Is the Washington Life & Health Exam Hard? Pass Rates and Difficulty (2026)

The Washington Life and Disability producer exam is moderately hard, and harder than many first-time candidates expect. In 2025, the combined Life and Disability exam had a first-time pass rate of 57.9%. The Life-only exam came in at 46.0%, and the Disability-only exam at 57.2%.

Those numbers come from the NAIC's compiled pass-rate workbooks, which count English-language, first-time candidates, in-person and remote combined. Candidates who prepare with a structured plan can do much better than the averages, because the averages include everyone who sat the exam with little preparation. But nobody should expect to coast: on the Life exam, more than half of first-time candidates did not pass in 2025.

Washington's numbers are unusually stable from one year to the next, which makes them easier to trust than data that jumps around.

The Life-only exam has the lowest pass rate of the three in both years. The combined exam, which drew the most candidates in both years, has stayed close to 58% in both years. The workbooks do not publish a separate pass rate for repeat takers, so we cannot tell you how retakes compare with first attempts. We also do not compare Washington with any other state, because candidate mix and reporting methods differ and the comparison would not be fair.

1. It is long. The combined exam has 150 items and a 195-minute time limit. The two single-line exams have 100 items and 150 minutes each. Concentration over three hours is a skill of its own, and practising in short bursts does not build it.

2. One section carries a lot of weight. The Washington Laws, Rules, and Regulations section is 45 of the 150 items on the combined exam, which is 30% of the whole test. The outline cites many specific RCW Title 48 and WAC Title 284 provisions, with separate material for life and for disability, accident and health. A candidate who studies only general national content starts far behind.

3. It covers two lines at once. The combined outline runs from life policy types and riders through annuities, disability income, medical plans, group health, Medicare-related coverage and federal tax. You cannot be strong on one half and weak on the other.

4. The wording is exact. Questions turn on pairs that look alike, such as own-occupation and any-occupation disability, or a policy loan and a withdrawal. Reading speed does not help if you have not locked in the difference.

The pass-rate workbooks say how many candidates failed, not why. From the shape of the exam and from what we see in practice questions, three patterns stand out. Candidates skip the Washington law section because it feels dry. Candidates from a sales background in one line neglect the other line. And candidates book the exam quickly after a short read-through, then discover that a 70% requirement leaves little room for a weak section. You must get 70% correct to pass, whichever of the three exams you sit.

This is our reading of the exam structure, not a statistic from the regulator, and you should treat it that way.

• The exam is multiple choice. You are recognising patterns, not writing essays.
• There is no limit on retakes. If you do not pass, you can sit again; the only block is that you cannot book a new appointment on the same day. See the retake rules.
• No pre-licensing course stands between you and the exam. The state repealed that requirement, with one documentation wrinkle explained in our pre-licensing guide.
• The outline is public. Washington prints an item count for every section, so you know exactly where the marks are.

Start with the Washington law section, since it is the largest single block and the one general material covers worst. Then work through the life sections, the annuity and tax material, and finally the health sections. Use audio for commutes and repeated exposure, and use practice questions to find out what you only think you know. Aim to answer well above 70% on fresh questions before you book.

Our course preview shows how the audio lessons and quizzes work, and the free practice question hub has topic sets for every part of the outline. For the cost side of the decision, see what a Washington license costs. Passing the exam does not by itself guarantee a license.