- The SC-PC exam has 140 questions, a 2 hour 45 minute limit, and costs $59 through Pearson VUE.
- You need a scaled score of 70 to pass - no separate written/practical split.
- Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms is the largest domain at 17.7%.
- South Carolina law spans two domains totaling 23.1% of scored questions - the single biggest content cluster.
The One-Page Cheat Sheet at a Glance
If you only have five minutes before you sit down at the Pearson VUE center, here is everything about the South Carolina Property, Casualty, Surety and Marine Insurance Producer exam that actually matters. This is the combined exam commonly shortened to "SC-PC," administered under the South Carolina Department of Insurance and delivered through Pearson VUE testing centers or the OnVUE remote-proctoring option.
The exam is 140 scored questions, you get 2 hours and 45 minutes to finish, and you need a scaled score of 70 to pass. There is no prelicensing course requirement and no state pre-approval step standing between you and the testing appointment - you can register and sit for the exam as soon as you're ready. For a deeper walkthrough of every eligibility nuance, see the full SC-PC requirements guide.
Exam Mechanics You Must Memorize
Before domain content, lock in the logistics. These numbers show up constantly in candidate questions and are worth memorizing cold:
- Cost: $59 per attempt
- Length: 140 questions
- Time allowed: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Passing score: scaled score of 70
- Delivery: Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE online proctoring
- Score validity: passing results are valid for one year
- Retake limit: no more than six attempts within a one-year period
None of this requires memorizing formulas - it's purely administrative, but it affects how you plan. If you want the full pricing context, including how the $59 fee compares across renewal and licensing steps, check the SC-PC certification cost breakdown. For a fact-by-fact explanation of the 70 scaled score requirement and how scoring actually works, read the dedicated SC-PC passing score guide.
Key Takeaway
Because you can retake the exam up to six times in a year and passing scores stay valid for a year, there's no benefit to rushing into a first attempt unprepared - but there's also no reason to over-delay once you're consistently scoring above 70 on practice material.
The 8 Domains Ranked by Weight
The SC-PC outline splits into eight domains across Property, Casualty, and South Carolina law. Ranking them by weight tells you exactly where your study hours should go. For the full explanation of what each domain actually tests, see the complete SC-PC exam domains guide.
Domain 4: Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms (17.7%)
This is the single largest domain on the exam. Expect heavy coverage of liability policy types, bonds, and the terminology that distinguishes one casualty product from another.
- Know the structural differences between bond types and liability policy families cold - this domain alone can swing your score.
Domain 1: Property - Types of Policies (16.9%)
Nearly as heavy as Domain 4. Focus on the distinctions between property policy forms and what each is designed to cover.
- Treat property policy types as a near-equal priority to casualty policy types.
Domain 7: South Carolina Laws and Regulations Pertinent to All Lines (13.8%)
State-specific regulation questions that apply broadly, regardless of whether the scenario is property or casualty.
- These questions reward memorization of statutory specifics, not general insurance logic.
Domains 2 & 5: Insurance Terms and Related Concepts, Property and Casualty (11.5% each)
Together these two terminology-focused domains account for 23% of the exam - nearly a quarter of your score rides on precise definitions.
- Build a running glossary as you study; terminology questions are unforgiving of vague understanding.
Domain 3: Property - Policy Provisions and Contract Law (10.0%)
Covers the contractual mechanics behind property coverage - conditions, exclusions, and legal principles governing the policy.
Domains 6 & 8: Casualty Policy Provisions (9.2%) and SC Laws for Property & Casualty (9.2%)
The two smallest domains, tied at 9.2% each. Don't ignore them, but they should be the last topics reviewed if time runs short.
South Carolina Law: The Domain That Decides Your Score
Add Domain 7 (13.8%) and Domain 8 (9.2%) together and South Carolina law makes up 23.1% of scored questions - the largest single content cluster on the exam once you group by subject rather than by line of business. This is a critical fact because generic property and casualty knowledge from another state's licensing exam will not transfer cleanly here.
South Carolina-specific questions test the state's own statutory language, licensing framework, and regulatory requirements as they apply to producers selling property and casualty products in-state. Candidates who assume "insurance law is basically the same everywhere" consistently underperform on this section. If you're unsure how difficult this state-law component actually is relative to the rest of the exam, the SC-PC difficulty guide breaks down where candidates most often lose points.
Key Takeaway
Because South Carolina law accounts for 23.1% of the exam across two domains, treat it as its own study track rather than folding it into general property or casualty review.
Registration, Retakes, and Score Validity Rules
The administrative rules around the SC-PC exam are simple but worth internalizing so you don't accidentally box yourself in:
- No prelicensing course required: South Carolina does not require completion of prelicensing education or state pre-approval before you schedule the exam.
- Testing options: sit at a physical Pearson VUE test center, or test remotely through OnVUE.
- Retake cap: a maximum of six attempts per exam within any one-year period.
- Score expiration: a passing result remains valid for one year, so don't let downstream licensing steps drag past that window.
These mechanics matter more than they seem to at first glance, because they shape how aggressively you should schedule attempts. If you're mapping your exam date against other commitments, the SC-PC exam dates and scheduling guide walks through testing windows in detail. For the step-by-step process from registration through passing, the SC-PC study guide is the best companion resource to this cheat sheet.
A Compressed Final-Week Review Plan
This isn't a full prep curriculum - it's a condensed final-stretch plan built specifically around the SC-PC domain weights, meant for the week before your test date.
Attack the heaviest domains first
- Drill Domain 4 (Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms) and Domain 1 (Property - Types of Policies) since together they're roughly a third of the exam.
Isolate South Carolina law
- Review Domain 7 and Domain 8 as a standalone block - don't blend state law review with general policy review.
Terminology sweep
- Run through Domains 2 and 5 (Insurance Terms and Related Concepts) using flashcards or a glossary drill; these are precision-recall questions, not scenario questions.
Provisions and full-length practice
- Finish with Domain 3 and Domain 6 (Policy Provisions), then take timed full-length practice exams to confirm you're consistently clearing a scaled score of 70.
Run your final practice sessions on our full-length SC-PC practice tests so the 140-question, 2:45 time pressure feels familiar before test day rather than on test day.
What Changes in September 2026
The domain weights and structure covered in this cheat sheet reflect the outline effective September 2, 2025. A revised content outline takes effect September 15, 2026, so if your test date falls close to or after that transition, verify which version of the outline governs your exam before finalizing your study plan.
| Attribute | Current Outline (from Sept 2, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Largest domain | Domain 4 - Casualty: Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms (17.7%) |
| Combined SC law weight | 23.1% (Domains 7 and 8 combined) |
| Passing score | Scaled score of 70 |
| Question count / time | 140 questions / 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Next outline revision | Effective September 15, 2026 |
For a full breakdown of what's expected to shift and how to prepare regardless of which outline version applies to you, see the complete domains guide. And if you're still deciding whether pursuing this license is worth the time investment given your career goals, the ROI analysis on SC-PC certification and the SC-PC salary guide both cover that from different angles. Employers hiring for property and casualty producer roles in South Carolina - from independent agencies to captive carrier offices - typically list this license as a baseline requirement, which is covered further in the SC-PC jobs overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam contains 140 scored questions, and candidates are given 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete it.
You need a scaled score of 70. Full detail on how scaled scoring works is available in the SC-PC passing score guide.
Domain 4, Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms, is the largest single domain at 17.7%. Combined, South Carolina law (Domains 7 and 8) makes up 23.1% and deserves equal priority.
Up to six attempts are allowed within any one-year period, and passing results remain valid for one year afterward.
No. South Carolina does not require prelicensing education or state pre-approval before you can register and sit for the exam through Pearson VUE or OnVUE.