- NJ-LH refers to New Jersey's Life and Accident and Health Insurance Producer Exam, regulated by the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance.
- Life (83 scored items) and Accident and Health (88 scored items) are separate 3.5-hour PSI exams requiring 70% each.
- New Jersey common insurance law dominates the content, worth 14.6% on both the Life and A&H sides.
- Licensing costs $150 for a two-year producer license plus a $20 new-application fee.
What Is A NJ-LH, Exactly?
"NJ-LH" is shorthand for the New Jersey Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam, the state licensing test that anyone who wants to sell life insurance, accident and health insurance, or both in New Jersey must pass. It is administered on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance by PSI Services, the same testing vendor used for many other state insurance exams. Passing the NJ-LH is not a professional designation you frame on a wall - it's the regulatory gateway that lets you legally apply for a resident producer license in the state.
If you've landed here searching for background before you register, our companion piece What Is NJ-LH? covers the same core definition from a slightly different angle, and NJ-LH Meaning breaks down exactly what each letter stands for if you want the terminology settled first.
Two Exams, One License Path
A detail that trips up a lot of first-time candidates: the NJ-LH is not one single test. It's actually two separate multiple-choice exams - a Life exam and an Accident and Health exam - each scored and passed independently. You can sit for one line if you only intend to sell that product, or both if you want a combined Life and Health authority.
- Life exam: 83 scored questions, 3 hours 30 minutes
- Accident and Health exam: 88 scored questions, 3 hours 30 minutes
- Combined total: 171 scored questions across roughly 7 hours of seat time if you take both
Each exam can also include between 5 and 19 unscored, experimental items mixed in with the scored questions. You won't be told which items are experimental, so every question needs to be treated as if it counts. For a full breakdown of how those questions are distributed across content areas, see NJ-LH Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas.
Exam Format and Question Style
Both NJ-LH exams are delivered as multiple-choice tests through PSI, and you have two delivery options: a physical test center or a live online-proctored session you take from home or your office. Whichever you pick, the rules are strict:
- No reference materials of any kind are allowed at your seat
- Handheld calculators are prohibited - any math must be done in your head or on scratch material provided by the proctor
- Remote online-proctored sessions allow no breaks during the 3.5-hour window, so plan accordingly before you start
A passing score is 70% on each exam, scored independently - a strong Life score cannot offset a weak Accident and Health score, or vice versa. For the exact scoring mechanics and what 70% actually means in terms of correct answers, read NJ-LH Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're weighing how difficult that bar actually is to clear, How Hard Is the NJ-LH Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 walks through the format and content load in more depth, and NJ-LH Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows looks at what the available data tells us about outcomes.
Key Takeaway
Because the exams are scored separately with independent 70% thresholds, treat prep for Life and Accident and Health as two distinct study projects rather than one combined effort.
Inside the 13 NJ-LH Domains
The NJ-LH content outline is organized into 13 domains split between the Life exam and the Accident and Health exam. The weights below are normalized across all 171 scored questions from both exams combined, which is why you'll notice New Jersey insurance law shows up twice - once tied to Life, once tied to Accident and Health - and together those two law domains form the single largest content block on the exam.
Domain 1: Life - Types of Policies (5.3%)
Covers term, whole life, universal life, and variable products, along with how each policy type functions for the policyholder.
- Know the structural differences between term and permanent coverage
Domain 2: Life - Policy Riders, Provisions, Options, and Exclusions (12.3%)
One of the heaviest Life-side domains. Expect detailed questions on riders like waiver of premium, accidental death, and nonforfeiture options.
- Master exclusions and how riders modify base policy terms
Domain 3: Life - Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policy (7.0%)
Tests the mechanical steps of writing a Life policy, from application accuracy to underwriting classifications and delivery requirements.
- Understand producer responsibilities at each stage of the sale
Domain 4: Life - Taxes, Retirement, and Other Insurance Concepts (4.7%)
Covers tax treatment of death benefits, annuities, and retirement-linked insurance concepts.
Domain 5: Life - New Jersey Laws, Rules, and Regulations Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property, and Casualty Insurance (14.6%)
The single heaviest domain on the Life exam. This is general New Jersey producer law that applies across insurance lines, not Life-specific rules.
- Licensing law, unfair trade practices, and producer conduct standards are fair game
Domain 6: Life - New Jersey Laws, Rules, and Regulations Pertinent to Life Insurance Only (4.7%)
Narrower than Domain 5 - this covers statutes specific to Life insurance transactions in New Jersey.
Domain 7: Accident and Health - Types of Policies (8.2%)
Disability income, major medical, Medicare supplement, long-term care, and other A&H product categories.
Domain 8: Accident and Health - Policy Provisions, Clauses, and Riders (11.7%)
The second-largest domain on the A&H exam. Covers mandatory and optional provisions, renewability clauses, and common riders.
Domain 9: Accident and Health - Social Insurance (1.8%)
Covers how private A&H products interact with programs like Medicare and Social Security disability.
Domain 10: Accident and Health - Other Insurance Concepts (2.3%)
A smaller, catch-all domain of A&H concepts that don't fall neatly into policy types or provisions.
Domain 11: Accident and Health - Field Underwriting Procedures (5.3%)
Focuses on the producer's role in gathering accurate applicant information during the A&H sales process.
Domain 12: Accident and Health - New Jersey Laws, Rules, and Regulations Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property, and Casualty Insurance (14.6%)
The A&H mirror of Domain 5, tied for the largest single domain weight on the entire combined exam.
Domain 13: Accident and Health - New Jersey Laws, Rules, and Regulations Pertinent to Accident and Health Insurance Only (7.6%)
State-specific statutes governing A&H products, separate from the general producer law in Domain 12.
Add Domains 5 and 12 together and New Jersey common insurance law alone accounts for 29.2% of your combined scored questions - nearly three of every ten questions you'll see across both exams. That single fact should shape how you allocate study time. For a domain-by-domain study sequence, NJ-LH Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas goes deeper into each area, and NJ-LH Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is useful for last-pass review once you've studied the material in full.
From Prelicensing to Licensed Producer
Passing the NJ-LH exam is only one step in becoming a licensed New Jersey producer. Here's the full sequence for resident candidates:
- Complete 20 hours of approved prelicensing education per line (Life or Accident and Health) - or a 40-hour combined course if you're pursuing both lines at once
- Obtain your course completion certificate; note that prelicensing certificates do not expire, so there's no rush between completing coursework and testing
- Pass the corresponding exam(s) with a 70% score
- Complete electronic fingerprinting as part of the background check process
- Submit your license application while your passing exam score is still valid - scores remain valid for one year from the test date
Qualified candidates may also be granted 60-day temporary work authority, which can allow limited activity while a full application is processed. The specific eligibility rules for education, fingerprinting, and application timing are detailed in NJ-LH Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Fees and Renewal Requirements
Budgeting for the NJ-LH involves more than the exam fee itself - prelicensing coursework, the exam, and the license application all carry separate costs. The producer license itself is structured as follows:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Major-line producer license | $150 for a two-year term |
| New-application fee | $20, in addition to the license fee |
| Renewal continuing education | 24 CE credits per cycle, including at least 3 hours of ethics |
These are the fee mechanics unique to New Jersey's licensing structure - for a complete pricing walkthrough that also accounts for prelicensing course costs and retake scenarios, see NJ-LH Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. Once licensed, staying compliant means tracking your CE cycle so the 24-credit, 3-ethics-hour requirement is met before renewal - missing it can lapse your license regardless of how well you originally scored on the exam.
Who Actually Needs the NJ-LH?
The NJ-LH is relevant to anyone entering insurance sales or brokerage in New Jersey on the life or health side. In practice, that includes:
- Career agents joining a captive insurance carrier's New Jersey sales force
- Independent brokers who plan to place life, disability, long-term care, or Medicare supplement business with New Jersey residents
- Financial services professionals adding insurance products alongside investment or retirement planning services
- Career-changers entering the insurance industry through an agency or brokerage that requires a resident producer license
Because the license is tied to New Jersey residency and state law, it doesn't automatically transfer your authority to sell in other states - though many states offer reciprocal, non-resident licensing paths. If you're evaluating whether pursuing this license lines up with your career goals, Is the NJ-LH Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and NJ-LH Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis are worth reading before you enroll in prelicensing coursework. For a sense of where licensed producers actually work, NJ-LH Jobs rounds up common employer types and roles.
Preparing Around the Domain Weights
Generic study advice doesn't help much here - what actually moves the needle is sequencing your prep around the two law domains (5 and 12) that each carry 14.6% weight, since together they outweigh every other single domain by a wide margin. A reasonable approach is to front-load New Jersey law early while your attention is freshest, then layer in policy-specific content once the legal framework is familiar.
New Jersey Common Insurance Law
- Study Domains 5 and 12 together since the underlying law overlaps between Life and A&H
- Build a reference sheet of licensing, conduct, and unfair trade practice rules
Life-Specific Content
- Work through Domain 2 (riders and provisions) given its 12.3% weight
- Cover Domains 1, 3, 4, and 6 for remaining Life content
Accident and Health Content
- Focus on Domain 8 (11.7%) and Domain 7 (8.2%)
- Round out with Domains 9, 10, 11, and 13
Timed Practice and Review
- Simulate the 3.5-hour, no-calculator, no-reference format for each exam
- Drill weak domains identified from missed practice questions
For a more detailed week-by-week plan built specifically around these domain weights, NJ-LH Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt expands on this structure. You can also run full-length timed practice sessions on our practice test platform to get comfortable with the pacing before exam day, and check NJ-LH Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling when it's time to actually book your PSI appointment.
Key Takeaway
Study New Jersey common insurance law (Domains 5 and 12) first and hardest - it's nearly 30% of your combined score across both exams.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's two separate exams - Life and Accident and Health - each with its own question count, 3.5-hour time limit, and independent 70% passing requirement.
The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance sets the licensing requirements, and PSI Services administers the actual exam at test centers or via live online proctoring.
No. Handheld calculators and outside reference materials are prohibited during both the Life and Accident and Health exams.
A passing score remains valid for one year, during which you must complete fingerprinting and submit your license application.
You'll complete electronic fingerprinting and submit your producer license application along with the $150 license fee and $20 new-application fee, and once licensed, you'll need 24 CE credits (including 3 in ethics) to renew.