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WA-PC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows

TL;DR
  • A passing score requires answering 70% of 150 scored items correctly within 195 minutes.
  • Washington Laws, Rules, and Regulations is worth 30% of the exam - the single largest domain by far.
  • Since July 23, 2023, Washington has not required producer prelicensing education, shifting outcome risk to self-study.
  • PSI may insert 1 to 10 unscored experimental items that still count against your time limit.

What "Pass Rate" Actually Means for the WA-PC Exam

When candidates search for the WA-PC pass rate, they're usually hoping for a single headline number that predicts their odds. The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner does not publish a rolling public pass-rate statistic for the Property and Casualty Producer Combo exam the way some professional certifications do, and PSI Services LLC - the vendor that administers the test - does not release candidate-level pass statistics either. Rather than guess at a number, the more useful exercise is understanding exactly how the exam is scored, which domains carry the most weight, and which structural factors actually move a candidate from "fail" to "pass." That's what this article breaks down.

If you want the full mechanics of how scoring works before you dig into domain strategy, read WA-PC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass for a dedicated breakdown of the 70% requirement.

The 70% Threshold: How Washington Sets the Bar

The Washington Property and Casualty Insurance Producer Exam is a closed-book, computer-based test with 150 scored items. Candidates get 195 minutes to complete it, and a score of 70% or higher is required to pass. That means you need roughly 105 correct answers out of 150 scored questions - but the math isn't always that clean because PSI may embed 1 to 10 additional unscored experimental items into your test. Those pretest items look identical to scored questions, but they don't count toward your final score. However, they do count against your 195-minute clock, which is an easy factor to overlook when candidates estimate their pacing.

Why This Matters: Because unscored items are indistinguishable from scored ones, you can't strategically skip questions you suspect are experimental. Treat every question on screen as if it counts, and budget your time assuming the full 150-160 item range rather than exactly 150.

No calculators or reference materials are permitted, and the exam is closed-book - every rule, coverage trigger, and policy definition has to live in your memory on test day. That single fact is the biggest lever behind pass/fail outcomes: candidates who memorize terminology instead of understanding how coverages apply in scenarios tend to struggle regardless of how many hours they studied.

Why the Laws, Rules, and Regulations Domain Drives Most Struggles

Of the twelve content areas tested, Domain 2: Washington Laws, Rules, and Regulations accounts for 30% of the exam - nearly a third of every test form. No other domain comes close; the next largest, Property and Casualty Insurance Basics, sits at 14%. That lopsided weighting means a candidate who is strong on general insurance concepts but weak on Washington-specific statutes is mathematically exposed, because almost one in three questions will test state-specific licensing rules, producer duties, unfair claims practices, and regulatory definitions unique to Washington rather than universal P&C theory.

Key Takeaway

If you only have time to deeply master one domain before test day, it has to be Washington Laws, Rules, and Regulations. At 30% of the exam, under-preparing here is the single most common reason candidates fall short of 70%.

For a full walkthrough of what's actually tested inside that domain - and the other eleven - see WA-PC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas, which maps each content area to specific topics you're expected to know.

Domain-by-Domain Weight and Risk Areas

Understanding the weighting of each domain lets you prioritize study time proportionally instead of spreading effort evenly across topics that don't carry equal exam value.

DomainWeightRelative Priority
Washington Laws, Rules, and Regulations30%Highest - nearly 1 in 3 questions
Property and Casualty Insurance Basics14%High
General Insurance Concepts11.3%High
Homeowners Policy Concepts9.3%Moderate
Personal Automobile Policy9.3%Moderate
Commercial Property Policies6.7%Moderate
Commercial General Liability6.7%Moderate
Businessowners Policy4%Lower
Commercial Automobile Policy3.3%Lower
Other Types of Property and Casualty Insurance2.7%Lower
Federal Laws and Regulations1.3%Lowest
Dwelling Policy Concepts1.3%Lowest

Notice that the two smallest domains, Federal Laws and Regulations and Dwelling Policy Concepts, are each worth only 1.3%. It's tempting to skip them entirely, but combined they still represent a handful of questions on every exam - enough to matter if you're sitting right at the 70% line.

Domain 2: Washington Laws, Rules, and Regulations

Because this domain alone is worth as much as the bottom seven domains combined, candidates should treat it as a separate study track rather than a review topic squeezed in at the end.

  • Producer licensing requirements, renewal cycles, and continuing education obligations
  • Unfair trade practices and claims settlement rules specific to Washington
  • Insurer and producer responsibilities under state statute

No Prelicensing Education Requirement Changes the Equation

Washington has not required producer prelicensing education since July 23, 2023. That's a meaningful shift from states that mandate a set number of classroom or online hours before you can sit for the exam. In Washington, there's no built-in checkpoint forcing candidates to cover every domain in a structured course - you can register and test as soon as you meet the eligibility requirements, with no proof of coursework required.

Practical Implication: Without a mandatory prelicensing course, the quality and completeness of your self-study becomes the deciding factor. Candidates who assemble their own structured review - rather than skimming a handful of resources - are far less likely to be surprised by domain coverage on test day.

This also means the resources you choose matter more than they would in a state with mandatory coursework. A structured resource like WA-PC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt can substitute for the structure a prelicensing course would otherwise provide, and reviewing WA-PC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify up front ensures you're not missing an eligibility step - being at least 18, passing the exam, applying within 180 days, and completing fingerprint-based background review - before you even get to test day.

Exam Format Factors That Affect Outcomes

Beyond content knowledge, the mechanical realities of the test session influence results:

  • Closed-book, no calculator: Every definition, coverage form detail, and rule must be recalled from memory - there's no reference sheet to lean on mid-exam.
  • 195-minute window for up to 160 items: With scored and possible experimental items combined, pacing yourself at roughly one question per minute leaves a buffer for review.
  • Test-center or remote-proctored delivery: Both formats are available through PSI, so environment distractions (or lack thereof) are a controllable variable - choose whichever setting you can focus in best.
  • Single combo exam: Property and Casualty content is tested together in one 150-item exam rather than as two separate license exams, so you can't defer weaker content to a later test date.

If you're trying to gauge how demanding the exam feels relative to its structure and content spread, How Hard Is the WA-PC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 walks through the difficulty factors in more depth.

Building a Study Plan Around the Domain Data

Rather than studying every domain for an equal number of hours, allocate time proportional to exam weight, with extra buffer time reserved for Washington Laws, Rules, and Regulations given its outsized 30% share.

Week 1

Foundation and Washington Law

  • Work through Domain 2 (Washington Laws, Rules, and Regulations) in full - it's worth as much as the next two largest domains combined
  • Skim Domain 3 (General Insurance Concepts) and Domain 4 (Property and Casualty Insurance Basics) for foundational vocabulary
Week 2

Personal Lines Policies

  • Cover Domain 6 (Homeowners Policy Concepts) and Domain 7 (Personal Automobile Policy), each at 9.3%
  • Add Domain 5 (Dwelling Policy Concepts) since it overlaps conceptually with homeowners coverage
Week 3

Commercial Lines Policies

  • Study Domain 9 (Commercial Property Policies), Domain 10 (Commercial General Liability), Domain 11 (Businessowners Policy), and Domain 8 (Commercial Automobile Policy)
  • Compare policy forms side by side to avoid confusing similar exclusions
Week 4

Final Review and Timed Practice

  • Revisit Domain 1 (Federal Laws and Regulations) and Domain 12 (Other Types of Property and Casualty Insurance)
  • Take full-length timed practice sessions at the WA-PC practice test platform to simulate the 195-minute session
  • Re-drill Domain 2 questions you missed - it's still the highest-leverage domain right up to test day

Running full timed practice sets on our practice exam platform before scheduling your real appointment is one of the most direct ways to gauge whether you're consistently clearing 70%, since there's no official published benchmark to compare yourself against otherwise.

Registration Mechanics That Affect Retake Rates

The exam costs $55 per attempt through PSI Services LLC. That fee resets each time you sit for the test, so a failed attempt isn't just a scheduling setback - it's a direct cost that adds up quickly if repeated. Combined with the 180-day window to apply for licensure after passing, and the fingerprint-based background review required for resident applicants, the overall path has enough moving parts that treating the first attempt seriously is worth the extra preparation time.

Cost of Retesting: Because each attempt carries its own $55 fee with no bundled discount for retakes, walking in prepared the first time is the cheapest path to licensure. See WA-PC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown for the full cost picture beyond just the exam fee.

Once licensed, producers renew biennially with 24 continuing education hours, including 3 hours of ethics - a detail worth knowing now so the exam isn't the only regulatory deadline on your radar. And if you're also weighing scheduling logistics, WA-PC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling covers how appointment availability works through PSI's test-center and remote-proctoring options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Washington publish an official WA-PC pass rate?

The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner and PSI Services LLC do not publish a public, regularly updated pass-rate statistic for the Property and Casualty Producer Combo exam. Candidates should focus on the known scoring mechanics - 70% of 150 scored items - rather than looking for an official percentage.

What score do I actually need to pass?

You need 70% correct on the 150 scored items. Unscored experimental items, if included, do not count toward this score but do use up part of your 195-minute time limit.

Which domain should I prioritize if I'm short on study time?

Washington Laws, Rules, and Regulations, at 30% of the exam, should be your top priority. It's more than double the weight of the next-largest domain, Property and Casualty Insurance Basics at 14%.

Does Washington require a prelicensing course before I can test?

No. Washington has not required producer prelicensing education since July 23, 2023, so preparation is entirely self-directed. Structured resources fill the gap that a mandatory course would otherwise cover.

How much does it cost if I need to retake the exam?

Each attempt costs $55 through PSI Services LLC, with no discount for repeat sittings, so failing and retesting adds direct cost on top of the time lost rescheduling.

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