Like I have said before, I haven't sat in a class, or taken a real test since about 1993. So, the idea of a whole series of tests, which I was required to pass, was just a bit unsettling. The pre-license classes were tough enough, but the thought of tests is enough to make anybody nervous. Especially an old guy like me trying to learn something completely new.To recap the situation here, the state of Illinois requires you to pass a test for each line of insurance you wish to produce (or sell). So that is four tests in total for auto, home, life, and health insurance. Each test is allowed a 2 -1/2 hour time limit to complete. That is a lot of testing time! Could it possibly take that long?
At the end of your classes you are given a testing sheet so you can complete a series of practice tests to help you prepare for the state tests. You take a practice test, study the questions you missed, take another practice test, study the questions you missed, repeat, repeat, and so on. All of this is supposed to guarantee your success at the actual state tests. Now personally I found it a bit discouraging. I did okay on the practice tests but found it frustrating that I was not doing better on them. But I completed my practice tests, did some deep breathing, and headed for the testing center for the real showdown.
The testing center atmosphere is a mix of a doctors office, and a TSA security center. You are not allowed any personal items in the testing area, none. No phone, wallet, watch, jewelry, nothing in your pockets. They will check your glasses, make you pull out your pockets, and escort you to your testing station. If you need to go to the bathroom, they want you to raise your hand and they will come escort you to the restroom. Then you have to go through the whole security screening again before returning to your testing station. It is serious stuff!
Each testing station is a little cubicle with a computer, keyboard, mouse and a chair. They supply you a white board and marker with which you may make notes or do calculations. You cannot erase your board however, you must ask for another one if you run out so space. Again, serious stuff.
Each insurance test consists of questions about the type of insurance being tested, some general questions about insurance laws and regulations, and some "experimental" questions which are intended to "test" the responses of the person being tested. Now they don't divide them up into sections, they just randomly present you with a mix of questions. An insurance question or three, then a laws question or two, then maybe an "experimental" question. It's just random and different for each person. The experimental questions are very disturbing and many are totally impossible in my opinion. I found some of the questions to be really difficult and some to be very easy. I think perhaps the whole thing is just designed to test your frustration level. I encountered my frustration limits several times during the tests!
At the end of your tests, you are escorted from the testing area and checked one last time to see if you are still who you claimed to be. As if somehow you were magically switched-out before their eyes while testing with a more intelligent version of yourself. But by now you're used to it, and you just play along.
You are then confronted one last time by the person who originally greeted you when you walked in the door. They smile at you, and slide two sheets of paper toward you face down. With one last gasp you flip the sheets over to see if you passed. And that's about all the papers will tell you, pass or fail, no scores, just pass or fail. My confidence level was not high as I flipped over my test result papers.
With great joy and pride, I can tell you that I passed all 4 of my insurance tests the first time. I haven't felt that good about anything in quite some time. Elation is a good word to describe how I felt at the time! Yippee, I passed!
I was now legal. My journey into insurance was official! I could now begin to go forth and conquer the insurance industry. The adventure was now real and my expectations were high.
