After roughly five months working with PSI's examination in Oregon, we've come to some conclusions regarding the new testing vendor working with the Oregon Insurance Division. What follows is what we've learned over the past few months. We are always interested in learning from your experiences as well, so if you have any insight you would like to share, please feel free to do so.
- The verbiage seen on the test has changed.
- I have heard from many students that have tested under both the current exam provider as well as through Thompson-Prometric, the previous provider. Most students have told me that the new test provides simpler and more easily understood questions... if you have studied the material properly!
- The test has gotten further away from definitions.
- Over the years it seems that the states are much more concerned with the prelicensing candidate being able to work with the material on the test content outline as opposed to just memorizing definitions. If the student simply attempts to memorize terms and definitions for test prep it's going to cause issues at the state test site. It's critical that the candidate know how to manipulate the test material and not just be able to define the words, so to speak. There is a lot of "if this, then what next" kind of test questions. You must be able to understand progressive-type questions and follow the path to the correct answer.
- It is important to utilize all of the ProSchools materials at your disposal.
- There's no more "I just have to read the material and do all of the quizzes and practice exams and I'll be ready" anymore. For successful preparation, the student must use all of the study aids that are available in their program. Make sure to use the text material, the BrainTeasers, the quizzes and exams, the examples, the glossaries and the index. It's important to make the material come together to help pass the state test.
- The minimum required hours are simply not enough.
- For the typical student, simply studying long enough to receive a certificate of completion is not going to work. On average, the prelicense candidate is going to have to study 2-3 times the minimum state required hours. This means that for a combination license, such as life and health or P&C, which require 20 hours of study for each line of authority (40 hours total) that the student is normally going to have to put in 80-120 hours per combination license. It's a lot easier to put in the study time before the state test instead of having to repeat the exam, pay the fees all over again and spend untold time worrying about the repeat test.