- The MNLH exam has 145 questions (130 scored, 15 pretest) with a 70% passing score in 3 hours.
- Minnesota Laws, Rules, and Regulations Common to Life, Health, Property, and Casualty is the largest domain at 15.4%.
- You need 40 hours of prelicensing education total: 20 hours each for Life and Accident & Health.
- The exam fee is $45, administered by PSI on behalf of the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
What the MNLH Exam Actually Tests
The Minnesota Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam (MNLH) is the combined Life, Accident & Health licensing test overseen by the Minnesota Department of Commerce and delivered through PSI's testing network. If you're planning to sell life insurance, health insurance, annuities, or both lines in Minnesota, this single exam is the gateway. Unlike open-ended professional certifications, MNLH is a regulatory licensing exam, which means the content is narrowly defined, publicly documented, and tied directly to state statute and standard insurance practice.
Candidates sit for 145 total questions-130 of which are scored and 15 of which are unscored pretest items mixed in without identification-inside a 3-hour window. You need 70% correct on the scored portion to pass. Because you can't tell a pretest question from a scored one, the only workable strategy is to treat every question as if it counts. For a broader look at how these mechanics compare to other producer exams, see our how hard is the MNLH exam difficulty breakdown.
Registration, Fees, and Eligibility Mechanics
Before you can sit for the exam, Minnesota requires you to be at least 18 years old and to complete prelicensing education: 20 hours for the Life line and 20 hours for the Accident & Health line, for 40 hours total if you're pursuing the combined license this site focuses on. Your course provider must submit an electronic certificate of completion-this isn't optional paperwork you self-report, it's a data feed the state checks against your exam eligibility.
The exam itself costs $45 per attempt, payable to PSI when you schedule. Once you pass, the clock starts ticking: you must apply for your license within the three-year validity period of that passing result, or you'll need to retest. Resident applicants also have to submit fingerprints for a state and national criminal history check as part of licensure, separate from the exam itself. For the full breakdown of every fee and cost variable, our MNLH certification cost guide walks through the numbers, and the MNLH requirements article covers eligibility in more depth.
Key Takeaway
Schedule your exam only after your prelicensing hours are certified electronically by your provider-don't assume paper certificates or self-reported hours will clear you for test day.
Breaking Down the 12 Domains
MNLH content is organized into 12 domains spanning both the Life and Accident & Health lines, plus Minnesota-specific law sections. Knowing the weight of each domain tells you exactly where your study hours should go. Here's the full weighting:
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Minnesota Laws, Rules & Regulations (Common) | 15.4% |
| Accident & Health - Types of Policies | 12.3% |
| Life - Types of Policies | 11.5% |
| Life Provisions, Riders, Options, and Exclusions | 11.5% |
| A&H Policy Provisions, Clauses, and Riders | 11.5% |
| Completing the Application, Underwriting, Delivering Policy | 9.2% |
| Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts | 6.2% |
| Field Underwriting Procedures | 6.2% |
| Social Insurance | 4.6% |
| Other Insurance Concepts | 3.8% |
| MN Laws - Life Insurance Only | 3.8% |
| MN Laws - Health Insurance Only | 3.8% |
Notice how the state law domains together-Common (15.4%), Life-only (3.8%), and Health-only (3.8%)-add up to 23% of the exam. That's nearly a quarter of your score sitting inside regulatory content that's specific to Minnesota, not generic insurance theory. Our complete guide to all 12 domains goes item-by-item through what each section actually covers.
Domain 10: Minnesota Laws, Rules, and Regulations Common to Life, Health, Property, and Casualty Insurance (15.4%)
This is the single largest individual domain on the exam and deserves proportionally more of your study time than any other topic.
- Producer licensing standards and renewal cycles
- Unfair trade practices and claims settlement rules
- Disclosure requirements applicable across insurance lines
Domain 5: Accident & Health - Types of Policies (12.3%)
The second-largest domain covers the structural differences between health insurance products candidates will sell.
- Individual vs. group health contracts
- Disability income policy structures
- Long-term care and Medicare supplement basics
The Highest-Value Domains to Master First
If your study time is limited, prioritize in this order: Minnesota Laws Common (15.4%), Accident & Health Types of Policies (12.3%), then the three domains tied at 11.5%-Life Types of Policies, Life Provisions/Riders/Options/Exclusions, and A&H Policy Provisions/Clauses/Riders. Together these six domains represent over 74% of your scored questions. Everything else-Social Insurance, Other Insurance Concepts, and the line-specific Minnesota law domains-matters, but each individually carries less weight than a single point of the top domains.
Field Underwriting Procedures (6.2%) and Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policy (9.2%) frequently overlap in real exam questions-both test your understanding of what happens between application submission and policy issue, including replacement rules and free-look periods. Studying them together, rather than as isolated topics, tends to reinforce both.
A Domain-Weighted Study Timeline
Generic study techniques like spaced repetition and timed practice blocks only help if you're applying them to the right content in the right order. Here's a four-week structure built around MNLH's actual domain weights rather than a one-size-fits-all template:
Minnesota Law and Common Regulation
- Study Domain 10 (15.4%) in full before anything else
- Cross-reference with Domain 11 and Domain 12 since terminology overlaps
- Drill producer conduct and unfair trade practice scenarios
Life Insurance Core
- Cover Domain 1 (Types of Policies) and Domain 2 (Provisions, Riders, Options)
- Practice policy comparison questions: term vs. whole vs. universal life
- Review Domain 4, Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts
Accident & Health Core
- Cover Domain 5 (Types of Policies) and Domain 6 (Provisions, Clauses, Riders)
- Study Domain 7 (Social Insurance) and Domain 8 (Other Insurance Concepts)
- Take a full-length timed practice run to simulate the 3-hour session
Application, Underwriting, and Final Review
- Study Domain 3 and Domain 9 together as they overlap procedurally
- Re-test weak domains identified from Week 3's practice run
- Final pass through Minnesota-specific law sections
This structure front-loads the largest domain while still leaving room to revisit it in the final week. For a condensed version of the same priorities, keep our one-page review of must-know facts handy during your last few days of prep.
Test Day Logistics: Center vs. Remote Proctoring
MNLH is computer-based and available either at a physical PSI test center or through remote proctoring from home. Both formats are closed book with no calculator allowed, but remote sessions come with extra restrictions: no scratch paper and no breaks during the 3-hour session. If you tend to think better working through math on paper-relevant for annuity or disability income calculations-a test center may suit you better than remote proctoring.
Key Takeaway
Choose your test format based on how you actually study. If you rely on jotting quick notes to work through numeric questions, book a physical test center rather than a remote session.
Whichever format you pick, confirm your appointment window well ahead of time. Our exam dates and scheduling guide covers how to book, reschedule, and avoid deadline conflicts with your three-year eligibility window.
After You Pass: Licensing and Beyond
Passing the exam is a milestone, not the finish line. Resident applicants must still submit fingerprints for a state and national criminal history background check, and you need to file your license application within three years of your passing exam result. Once licensed, Minnesota resident producers renew biennially and must complete 24 continuing education hours per renewal cycle, including 3 hours specifically in ethics.
Many candidates ask what a passing license actually opens up professionally. Insurance agencies, brokerages, and financial services firms across Minnesota hire licensed Life & Health producers to sell individual and group life policies, disability coverage, annuities, and supplemental health products. If you're evaluating whether the licensing path is worth the time investment, our ROI analysis and earnings guide dig into that question in more detail, while MNLH jobs looks at where licensed producers actually get hired.
If you're still early in your research and want the fundamentals-what the acronym covers, how the license structure works, and how it differs from other producer designations-start with What Is MNLH? or browse practice questions on our main practice test platform to get a feel for question style before committing to a full study plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam has 145 total questions-130 scored and 15 unscored pretest questions-administered in a 3-hour session. You need 70% correct on the scored questions to pass.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce oversees producer licensing, and PSI administers the exam. The fee is $45 per attempt, payable when you schedule your session.
No. MNLH is closed book with no reference materials and no calculator allowed. If you test via remote proctoring, you also won't have scratch paper or scheduled breaks.
You need 20 hours of approved prelicensing education for the Life line and 20 hours for Accident & Health, totaling 40 hours for the combined license, unless you qualify for an exemption. Your course provider must submit electronic certification of completion.
You must apply for your license within three years of your passing result. Resident applicants also need to submit fingerprints for a state and national criminal history check. Once licensed, renewal happens biennially with 24 continuing education hours, including 3 hours of ethics.