Iowa Life & Health Exam Day: What to Expect at Pearson VUE (2026)

Iowa has no single Life & Health exam, so exam day means one of two exams, both given by Pearson VUE: Life (87 items) or Accident & Health (90 items). Each allows 2 hours and costs $44. You can sit either one at a Pearson VUE test center or online through OnVUE online proctoring.

This page sticks to what Pearson VUE's Iowa Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook states. For the on-screen details and the check-in routine, Pearson VUE's own instructions on the day take precedence.

The Handbook describes three steps: make a reservation and pay the exam fee, go to the test center, then apply for your license. Reserve through Pearson VUE's Iowa insurance page or by phone at (877) 540-5825, and book the exam that matches the line you want: Life (12-IA-01) or Accident & Health (12-IA-02).

To change or cancel, contact Pearson VUE at least 48 hours before the exam or you forfeit the fee. Exam fees are non-refundable and non-transferable except under that policy.

Online means your own computer in a private room, watched by a live proctor through your webcam and microphone. One difference the Handbook spells out: online sittings allow no unscheduled breaks, while a test center allows them but the clock keeps running.

In the NAIC data, candidates who tested online passed more often than those who tested in person on both exams in both years. That may reflect who picks which format rather than the format itself. Choose the setting where you will be calmest and least likely to be interrupted.

Get this one right in advance. Bring two forms of current signature identification:

• Primary: government-issued, with your photo and signature. Accepted types are a driver's license (including a U.S. Department of State driver's license), a learner's permit (plastic card with photo), a national, state or country ID card, a passport or passport card, a military ID or military dependent ID, and an Alien Registration (green) card.
• Secondary: a U.S. Social Security card, or any item from the primary list. It must bear a valid signature.

The name on your identification must exactly match the name on your registration, and identification must be in English. Compare the two when you book, not at the door.

The exam is given in English only. Candidates whose first language is not English can request an English as a Second Language accommodation, which gives 1.5 times the standard time: a 2-hour exam extends to 3 hours. It requires pre-approval and a letter from an instructor or employer, so arrange it well before your date.

Divide the clock by the count: about 83 seconds an item on the 87-item Life exam and 80 seconds on the 90-item Accident & Health exam. The 10 pretest items on each exam sit inside the sections, so treat every item as scored.

• Answer what you know quickly and bank the time for scenario items.
• Read for the qualifier: "NOT", "BEST" and "EXCEPT" often decide the answer.
• Eliminate two options before choosing between the last two.
• Do not leave an item unanswered; an unanswered item cannot earn a point.
• Check your pace around the halfway point of the items, not with ten minutes left.

How and when your result is shown is set by Pearson VUE, so rely on its instructions on the day. What the Handbook and Iowa's rules add is what you do next.

If you pass

• Apply for your license within 90 days of the test date, or the result is void (IAC 191-10.4(4)).
• The application goes through NIPR. The license fee is $50 for a three-year term.
• Fingerprinting follows the application; it is not a condition of sitting the exam. Your application confirmation contains the Fieldprint code you use to book an appointment.

If you do not pass

• Wait 24 hours before making a reservation to retake. Retake reservations are not made at the test center.
• Each attempt is another $44. The full rules are in the Iowa retake rules.

• Two forms of current signature ID, with names matching your registration exactly
• Your reservation details and the right exam, Life or Accident & Health
• Test center: the route and a margin for traffic. Online: your computer, webcam, microphone and a private room, set up ahead of time
• If you need ESL time, your approval already confirmed
• A pacing plan: no item gets more than a minute or two before you commit to your best answer
• Sleep instead of a last round of cramming

See how many questions are on each exam and what each section covers, and the pre-licensing answer if you are still planning the route. For audio-first preparation that fits a commute, try LanePrep's free Iowa Life & Health preview.