- SC-PC is the South Carolina Property, Casualty, Surety and Marine Insurance Producer exam.
- It's administered by Pearson VUE and governed by the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
- The exam has 140 questions, a 2 hour 45 minute limit, and costs $59.
- A scaled score of 70 is required to pass; no prelicensing education is mandatory.
What Is A SC-PC, Exactly?
SC-PC stands for the South Carolina Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam. Officially, this is the South Carolina Property, Casualty, Surety and Marine Insurance Producer exam, a combined licensing test overseen by the South Carolina Department of Insurance and delivered through Pearson VUE testing centers or the OnVUE remote proctoring platform.
Unlike many professional certifications that require years of coursework or employer sponsorship, the SC-PC is a state licensing exam. Passing it is the gateway to becoming a licensed property and casualty insurance producer in South Carolina, allowing you to sell, solicit, or negotiate P&C insurance products within the state. If you're still getting oriented to the basics, our companion piece What Is SC-PC? covers the same core definition from a different angle, and SC-PC Meaning breaks down exactly what each letter in the acronym represents.
Who Needs To Take This Exam
The SC-PC is required for anyone seeking a resident property and casualty producer license in South Carolina. This includes:
- New insurance agents entering the property and casualty line for the first time
- Career-changers moving from other financial services roles into insurance sales
- Independent agency staff who need individual licensure to bind or sell P&C coverage
- Captive agents working for a single carrier who write property, casualty, surety, or marine business in South Carolina
One detail that surprises many candidates: South Carolina does not require prelicensing education or state approval before you sit for the exam. You can register and test as soon as you're ready. That said, walking in unprepared is risky given the exam's breadth - see How Hard Is the SC-PC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 for a realistic assessment of the challenge level.
If you're weighing whether pursuing licensure is worth the time and cost at all, Is the SC-PC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and SC-PC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis both dig into the career upside for licensed producers.
Exam Format, Fees, and Scoring
The SC-PC combined exam is standardized and predictable in structure, which makes it easier to plan around once you know the numbers:
| Exam Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions | 140 |
| Time Allotted | 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Exam Fee | $59 |
| Passing Score | Scaled score of 70 |
| Prelicensing Education Required | No |
| Testing Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE remote |
| Result Validity | 1 year |
| Retake Limit | 6 attempts per 12-month period |
For a deeper breakdown of exactly how the scaled score works and what it means practically for how many questions you can miss, read SC-PC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're budgeting for the exam and any associated costs like retakes or study materials, SC-PC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown lays out the full financial picture.
Key Takeaway
The $59 fee covers a single attempt. Since results are valid for one year and you can only retake the exam up to six times in that window, treat each sitting as a real attempt rather than a practice run - go in prepared using structured practice questions from resources like our SC-PC practice test platform.
The 8 SC-PC Domains Explained
The exam outline splits content into eight domains across two subject families - Property and Casualty - plus South Carolina-specific law. Understanding the weight of each domain is the single most useful thing you can do before opening a study guide, because it tells you where to spend your limited study hours.
Domain 1: Property - Types of Policies (16.9%)
Covers homeowners forms, dwelling policies, and commercial property policy structures.
- Know the differences between HO forms and dwelling fire policies
Domain 2: Property - Insurance Terms and Related Concepts (11.5%)
Focuses on foundational property insurance vocabulary and how coverage concepts apply across policy types.
- Master terms like actual cash value, replacement cost, and coinsurance
Domain 3: Property - Policy Provisions and Contract Law (10.0%)
Tests understanding of standard provisions, endorsements, and the legal principles underlying property contracts.
- Study conditions, exclusions, and cancellation/nonrenewal rules
Domain 4: Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms (17.7%)
This is the single largest domain on the exam, covering liability policies, auto coverage, workers compensation, and surety/fidelity bonds.
- Give this domain the most study time - it carries the heaviest weight
Domain 5: Casualty - Insurance Terms and Related Concepts (11.5%)
Covers liability-specific terminology and concepts that apply across casualty product lines.
- Understand negligence, liability limits, and per-occurrence vs. aggregate limits
Domain 6: Casualty - Policy Provisions (9.2%)
Tests knowledge of standard casualty policy conditions and endorsement structures.
- Review common casualty exclusions and supplementary payments provisions
Domain 7: South Carolina Laws and Regulations Pertinent to All Lines (13.8%)
Covers licensing rules, producer conduct, and general insurance regulation that apply regardless of line of business.
- Know South Carolina Department of Insurance licensing and appointment rules
Domain 8: South Carolina Laws and Regulations Pertinent to Property & Casualty (9.2%)
Covers state-specific statutes and regulations that apply specifically to property and casualty transactions.
- Focus on state-mandated coverages and P&C-specific compliance rules
Combined, Domains 7 and 8 mean South Carolina law accounts for 23.1% of scored questions - nearly a quarter of the exam. Candidates who assume this is a purely "generic insurance knowledge" test often underestimate this section. For a domain-by-domain study walkthrough, see SC-PC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 8 Content Areas.
Registration, Retakes, and Testing Options
Because South Carolina doesn't require prelicensing education, the path to sitting for the SC-PC is relatively direct: register through Pearson VUE, pay the $59 fee, and choose either an in-person test center or OnVUE online proctoring. Both delivery methods use the same 140-question, 2 hour 45 minute format and the same 70 scaled-score passing threshold.
A few mechanics worth knowing before you schedule:
- Passing results remain valid for one year - plan your license application accordingly
- You may attempt the exam up to six times within a rolling one-year period
- OnVUE remote testing requires a compliant testing environment and stable internet connection
- Test center availability can vary, so book early if you have a target start date for a job
For step-by-step scheduling guidance and information on testing windows, check SC-PC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. And if you're unsure whether you meet baseline eligibility before registering, SC-PC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify walks through what's actually required versus optional.
Outline Changes You Need to Know About
The content outline referenced throughout this article - the 8 domains and their weights - became effective September 2, 2025. A revised outline is scheduled to take effect September 15, 2026. If you're testing before that date, the domain structure and weightings described here apply directly to you.
If your test date falls close to or after the September 2026 transition, double-check which outline version governs your exam before finalizing your study plan, since domain weights or content could shift under the revised outline.
Key Takeaway
Confirm your scheduled test date against the September 15, 2026 outline change before you commit to a study guide, so you're not memorizing weightings that no longer apply on exam day.
Building a Domain-Weighted Study Plan
Generic study techniques only matter when they're mapped to the SC-PC's actual point distribution. Since Domain 4 (Casualty Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms) carries the most weight at 17.7%, and South Carolina law spans two domains worth 23.1% combined, your calendar should reflect that reality rather than splitting time evenly across all eight domains.
Property Foundations
- Work through Domains 1-3: policy types, terms, and provisions
- Drill vocabulary flashcards on actual cash value, replacement cost, and coinsurance
Casualty Deep Dive
- Prioritize Domain 4 given its 17.7% weight - the single largest content area
- Cover liability policies, auto coverage, workers comp, and bonds in depth
South Carolina Law
- Study Domains 7 and 8 together since they total 23.1% of the exam
- Focus on licensing rules, producer conduct, and P&C-specific state statutes
Timed Practice and Review
- Take full-length timed practice sessions matching the 140-question, 2 hour 45 minute format
- Review weak domains identified through practice test results
Whatever pacing method you use - timed blocks, flashcard rotation, or full practice exams - the goal is the same: simulate the real 140-question format under time pressure before your actual appointment. Our full walkthrough at SC-PC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt expands this into a complete week-by-week plan, and a condensed version of the must-know facts is available in the SC-PC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
You can also run realistic practice sessions directly through our practice test platform, which mirrors the question format and timing candidates encounter on the actual SC-PC exam.
What Happens After You Pass
Passing the SC-PC with a scaled score of 70 or above is what unlocks eligibility to hold a South Carolina property and casualty producer license. From there, licensed producers commonly find roles with independent agencies, captive carrier offices, and brokerages that write homeowners, auto, commercial property, liability, and surety business across the state.
Because your passing result is only valid for one year, it's worth lining up your license application and any employer onboarding steps in advance so you don't let that window lapse. If you're researching where P&C licensure can lead career-wise, SC-PC Jobs outlines common employer types and roles that require this license, and SC-PC Training covers ongoing education options agents pursue after initial licensure.
For readers who arrived here still sorting out terminology across multiple similarly-named pages, related explainers include What Does SC-PC Stand For?, What Does SC-PC Mean?, What Is SC-PC Certification?, and SC-PC Certification - each approaches the same core exam from a slightly different search angle.
Frequently Asked Questions
A SC-PC is the South Carolina Property, Casualty, Surety and Marine Insurance Producer exam - the state licensing test required to become a licensed property and casualty insurance producer in South Carolina. It's administered by Pearson VUE and overseen by the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
No. South Carolina does not require prelicensing education or state approval before you sit for the exam. You can register and test directly through Pearson VUE once you're ready.
The exam has 140 questions and allows 2 hours 45 minutes to complete it. A scaled score of 70 is required to pass.
Yes. Candidates can test either at a physical Pearson VUE test center or remotely through OnVUE, using the same exam format and passing standard either way.
Each exam may be taken no more than six times within a one-year period. Passing results, once achieved, remain valid for one year.