IC-38 FAQs: Straight Answers, One at a Time

IC-38 is the study material and examination framework used for pre-recruitment certification of insurance agents in India. The Insurance Institute of India (III) publishes the revised IC-38 material across Life, Non-Life (General) and Health tracks, built around a Common section shared by all three.

Anyone preparing to qualify as an insurance agent generally needs to complete the applicable training and pass the prescribed pre-recruitment examination before appointment, subject to the current IRDAI rules and the individual insurer's appointment process.

Life Insurance, General (Non-Life) Insurance and Health Insurance. Each track adds its own product-specific chapters on top of the five-chapter Common section every candidate studies. See the full IC-38 syllabus for the chapter list.

Yes. Life and General are commonly combined into what's called a composite licence, where a candidate prepares the Common section plus both the Life and General product-specific sections. A composite licence is also commonly reported to require more training hours than a single-line licence (roughly 75 hours versus 50). Training-hour requirements are set by the provider and can change, so confirm the current requirement with your training provider. Health Insurance is generally its own standalone track rather than something folded into a composite licence. See Life vs General vs Health for how the three tracks differ.

No. The Common section is identical across all three, but the product-specific chapters differ. A Life candidate studies the Life chapters, a General candidate studies the General chapters, and a Health candidate studies the Health chapters.

Not if your examination requires a product-specific track. The Common section is the foundation, but you still need the relevant Life, General or Health chapters for the track you're actually being examined on.

No. "IC-38", "insurance agent" and "POSP" (Point of Sales Person) are different routes with different eligibility, training and syllabus requirements. Check which specific role and certification your training provider or insurer has enrolled you for before you start preparing.

The currently reported format is 50 multiple-choice questions.

The currently reported duration is 60 minutes.

The currently reported qualifying score is 18 out of 50 (35%). Verify the latest instructions from your training/examination provider, since passing requirements can be revised.

Current public preparation sources report no negative marking for IC-38. Follow the instructions displayed at your actual examination rather than assuming this holds on exam day.

The currently reported mode is Online (computer-based). The exact registration and examination process depends on your authorised training/examination provider.

Multiple language options are commonly reported to be available for the IC-38 exam, including Hindi alongside English. Which languages are actually offered can depend on your training/examination provider, so confirm the available languages with them before you prepare in a specific one.

Yes. Registration and examination for IC-38 typically involve a fee set by the training/examination provider, and separate training charges may apply depending on the mode you choose. These amounts vary by provider and change over time, so confirm the current fee directly with your training/examination provider rather than relying on a figure quoted elsewhere.

The Insurance Institute of India (III) publishes the revised IC-38 material for Insurance Agents in multiple languages, split into Life, Non-Life and Health tracks with a shared Common section. See the IC-38 study material page for how to use it once you have it.

It may be possible to clear the exam with targeted preparation, but relying on a short list of "important questions" is risky. III states its material is indicative and that exam questions aren't confined to it, so understanding the syllabus is safer than memorising a question bank.

There's no fixed number, and quality matters more than quantity. Start with topic-wise tests, then move to full-length mocks under timed conditions, and keep going until your scores are consistently above your target and your weak chapters are improving.

IRDAI's Appointment of Insurance Agents framework requires an applicant to be at least 18 years old. Confirm the current insurer-specific requirement before applying, since appointment policies can differ.

Educational eligibility isn't fixed by IC-38 itself. It runs through IRDAI's regulations and each insurer's board-approved policy. A 10th-standard pass is the minimum most sources cite, but insurers can set their own bar within that framework, so confirm the current requirement directly with the insurer you're applying to.

Public preparation sources commonly report no fixed cap on the number of attempts. If you don't clear the exam, you can typically re-book and retake it, paying the applicable fee again, through your training/examination provider. Attempt policies are set by the provider and can be revised, so confirm the current policy if you're planning around it.

Passing the exam is not an automatic insurance-agent licence. It's one part of the process. You still need to complete the applicable training, if you haven't already, and go through the insurer's appointment and verification process before you're authorised to sell.