- The Property exam has 6 domains and 85 questions (75 scored); Casualty has 6 domains and 90 questions (80 scored).
- Domain 1 (Types of Policies) is 29.3% of Property; Domain 7 (Types of Policies, Bonds) is 28.8% of Casualty - the biggest single targets.
- DC common law (Domain 4 at 26.7%, Domain 10 at 25.0%) rivals policy-type content in weight on both exams.
- Combination exams are no longer offered - you sit for Property and Casualty as two separate $75 exams.
Exam Format: Two Separate Tests, Not One Combo Exam
The District of Columbia Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam is actually two distinct Pearson VUE tests, each with its own set of domains. The Property exam contains 85 questions (75 scored, 10 unscored pretest items) and the Casualty exam contains 90 questions (80 scored, 10 pretest). Each test gives you two hours and costs $75. Combination exams that once let candidates sit for both lines at once are no longer offered by DISB, so if you're pursuing both licenses, plan for two separate testing appointments, two separate fees, and two separate domain outlines.
Because the exams are scored separately, the domain percentages below are calculated independently within each test using only the scored-item counts - pretest questions don't count toward your score or the domain weighting. If you want the full mechanics of how DISB and Pearson VUE calculate your result, see our DC-PC Passing Score guide, which breaks down the scaled score of 70 in detail.
Property Exam Domains 1-6
Domains 1 through 6 make up the Property exam. Two domains - Types of Policies and DC common law - account for well over half of the scored content, which should heavily influence how you allocate study time.
Domain 1: Types of Policies (29.3%)
The single largest slice of the Property exam. Expect detailed questions on dwelling forms, homeowners policy structures, commercial property forms, and how coverage parts differ across policy types.
- Know the distinctions between named-peril and open-peril (special) form coverage
- Be able to match a described property risk to the correct policy type
- Understand endorsements commonly attached to standard property forms
Domain 2: Insurance Terms and Related Concepts (20.0%)
Core vocabulary and mechanics that underpin every property policy - insurable interest, indemnity, valuation methods, and the difference between named insured and additional insured.
- Actual cash value vs. replacement cost calculations
- Coinsurance and how underinsurance affects a claim payout
- Perils, hazards, and loss types as tested vocabulary
Domain 3: Policy Provisions and Contract Law (17.3%)
Tests your grasp of how an insurance contract is formed, interpreted, and enforced - offer, acceptance, consideration, and standard property policy conditions.
- Elements of a legal contract as applied to insurance
- Common conditions: cancellation, subrogation, other-insurance clauses
- Warranties, representations, and concealment
Domain 4: DC Laws, Rules, and Regulations Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property, and Casualty Insurance (26.7%)
The second-largest domain on the Property exam and one that overlaps heavily with the Casualty outline. This covers producer licensing rules, unfair trade practices, and DISB's general regulatory authority - content that applies regardless of which line you're licensed in.
- Licensing requirements, renewal cycles, and appointment rules
- Unfair claims practices and unfair trade practices provisions
- DISB's enforcement and disciplinary authority
Domain 5: DC Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Property and Casualty Insurance (4.0%)
A smaller but distinct domain focused on statutes that apply across both P&C lines specifically, rather than the broader multi-line rules covered in Domain 4.
Domain 6: DC Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Property Insurance Only (2.7%)
The smallest domain on the Property exam, but don't skip it - it covers requirements unique to property lines, including the flood-related continuing education obligation property producers face in their first renewal period.
Casualty Exam Domains 7-12
Domains 7 through 12 form the Casualty outline. The structure mirrors the Property exam almost exactly - policy types first, common law second - which is helpful if you're studying for both licenses back to back.
Domain 7: Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms (28.8%)
The heaviest-weighted domain on the Casualty exam. In addition to standard liability policy types, this domain adds bonds and related terminology not found anywhere on the Property side.
- Personal and commercial auto policy structures
- General liability, umbrella, and workers' compensation basics
- Surety and fidelity bond terminology and purpose
Domain 8: Insurance Terms and Related Concepts (18.8%)
Casualty-specific vocabulary - negligence, liability limits, tort concepts, and how damages are categorized.
- Elements of negligence and defenses to liability claims
- Compensatory vs. punitive damages
- Occurrence vs. claims-made trigger language
Domain 9: Policy Provisions (15.0%)
Standard conditions and provisions found in liability and auto contracts - different in application from Domain 3's property-contract-law focus, though the underlying legal principles overlap.
Domain 10: DC Laws, Rules, and Regulations Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property, and Casualty Insurance (25.0%)
The Casualty-side counterpart to Domain 4. Expect substantially similar content on licensing, trade practices, and DISB authority, making cross-study between the two exams efficient.
Domain 11: DC Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Property and Casualty Insurance (3.8%)
The Casualty-side mirror of Domain 5 - statutes specific to both P&C lines rather than the general multi-line rules in Domain 10.
Domain 12: DC Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Casualty Insurance Only (8.8%)
Notably larger than its Property counterpart (Domain 6), so casualty-only regulatory content deserves more dedicated review time than the equivalent property-only domain.
Key Takeaway
Domains 4 and 10 (DC common law) are nearly as heavily weighted as the policy-type domains. Many candidates underestimate regulatory content because it feels less "technical" - that's a mistake worth roughly a quarter of your score on either exam.
Domain Weight Comparison
Seeing both exams side by side makes it easier to spot where Property and Casualty diverge and where they run nearly parallel.
| Property Domain | Weight | Casualty Domain | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Types of Policies | 29.3% | 7. Types of Policies, Bonds & Related Terms | 28.8% |
| 2. Insurance Terms & Related Concepts | 20.0% | 8. Insurance Terms & Related Concepts | 18.8% |
| 3. Policy Provisions & Contract Law | 17.3% | 9. Policy Provisions | 15.0% |
| 4. DC Common Multi-Line Laws | 26.7% | 10. DC Common Multi-Line Laws | 25.0% |
| 5. DC P&C-Specific Laws | 4.0% | 11. DC P&C-Specific Laws | 3.8% |
| 6. DC Property-Only Laws | 2.7% | 12. DC Casualty-Only Laws | 8.8% |
Notice that Casualty concentrates more of its regulatory weight in the line-specific domain (12) than Property does in its equivalent (6). If you're studying both, don't assume the "small" domains are equally small on each exam - read the actual percentage for the exam you're sitting.
Sequencing Your Study Around Domain Weight
Rather than studying domains in numerical order, sequence your review by weight and by how much overlap exists between exams. If you're taking both Property and Casualty, front-load the shared common-law content (Domains 4 and 10) since mastering it once benefits both tests.
Policy Types First
- Property: Domain 1 policy forms and endorsements
- Casualty: Domain 7 policy types, bonds, and terminology
Shared DC Common Law
- Domain 4 and Domain 10 together - licensing, trade practices, DISB authority
- Note where property-only and casualty-only exceptions apply
Terms, Provisions, and Contract Law
- Domains 2-3 (Property) and Domains 8-9 (Casualty)
- Drill vocabulary-heavy terms with flashcards
Line-Specific Rules and Full Review
- Domains 5-6 and 11-12, the smaller but still-tested regulatory slices
- Full-length timed practice runs on our practice test platform
This is only one way to lay out four weeks; if your timeline is shorter or longer, the underlying logic still applies - study overlapping content once, then finish with the smallest, most line-specific domains so they're fresh on exam day. For a broader walkthrough of study tactics beyond domain sequencing, see our DC-PC Study Guide.
Who Actually Tests on These Domains
The domain content isn't abstract trivia - it maps directly to what a working producer needs day one. Agencies hiring newly licensed property and casualty producers expect familiarity with the policy types tested in Domains 1 and 7 (homeowners, dwelling, commercial property, auto, general liability, bonds) because that's the product mix new hires quote and service immediately. The DC common-law domains (4 and 10) matter to employers too, since a producer who misunderstands appointment rules or trade practice restrictions creates compliance risk for the agency, not just the individual.
If you're weighing whether the licensing effort translates into job opportunities, our DC-PC Jobs overview and ROI analysis go into more detail on how the license is used in practice.
Registration, Score, and Licensing Mechanics
Before you can sit for either exam, you need proof of a prelicensing course of study - DISB does not mandate a specific 40-hour minimum, but you must be able to show completion of a course. Each exam is scored on a 0-100 scale, and a scaled score of 70 passes; scoring is exam-specific, so passing Property doesn't carry over to Casualty and vice versa.
Once you pass, you must apply for licensure within one year - miss that window and you'll need to retest. After licensure, resident producers renew every two years and complete 24 continuing-education hours, including 3 ethics hours and at least 6 hours tied to each line of authority you hold. Property or Casualty producers must also complete 3 flood-related CE hours during their first renewal period.
For exact scheduling windows, appointment deadlines, and what to expect on test day at a Pearson VUE center, check our DC-PC Exam Dates guide. And if you want a distilled, single-page reference of every domain weight and rule mentioned here, bookmark our DC-PC Cheat Sheet for last-minute review.
FAQ
There are 12 total domains, but they're split across two separate exams - Domains 1-6 belong to the Property exam and Domains 7-12 belong to the Casualty exam. You never see all 12 on a single test.
Domain 1, Types of Policies, carries the most weight at 29.3% of the Property exam's scored questions, followed closely by Domain 4's DC common-law content at 26.7%.
Domain 7, Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms, leads at 28.8%, with Domain 10's DC common-law content close behind at 25.0%.
No. Combination exams are no longer offered. You must schedule and pay for the Property exam and the Casualty exam separately, each with its own $75 fee and two-hour time limit.
Yes. Domains like 5, 6, 11, and 12 carry lower weight individually, but skipping them entirely still costs real points, and several cover practical rules - like flood CE requirements - you'll need on the job regardless of exam weight.