The New York adjuster license exams,
built from the state’s own outlines.
To adjust insurance claims in New York you pass a state exam for the license you want. The pass mark is 70% on every adjuster series. The 17-70 General Adjuster exam is 100 questions in 2 hours; the other six are 60 questions in 1 hour. PSI runs the exams for the Department of Financial Services and publishes an outline for each one, with the share of the exam every topic carries. We have built three practice exams for each of the seven series, 5 credits each.
Which exam you sit depends on who you work for.
The first split is the side of the claim you are on. The second is which kind of claim you will handle.
Working for the policyholder
Series 17-62 is the Public Adjuster exam. The bulletin says public adjusters adjust claims on behalf of the insured, for losses such as fire, water, theft and glass.
Working for the insurer, every line
Series 17-70 is the Independent General Adjuster exam, the broadest one: property, auto, workers’ compensation, health, bonds and aviation in one 100-question sitting.
Working for the insurer, one line
17-64 Fire, 17-65 Casualty, 17-66 Automobile and 17-63 Accident and Health are narrower independent adjuster licenses, each its own exam.
Inspecting damaged vehicles
Series 17-71 is the Auto Damage or Theft Appraiser exam. Four fifths of it is appraising physical damage to cars.
Every length and time below is the state’s own figure.
From the DFS and PSI Insurance Candidate Information Bulletin, updated April 28, 2023. PSI runs the exams for the state.
| Series | Exam | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17-70 | Independent General Adjuster | 100 | 2 hours |
| 17-62 | Public Adjuster | 60 | 1 hour |
| 17-64 | Independent Fire Adjuster | 60 | 1 hour |
| 17-65 | Independent Casualty Adjuster | 60 | 1 hour |
| 17-66 | Independent Automobile Adjuster | 60 | 1 hour |
| 17-63 | Independent Accident and Health Adjuster | 60 | 1 hour |
| 17-71 | Auto Damage or Theft Appraiser | 60 | 1 hour |
The pass mark is stated in the bulletin in so many words: “You must get 70% correct to pass the examination.” The bulletin also says a small number, 5 to 10, of experimental questions may be given that are not scored. We do not pad our exams to a guess, so ours hold the scored questions only.
Twenty-one practice exams, three for each series.
Each is the full length and the full time of the real one, and each topic carries the share of questions the state’s outline gives it.
Built to the outline
The bulletin publishes each topic as a percentage of the exam. We turn those percentages into question counts. The rounding to whole questions is ours.
Every wrong answer explained
Every wrong answer carries its own sentence saying why it is wrong, so a missed question teaches the rule rather than just marking you down.
Four choices a question
The bulletin does not say how many answer choices a question has. Ours have four, and that is our choice rather than the state’s.
Principles, not stale numbers
Where an answer would depend on a dollar figure or a deadline the law can change, the question tests the principle instead.
What people ask before they book.
What score do I need to pass a New York adjuster exam?
70%. The PSI/DFS bulletin says it directly: “You must get 70% correct to pass the examination.” It applies to all seven adjuster series.
How many questions are on the adjuster exams?
The 17-70 General Adjuster exam is 100 questions in 2 hours. The other six (17-62, 17-63, 17-64, 17-65, 17-66 and 17-71) are 60 questions in 1 hour each. The bulletin adds that a small number, 5 to 10, of unscored experimental questions may also be given.
What is the difference between a public adjuster and an independent adjuster?
The bulletin says public adjusters adjust claims on behalf of the insured, and independent adjusters act on behalf of the insurer. They are separate licenses with separate exams.
Do I need a course before the exam?
The bulletin’s table lists 40 hours of prelicensing education for the Public Adjuster license and none for the independent adjuster lines. A practice exam is not a course and gives no course credit.
Has a licensed adjuster reviewed these questions?
No. The questions were written from the bulletin’s outlines and have not been reviewed by a licensed New York adjuster. We say so plainly rather than imply otherwise.
On sale now.
Twenty-one full-length practice exams, three for each of the seven series, 5 credits each. Every one has been sat end to end to check that a correct paper scores full marks. Ten 17-70 questions are free, with every answer explained.
Read before the New York insurance adjuster
- Which New York adjuster license exam do you need?
- Independent adjuster or public adjuster in New York?
- What is on the New York 17-70 General Adjuster exam?
- The New York 17-71 Auto Damage or Theft Appraiser exam
Free practice questions, answers explained: NY General Adjuster.