- What Is the KSLH Certification?
- Who Governs and Administers the Exam
- Exam Format: Questions, Time, and Scoring
- The 12 Domains You Must Master
- Registration, Fees, and Language Options
- Eligibility and Retake Rules
- Who Actually Needs This Credential
- Preparing for the Kansas Format
- Frequently Asked Questions
- KSLH refers to the Kansas Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam (exam code 12-KS-05), not any other certification.
- The exam has 154 questions (140 scored, 14 unscored), a 150-minute limit, and a 70% passing score.
- Kansas requires no prelicensing education before sitting for the exam.
- The exam costs $64 through Pearson VUE and covers 12 distinct content domains.
What Is the KSLH Certification?
KSLH stands for the Kansas Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam, the state licensing test that anyone who wants to sell life or health insurance products in Kansas must pass. It isn't a voluntary professional designation you add to a resume for prestige - it's the mandatory gatekeeping exam tied directly to holding a Kansas insurance producer license in the life and health lines of authority. If you plan to write life insurance policies, annuities, disability income coverage, or health plans for Kansas residents, this exam (officially designated 12-KS-05) is the credential that makes that legally possible.
Because several unrelated credentials in other industries also use the initials "KSLH," it's worth being precise: this article is exclusively about the Kansas insurance producer exam administered under the state's Department of Insurance rules. If you're researching the broader picture of what this term means before diving into study material, our overview at What Is KSLH? and the plain-language breakdown in KSLH Meaning are good starting points.
Who Governs and Administers the Exam
The Kansas Department of Insurance sets the licensing requirements, defines the content outline, and determines the passing standard for the exam. Actual test delivery is handled by Pearson VUE, the third-party testing vendor that operates physical test centers and the OnVUE online proctoring platform used across many state insurance exams.
The current content outline for exam 12-KS-05 has been effective since March 1, 2025, which means any prep materials referencing an older domain structure may be out of date. For a full explainer of the acronym and how the state uses it in licensing communications, see What Does KSLH Stand For?
Exam Format: Questions, Time, and Scoring
The KSLH exam is a combination test covering both life and health content in a single sitting, producing one combined score rather than separate pass/fail results for each line.
| Exam Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Exam code | 12-KS-05 |
| Total questions | 154 (140 scored + 14 unscored pretest) |
| Time limit | 150 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Fee | $64 |
| Score validity | 2 years |
| Retake wait | 7 calendar days |
The 14 unscored pretest questions are mixed in with the 140 scored items and are not identifiable during the test, so candidates should treat every question with equal seriousness. This matters when pacing yourself across 150 minutes - you can't afford to assume any block of questions "doesn't count." For a deeper dive into exactly how the 70% threshold is calculated and what it means for how many questions you can miss, read KSLH Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Key Takeaway
Because scored and unscored questions are indistinguishable, budget roughly one minute per question throughout the full 154-item test rather than trying to guess which ones "matter."
The 12 Domains You Must Master
The KSLH content outline splits life and health knowledge into twelve domains. Domain weights are derived from the official scored-question counts, so some domains carry noticeably more test-day weight than others. Below is the full domain list with brief context for each.
Domain 1: Types of Policies
Covers the core life insurance product categories - term, whole life, universal life, and variable products - and how each behaves in terms of cash value, premiums, and death benefit structure.
- Distinguishing permanent vs. term products
- Cash value mechanics across product types
Domain 2: Life Provisions, Riders, Options, and Exclusions
Focuses on the contract language that modifies a base life policy - nonforfeiture options, settlement options, common riders, and exclusions that limit payouts.
- Rider types (waiver of premium, accidental death, etc.)
- Standard exclusions and their triggers
Domain 3: Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policy
Tests the procedural side of getting a policy in force - application accuracy, underwriting classifications, and delivery requirements including free-look periods.
- Field underwriting responsibilities
- Policy delivery receipt requirements
Domain 4: Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts
Covers annuities, qualified vs. nonqualified retirement plans, and how insurance products intersect with retirement income planning.
- Annuity payout structures
- Tax treatment basics for retirement products
Domain 5: Types of Policies (Health)
Shifts into health insurance product categories - individual/group health, disability income, long-term care, and managed care plans.
- Differences between indemnity and managed care plans
- Disability income policy structures
Domain 6: Policy Provisions, Clauses, and Riders (Health)
Mirrors Domain 2 but for health contracts - mandatory provisions, optional provisions, and common health riders.
- Uniform mandatory provisions
- Renewability clause types
Domain 7: Social Insurance
Covers government-run programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security disability, and how they interact with private coverage.
- Medicare Parts A, B, C, D distinctions
- Coordination of benefits with private plans
Domain 8: Other Insurance Concepts
A broader health-related domain touching on group underwriting, COBRA, HIPAA portability, and other regulatory concepts affecting coverage continuity.
- COBRA continuation rules
- HIPAA portability basics
Domain 9: Field Underwriting Procedures
Focuses on the producer's role in the underwriting process for health products, including application completion and replacement rules.
- Replacement disclosure requirements
- Producer disclosure obligations
Domain 10: Kansas Statutes and Regulations Common to Life, Health, Property, and Casualty Insurance
State-specific rules that apply across all lines - licensing procedures, unfair trade practices, and general producer conduct standards under Kansas law.
- Producer licensing and license renewal rules
- Unfair claims practices under Kansas statute
Domain 11: Kansas Statutes and Regulations Pertinent to Life Insurance Only
Kansas-specific statutory requirements that apply exclusively to life insurance contracts and producers selling them.
- State-mandated policy provisions for life contracts
- Kansas replacement regulations
Domain 12: Kansas Statutes and Regulations Pertinent to Health Insurance Only
The final domain narrows to Kansas statutes governing health insurance specifically, including state mandates on coverage and disclosures.
- State-mandated health benefits
- Kansas-specific health disclosure rules
Because the two Kansas-statute domains (10, 11, 12) appear back-to-back at the end of the outline, they're easy to underestimate - but they test knowledge you won't find in generic national insurance textbooks. For a domain-by-domain weighting breakdown and study prioritization, see KSLH Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas.
Registration, Fees, and Language Options
Registering for the KSLH exam means scheduling directly through Pearson VUE. The exam costs $64, and candidates in Kansas have two delivery options for the English-language version: an in-person test center or the OnVUE remote-proctoring platform, which lets you test from a private space of your choosing. Spanish-language combination exams, by contrast, are only offered at physical test centers - OnVUE is not currently available for that version.
For a complete rundown of every cost associated with becoming licensed - not just the exam fee itself - check KSLH Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you want to map out testing windows and how far in advance to book a slot, see KSLH Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Eligibility and Retake Rules
One of the more distinctive facts about the Kansas process: the state does not require prelicensing education before you sit for the exam. That's a meaningful difference from many other states, and it puts more responsibility on the candidate to self-study rather than complete a mandated course. This makes structured prep materials more important, not less.
Once you pass, your result is valid for 2 years, giving you a defined window to complete any remaining licensing steps with the Kansas Department of Insurance. If you don't pass on your first attempt, you must wait 7 calendar days before scheduling a retest - plan your study timeline with that gap in mind rather than assuming you can retest the next day.
For the full list of prerequisites, residency considerations, and background requirements tied to Kansas licensing, visit KSLH Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Who Actually Needs This Credential
The KSLH exam is required for anyone pursuing a Kansas life and health insurance producer license - this includes:
- Independent agents selling life insurance, annuities, or health plans to Kansas residents
- Captive agents representing a single carrier who need state authority to sell life/health lines
- Insurance agency staff who will be named as producers of record on policies
- Career changers entering the insurance industry through life and health lines specifically, as opposed to property and casualty
It is not required for purely administrative insurance roles, claims adjusters (who have separate licensing tracks), or property and casualty-only producers who never intend to sell life or health products. If you're weighing whether pursuing this license fits your career goals, our analysis in Is the KSLH Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and the market overview in KSLH Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis can help you decide before you invest study time and the $64 fee.
Curious what roles actually open up once you're licensed? Browse practical hiring context in KSLH Jobs.
Preparing for the Kansas Format
Generic study advice only goes so far here - the KSLH outline has a specific shape, and effective prep respects that shape. A workable approach is to front-load the general life and health domains (1 through 9) early, since they build the conceptual foundation, and reserve dedicated review time for the three Kansas-statute domains (10, 11, 12) closer to your test date, since that content is state-specific and won't be reinforced by outside life/health knowledge you may already have.
Core Life Concepts
- Work through Domains 1-4: policy types, riders, underwriting, and retirement concepts
- Build flashcards for rider names and nonforfeiture options
Core Health Concepts
- Work through Domains 5-9: health policy types, provisions, social insurance, and field underwriting
- Drill Medicare Parts A-D distinctions until automatic
Kansas Statutes
- Focus exclusively on Domains 10-12
- Take full-length timed practice runs to simulate the 150-minute limit
Practicing under real time pressure matters because the 154-question, 150-minute format leaves little room for second-guessing. Running full-length timed sessions on our practice test platform before test day helps you calibrate pacing so you're not rushing through the final Kansas-statute questions. For a complete week-by-week study plan built specifically around this outline, see KSLH Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and if you want a candid assessment of where candidates typically struggle, read How Hard Is the KSLH Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Because no prelicensing course is mandated in Kansas, many candidates rely on practice questions to identify gaps rather than sitting through a formal classroom curriculum. Working timed questions on our practice exams repeatedly across all 12 domains is one of the more direct ways to surface weak spots before spending your $64 on the real attempt. If you want data-informed context on how candidates generally perform across the domains, KSLH Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows lays out what's publicly known.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. KSLH (exam 12-KS-05) is Kansas's own combined life and health producer exam, administered under Kansas Department of Insurance rules through Pearson VUE. It includes dedicated domains on Kansas statutes that wouldn't appear on another state's exam.
No. Kansas does not require prelicensing education, which differs from many other states. Candidates are still responsible for learning the full 12-domain content outline on their own.
The exam has 154 total questions (140 scored, 14 unscored pretest items) and a 150-minute time limit, with a passing score of 70%.
No. Spanish combination exams are available only at physical Pearson VUE test centers; the OnVUE online option is offered for the English exam only.
You must wait 7 calendar days before scheduling a retest. If you pass, your results remain valid for 2 years for licensing purposes.