TRENTON —The Department of Banking and Insurance today announced that starting next week, individuals who want to take the licensing exams to become insurance producers and public adjusters will be able to do so remotely. This will provide people who want to work in the field more flexibility to access examinations during the COVID-19 emergency. The new remote exam option will remain in place permanently, in addition to the current option available to license seekers to take the examination in-person at a testing site.
“The new remote testing option will allow job seekers who want to work in insurance the flexibility to take the licensing examination remotely rather than in-person at a time when it is most needed. This system enhancement is particularly important given the COVID-19 emergency. It is also an improvement that will modernize the department’s licensing process and benefit those seeking employment as insurance producers and public adjusters now and over the long term,” said Commissioner Marlene Caride.
The Department of Banking and Insurance licenses more than 240,000 licenses for producers, adjusters, and other licensed insurance professionals. The remote testing launch includes nine license qualifying examinations and all of the remote license examinations are also available in Spanish.
A person applying to be licensed as a public adjuster (who is not so licensed in any other state) or applying to be licensed as a resident insurance producer is required to pass an exam prior to licensure. The examinations are currently administered in person at one of ten locations of PSI Services LLC, the examination vendor under contract with the Department of Banking and Insurance.
License candidates will have the option to take producer license and public adjuster license examinations remotely or in person beginning on September 16, 2020. The website currently used to schedule licensing exams will be revamped to allow for scheduling the remote option.
In-person exams may be scheduled on the current website before Sept. 14, 2020. The website will be down on Sept. 14, 2020 to allow for the transition to the new scheduling system. In-person and remote exams may be scheduled online starting Sept. 15, 2020 on the new scheduling website:
The Department has issued a bulletin to inform the public and industry about the new remote option for insurance producer and public adjuster licensing exams. The Department issued a bulletin in May allowing for the issuance of temporary insurance producers licenses during the state and public health emergencies to address the closure of testing sites due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a separate bulletin in August allowing applications for temporary insurance producer licenses to be submitted electronically. To date, 572 temporary licenses have been issued during the COVID-19 emergency; the new remote examination option provides more flexibility for temporary licensees to take the examination required for continued licensure.
The Department will continue to partner with PSI to ensure the integrity and security of the examination process as it expands into remote testing. If the license applicant’s devices and/or internet connection do not meet PSI’s technology requirements, or if the license examinee’s location is not suitable for remote testing, the license examinee will need to schedule an in-person license examination at one of PSI’s testing centers. The Department asks applicants to take their exam at their scheduled time or reschedule the exam as soon as possible to allow others to be able to fill that vacant exam seat. |
