Annual Report of
Life Insurance Examinations
Calendar Year 2009
OVERVIEW
This report was prepared according to the provisions of section 626.2415, Florida Statutes, and is
published annually using data from the current contracted testing vendor.
626.2415 Annual report of results of life insurance examinations.—
(1) No later than May 1 of each year, the department or a person designated by the department
shall prepare, publicly announce, and publish a report that summarizes statistical information
relating to life insurance agent examinations administered during the preceding calendar
year.
The demographic information contained in this report was voluntarily submitted by applicants for the life
and variable annuity insurance agent license. The purpose of this report is to aid the Department in
improving the quality and fairness of the insurance examinations.
SCOPE OF WORK
This report was developed for the Florida Department of Financial Services. The report summarizes
demographic statistical data, voluntarily self-reported by the applicants, relating to the life and variable
annuity insurance exams administered in 2009 by Pearson VUE. The report also includes summary
statistical information relating to each life and variable annuity test form.
METHODS
The data included in this report are for exams administered from January through December 2009. Forms
were published on February 1, 2009, so two sets of test forms (forms K, M, N, O and P administered from
January 1 through January 31, and forms Q, R, S, T, and U administered from February 1 through
December 31) are covered by this report. A total of 5,190 candidates tested in 2009.
Table 1 includes the following information for all examinees – combined and separately – by race or
ethnicity, gender, race or ethnicity within gender, education level, native language, race or ethnicity
within education level, and gender within education level:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The total number of examinees.
The percentage and number of examinees who passed.
The mean scaled score on the examination.
Standard deviation of scaled scores on the examination.
Table 2 shows the number of candidates who tested, the correct answer rates, and point-biserial
correlations for all candidates. It also shows African American examinees, White examinees, American
Indian examinees, Asian examinees, Hispanic examinees, and Other examinees for each separate test
form.
CONCLUSIONS
There are differences in pass rates for several of the groups reported in Table 1. Candidates who selfidentify as African American, Hispanic, Asian and Other have a pass rate lower than the mean, while
White candidates have a pass rate higher than the mean. Male candidates have a pass rate slightly higher
than the mean, while female candidates have a pass rate slightly lower than the mean. As education level
increases, the percent passing the test also increases. Native English speakers showed pass rates above the
mean, while native speakers of Spanish or Other languages showed pass rates below the mean. Education
level and native language have many more missing responses than gender and race/ethnicity.
NOTE: Sample sizes of less than 50 should not be interpreted, while sample sizes between 50 and 100
should be interpreted cautiously.
Table 1. All Life and Variable Annuity Examinees
NOTE: Sample sizes of less than 50 should not be interpreted, while sample sizes between 50
and 100 should be interpreted cautiously.
Passing Candidates
Scaled
Total
Score
%
N
Mean
SD
All Candidates
5190
42.5 2206 66.25 12.232
Race or Ethnicity
African American
White
American Indian
Asian
Hispanic
Other
No Response
1523
1703
7
114
1618
216
9
32.4
58.8
42.9
39.5
35.6
38.9
33.3
493
1002
3
45
576
84
3
63.40
71.12
69.00
65.49
63.88
66.24
61.22
12.243
10.93
9.13
12.12
12.54
11.41
18.48
Male
Female
No Response
2853
2307
30
43.8
41.0
36.7
1250
945
11
66.71
65.70
64.73
12.12
12.35
12.29
African American
White
American Indian
Asian
Hispanic
Other
No Response
807
967
5
44
918
107
5
30.9
60.9
40.0
47.7
37.3
41.1
60.0
249
589
2
21
342
44
3
62.99
71.84
68.00
64.89
64.67
66.69
66.60
12.29
10.24
9.19
13.58
12.00
11.30
20.07
African American
White
American Indian
Asian
Hispanic
Other
No Response
708
734
2
69
685
107
2
33.9
56.0
50.0
34.8
33.6
36.4
0
240
411
1
24
230
39
0
63.83
70.18
71.50
65.91
62.86
65.74
42.50
12.18
10.54
12.02
11.27
13.13
11.64
14.85
African American
White
Asian
Hispanic
Other
No Response
8
2
1
15
2
2
50.0
100.0
0
26.7
50.0
0
4
2
0
4
1
0
67.25
73.00
63.00
61.60
69.00
66.50
12.21
4.24
Gender
Race or Ethnicity within Gender
Male
Female
No Response
.
14.40
5.66
.71
Passing Candidates
N
Scaled
Score
Mean
SD
Total
%
Education Level
Some High School
High School Degree
Some College
College Degree
Graduate Degree
No Response
64
981
2434
1140
318
253
25.0
30.3
39.7
53.1
56.9
55.3
16
297
967
605
181
140
62.45
63.03
65.70
68.56
70.14
69.68
10.98
11.70
11.70
12.80
12.77
12.21
English
Spanish
Other
No Response
3493
1008
366
323
45.9
32.5
29.0
52.3
1603
328
106
169
67.60
62.60
61.13
68.89
11.49
13.11
13.39
11.80
14
21
7.1
28.6
1
6
59.14
63.71
8.37
12.00
29
31.0
9
63.14
11.34
292
358
1
8
281
38
3
19.5
43.6
100.0
37.5
24.9
26.3
0
57
156
1
3
70
10
0
59.74
67.18
79.00
59.88
61.19
64.34
47.33
12.03
10.59
739
781
5
45
762
100
2
29.5
56.7
20.0
33.3
33.3
34.0
100.0
218
443
1
15
254
34
2
62.80
70.88
64.80
63.00
63.45
64.88
84.00
11.65
9.45
6.91
13.22
12.12
10.73
4.24
293
376
42.7
72.9
125
274
65.97
74.10
12.63
10.12
50
378
41
42
43.7
46.3
21
165
19
66.94
65.56
66.63
9.84
13.88
12.30
Native Language
Race or Ethnicity Within Education Level
Some High
School
African American
White
American Indian
Asian
Hispanic
Other
No Response
High School
Degree
African American
White
American Indian
Asian
Hispanic
Other
No Response
Some
College
African American
White
American Indian
Asian
Hispanic
Other
No Response
College
Degree
African American
White
American Indian
Asian
Hispanic
Other
.
13.57
11.08
11.09
13.43
Passing Candidates
Total
%
Graduate
Degree
No Response
Gender Within Education Level
Some High
School
High School
Degree
Some
College
College
Degree
Graduate
Degree
No Response
N
Scaled
Score
Mean
SD
54.00
24.04
No Response
2
50.0
1
African American
White
American Indian
Asian
Hispanic
Other
No Response
African American
White
American Indian
Asian
Hispanic
Other
No Response
92
77
1
11
129
8
54.3
79.2
100.0
54.5
46.5
37.5
50
61
1
6
60
3
68.84
77.42
80.00
73.18
66.53
67.88
93
90
45.2
68.9
42
62
66.89
72.88
12.89
11.26
39
29
2
46.2
62.1
0
18
18
0
67.08
72.41
66.50
11.27
12.04
.71
Male
Female
No Response
43
21
27.9
19.0
12
4
62.28
62.81
12.24
8.04
Male
Female
No Response
531
443
7
30.7
29.8
28.6
163
132
2
63.64
62.32
62.00
11.33
12.10
12.71
Male
Female
No Response
1350
1072
12
40.7
38.4
41.7
550
412
5
65.88
65.48
66.17
11.82
11.53
13.29
Male
Female
No Response
625
508
7
57.0
48.4
42.9
356
246
3
69.79
67.09
65.86
12.09
13.50
12.84
Male
Female
No Response
Male
Female
No Response
153
165
60.1
53.9
92
89
71.85
68.55
12.84
12.54
151
98
4
51.0
63.3
25.0
77
62
1
68.30
72.06
63.25
12.31
11.78
11.27
11.84
10.38
.
12.63
13.27
8.24
Table 2. Life and Variable Annuity Examination Performance by Form
NOTE: Sample sizes of less than 50 should not be interpreted, while sample sizes between 50 and 100 should be interpreted cautiously.
Forms
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
All Candidates
African
American
White
American
Indian
Asian
Hispanic
N
Correct Answer
Rate1
Correlation2
N
Correct Answer
Rate1
Correlation2
N
Correct Answer
Rate1
Correlation2
78
60
66
60
68
932
977
991
986
972
5190
65.4
0.23
69.2
0.25
66.1
0.21
66.1
0.24
65.1
0.23
66.0
0.23
66.9
0.24
66.1
0.24
66.2
0.24
66.0
0.26
65.4
0.24
11
14
19
17
19
278
297
293
280
295
1523
66.1
0.07
70.5
0.28
61.2
0.22
62.5
0.20
65.2
0.22
62.6
0.24
64.7
0.24
63.1
0.22
62.8
0.23
63.4
0.26
64.2
.24
35
19
26
22
24
288
315
341
327
306
1703
69.7
0.21
73.2
0.24
72.8
0.15
68.1
0.21
65.9
0.29
70.4
0.18
70.8
0.21
71.2
0.19
72.3
0.20
71.3
0.23
70.6
0.20
3
1
1
1
1
7
N
Correct Answer
Rate1
Correlation2
N
Correct Answer
Rate1
Correlation2
N
Correct Answer
Rate1
Total
69
0.26
69
0.26
4
2
24
21
23
18
22
114
61.8
0.27
68.5
0.14
66.5
0.22
66.7
0.28
64.0
0.23
63.7
0.23
66.5
0.27
45.8
0.24
24
20
17
17
21
300
304
290
317
308
1618
59.5
65.7
61.6
65.7
64.1
64.6
65.4
63.3
63.3
63.1
63.6
Correlation
Other
No Response
2
N
Correct Answer
Rate1
Correlation2
N
Correct Answer
Rate1
Correlation2
Forms
5
6
0.22
0.23
1
0.25
2
0.17
3
0.17
4
0.31
3
2
4
4
4
74.7
0.26
68.0
0.20
64.8
0.23
72.0
0.39
65.3
0.16
1
3
37
62
0.64
Note: 1 Average percent correct for items on exam; 2 Average point-biserial correlation for items on exam
7
0.25
8
0.26
9
0.24
10
0.24
Total
0.25
38
39
42
42
38
216
68.8
0.17
64.5
0.26
66.0
.021
65.8
0.24
65.1
0.24
67.5
0.23
1
1
1
2
9
66
53
57
76
0.31
58.5
0.42