- DC-PC stands for the District of Columbia Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam, regulated by DISB.
- Property has 85 questions (75 scored) and Casualty has 90 questions (80 scored); combined exams no longer exist.
- Each exam costs $75, runs two hours, and requires a scaled score of 70 to pass.
- Twelve domains split evenly: Domains 1-6 cover Property, Domains 7-12 cover Casualty.
What DC-PC Actually Means
DC-PC is shorthand for the District of Columbia Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam - the licensing test that anyone who wants to sell property or casualty insurance in the District must pass before applying for a resident producer license. It is not a generic industry buzzword and it is not a designation from a national trade group; it is a jurisdiction-specific licensing exam tied directly to District law and administered on behalf of the local insurance regulator.
Because the letters "DC-PC" get reused by several unrelated credentials in other industries, it's worth being precise: on this site, and in every fact below, DC-PC refers only to the District of Columbia's property and casualty producer licensing exam. If you're researching study materials, make sure whatever you're reading matches that definition - otherwise you risk absorbing details (fees, formats, pass thresholds) that belong to a completely different test. For a broader definition-focused overview, see What Is DC-PC? and What Does DC-PC Stand For?
Who Administers and Regulates the Exam
The exam is overseen by the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB), the agency responsible for licensing insurance producers in the District. DISB does not proctor the exam itself; delivery is handled by Pearson VUE, the testing vendor that operates the testing centers, schedules appointments, and issues score reports.
This two-party structure - DISB setting the rules, Pearson VUE running the logistics - is standard for state-level producer licensing, but the specifics that matter to a DC candidate (content outline, fees, question counts) come from DISB, not from Pearson VUE's general testing policies. The current content outline governing what appears on the exam took effect September 2, 2025, so if you're studying from older material, verify it reflects that version.
How the Exam Is Structured
DC-PC is really two separate exams that share a name. Candidates choose the line of authority they want - Property, Casualty, or both as separate sittings - because combination exams are no longer offered. Each exam has its own question count, time limit, and fee, summarized below.
| Feature | Property Exam | Casualty Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Total Questions | 85 | 90 |
| Scored Questions | 75 | 80 |
| Pretest (Unscored) Questions | 10 | 10 |
| Time Allowed | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Fee | $75 | $75 |
| Passing Score | Scaled score of 70 | Scaled score of 70 |
Note that both exams include 10 unscored pretest items mixed in with the scored questions. You won't know which ones are pretest items during the exam, so every question deserves the same level of attention. For a deeper dive into how difficult candidates actually find these exams, read How Hard Is the DC-PC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Key Takeaway
If you need both licenses, budget for two separate $75 exam fees and two separate two-hour appointments - there is no shortcut combination exam anymore.
The 12 Domains Behind the Name
Understanding DC-PC's meaning also means understanding how content is organized. The outline splits into twelve domains - six for Property, six for Casualty - with percentages calculated separately within each exam based on scored-item counts.
Property Exam Domains (1-6)
- Domain 1: Types of Policies - 29.3%
- Domain 2: Insurance Terms and Related Concepts - 20.0%
- Domain 3: Policy Provisions and Contract Law - 17.3%
- Domain 4: DC Laws, Rules, and Regulations Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property, and Casualty Insurance - 26.7%
- Domain 5: DC Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Property and Casualty Insurance - 4.0%
- Domain 6: DC Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Property Insurance Only - 2.7%
Casualty Exam Domains (7-12)
- Domain 7: Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms - 28.8%
- Domain 8: Insurance Terms and Related Concepts - 18.8%
- Domain 9: Policy Provisions - 15.0%
- Domain 10: DC Laws, Rules, and Regulations Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property, and Casualty Insurance - 25.0%
- Domain 11: DC Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Property and Casualty Insurance - 3.8%
- Domain 12: DC Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Casualty Insurance Only - 8.8%
Notice the pattern in both exams: policy types carry the heaviest weight, followed closely by the District law domain that applies across all insurance lines. That combination - "know your policy types cold, and know common District law" - is the single biggest signal in the outline. A full breakdown of each domain, including likely question phrasing, is covered in DC-PC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas.
Registration, Fees, and Licensing Mechanics
Passing the exam is only one step. Before you can sit for either exam, DISB requires proof of a prelicensing course of study. Unlike some states, DISB does not mandate a specific 40-hour minimum - the requirement is proof of study, not a fixed hour count, so check your course provider's documentation carefully before scheduling.
After passing, you don't have unlimited time to act: candidates must apply for licensure within one year of passing the exam, or the passing result no longer counts toward an application. That deadline matters more than most candidates realize, especially if you pass Property and Casualty at different times.
- Each exam (Property or Casualty) costs $75, paid separately.
- Each exam allows two hours to complete.
- Combination exams are not available - plan two testing appointments if you need both lines.
- Licensure applications are due within one year of your passing exam date.
A full cost breakdown, including how prelicensing coursework fits into your total spend, is available in DC-PC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. For the full list of eligibility steps, see DC-PC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
What a Passing Score Means
Both the Property and Casualty exams use a scaled score of 70 as the passing threshold. A scaled score is not simply "70 out of 100 questions correct" - it's a converted score based on the exam's scoring model, which accounts for the fact that different question sets can vary slightly in difficulty. Because 10 of the 85 (Property) or 90 (Casualty) questions are unscored pretest items, your raw score is calculated only from the scored portion, then converted to the scale.
For a full explanation of how the scaled score is derived and what score reports actually show, read DC-PC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you want data-informed context on how candidates perform against that threshold, see DC-PC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
Life After the Exam: Renewal and CE
Earning a DC-PC license isn't a one-time event. Resident producers renew every two years, and renewal requires 24 continuing-education hours, structured as follows:
- 3 hours must be ethics-focused.
- At least 6 hours must relate to each line of authority you hold (Property, Casualty, or both).
- Property or Casualty producers must complete 3 flood-specific hours during their first renewal period.
This structure means the exam you take today has a direct echo in your CE obligations later - the domains you study now (policy types, District law, provisions) map to the categories you'll need ongoing education in. Building good study habits early pays off twice: once for the exam, and again when renewal CE feels familiar rather than foreign.
Who Uses the DC-PC Designation
Once licensed, DC-PC holders typically work in roles tied directly to selling or servicing property and casualty coverage in the District: independent agency producers, captive-carrier agents, brokerage support staff who need a producer license to bind coverage, and account managers at agencies writing homeowners, auto, commercial property, general liability, and bonds. Because Property and Casualty are licensed separately, some producers hold only one line, while others carry both to serve a broader book of business.
If you're evaluating whether pursuing the license fits your career plans, or weighing it against other credentials, two resources go deeper on outcomes: DC-PC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and Is the DC-PC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026. For a look at actual job listings and how employers describe the requirement, see DC-PC Jobs.
A Domain-Weighted Study Approach
Generic study techniques only help if you point them at the right targets. For DC-PC, that means allocating study time in rough proportion to domain weight rather than spreading evenly across all twelve domains.
Policy Types First
- Property Domain 1 (29.3%) and Casualty Domain 7 (28.8%) are the single heaviest domains on each exam - start here.
- Build flashcards distinguishing named-peril vs. open-peril forms, and bond types vs. liability policy structures.
District Law and Terms
- Domain 4 and Domain 10 (District law common to all lines) each carry roughly a quarter of their exam's weight - don't skip these for "generic" terminology chapters.
- Layer in Domain 2 and Domain 8 (insurance terms) alongside law content since they reinforce each other.
Provisions and Low-Weight Domains
- Cover Domain 3/Domain 9 (policy provisions) and the smaller District-specific domains (5, 6, 11, 12) - lower weight, but still scored questions.
Timed Practice
- Run full-length, timed practice sessions mirroring the two-hour limit and question counts (85 for Property, 90 for Casualty).
A more detailed week-by-week plan, including how to sequence Property and Casualty prep if you're taking both, is in DC-PC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. Once you're ready to test under real conditions, timed practice questions on our practice test platform are the closest simulation available before exam day. You can also check DC-PC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling to plan your appointment around your study timeline, and keep a condensed DC-PC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts on hand for last-minute review.
Frequently Asked Questions
On this site, yes - every fact and figure discussed refers specifically to the District of Columbia Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam administered through DISB and Pearson VUE. Other industries use similar abbreviations for unrelated credentials, so always confirm context when reading outside sources.
No. Combination exams are no longer offered. Property (85 questions, 75 scored) and Casualty (90 questions, 80 scored) are separate two-hour exams, each with its own $75 fee.
DISB requires proof of a prelicensing course of study, but does not mandate a specific 40-hour minimum. Confirm with your course provider exactly what documentation you'll need to show.
You must apply for licensure within one year of passing the exam. If that window lapses, your passing result no longer satisfies the licensing application.
Resident producers renew every two years with 24 CE hours, including 3 ethics hours and at least 6 hours tied to each line of authority held. Property or Casualty producers also need 3 flood hours during their first renewal period.