Remote proctoring for insurance licensing exams lets you sit for your life, health, property, or casualty exam from home while a live proctor watches through your webcam and lockdown software controls your screen. The exam itself is the same one given at a test center. What changes is where you take it, what your computer and room have to look like, and how closely you’re monitored while you work.
Not every state offers the option. As of early 2026, roughly 40 states allow remote proctoring for at least some insurance exams, and several still require you to appear in person. Your state’s department of insurance website or candidate handbook will confirm whether it’s available for the line of authority you need. If it isn’t, you’ll schedule at a PSI or Pearson VUE test center instead.
Which Vendor You Use Is Not Your Choice
PSI and Pearson VUE handle most insurance licensing exams, with Prometric running a handful of programs. Your state’s insurance department picks the vendor; you don’t. Each has its own software, check-in flow, and technical requirements, so the specifics below shift slightly depending on which one your state uses. Look up your state’s assigned vendor before doing anything else, because the candidate handbook, system checker, and scheduling portal all live on that vendor’s site.
Finish Pre-Licensing Education First
Most states require you to complete an approved pre-licensing course before you can register for the exam. Life and health courses commonly run 20 to 40 hours, and property and casualty courses fall in a similar range, though some states require more. Your course provider issues a certificate of completion, and in many states the testing vendor won’t let you schedule without proof you finished it.
Skip this step and one of two things happens: the scheduling system blocks you at registration, or you take the exam and the state refuses to accept the score. Confirm the exact hour requirement and the list of approved providers in your candidate handbook before you spend money on coursework.
Computer, Internet, and Software
Your computer has to meet the vendor’s minimum specs, and these differ. PSI supports Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), macOS Sonoma through Tahoe, Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04, and Chromebooks through a Chrome extension.1PSI. Test Taker System Requirements Prometric’s ProProctor is stricter: Windows 8.1 or higher or macOS Monterey 12 and above, with no Linux, Chrome OS, or virtual machines.2Prometric. ProProctor User Guide Tablets and phones don’t work on any platform. PSI allows the Surface Pro if it has a forward-facing camera.
Internet speed also varies. PSI wants at least 3 Mbps up and down.1PSI. Test Taker System Requirements Prometric asks for 5 Mbps download and 0.5 Mbps upload.2Prometric. ProProctor User Guide Both vendors strongly recommend a wired ethernet connection. A brief Wi-Fi dropout mid-exam can be very difficult to recover from.
You’re limited to a single monitor. External headsets and earbuds are prohibited on most exams. Your webcam and microphone stay active from check-in through submission.1PSI. Test Taker System Requirements Both vendors offer a free compatibility check that tests your camera, microphone, connection speed, and operating system. Run it several days out, not the morning of the exam. Fees generally run $40 to $100 depending on the state and line, and they’re nonrefundable if a technical problem on your end stops you from testing.
Software the Lockdown Browser Will Refuse to Launch With
The secure browser will either refuse to open or force-close anything it flags as a security risk. Common triggers include VPN clients like Cisco AnyConnect, video conferencing tools like Zoom, screen-sharing software, remote desktop programs, and certain system utilities.3PSI. Closing Prohibited Applications Work laptops are a frequent source of trouble because corporate security agents run in the background. The safest setup is a personal computer with everything visible in the system tray closed before you launch the browser.
What Your Testing Room Has to Look Like
You need a private, enclosed room with a door that closes. Proctors will deny access if other people are visible, if the room has no walls (an open-plan living area, for example), or if there’s excessive background noise. Clear your desk of books, papers, phones, drinks, and writing utensils unless your specific exam allows them. Cover or remove any whiteboards, posters, or additional screens in view of the webcam.
Lighting trips up more candidates than they expect. The proctor has to clearly see your face and surroundings, so overhead lighting without harsh shadows works best. Don’t sit with a window directly behind you; the backlight turns your face into a silhouette on camera.
Scratch paper depends on the vendor and the program. Some exams provide physical paper, others give you a digital whiteboard built into the software. Your candidate handbook says which one applies. If yours uses the digital tool, try it out in advance so it doesn’t slow you down on real questions.
Registering and Rescheduling
Registration runs through your assigned vendor’s portal. Create an account, pick the remote or online-proctored option instead of a physical test center, and choose from the available slots. Remote scheduling often includes evenings and weekends that test centers don’t offer. Payment by credit or debit card confirms the appointment.
You need a valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID. Pearson VUE accepts a driver’s license, passport, national ID, or permanent resident card among a few other options.4Pearson VUE. Testing Requirements for OnVUE Online Exams The name on your ID must exactly match the name on your registration. Register as “Robert” when your license says “Bob” and the proctor turns you away and the fee is gone. Fix this at registration, not on exam day.
You’ll also provide your Social Security number and, if you already hold licenses elsewhere, your National Producer Number. Pick the correct exam code for the line of authority you want; the codes are in the candidate handbook. The wrong code can prevent your results from reaching the National Insurance Producer Registry.
Need to reschedule? PSI generally requires at least two business days’ notice to rebook without penalty, though the exact cutoff depends on the program.5PSI. Test Taker Support – Candidate FAQ Pearson VUE’s insurance programs typically require 48 hours’ notice for both cancellations and rescheduling.6Pearson VUE. Frequently Asked Questions for National eLearning Center Miss the deadline or simply not show up, and most vendors treat it the same way: full fee forfeited, and you pay again to rebook. Treat the reschedule deadline as the real point of no return.
Exam Day, Step by Step
Check-in opens 30 minutes before your scheduled start.7Pearson VUE. Tips for Taking Your Exam Online Arriving early doesn’t add exam time, but it gives you a buffer for identity verification and the room scan. If you miss the check-in window entirely (Pearson VUE closes it 15 minutes after the scheduled start), you’re marked as a no-show and lose the fee.4Pearson VUE. Testing Requirements for OnVUE Online Exams
You hold your photo ID up to the camera and the software takes a live photo of you, then compares your face to the ID. Once identity clears, the proctor asks for a 360-degree room scan: pan the webcam slowly across all four walls, the floor, and your desk surface.8PSI. How to Set Up Your Room for a Remote Online Proctored Exam They may ask to see under the desk or behind the monitor if anything looks blocked. Anything prohibited has to go before the exam launches.
Once the exam begins, the lockdown browser takes over your screen and blocks everything else. Navigation is the same as it would be at a test center. When you submit, most vendors show an unofficial pass or fail immediately, with a formal score report emailed afterward. That score report is what you use to apply for your license.
What Can Get You Flagged or Terminated
A live proctor watches your feed, and AI-based monitoring flags anything unusual. The system tracks eye movements, head position, and audio. Looking down so the camera catches only your forehead, or turning until one eye disappears, triggers a flag.9PSI. Tips to Avoid Flags in the PSI Online Proctoring System A single glance away won’t end your exam, but repeated or prolonged movements escalate from flag to warning to termination.
Actions that can end the exam immediately include talking or mumbling aloud, another person entering the room, covering or repositioning the camera, and using a phone or unauthorized device.9PSI. Tips to Avoid Flags in the PSI Online Proctoring System The software blocks copy-paste, web searches, and any attempt to switch applications. The entire session is recorded, and the vendor or state regulators can review that recording later if an integrity issue comes up.
Practical version: keep your face centered, read silently, and don’t stretch or scan the room on hard questions. If you normally study with music on or while pacing, sit through a full-length practice test in one position first.
If Your Connection Drops
Internet disconnections happen and the software is built for it. The timer typically pauses and your progress saves. Once you’re stable, you relaunch the secure browser and reconnect to the next available proctor. You don’t lose answers or restart.
A prolonged outage or a room that can’t be re-verified can void the session, which means rescheduling. Ethernet is the single best defense. If you have to use Wi-Fi, make sure no one in the house is streaming or running big downloads while you test.
Accommodations Under the ADA
If you have a disability, federal law entitles you to reasonable accommodations. Common ones include extended time, screen-reading technology, large-print displays, and permission to take medication during the exam.10ADA.gov. ADA Requirements: Testing Accommodations The request process depends on the vendor and your state.
Documentation is generally limited to what’s needed to establish the disability and the specific accommodation. Proof of the same accommodation on a previous exam, such as an IEP, a Section 504 plan, or a letter from a school administrator, is usually enough on its own. Vendors have to respond quickly enough that you can still register, prepare, and test within the same cycle, and they cannot flag your score to show you tested with accommodations.10ADA.gov. ADA Requirements: Testing Accommodations
Start the request before scheduling, not after. Most vendors require approval before you can book. Pearson VUE routes candidates to program-specific accommodation pages that vary by state,11Pearson VUE. Request Test Accommodations by Exam Program and PSI runs its own separate process. Either way, allow lead time.
Privacy and Biometric Data
Remote proctoring captures more personal data than a test center visit does. The software records continuous video and audio of you, your room, and your screen for the whole session. Facial recognition verifies your identity at check-in, and biometric analysis may run throughout to confirm the same person is still in the seat.
Retention varies. Recorded sessions are commonly kept anywhere from 60 days to several years, and flagged sessions are typically kept longer. Some states have biometric privacy laws that impose additional obligations on the vendors, but for you the practical effect is limited: consent to this data collection is built into the terms you agree to at scheduling.
If that’s a concern, read the vendor’s privacy policy before scheduling. You cannot opt out of video monitoring and still test remotely; the monitoring is what makes the remote option possible. The alternative is a physical center, where you’re still on security cameras but not typically subjected to biometric analysis.
After You Pass, or If You Don’t
A passing score is not a license. You apply for the license through your state’s insurance department, often via the National Insurance Producer Registry, using your score, your Social Security number, and an application fee that varies by state. Most states also require fingerprinting and a background check regardless of whether you tested remotely or in person; fingerprinting is scheduled separately through a third-party vendor and typically costs $50 to $75 combined with the background check. Some states want fingerprints before the exam, others after. Check your state’s licensing page for the sequence.
Passing scores don’t stay valid forever. Most states require you to apply within a set window, commonly 12 months, though the deadline varies. Let the window close and you retake the exam.
If you don’t pass, most states let you retake after a short waiting period, sometimes as soon as the next day. There’s generally no cap on total attempts, but you pay the full fee each time. Some states impose longer waits after several consecutive failures; the candidate handbook has the specifics. The retake works the same as the original. Your pre-licensing education doesn’t expire immediately, but it does have a shelf life in most states, and if the certificate lapses before you pass, you may have to redo the coursework as well.