- IL-CAS refers to the Illinois Casualty Insurance Producer Exam, regulated by the Illinois Department of Insurance and delivered by Pearson.
- Candidates take two exams: a 55-question General exam (75 minutes) and a 42-question State exam (55 minutes).
- Both exams require a scaled score of 70 and must be passed within 90 days of each other.
- Ordering the matched General and State exams together costs $92 total instead of $184 for separate orders.
What Is IL-CAS?
IL-CAS stands for the Illinois Casualty Insurance Producer Exam - the state licensing test that anyone selling casualty insurance products in Illinois must pass before the Illinois Department of Insurance will issue a producer license. The exam program is overseen by the Department of Insurance, while the actual computer-based testing is administered through Pearson test centers across the state, with sessions offered in both English and Spanish.
Unlike a single unified test, IL-CAS is really two connected exams: a General exam covering broad casualty insurance concepts, and a State exam covering Illinois-specific statutes and regulations. Passing both is mandatory to obtain a casualty producer license. If you're still getting oriented, our companion pieces on What Is IL-CAS?, IL-CAS Meaning, and What Does IL-CAS Stand For? cover the terminology from different angles.
Who Needs the IL-CAS Exams
Anyone seeking authority to sell, solicit, or negotiate casualty insurance in Illinois - including many general liability, auto liability, and related commercial and personal lines products - needs to pass both IL-CAS exams as part of the producer licensing process. This typically includes:
- New insurance agents entering the property and casualty side of the business
- Agency staff expanding their existing license lines to include casualty coverage
- Career changers moving into insurance sales from adjacent fields like claims or underwriting
For a full breakdown of who qualifies to sit for the exam and what documentation is needed, see IL-CAS Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Exam Format and Structure
The IL-CAS testing process is split into two distinct, timed exams, each delivered on computer at a Pearson test center.
| Feature | General Exam | State Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Total Questions | 55 | 42 |
| Scored Questions | 50 | 37 |
| Unscored Pretest Questions | 5 | 5 |
| Time Allowed | 75 minutes | 55 minutes |
| Passing Score | Scaled score of 70 | Scaled score of 70 |
Notice that both exams include 5 unscored pretest questions mixed in with the scored ones - these are used to evaluate future exam content and don't count toward your result, but you won't know which questions they are while testing. Treat every question on screen as if it counts. For a deeper look at how difficult the format actually is in practice, read How Hard Is the IL-CAS Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Key Takeaway
Because both the General and State exams must be passed within a 90-day window, plan your two testing appointments close together rather than spacing them out for months - momentum matters here.
The Six Content Domains
IL-CAS content is organized into six domains split across the two exams - three under the General exam and three under the State exam. Each domain outline goes into effect January 1, 2026, so make sure any materials you study reflect the current version.
Domain 1 (General): Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms
This is the single largest domain on the General exam at 46.0% of scored content. It covers the structure of casualty policies, bond types, and the terminology that distinguishes one coverage form from another.
- Expect the majority of General exam questions to draw from this domain
Domain 2 (General): Insurance Terms and Related Concepts
Foundational vocabulary and concepts that underpin casualty insurance - the building blocks you need before the policy-specific material makes sense.
Domain 3 (General): Policy Provisions
Focuses on the clauses, conditions, and provisions found within casualty policies themselves - how coverage is triggered, limited, or excluded.
Domain 4 (State): Illinois Statutes and Regulations Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty and Personal Lines Insurance
Broad Illinois regulatory rules that apply across multiple lines of insurance, not just casualty.
Domain 5 (State): Illinois Statutes and Regulations Common to Property and Casualty Insurance
Narrower than Domain 4, this covers statutes shared specifically between property and casualty lines.
Domain 6 (State): Illinois Statutes and Regulations Pertinent to Casualty Insurance Only
Combined with Domains 4 and 5, Illinois statutes make up the bulk of the State exam - common Illinois statutes and regulations form the largest single domain on that exam at 59.5%.
Because the State exam is so heavily weighted toward statutory material, candidates often underestimate how much memorization it demands compared to the more concept-driven General exam. For a domain-by-domain study breakdown, see IL-CAS Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas.
Fees, Scoring, and the 90-Day Window
Each IL-CAS exam - General and State - is individually listed at $92. However, if you order the matched General and State exams together, a $92 discount applies, bringing the combined pair down to $92 total. Order them separately and you'll pay $184 instead. This pricing mechanic makes bundling the obvious default choice for almost every candidate.
- Passing score: A scaled score of 70 is required on each exam
- Time limit between exams: Both must be passed within 90 days of each other
- Retakes: If you fail one exam, you'll need to schedule and pay for a retake before your 90-day window closes
A full cost walkthrough, including how prelicensing course fees and retake costs factor in, is available in IL-CAS Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you want the exact scoring mechanics explained in more depth, see IL-CAS Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Prelicensing Education Requirement
Before sitting for either exam, Illinois requires 20 hours of Casualty prelicensing education. Of those 20 hours, 7.5 hours must be completed in a classroom or live webinar setting rather than fully self-paced online study. You must obtain your license while the prelicensing course remains active, and that course window lasts 12 months from completion - so don't finish your coursework and then delay testing indefinitely.
- 20 total hours of Casualty prelicensing education
- 7.5 of those hours must be classroom or webinar format
- License must be obtained within 12 months of the course remaining active
See IL-CAS Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify for the complete prerequisite checklist, and IL-CAS Training for guidance on choosing a prelicensing course provider.
After You Pass: Licensing and Renewal
Passing both the General and State exams is only part of the process - you'll still need to complete the formal license application with the Illinois Department of Insurance. Once licensed, casualty producers renew biennially, and renewal requires 24 continuing-education hours, including at least 3 classroom or webinar ethics hours.
This renewal cadence means the work doesn't stop once you pass IL-CAS - plan for ongoing CE tracking well before your two-year renewal date arrives.
Building an IL-CAS-Specific Study Plan
Generic study techniques like spaced repetition or timed practice sessions only help if they're mapped onto the actual weight of each domain. Given that Domain 1 (Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms) carries 46.0% of the General exam and Illinois statutes carry 59.5% of the State exam, your time allocation should mirror that imbalance rather than splitting effort evenly across all six domains.
General Exam Foundations
- Build vocabulary from Domain 2 (Insurance Terms and Related Concepts)
- Introduce policy provision basics from Domain 3
Heaviest General Domain
- Concentrate on Domain 1 - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms - since it's the largest share of the General exam
Illinois Statutes Deep Dive
- Work through Domains 4 and 5 (statutes common to multiple lines and to property/casualty)
- Begin Domain 6 (casualty-only Illinois statutes)
Timed Practice and Review
- Run full-length timed practice sessions matching the 75-minute and 55-minute limits
- Review weak domains flagged from practice results
Practicing under realistic time pressure matters because the General exam gives you roughly 1.4 minutes per question and the State exam gives slightly more breathing room per question - but statutory recall questions can still eat time if you haven't drilled the material. Our IL-CAS Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt expands this into a full multi-week plan, and IL-CAS Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is useful for last-minute domain review. You can also run through realistic timed questions on our practice test platform to get comfortable with the pacing before exam day.
Where an IL-CAS License Leads
A casualty producer license opens the door to selling and servicing casualty lines at independent agencies, captive agencies, and brokerages throughout Illinois. Because casualty coverage often pairs with property lines in commercial accounts, many producers hold both licenses and work across combined property-casualty books of business.
If you're weighing whether pursuing this license is worth the time and cost, Is the IL-CAS Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 lays out the considerations, while IL-CAS Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and IL-CAS Jobs cover the career and compensation side. For pass-rate context as you plan your timeline, see IL-CAS Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows, and check IL-CAS Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling before booking your Pearson appointments.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's two separate exams - a 55-question General exam (75 minutes) and a 42-question State exam (55 minutes) - both of which must be passed to qualify for a casualty producer license in Illinois.
Each exam is listed at $92 individually, but ordering the matched General and State exams together applies a $92 discount, bringing the combined total to $92 rather than $184 for separate orders.
You need a scaled score of 70 on each exam, and both the General and State exams must be passed within 90 days of one another.
Yes. Illinois requires 20 hours of Casualty prelicensing education, including 7.5 hours in a classroom or webinar format, and your license must be obtained while that course remains active, within a 12-month window.
On the General exam, focus heavily on Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms, which makes up 46.0% of content. On the State exam, prioritize common Illinois statutes and regulations, which account for 59.5% of that exam.