- NELH is the Nebraska Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam, run by PSI as Series 13-03.
- The combined exam has 150 scored questions in 150 minutes and costs $47.
- You need 70% correct (105 of 150) to pass, and attempts are unlimited.
- Nebraska has open eligibility - no state-approved prelicensing course is required.
What Is a NELH, Exactly?
NELH stands for the Nebraska Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam. It's the state licensing test that anyone who wants to sell life insurance, annuities, or accident and health/sickness insurance in Nebraska must pass before applying for a producer license. The Nebraska Department of Insurance sets the rules for who can hold a license, but the actual test is delivered through PSI, a national testing vendor, under the internal designation Series 13-03, Life and Annuities, Accident and Health or Sickness Insurance.
If you're new to insurance licensing terminology, this is a good moment to also read our companion piece on What Is NELH? and the more definition-focused NELH Meaning article - both cover the same core answer from slightly different angles, which is useful if you found this page while comparing sources.
Who Regulates and Administers the NELH
Two separate organizations are involved, and understanding the split helps you know where to go for what:
- Nebraska Department of Insurance - sets licensing law, eligibility rules, continuing education requirements, and issues the actual producer license after you pass.
- PSI - builds, schedules, and proctors the exam itself. Testing happens at physical PSI test centers, not online at home.
This two-party structure is standard for state insurance licensing across the country, but the specific content, question count, and passing threshold are unique to Nebraska's Series 13-03 combined exam. Don't assume rules from another state's life and health exam carry over - Nebraska's own NELH Requirements page breaks down eligibility rules in detail.
Exam Format, Scoring, and Fees
The NELH combined exam is a single sitting that tests both life/annuities content and accident and health/sickness content together. Here's what candidates actually face on test day:
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Total scored questions | 150 multiple-choice |
| Time allowed | 150 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% (105 correct answers) |
| Exam fee | $47 (combined exam) |
| Prelicensing education | Not required (open eligibility) |
| Retake limit | Unlimited attempts |
| License filing deadline | Within one year of passing |
Every question is multiple-choice, and the exam is scored strictly against the 105-correct threshold - there's no partial credit or curve. For a deeper breakdown of exactly how that score is calculated and why 105 is the magic number, see NELH Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If budgeting matters to you, NELH Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown walks through the $47 fee alongside other costs you might encounter, like study materials or retake fees.
Key Takeaway
Because retakes are unlimited, the real cost of failing isn't a lockout - it's the $47 fee again plus lost time. Budget your prep time as if you only want to pay that fee once.
The 16 NELH Exam Domains
The NELH combined exam is built from 16 distinct content domains, each weighted differently. Insurance Regulation carries the most weight at 15%, meaning roughly 1 in 7 questions on your exam will come from that single domain. Here's the full breakdown:
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1. Insurance Regulation | 15% |
| 2. General Insurance | 10% |
| 3. Life Insurance Basics | 8% |
| 4. Life Insurance Policies | 9% |
| 5. Life Insurance Policy Provisions, Options and Riders | 9% |
| 6. Annuities | 6% |
| 7. Federal Taxation of Life Insurance and Annuities | 4% |
| 8. Customer Relations and Privacy | 1% |
| 9. Sickness and Accident Risk and Underwriting | 8% |
| 10. Individual Accident and Sickness Insurance Policy General Provisions and Clauses | 6% |
| 11. Disability | 3% |
| 12. Medical Plans | 6% |
| 13. Group Plans | 6% |
| 14. Dental Insurance | 2% |
| 15. Insurance for Senior Citizens and Individuals with Special Needs | 5% |
| 16. Federal Tax Considerations for Sickness and Accident Insurance | 2% |
Notice that life-related domains (3, 4, 5, 6, 7) and health-related domains (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16) together dominate the exam, while Domains 1, 2, 8, and 15 cover regulatory, general, and specialized consumer topics that cut across both lines. For a domain-by-domain study walkthrough, our full NELH Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 16 Content Areas article goes deeper than what fits here.
Domain 1: Insurance Regulation (15%)
This is the single most tested area, covering Nebraska-specific producer licensing law, unfair trade practices, and the Department of Insurance's authority over agents.
- Producer licensing requirements and grounds for discipline
- Unfair claims and trade practices under Nebraska statute
- Insurer and producer duties to policyholders
Domain 9: Sickness and Accident Risk and Underwriting (8%)
Because the exam is combined, health-side underwriting concepts get real weight. Expect questions on risk classification and how insurers evaluate applicants for accident and health coverage.
- Underwriting factors and risk selection
- Adverse selection concepts
- Application and disclosure requirements
Domain 15: Insurance for Senior Citizens and Individuals with Special Needs (5%)
A smaller domain by weight but frequently underestimated. It covers products and protections aimed at older or vulnerable consumers.
- Medicare supplement basics
- Long-term care considerations
- Suitability standards for senior sales
Eligibility and Registration Mechanics
Nebraska's open eligibility model is worth understanding because it differs from states that mandate a formal prelicensing course:
- No state-approved prelicensing education required - you can self-study and register directly.
- Testing happens at physical PSI sites - there's no remote/online proctoring option for this exam.
- License application deadline: one year - you must file your producer license application within one year of passing, or your passing score becomes stale.
- Unlimited retakes - a failed attempt just means paying the $47 fee again and rescheduling.
Because scheduling is tied to PSI's physical testing calendar and site availability, it's worth planning ahead rather than assuming you can test the next day. Our NELH Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling guide covers how to book a seat and what to do if your preferred location is full.
Who Takes the NELH and Why
Anyone planning to sell life insurance, annuities, or accident and health/sickness products in Nebraska needs to pass the NELH before an insurer will appoint them. In practice, that includes:
- New producers entering the insurance industry directly through an agency or carrier
- Financial professionals adding life and health lines to an existing securities or investment practice
- Career changers moving into insurance sales from banking, healthcare, or benefits administration
- Existing property and casualty agents expanding into life and health to round out their book of business
Because Nebraska doesn't require a prelicensing course, candidates arrive with very different levels of preparation - some have carrier training behind them, others are starting from zero. If you're evaluating whether pursuing this license fits your career goals, Is the NELH Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and NELH Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis are useful next reads once you understand the exam itself.
Building a Domain-Weighted Study Plan
Because 150 questions are distributed unevenly across 16 domains, the smartest prep strategy is to spend study time roughly in proportion to domain weight rather than treating all 16 sections equally. Insurance Regulation (15%) and General Insurance (10%) alone account for a quarter of your score - they deserve more hours than Dental Insurance (2%) or Customer Relations and Privacy (1%).
Regulation and General Insurance
- Master Domain 1 (Insurance Regulation) and Domain 2 (General Insurance) - 25% of the exam combined
- Drill Nebraska-specific licensing and unfair trade practice rules
Life Insurance Core
- Work through Domains 3, 4, and 5 - basics, policies, and provisions/riders
- Focus on policy types, riders, and nonforfeiture options
Annuities, Taxation, and Health Underwriting
- Cover Domain 6 (Annuities), Domain 7 (Federal Taxation), and Domain 9 (Underwriting)
- Compare tax treatment of life proceeds versus annuity distributions
Health, Group, and Specialty Domains
- Finish Domains 10-16: policy provisions, disability, medical plans, group plans, dental, senior/special needs, and health tax rules
- Take full-length timed practice runs at our NELH practice test platform to simulate the 150-question, 150-minute format
Spaced repetition and timed practice sessions matter less than which domains you're repeating - reviewing Insurance Regulation flashcards three times a week is a better use of limited study hours than giving Dental Insurance equal attention. For a structured week-by-week plan built entirely around these weights, see the NELH Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And if you're still deciding how much total effort this exam requires, How Hard Is the NELH Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and NELH Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows put the format in perspective before you commit to a schedule.
Key Takeaway
Study time should mirror domain weight: Insurance Regulation and General Insurance together are worth as much as the five smallest domains combined.
After You Pass: Licensing and Renewal
Passing the NELH is the first milestone, not the finish line. Once you pass, you have up to one year to file your producer license application with the Nebraska Department of Insurance. After licensure, Nebraska producer licenses renew every two years, and maintaining an active license requires:
- 24 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle
- 3 of those hours dedicated to ethics content
Unlike the initial exam, this renewal cycle is ongoing for as long as you hold the license, so it's worth understanding early. If you want a fast reference to keep nearby while studying or before license renewal, bookmark the NELH Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts. You can also run through timed drills whenever you like at our practice test site to keep domain knowledge sharp well before your renewal deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
NELH stands for the Nebraska Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam, administered by PSI as Series 13-03. For a broader look at terminology, see What Does NELH Stand For?
The combined exam has 150 scored multiple-choice questions with a 150-minute time limit, covering both life/annuities and accident and health/sickness content.
You need 70%, which equals 105 correct answers out of 150 scored questions.
No. Nebraska uses open eligibility, so state-approved prelicensing education is not required before sitting for the exam.
You can retake it - attempts are unlimited. You'll simply pay the $47 fee again and reschedule at a PSI testing site.
Understanding what the NELH actually is - a state-administered, PSI-delivered exam with 16 weighted domains - puts you ahead of candidates who dive into generic study materials without knowing the format they're facing. From here, the next practical step is reviewing the domain guide and testing your knowledge under real time pressure.