- The Arkansas General outline has 25 scored questions plus up to 10 unscored ones, in 90 minutes.
- Passing requires 70% correct; results stay valid for one year after you sit the exam.
- You get three attempts inside a 90-day approval window before a four-week reapplication wait.
- Exam fee is $40 per attempt; resident application is $55; biennial renewal runs $120.
Quick Facts Snapshot
Bookmark this page. It's built to be the one-screen reference you pull up the night before your Arkansas General Adjuster Exam (AR-ADJ) appointment - no scrolling through PDFs, no digging through old notes. Every number below comes straight from the current PSI candidate bulletin (revised June 18, 2025) and the Arkansas Insurance Department's published rules, verified as of September 5, 2026.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Arkansas Insurance Department |
| Test administrator | PSI Services LLC |
| Scored questions | 25 |
| Unscored/experimental items | 5-10 (added, not disclosed which) |
| Time allowed | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% correct |
| Format | Computer-based, closed-book |
| Delivery options | Test center or remote-proctored |
| Exam fee | $40 per paper/attempt |
| Resident application fee | $55 |
| Renewal fee | $120 (biennial) |
| Attempts allowed | 3 within the 90-day approval period |
| Result validity | 1 year |
Notice this is the General exam specifically - separate from the Property, Casualty, and Workers' Compensation adjuster tests. If you're not sure which line you're actually sitting for, back up and confirm before you register; the outlines and content don't overlap the way people assume. For a deeper walkthrough of what makes this exam distinct, see What Is AR-ADJ? and AR-ADJ Meaning.
The Four Domains, Fast
The General outline is organized into four official topic sections. You won't get a breakdown of how many questions come from each on test day, so treat all four as must-know rather than trying to guess weighting. A full breakdown with sample question angles lives in AR-ADJ Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas - here's the condensed version for quick review.
Domain 1: General Insurance Definitions
Core vocabulary and concepts that show up as the foundation for every other domain's questions.
- Policy, contract, and coverage terminology used consistently across Arkansas statute
- Basic principles of indemnity, insurable interest, and risk transfer
- How adjusters, insurers, and insureds are defined relative to one another
Domain 2: Arkansas Insurance Commissioner, Licensing
The regulatory structure you're stepping into, including how licensure actually works in this state.
- Commissioner's authority and the Department's role in approving candidates before PSI scheduling
- Resident licensing mechanics - age 18+, NIPR application, criminal-background review
- Line-specific prelicensing hour requirements under Rule 31 (20 hours per selected authority)
Domain 3: Unfair Trade Practices
What conduct crosses the line, and how Arkansas defines and penalizes it.
- Misrepresentation, false advertising, and unfair claims settlement practices
- Discrimination and rebating prohibitions
- How violations tie back to licensing consequences
Domain 4: General Adjusting Practices
The day-to-day mechanics of the job, framed as exam questions rather than field procedure.
- Claims handling sequence: investigation, evaluation, negotiation, settlement
- Documentation and reporting expectations
- Ethical obligations specific to adjuster conduct
Key Takeaway
Don't skip Domain 2 because it "feels administrative." Licensing and Commissioner authority questions are just as testable as claims-handling scenarios, and candidates who focus only on Domain 4 often get caught off guard here.
Registration & Fee Cheat Sheet
The path to sitting the exam has a specific order - skip a step and PSI won't let you schedule. If you want the full walkthrough with screenshots and NIPR navigation, check AR-ADJ Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify. For now, here's the sequence:
- Confirm you're 18 or older.
- Apply as a resident adjuster through NIPR, including the criminal-background application.
- Pay the $55 resident application fee.
- Wait for Arkansas Insurance Department approval - this happens before PSI scheduling opens.
- Schedule your exam with PSI and pay the $40 exam fee per attempt.
One detail that trips up candidates using older study material: proof of 12 months of experience or apprenticeship is no longer required. If you're reading a guide that mentions an experience affidavit, it's outdated - don't waste time hunting down that documentation.
Exam-Day Mechanics
The exam is computer-based and closed-book, available at a PSI test center or via remote proctoring. Both options follow the same 25-question, 90-minute, 70%-passing structure - pick whichever fits your logistics, not because one is "easier."
- No personal calculators. If a question requires arithmetic, any permitted calculator function is provided on-screen by the testing system - don't bring your own.
- Unscored questions are mixed in. PSI may add 5-10 experimental items you can't identify, so treat every question as if it counts.
- 90 minutes moves fast across only 25 scored questions - that's roughly 3.5 minutes per question if experimental items are included, so pacing matters more than raw speed.
For a realistic sense of where candidates actually struggle - timing, question phrasing, or specific domains - read How Hard Is the AR-ADJ Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026. And if you want the exact scoring mechanics spelled out, AR-ADJ Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass breaks down what 70% actually means in practice.
Retakes, Approval Windows & Results
This is the part of the cheat sheet worth memorizing exactly, because the timing rules are unforgiving:
- You have three exam attempts within your 90-day approval period.
- If you fail three times, or your approval window expires first, you must wait four weeks before reapplying for approval.
- Once you pass, your result is valid for one year - don't sit the exam early and then delay applying for the license.
Key Takeaway
Treat the 90-day approval window as your real deadline, not the exam itself. Three failed attempts or a lapsed window both trigger the same four-week reapplication penalty.
If you're weighing whether to sit for the exam again after a miss, or wondering how common repeat attempts are, AR-ADJ Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows looks at what's actually documented versus assumed.
After You Pass: Licensing & Renewal
Passing the exam is a milestone, not the finish line. Here's what carries you from "passed" to "actively licensed and staying compliant":
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Renewal cycle | Biennial, aligned to your birthday |
| Renewal fee | $120 |
| Continuing education | 24 CE hours per 2-year cycle |
| Ethics CE requirement | 3 of the 24 hours must be ethics |
| Prelicensing hours (per line) | 20 hours under Rule 31, subject to exemptions/shared credit |
Note that the 20 Rule 31 hours are tied to whichever authority you're selecting - Property, Casualty, or Workers' Compensation - not an extra General-only course layered on top. If you're trying to map out which employers value this license and what roles it opens, AR-ADJ Jobs and AR-ADJ Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis are useful next reads, and Is the AR-ADJ Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 weighs the licensing cost against the career upside.
Final-Week Review Plan
If you've already built your knowledge base and just need a structured last push, spend your remaining study time rotating through the four domains rather than cramming one. This isn't a full study methodology - for that, see AR-ADJ Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt - but here's a lean final-week layout:
Definitions & Licensing Refresh
- Drill General Insurance Definitions terminology until recall is automatic
- Re-read Rule 31 exemptions and NIPR resident application steps
Trade Practices & Ethics
- Review Unfair Trade Practices scenarios: misrepresentation, discrimination, rebating
- Connect violations to real licensing consequences, not just definitions
Adjusting Practices Scenarios
- Work through claims-handling sequence questions under timed conditions
- Practice pacing at roughly 3-4 minutes per question, closed-book
Mixed Review
- Full-length timed run across all four domains
- Confirm your PSI appointment details and delivery format (center vs. remote)
Practice under real exam conditions is the fastest way to expose weak spots before they cost you a scored point. A quick run through the full-length questions on the AR-ADJ practice test platform the week before your appointment will tell you far more than another pass through your notes.
FAQ
The outline specifies 25 scored questions with 90 minutes to complete them. PSI may also insert 5-10 unscored experimental questions, which look identical to scored ones.
You need 70% correct on the scored portion. Experimental questions don't count toward this, but you won't know which ones those are during the exam.
No. Personal calculators are prohibited. The exam is closed-book and computer-based, whether you sit at a test center or use remote proctoring.
Three attempts are allowed within your 90-day approval period. After three failures, or if the approval period expires first, you must wait four weeks and reapply for approval before scheduling again.
No. Proof of 12 months of experience or apprenticeship is no longer required for the Arkansas General Adjuster license. Some older guides still reference this requirement - it's outdated.