- You need a 70% scaled score on exam 12-KS-05 to pass the Kansas Life & Health Producer Exam.
- Only 140 of the 154 questions are scored; 14 are unscored pretest items you can't identify.
- Life and health content is combined into one score - you cannot pass one half and fail the other.
- The exam costs $64, runs 150 minutes, and failed candidates must wait 7 calendar days to retest.
The Passing Score Number, Explained
The Kansas Department of Insurance sets a straightforward bar for exam 12-KS-05: candidates need a 70% scaled score to pass. There's no curve, no bonus for finishing early, and no partial credit for domains you happen to know cold. Seventy percent of the scored content is the line, and Pearson VUE administers the test on the state's behalf at test centers and, for the English-language version, through OnVUE remote proctoring.
That single number is easy to state but easy to misjudge. Candidates often assume 70% of 154 questions is the target, but the math is a bit different once you understand how scoring actually works.
How the 154 Questions Break Down
Exam 12-KS-05 delivers 154 multiple-choice questions in total, but only 140 of them count toward your score. The remaining 14 are unscored pretest questions the state uses to evaluate future exam content. You will not know which 14 are unscored, so every question deserves the same level of attention.
You get 150 minutes to complete all 154 questions, which averages out to under a minute per question if you want cushion for reviewing flagged items. Because the pretest questions are mixed in invisibly, treating any question as "extra credit" or skippable is a mistake - your 70% is calculated against the 140 scored items, and you have no way to identify which ones those are during the test.
Scored vs. Unscored: Why It Matters for Pacing
Since 14 of 154 questions don't count, a small number of missed answers on genuinely difficult scored items has more impact than it might first appear. Budget your 150 minutes assuming all questions matter equally.
- Don't slow down chasing "gotcha" questions - some may be unscored pretest items
- Flag and move on rather than burning minutes on any single question
- Leave time at the end to revisit flagged questions across all domains
Why There's Only One Score, Not Two
A detail that trips up many candidates: the Kansas Life & Health exam produces one combined score, not separate life and health scores. Domains 1 through 6 cover life insurance content (policy types, provisions, riders, underwriting, and retirement concepts), while domains 7 through 12 cover health insurance and shared Kansas statutes. All twelve domains feed into the same 70% calculation.
This means you cannot "pass" the life portion while failing the health portion, or vice versa. A candidate who is excellent on policy provisions but weak on Kansas statutes pertinent to health insurance can still fail overall if the combined performance falls under the threshold. For a full breakdown of what each of the twelve domains actually tests, see the KSLH Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas.
Key Takeaway
Study every domain to a baseline level of competence rather than mastering a few and neglecting others - a single weak domain can drag your combined score below 70%.
Which Domains Carry the Most Weight
Domain weights on 12-KS-05 are derived from the official scored-question counts, meaning some content areas simply appear more often than others. The twelve domains are:
- Domain 1: Types of Policies
- Domain 2: Life Provisions, Riders, Options, and Exclusions
- Domain 3: Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policy
- Domain 4: Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts
- Domain 5: Types of Policies (health)
- Domain 6: Policy Provisions, Clauses, and Riders (health)
- Domain 7: Social Insurance
- Domain 8: Other Insurance Concepts
- Domain 9: Field Underwriting Procedures
- Domain 10: Kansas Statutes and Regulations Common to Life, Health, Property, and Casualty Insurance
- Domain 11: Kansas Statutes and Regulations Pertinent to Life Insurance Only
- Domain 12: Kansas Statutes and Regulations Pertinent to Health Insurance Only
Because the passing score is calculated across the combined exam, heavier-weighted domains deserve proportionally more study hours. If you haven't already mapped out which domains show up most frequently, the KSLH Exam Domains 2026 guide walks through each one in depth, and it pairs well with a broader look at how difficult the exam actually is once you factor in domain weighting.
Kansas Statutes Domains (10-12)
Three of the twelve domains are dedicated entirely to Kansas-specific law rather than general insurance concepts. These domains reward memorization of state-specific rules that won't appear on other states' exams.
- Domain 10 covers rules shared across life, health, property, and casualty licensing
- Domain 11 isolates statutes unique to life insurance
- Domain 12 isolates statutes unique to health insurance
Fee, Format, and Retake Mechanics
Understanding the passing score in isolation isn't enough - you also need to know the mechanics surrounding the test itself, since they affect how many attempts you can realistically budget for before a license deadline.
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Exam code | 12-KS-05 |
| Testing provider | Pearson VUE |
| Fee | $64 |
| Total questions | 154 (140 scored, 14 unscored) |
| Time limit | 150 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Delivery options | Test center or OnVUE (English); Spanish combo exams are test-center only |
| Retake wait | 7 calendar days after a fail |
| Result validity | 2 years |
Kansas does not mandate prelicensing education before you sit for the exam, which means candidates come in with widely varying levels of preparation. That flexibility is convenient, but it also puts more pressure on self-directed study to hit the 70% mark on the first try. If a retake is needed, the 7-day wait is short compared to some states, but it still costs another $64 and another block of your schedule. For a complete cost picture including retakes and materials, see KSLH Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and for scheduling logistics around the current outline (effective March 1, 2025), check KSLH Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Mapping Study Time to the Passing Threshold
Because the passing score is fixed at 70% across a combined life-and-health exam, the smartest use of limited study time is proportional coverage: spend more hours on heavily weighted domains and statute-specific content, and less on areas you already understand from work experience or prior insurance exposure.
Life Domains (1-4)
- Master policy types, riders, and exclusions in Domains 1-2
- Drill underwriting and application procedures in Domain 3
- Review retirement and annuity concepts in Domain 4
Health Domains (5-9)
- Compare health policy types and provisions against life equivalents
- Study social insurance programs and field underwriting practices
- Note where health and life terminology overlap or diverge
Kansas Statutes (10-12)
- Memorize common regulations shared across lines in Domain 10
- Isolate life-only statutes (Domain 11) from health-only statutes (Domain 12)
- Run timed practice sets to simulate the 150-minute limit
This kind of proportional scheduling is a light application of general study methodology - spaced review, timed drills - but the point isn't the technique itself; it's using it to close the specific gaps that separate a passing 70% from a near-miss. For a fuller walkthrough of pacing, resource selection, and practice test strategy, see the KSLH Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and run scored drills on our practice test platform to see how your performance tracks against the 70% threshold before test day.
Mistakes That Push Candidates Below 70%
Most near-misses on this exam aren't caused by one catastrophic knowledge gap - they're caused by small, avoidable errors that compound across 140 scored questions.
- Treating life and health as separate tests. Because scoring is combined, neglecting either half is directly reflected in your final percentage.
- Underestimating the statute domains. Domains 10-12 are Kansas-specific and can't be studied through general insurance knowledge alone.
- Skipping timed practice. The 150-minute limit across 154 questions leaves little room for candidates who haven't practiced pacing.
- Assuming no prelicensing education means less studying is needed. Kansas's lack of a mandatory course requirement is a scheduling convenience, not a signal that the material is light.
- Not reviewing after a fail. The 7-day retake window is generous, but only if you use it to target specific weak domains rather than rereading everything.
If you're still deciding whether this credential fits your career plans, it's worth reading about who actually pursues it and where it leads - see KSLH Jobs and Is the KSLH Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 for context beyond the exam itself. And if the exam format or content still feels unclear, What Is KSLH? and KSLH Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify cover the fundamentals before you commit to a study timeline.
Key Takeaway
A 70% combined score rewards broad, even preparation across all twelve domains far more than deep expertise in just a few - build your study plan around coverage, not favorites.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need a 70% scaled score on exam 12-KS-05, calculated from the 140 scored questions out of the 154 total questions on the test.
No. The 14 unscored pretest questions do not affect your result, but since you can't identify them during the exam, you should treat every question as if it counts.
No. The exam produces one combined score across all twelve domains, so life and health content are not scored separately.
Passing results are valid for 2 years from the date you pass, which is the window you have to complete related licensing steps.
Candidates who fail must wait 7 calendar days before scheduling a retest, and each attempt requires paying the $64 exam fee again.
Knowing the passing score is only the starting point - pairing it with a clear view of domain weighting, statute-heavy content, and realistic timed practice is what actually turns a 70% target into a passing result. For a condensed reference you can review in the days before your test, bookmark the KSLH Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts, and use our full-length practice exams to confirm you're consistently scoring above the threshold before you walk into Pearson VUE.