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IL A&H Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts

TL;DR
  • The General and State exams together total 89 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest items in 2 hours 10 minutes.
  • You need a reported score of 70 on each exam, and both must be passed within 90 days.
  • Illinois Statutes and Regulations Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty and Personal Lines Insurance is the single largest domain at 24.72%.
  • Ordering the General/State pair together applies a $92 discount, bringing the combined cost to $92.

Quick-Reference Snapshot

Before you dive into domain content, anchor yourself to the mechanics. These are the numbers the Illinois Department of Insurance and Pearson Professional Assessments actually use for the Illinois Accident & Health Insurance Producer Exam - no rounding, no guessing.

ItemDetail
RegulatorIllinois Department of Insurance
Test administratorPearson Professional Assessments
Exams requiredGeneral exam + State exam (separate, scored individually)
Total scored questions89 (plus 10 unscored pretest questions)
Time allowed2 hours 10 minutes
Passing score70 on each exam
Time window to pass both90 days
Fee per exam$92 each; pair ordered together = $92 total
Prelicensing education20 hours (7.5 classroom hours), used within 12 months
Content outline effective dateJanuary 1, 2026

If any of these numbers feel unfamiliar, slow down and cross-check with our full IL A&H requirements breakdown and the detailed passing score guide before test day. This cheat sheet is a review tool, not a substitute for working through the full outline.

Two Exams, One Combined Fee

The Illinois Accident & Health credential isn't a single sitting - it's a General exam and a State exam, each covering different material, each scored on its own. Candidates sometimes assume they can pass one and "carry" a partial credit indefinitely. That's not how it works: both exams must be passed within 90 days of each other, so plan your scheduling accordingly rather than spacing them out casually.

On pricing, each exam individually costs $92. But when you order the matching General/State pair together, a $92 discount applies, bringing the combined total to $92 instead of $184. That discount only applies to the paired order - it's a scheduling and purchasing decision worth making upfront rather than booking exams separately. For the full fee mechanics, including what happens if you need a retake, see our IL A&H certification cost breakdown.

Registration Tip: Book the General and State exams as a pair through Pearson whenever your schedule allows. It locks in the $92 combined price and keeps both attempts inside the 90-day passing window automatically.

The 7 Domains at a Glance

The content outline effective January 1, 2026 organizes everything you'll be tested on into seven domains. Weighting matters - it tells you where to spend your limited study hours. If you haven't already mapped each domain to specific policy language and statute sections, our complete guide to all 7 content areas goes deeper than this summary allows.

Domain 1: Types of Policies (17.98%)

Covers the structure and purpose of individual and group accident and health products.

  • Distinguish disability income, hospital/medical/surgical, and dread disease policies
  • Know Medicare supplement and long-term care product basics

Domain 2: Policy Provisions, Clauses, and Riders (16.85%)

Focuses on the standard contract language producers must explain to clients accurately.

  • Renewability provisions and elimination periods
  • Common riders and exclusions that alter coverage

Domain 3: Social Insurance (6.74%)

Tests knowledge of how public programs interact with private A&H coverage.

  • Medicare Parts A, B, C, D structure
  • Coordination between Social Security disability and private benefits

Domain 4: Other Insurance Concepts (5.62%)

A smaller domain, but still tests core underwriting and contract concepts.

  • Insurable interest and risk classification basics
  • General contract law as applied to A&H

Domain 5: Field Underwriting Procedures (8.99%)

Covers the producer's responsibilities when collecting applications.

  • Completing applications accurately
  • Replacement rules and disclosure requirements

Domain 6: Illinois Statutes and Regulations Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty and Personal Lines Insurance (24.72%)

The single largest domain on the exam - shared statutes that apply across multiple license lines.

  • Licensing, appointment, and continuing education rules
  • Unfair trade practices and general producer conduct standards

Domain 7: Illinois Statutes and Regulations Pertinent to Accident and Health Insurance Only (19.10%)

State-specific rules that apply exclusively to A&H products.

  • Illinois-specific mandated benefits and disclosure forms
  • State rules governing policy replacement and free-look periods

Key Takeaway

Domains 6 and 7 together make up nearly 44% of your scored questions. If your review time is limited, prioritize Illinois statutes and regulations over the smaller conceptual domains.

Prelicensing Education Checklist

Before you're even eligible to sit for the General and State exams, resident applicants generally need 20 hours of prelicensing education, with 7.5 of those hours completed in a classroom setting. This isn't optional supplemental reading - it's a prerequisite tied to a clock: the education must be used within 12 months, or it expires and you'll need to repeat it.

  • Confirm your provider's course is approved for Illinois Accident & Health prelicensing credit.
  • Track the 7.5 classroom-hour requirement separately from self-paced hours.
  • Schedule your General and State exams while your 12-month education window is still open.

For a step-by-step eligibility walkthrough, including what documentation you'll need before Pearson will let you book a seat, read our full IL A&H requirements and eligibility guide.

Exam Day Format Cheat Sheet

Knowing the format cold removes one entire category of exam-day anxiety. Here's what to expect when you sit down at a Pearson testing center:

  • Total questions: 89 scored plus 10 unscored pretest questions, for 99 total - you won't know which are which, so treat every question as if it counts.
  • Time allowed: 2 hours 10 minutes to complete both the General and State portions.
  • Passing threshold: A reported score of 70 on each exam, scored independently.
  • Retake window: Both exams must be passed within 90 days of one another - miss that window and you may need to restart the process.

Because the questions blend statute recall with applied policy scenarios, memorization alone won't carry you through Domains 6 and 7. Our complete difficulty guide breaks down which domains trip up candidates most often and why.

Format Reminder: The unscored pretest questions are mixed in without labels. Answer every question with full effort - there's no way to identify which 10 of the 99 don't count toward your score.

Domain-by-Domain Review Plan

A generic study calendar won't help you here - your plan should mirror domain weighting. Use the outline below as a compressed final-review sequence, not a full course replacement. For a longer-form study plan built around the same logic, see our first-attempt study guide.

Week 1

Statutes First

  • Work through Domain 6 (common statutes) and Domain 7 (A&H-specific statutes) - together nearly 44% of the exam
  • Build a running list of Illinois-specific rules that differ from generic industry norms
Week 2

Policy Structure

  • Cover Domain 1 (Types of Policies) and Domain 2 (Provisions, Clauses, and Riders) - over 34% combined
  • Drill renewability terms, elimination periods, and rider language until they're automatic
Week 3

Smaller but Scored Domains

  • Review Domain 5 (Field Underwriting Procedures), Domain 3 (Social Insurance), and Domain 4 (Other Insurance Concepts)
  • Don't skip these - combined they're still nearly 22% of scored content
Final Days

Timed Practice

  • Simulate the full 2 hour 10 minute session under real time pressure
  • Run mixed-domain practice sets on the practice test platform to expose weak spots before test day

Who This Credential Is Built For

The Illinois Accident & Health Insurance Producer license underpins a specific slice of insurance work: individual and group health coverage, disability income, supplemental health products, and Medicare-related plans sold to Illinois residents. It's not a general life-insurance credential and it's not interchangeable with property/casualty licensing - the domains above make that clear.

If you're evaluating whether this is the right credential for your career path, our ROI analysis and earnings guide walk through how the license fits into agency and brokerage roles. For those specifically hunting for open positions once licensed, our IL A&H jobs overview is a useful next stop.

Common Last-Minute Mistakes

  • Treating the two exams as one event. They're scored separately, and the 90-day passing rule catches people who assume otherwise.
  • Letting prelicensing credit expire. The 12-month usage window on your 20 hours (including 7.5 classroom hours) is unforgiving - schedule your exam date before it lapses.
  • Under-preparing for statute questions. Domains 6 and 7 combined are nearly half the exam; treating them as an afterthought is the single biggest scoring risk.
  • Booking exams separately when the paired discount exists. Ordering General and State together brings the combined fee to $92 instead of paying full price twice.
  • Skipping timed practice. With 99 total questions in 2 hours 10 minutes, pacing has to be automatic - practice that rhythm on a full-length practice exam before your real appointment.

Key Takeaway

Print or save this cheat sheet, but don't rely on it alone. Pair it with domain-specific practice questions on the main practice test site so the numbers here translate into recall under exam conditions.

FAQ

How many questions are on the IL A&H exam?

There are 89 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions, for 99 total, across the General and State exams combined, with 2 hours 10 minutes allowed.

What score do I need to pass?

You need a reported score of 70 on each exam - the General exam and the State exam are scored independently, and both scores must clear 70.

How much does the exam cost?

Each exam is $92 individually, but ordering the General and State pair together applies a $92 discount, making the combined total $92.

Which domain should I study first?

Start with Domain 6 (Illinois Statutes and Regulations Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty and Personal Lines Insurance) since it's the largest domain at 24.72%, followed closely by Domain 7's A&H-specific statutes at 19.10%.

Do I need classroom hours, or can I complete prelicensing education entirely online?

Resident applicants generally need 20 hours of prelicensing education, and 7.5 of those hours must be completed in a classroom setting; the full 20 hours must be used within 12 months.

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