Which New York insurance exam do you sit?

Start with what you will sell

New York does not license an insurance agent in general. It licenses a line of business, and each line has its own state exam. So the first question is not how to study. It is which products you will put in front of customers, because that decides which test you book.

Life, health, or both

Series 17-51 is life insurance and annuities. Series 17-52 is accident and health. They are separate licenses with separate exams, each 100 questions in 2 hours.

Series 17-55 is the two combined: life, accident and health in one sitting of 150 questions in 2½ hours. Pass it and you hold both lines. A candidate heading for a career agency that sells life policies and health coverage side by side usually wants this one, because it is one booking and one sitting instead of two.

If you only need one of the two lines, the single exam is shorter. Nothing is gained by sitting 17-55 to sell term life alone.

Property and casualty, or personal lines

Series 17-56 is the full property and casualty license: homes, cars, businesses and liability, 150 questions in 2½ hours. Series 17-54 is personal lines, the narrower license for coverage sold to individuals and families, such as homeowners and auto, 100 questions in 2 hours. Personal lines is a subset of property and casualty.

The deciding question is whether you will ever write commercial coverage. An agent at a neighborhood office selling auto and renters policies can work on 17-54. One who expects to quote a contractor's general liability or a store's property policy needs 17-56.

Why sitting the wrong one costs you

Each exam is booked separately, and passing one does not count toward another. Book 17-54 and then take a job quoting commercial accounts, and you are back at the test center for 17-56. Ask the employer or agency which license the role needs before you book.

A quick way to decide

• Selling life insurance or annuities only: 17-51.
• Selling health coverage only: 17-52.
• Selling both: 17-55.
• Selling home and auto to households only: 17-54.
• Selling to businesses as well: 17-56.