ethics and California Insurance Code education - including 1 hour specifically on insurance fraud - before a license is issued, even though the line-specific hours are gone.
- New exam objectives: The current examination content outline became effective January 1, 2026, meaning study materials referencing older objective versions may be outdated.
Practically, this means candidates now spend more prep time directly on the 150-question exam content and less on separate prelicensing coursework - but the 12-hour ethics requirement remains a firm gate before licensure, regardless of exam performance. See CA-LAHS Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify for the full eligibility checklist and CA-LAHS Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling for scheduling logistics under the new objectives.
Licensing and Renewal Checklist
Passing the exam is only one step. Once you're ready to file or renew, keep these figures handy:
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| License filing/renewal fee | $188 |
| CE term length | Two years |
| Total CE hours per term | 24 hours |
| Ethics hours within that total | 3 hours, including 1 hour on insurance fraud |
| Pre-license ethics education | 12 hours (Ethics and California Insurance Code), including 1 hour fraud |
Note the distinction: the 12-hour ethics education happens before your license is issued, while the 3-hour ethics CE (with its 1-hour fraud component) recurs every two-year renewal cycle afterward. Confusing the two is a common planning mistake.
One-Page Review Plan for the Final Week
If you're using this cheat sheet in the days before your test date, allocate review time by domain weight rather than evenly across all eight. Since Domains 1-3 (Life) and Domains 4-8 (Accident and Health) split the 150 questions 75/75, don't let five domains on the health side crowd out review of the three life domains - they carry equal total weight despite the numeric imbalance.
Life Component Deep Review
- Domain 2: Life Insurance policy types, underwriting, and premium structures
- Domain 3: Life Policy Riders and their triggers
Accident and Health Core
- Domain 6: Medical Expense Insurance plan structures and managed care terms
- Domain 5: General concepts bridging medical and disability coverage
Secondary Domains and Weak Spots
- Domain 7: Disability Income Insurance definitions and benefit periods
- Domain 8: Long-Term Care Insurance triggers and inflation protection
- Domains 1 and 4: General Insurance foundations
Timed Practice and Fee/Format Review
- Full-length timed practice run at ../ to simulate the 150-question, 3-hour format
- Re-check registration confirmation for your chosen delivery mode
Key Takeaway
Weight your review by domain size, not domain count - Life Insurance and Medical Expense Insurance alone account for a large share of total questions, so protect study time for those two above all others.
Who Actually Uses This License
Holding a Life, Accident & Health or Sickness license opens roles across insurance agencies, brokerages, and carrier sales teams operating in California. Common paths include independent agent work selling life and health products, captive agent roles with a single carrier, and brokerage positions coordinating group medical, disability, or long-term care coverage for employers. If you're weighing whether this license fits your career plans, the CA-LAHS Jobs and Is the CA-LAHS Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 articles go deeper on placement and outcomes, while CA-LAHS Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis covers compensation patterns.
New candidates unfamiliar with the credential itself should start with the basics: What Is CA-LAHS?, CA-LAHS Meaning, and What Does CA-LAHS Stand For? all cover the foundational definition before you commit study hours. Once you understand the scope, run a diagnostic practice session at ../ to see which of the eight domains needs the most attention before you build a full study calendar.
FAQ
The combined exam has 150 multiple-choice questions and allows 3 hours to complete, with a required score of 60% to pass.
Each attempt costs $98 total - a $55 California examination fee plus a $43 PSI convenience fee - regardless of whether you test at a physical center or via remote online proctoring.
No. California eliminated the former 20-hour line-specific prelicensing requirement effective January 1, 2026. Applicants still must complete 12 hours of Ethics and California Insurance Code education, including 1 hour on insurance fraud, before a license is issued.
Life Insurance (Domain 2) is the largest single domain at 32.5%, followed by Medical Expense Insurance (Domain 6) at 30%. The remaining domains fill out the rest of the 150-question exam, split evenly between the 75-question Life component and the 75-question Accident and Health or Sickness component.
Resident licensees complete 24 continuing-education hours each two-year renewal term, including 3 hours of ethics with 1 hour specifically on insurance fraud, alongside the $188 filing/renewal fee.