The cheapest insurance licensing prep: free handbook to $139 courses
Last checked October 18, 2026 · Sources: Pearson VUE practice tests; Kaplan’s state pages (e.g. Texas Life & Health); ExamFX; state rules from our state pages. Prices vary by state and line.
The cheapest insurance licensing prep starts with your state’s candidate handbook, which is free and includes the exam content outline. Pearson VUE sells life, health, property and casualty practice tests for $19.95 each. If your state requires a pre-licensing course, Kaplan’s cheapest Life & Health package is Basic at $139 list. Kaplan’s 15% ‘ADVANCE’ code, which brought that to $118.15, ended October 16, 2026; Kaplan runs it periodically, so check before you buy.
Cheapest insurance licensing prep, lowest price first
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate handbook and content outline | Free | What your state tests |
| Pearson VUE practice test | $19.95 per line | Online practice questions, in Pearson VUE states |
| Kaplan Basic (Life & Health) | $139 list ($118.15 while its 15% code ran, until October 16, 2026) | Online self-study, 60 days |
| ExamFX Self-Study | Varies by state | Course with the Readiness Exam pass guarantee, 60 days |
From providers’ own pages, checked October 18, 2026. Prices vary by state and line.
Your state decides the minimum spend
| State | Required course | Cheapest legal route |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | None listed in the handbook | Handbook plus practice tests |
| California | 12-hour Ethics and Code course | The 12-hour course plus self-study |
| Illinois | 20 hours per line, 7.5 live | Cheapest approved course with live hours |
| New York | 20 to 90 hours by line | Cheapest approved course for your line |
| Florida | 60 hours (2-15), 200 hours (2-20) | Cheapest DFS-approved course |
From our state pages, each sourced to the state and its test vendor.
Ways to pay less
- Check whether your state requires pre-licensing at all; Rhode Island, for example, doesn’t, and Texas’s handbook lists none.
- Ask your employer: insurance agencies may sponsor licensing courses.
- Take only the line you need rather than a combined package.
- Book your state exam promptly to stay within 60-day course access and guarantee windows.
- Pass first time: every retake means another exam fee, from $40 in New York to about $92 per exam in Illinois.
Common questions about cheap insurance licensing prep
What is the cheapest way to study for the insurance exam?
Your state’s free candidate handbook and content outline, plus Pearson VUE’s $19.95 practice tests if your state uses Pearson VUE.
What is the cheapest insurance pre-licensing course?
Kaplan’s Basic Life & Health package at $139 list is the lowest published course price we found; ExamFX shows its prices at checkout.
Can I pass with just the handbook and practice tests?
In states that don’t require a course, many people do; in states that do, you must complete an approved course first.
Do you earn money from these links?
No. We earn no commission from these providers.
We first checked these prices on October 12, 2026 and rechecked them on October 18, 2026. MockTestPrep is independent and is not affiliated with Pearson VUE, Kaplan or ExamFX.