- Who Can Sit for the MI L&H Exam
- The 40-Hour Prelicensing Education Requirement
- Registration, Series 16-80, and Fee Mechanics
- Exam Format: Questions, Time, and Cut Score
- Where You Can Actually Test in 2026
- What the 15 Domains Actually Require
- Certificate and Score Validity Timelines
- A Domain-Weighted Prep Timeline
- After You Pass: Licensing and Career Paths
- Frequently Asked Questions
- MI L&H (Series 16-80) requires 40 hours of combined Life and Health prelicensing education unless exempt.
- The exam has 150 scored questions plus 1-10 unscored items, 2 hours 30 minutes, and a 75% cut score.
- Michigan discontinued remote testing in June 2025 - you must test at a PSI test center.
- The exam fee is $41, and both your prelicensing certificate and passing result expire after 12 months.
Who Can Sit for the MI L&H Exam
Before you can schedule the Michigan Life, Accident and Health Producer exam, you need to satisfy a short but strict list of eligibility conditions set by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS). There's no college degree requirement and no prior insurance experience mandate. What DIFS does require is that you complete an approved education path, register correctly, and appear at an authorized testing site with valid identification.
If you're still deciding whether this credential fits your career goals, it helps to first understand what MI L&H actually is and how the license functions in Michigan's insurance market before committing time and money to prelicensing coursework.
The 40-Hour Prelicensing Education Requirement
Unless you qualify for an exemption, Michigan requires candidates to complete 40 hours of combined Life and Health prelicensing education before they're allowed to sit for Series 16-80. This is a single combined course covering both lines - you are not completing separate 20-hour Life and Health tracks. The course must come from a DIFS-approved provider, and completion generates a certificate that DIFS and PSI both recognize during registration.
The content taught in this prelicensing course maps closely to the exam's 15 domains, so treat the coursework as your first pass through the material rather than a formality. A structured second pass - using a resource like the MI L&H Study Guide - is what actually converts that classroom exposure into exam-ready recall.
Registration, Series 16-80, and Fee Mechanics
The Michigan Life, Accident and Health Producer exam is administered by PSI under exam code Series 16-80, on behalf of DIFS. Registration happens through PSI's candidate portal, where you'll confirm your prelicensing certificate, pay the exam fee, and select a test date and location.
- Exam fee: $41 per attempt, paid directly to PSI during scheduling.
- Governing body: Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS).
- Administering vendor: PSI Services.
- Current bulletin: Effective June 10, 2025 - always confirm you're studying against the current version before test day.
If your first attempt doesn't go your way, you'll register again and pay the $41 fee for each subsequent sitting. For a full breakdown of every cost involved - prelicensing course fees, the exam fee, and any incidental expenses - see the MI L&H Certification Cost breakdown.
Exam Format: Questions, Time, and Cut Score
Series 16-80 consists of 150 scored multiple-choice questions plus 1 to 10 additional unscored experimental items mixed in without identification, meaning you can't tell which questions count and which are being field-tested for future versions. You're given 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete the exam, and you need a raw score equivalent to 75% correct on the scored items to pass.
Key Takeaway
Because unscored items are indistinguishable from scored ones, answer every question as if it counts. Don't waste mental energy trying to guess which items are experimental - it's not possible to identify them reliably.
The current cut score and content outline took effect May 1, 2020, and remain in force under the June 10, 2025 bulletin. For an exact breakdown of how the 75% threshold is calculated and what margin of error to plan for, review the MI L&H Passing Score guide.
Where You Can Actually Test in 2026
A major logistical change affects every 2026 candidate: Michigan discontinued remote insurance examinations in June 2025. That means online proctoring is no longer an option for Series 16-80 - you must appear in person at an authorized PSI test center. If you were planning around a remote testing option from older guides or forum posts, disregard that information; it no longer applies.
For a look at how scheduling windows, blackout periods, and rescheduling rules typically work under the PSI system, see the MI L&H Exam Dates guide.
What the 15 Domains Actually Require
Eligibility isn't just administrative - it's substantive. To truly "qualify" for licensure, you need working command of all 15 content domains tested on Series 16-80. The domains aren't weighted evenly, and understanding that weighting is part of meeting the real bar for readiness, not just the paperwork bar.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Insurance Regulation | 11.5% |
| General Insurance | 10% |
| Life Insurance Basics | 10% |
| Accident and Health Insurance Basics | 10% |
| Life Insurance Policy Provisions, Options, and Riders | 10% |
| Medical Plans | 9% |
| Health Insurance for Senior Citizens and Special Needs Individuals | 8% |
| Disability Income and Related Insurance | 5.5% |
| Life Insurance Policies | 5% |
| Individual Accident and Health Insurance Policy General Provisions | 5% |
| Group Health Insurance | 5% |
| Annuities | 4% |
| Federal Tax Considerations for Life Insurance, Annuities, and Qualified Plans | 3.5% |
| Health Insurance for Senior Citizens (Federal Tax) | 2% |
| Dental Insurance | 1.5% |
Insurance Regulation (11.5%)
This is the single largest domain, and qualifying for licensure means genuinely understanding Michigan-specific producer conduct rules, not just federal insurance concepts.
- Producer licensing rules, appointments, and continuing education obligations
- Unfair trade practices and penalties under Michigan insurance code
- Consumer protection provisions candidates frequently underestimate
General Insurance, Life Basics, and A&H Basics (10% each)
Together these three domains make up nearly a third of the exam. They test foundational vocabulary and concepts that later, more specific domains build on.
- Risk, insurable interest, and contract law fundamentals
- Life insurance underwriting and policy structure basics
- Core accident and health terminology and policy types
A domain-by-domain walkthrough - including sample question phrasing for each area - is available in the MI L&H Exam Domains Guide. If you want a sense of how difficult the material feels in practice before you commit to a study plan, the How Hard Is the MI L&H Exam guide walks through common trouble spots.
Certificate and Score Validity Timelines
Two clocks matter once you start this process, and missing either one means starting over:
- Prelicensing certificate validity: 12 months from completion. If you don't sit for and pass the exam within that window, you'll need to retake the prelicensing course.
- Passing exam result validity: 12 months from your pass date. If you don't submit your license application within that window, your passing score expires.
A Domain-Weighted Prep Timeline
Generic study techniques only matter when they're mapped to which of the 15 domains actually deserves your hours. Since Insurance Regulation, General Insurance, Life Insurance Basics, and Accident and Health Insurance Basics together account for over 40% of the exam, front-load your schedule there before moving to lower-weight domains like Dental Insurance (1.5%) or Federal Tax Considerations for Health Insurance (2%).
Regulation and Foundations
- Insurance Regulation (11.5%)
- General Insurance (10%)
Life Insurance Core
- Life Insurance Basics (10%)
- Life Insurance Policies (5%)
- Policy Provisions, Options, and Riders (10%)
Health and Medical Content
- Accident and Health Insurance Basics (10%)
- Medical Plans (9%)
- Group Health Insurance (5%)
Specialized and Lower-Weight Domains
- Senior Citizens and Special Needs Health Insurance (8%)
- Disability Income (5.5%)
- Annuities, Dental, and both Federal Tax domains
Run full-length timed practice sets throughout, not just at the end - the 2-hour-30-minute window and mixed scored/unscored format both take some acclimation. You can build that stamina using timed sets on the main practice test platform.
After You Pass: Licensing and Career Paths
Passing Series 16-80 isn't the finish line - it's the qualifying step for a Michigan resident producer license in Life, Accident, and Health lines. Once licensed, producers typically go on to work for carriers, independent agencies, or brokerages selling life insurance, disability income, medical plans, or senior-focused health products like Medicare-related coverage.
If you're weighing whether the time investment in prelicensing hours, the $41 exam fee, and study time is worth it relative to career outcomes, the Is MI L&H Certification Worth It analysis and the MI L&H Salary Guide go deeper into that question than eligibility alone can answer. For a broader look at where licensed producers find work, see MI L&H Jobs.
Key Takeaway
Meeting the requirements is a gate, not a guarantee - treat the 40-hour course and exam attempt as the beginning of your preparation, then reinforce it with focused domain review and timed practice on a full practice test platform before your PSI appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. There's no experience or degree requirement. You need to complete 40 hours of combined Life and Health prelicensing education unless exempt, then register and test through PSI.
No. Michigan discontinued remote insurance examinations in June 2025. All candidates must test in person at an authorized PSI test center.
Your prelicensing certificate is valid for 12 months. If you haven't passed the exam within that window, you'll need to redo the coursework.
Your passing exam result is valid for 12 months. If you don't submit your license application to DIFS within that window, the passing result expires and you'd need to retest.
Insurance Regulation is the largest domain at 11.5% of the exam, making it the highest-priority area once you've completed your prelicensing coursework.