Under the standard HO-3 homeowners form, how are the dwelling and the personal property covered?
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About this test
This is a free 15-question sampler for the property and casualty portion of a US state producer licensing exam, written by the StudyPDF team. It covers homeowners forms and coverages, the parts of the personal auto policy, commercial lines basics, liability concepts, valuation, indemnity, deductibles and coinsurance, mixing multiple choice, select all that apply and fill in the blank. Answer all 15 questions, then check your score and read the explanation for every question.
All 15 questions at a glance
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1.Under the standard HO-3 homeowners form, how are the dwelling and the personal property covered?
- A. Named perils on both the dwelling and the personal property
- B. Open perils on the dwelling and named perils on the personal property
- C. Open perils on the personal property and named perils on the dwelling
- D. Open perils on both the dwelling and the personal property
Answer: B. Open perils on the dwelling and named perils on the personal property
The HO-3 special form insures the dwelling and other structures against all risks of direct physical loss unless the policy excludes them, which is open perils. Personal property is covered only against the perils the form lists, such as fire, theft and windstorm, which is named perils. The HO-5 form is the one that extends open perils to the contents as well. Open perils is not the same as covering everything, because exclusions such as flood, earth movement and wear and tear still apply.
2.Which homeowners form is written for a person who owns a condominium unit and needs to insure the interior and the belongings?
- A. HO-2
- B. HO-4
- C. HO-8
- D. HO-6
Answer: D. HO-6
HO-6 is the unit-owners form. It covers the owner's personal property, the interior finishes and fixtures the owner is responsible for, and personal liability, and it works alongside the master policy the condominium association carries on the building. HO-4 is the tenants form, which insures contents and liability for a renter who owns no structure. HO-2 is a named perils form for a house, and HO-8 is a modified form for older homes where the cost to rebuild exceeds the market value. Which structures count as the owner's responsibility depends on the association's bylaws.
3.To collect replacement cost on a partial loss to a dwelling, a homeowner typically has to insure the dwelling to at least what share of its replacement cost?
- A. 50 percent
- B. 70 percent
- C. 80 percent
- D. 100 percent
Answer: C. 80 percent
The standard homeowners replacement cost condition asks for insurance to at least 80 percent of the dwelling's replacement cost. Carry that much or more and a partial loss is paid at replacement cost without deduction for depreciation, up to the limit. Carry less and the insurer pays the greater of the actual cash value or a proportion of the loss, namely the amount carried divided by the amount required. The share is set by the policy form, so read the condition in the policy you are quoted.
4.Under a personal auto policy, which part pays for bodily injury and property damage that the insured causes to others?
- A. Part A, liability coverage
- B. Part B, medical payments coverage
- C. Part C, uninsured motorists coverage
- D. Part D, coverage for damage to your auto
Answer: A. Part A, liability coverage
Part A is liability. It pays what the insured is legally obligated to pay for bodily injury or property damage caused by an accident, up to the limit, and it also provides a defense, with defense costs paid in addition to the limit. Part B pays reasonable medical expenses for covered persons in an accident regardless of fault. Part C protects the insured when an at-fault driver has no insurance, and many states add underinsured motorists coverage. Part D pays for damage to the insured's own car through collision or other than collision coverage. Required liability limits and the fault system are set by each state.
5.A personal auto policy shows liability limits of 50/100/25. What does that mean?
- A. $50,000 property damage, $100,000 per accident, $25,000 medical payments
- B. $50,000 bodily injury per person, $100,000 bodily injury per accident, $25,000 property damage per accident
- C. $50,000 per accident, $100,000 per year, $25,000 per claim
- D. $50,000 bodily injury per accident, $100,000 per person, $25,000 deductible
Answer: B. $50,000 bodily injury per person, $100,000 bodily injury per accident, $25,000 property damage per accident
Split limits read in order: bodily injury each person, bodily injury each accident, and property damage each accident. The first number is the most the policy pays to any one injured person, the second is the most it pays for all injuries in one accident, and the third is the property damage cap. A single limit policy has one combined number for all three. Higher limits cost more, though not proportionally, and your state sets the minimum limits drivers must carry.
6.Which insurance principle says a covered loss should put the insured back in the same financial position as before, but not in a better one?
- A. Subrogation
- B. Utmost good faith
- C. Indemnity
- D. Insurable interest
Answer: C. Indemnity
Indemnity limits recovery to the actual financial loss, which is why a policy pays actual cash value, replacement cost less depreciation, unless the owner bought replacement cost coverage, and why other insurance clauses prevent anyone from collecting twice for one loss. Subrogation is the insurer's right to recover what it paid from the party who caused the loss. Utmost good faith requires honest disclosure in the application. Insurable interest means the insured stands to suffer a financial loss, and in property insurance it must exist at the time of the loss.
7.A driver is hit by a negligent motorist. The driver's insurer pays for the repairs and then goes after the negligent motorist's insurer. What is this right called?
- A. Subrogation
- B. Contribution
- C. Reinstatement
- D. Salvage
Answer: A. Subrogation
Subrogation transfers the insured's right to recover from a responsible third party to the insurer that paid the claim. A policy typically requires the insured to do nothing that harms those rights, such as signing a release that gives up the claim, once the loss has happened. Contribution is how two insurers covering the same loss share it. Salvage is the insurer's right to take over damaged property it has paid for, and reinstatement is about restoring a lapsed contract or a reduced limit.
8.A commercial general liability policy is written on an occurrence form. Which claim does it respond to?
- A. Any claim reported during the policy period, whenever the injury happened
- B. A claim for an injury that began before the policy was bought
- C. A claim for a business owner's own property damage
- D. A claim for injury that happened during the policy period, even if the suit comes later
Answer: D. A claim for injury that happened during the policy period, even if the suit comes later
An occurrence form triggers on when the bodily injury or property damage happens, not on when the claim is made, so a claim filed years later is still answered by the policy that was in force at the time. A claims-made form triggers on when the claim is first reported, and it usually has a retroactive date, so the insured needs continuous coverage or an extended reporting period. Commercial general liability covers third party injury and damage. A business owners policy packages that liability with property and income coverage for smaller businesses.
9.A homeowner asks whether the homeowners policy covers flood damage. What is the best answer?
- A. Yes, if the flood damages the dwelling
- B. No, flood is generally excluded and needs a separate flood policy, which can have a waiting period before it takes effect
- C. Yes, but only for personal property
- D. No, and flood insurance cannot be bought at all
Answer: B. No, flood is generally excluded and needs a separate flood policy, which can have a waiting period before it takes effect
Flood, along with earth movement, is a standard exclusion from a homeowners form. Flood coverage is bought separately, either through the federal National Flood Insurance Program or from private insurers. A new policy generally has a waiting period before coverage starts, commonly 30 days, so it cannot be bought as the storm arrives. Whether a lender requires flood insurance depends on the property's flood zone and the loan. A producer must tell the client what the policy excludes, and that includes this exclusion.
10.Which of the following are elements that must be present for a negligence claim to succeed?
Select all that apply.
- A. A duty of care owed and a breach of that duty
- B. Intent to cause harm
- C. Actual damages
- D. A causal link between the breach and the damages
- E. A written agreement between the parties
Answer: A. A duty of care owed and a breach of that duty, C. Actual damages, D. A causal link between the breach and the damages
Negligence needs four things: a duty of care, a breach of that duty, damages and proximate cause, which links the breach to the harm. Intent is the mark of an intentional act, and the liability section of most policies excludes intentional harm. Negligence needs no written agreement, since the duty comes from the law, not from a contract. Liability insurance pays damages the insured is legally obligated to pay because of negligence, up to the limit, and gives a defense.
11.Which of the following are covered under Coverage D, loss of use, in a homeowners policy?
Select all that apply.
- A. Extra living costs while the home cannot be lived in after a covered loss
- B. Fair rental value of a part of the home the owner rents to others
- C. The cost to repair the dwelling itself
- D. The cost of a replacement laptop used for the owner's business
- E. Costs when a civil authority bars access because of covered damage next door
Answer: A. Extra living costs while the home cannot be lived in after a covered loss, B. Fair rental value of a part of the home the owner rents to others, E. Costs when a civil authority bars access because of covered damage next door
Coverage D pays additional living expense, meaning the increase over normal costs such as a hotel or a short-term rental, while the home is unfit to live in because of a covered loss. It also pays fair rental value for a rented part of the home and, for a short period, loss caused when a civil authority prohibits use after covered damage to a neighbor's premises. Repairing the dwelling is Coverage A. Business property carries limits in the standard form and usually needs a separate business policy or endorsement. A common default limit for Coverage D is 30 percent of Coverage A.
12.Which statements about the personal auto policy are correct?
Select all that apply.
- A. Part B medical payments applies to covered persons regardless of who was at fault
- B. Part C responds when an at-fault driver has no insurance
- C. Part A pays to repair the insured's own car
- D. Collision coverage under Part D applies whether or not the insured was at fault, after the deductible
- E. Liability coverage pays for harm the insured causes on purpose
Answer: A. Part B medical payments applies to covered persons regardless of who was at fault, B. Part C responds when an at-fault driver has no insurance, D. Collision coverage under Part D applies whether or not the insured was at fault, after the deductible
Medical payments and collision are first party coverages, so fault does not decide whether they respond, and collision applies a deductible. Uninsured motorists coverage under Part C is there for the insured when the responsible driver carries no insurance, and underinsured coverage extends that where the at-fault driver's limits are too low. Part A is third party liability and does not pay for the insured's own car. Intentional acts are excluded from liability because insurance covers fortuitous loss, meaning loss that is accidental from the insured's point of view.
13.Complete the sentence.
A building is worth $400,000 and the policy carries an 80 percent coinsurance clause. The owner insured it for $240,000. After a $60,000 loss, with a $1,000 deductible, the insurer pays _____, applying the coinsurance ratio to the loss before the deductible is subtracted.
Options for blank 1: $44,000, $45,000, $48,000, $59,000
Answer: $44,000
Eighty percent of $400,000 is the $320,000 the owner needed to carry. The owner carried $240,000, so the ratio is $240,000 over $320,000, which is 0.75. Seventy-five percent of the $60,000 loss is $45,000, and the deductible comes off after that, leaving $44,000. The owner bears the remaining share of the loss as a penalty for underinsuring. Had the owner carried $320,000 or more, the $60,000 loss would have been paid in full less the deductible. The order matters: the standard commercial property coinsurance condition applies the ratio to the loss first and then subtracts the deductible.
14.Complete the sentence.
A driver with 50/100/25 liability limits causes an accident that injures three people, each with $40,000 of damages, and destroys property worth $30,000. The policy pays _____ for bodily injury and _____ for property damage.
Options for blank 1: $120,000, $100,000, $50,000, $150,000
Options for blank 2: $30,000, $50,000, $15,000, $25,000
Answer: $100,000, $25,000
Each person's $40,000 is under the $50,000 per person limit, but the three claims together are $120,000, which is above the $100,000 per accident bodily injury limit, so the policy pays $100,000. The property damage claim of $30,000 exceeds the $25,000 limit, so the policy pays $25,000. The insured is personally responsible for the rest, which is why higher limits matter, and why an umbrella policy sits above the auto and homeowners limits. Defense costs are paid in addition to these limits.
15.Complete the sentence.
A standard HO-3 policy has $300,000 of Coverage A on the dwelling. The common default limit for Coverage B, other structures, is 10 percent of Coverage A, or _____, and for Coverage C, personal property, 50 percent of Coverage A, or _____.
Options for blank 1: $3,000, $30,000, $60,000, $90,000
Options for blank 2: $75,000, $100,000, $150,000, $200,000
Answer: $30,000, $150,000
Coverage B insures detached structures such as a garage or fence, set at 10 percent of Coverage A, which is $30,000 here. Coverage C insures belongings, set at 50 percent of Coverage A, which is $150,000. Coverage D, loss of use, usually defaults to 30 percent of Coverage A. Because the other limits are percentages of the dwelling, raising Coverage A raises them too, and many policies let the owner buy more. These defaults come from the standard forms, so confirm them in the actual policy.
What the property and casualty exam actually tests
There is no single national property and casualty exam. Each state's insurance department decides which lines of authority exist, who may sit for them, how long each exam is, what score passes and how much state law the test contains. Some states combine property and casualty into one license, others split personal lines from commercial lines, and the question counts and passing scores differ from state to state. Your state's candidate handbook, published through its testing vendor, has the exact content outline and is free, so download it first.
What nearly every state shares is the general knowledge outline: the principles behind insurance contracts, the homeowners forms and their coverages, the personal auto policy, the commercial policies a small business buys, liability concepts, how losses are valued and how deductibles and coinsurance change a payment. On top of that sits a block of your own state's insurance law, covering licensing, cancellation and nonrenewal notices, rates and forms, and producer duties. That block is the part no national question set can cover.
This sampler stays on property and casualty only and leaves life insurance and annuities to its own test. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and where a figure depends on the state or on the policy form, the explanation says so.
How to use this sampler and how to study the material
Take all 15 questions in one sitting without notes, then read the explanation for every question, including the ones you got right. A lucky guess and real understanding score the same here and very differently on exam day. When you miss a question, treat it as a topic. If you missed the Coverage C question and the named perils question, review how the homeowners form treats the dwelling and the contents as one idea, because the exam asks about it from several angles.
Property and casualty questions turn on exact vocabulary. Open perils and named perils are different ways to grant coverage. Actual cash value and replacement cost settle the same loss for different amounts. An occurrence policy and a claims-made policy decide which claims a liability policy answers. Keep a running list of the pairs you confuse and drill those against each other instead of rereading the chapter.
Do the math with a pencil. Coinsurance, split limits and percentage-of-Coverage-A limits all follow the same steps: find the base, apply the rule the policy uses, and check whether the question wants the whole payment or one part. Then work through your state's insurance law separately, since none of it is covered here.
How StudyPDF builds full practice tests from your prep book
Fifteen questions can show you where you are shaky. They cannot get you exam ready, and a general bank says nothing about the state law block of your own exam.
StudyPDF works from your own material instead. Upload the prep book you bought, the packet from your pre-licensing course, the candidate handbook your state published or the slides your instructor used, and Bo, the study agent, builds full length practice tests from those exact pages. Every question is grounded in your material, and every explanation points back to where the answer came from, so you can go straight to the source when something looks off. Regenerate fresh tests as often as you like, narrow them to one area such as the personal auto policy or coinsurance, and see which concepts you keep missing.
You do not need to upload anything to start. If your course materials are still in the mail, name a topic instead, for example homeowners forms or the parts of the auto policy, and Bo writes a practice test from that. Starting is free, and it fits around a job, which is how most people prepare for a license.
Written by the StudyPDF team. Last updated August 19, 2026.
Good to know
Is this property and casualty practice test free?
Yes. All 15 questions, the score screen and every explanation are free to play in your browser, and you can retake the test as often as you want. There is no paywall on this page.
How many questions is the property and casualty exam, and what score passes?
Your state sets both, along with the time limit, the retake rules and any pre-licensing education. States also name and split the lines differently, so a property and casualty license in one state can cover what two licenses cover in another. Download your state's candidate handbook for the current figures instead of trusting a rule of thumb.
Does this cover my state's insurance law?
No. These questions cover the general property and casualty knowledge most candidates are expected to have. Every state also tests its own insurance law, such as licensing, cancellation and nonrenewal rules, and producer duties. Study that part from your state's candidate handbook and your course materials.
Who wrote these questions, and can I get more from my own prep book?
The StudyPDF team wrote every question and explanation from the general content outlines. They are not real exam questions, and none come from a prep provider's bank. StudyPDF is not affiliated with any state insurance department, testing vendor or prep school, and nothing here is legal advice. For more, upload your prep book or course packet and Bo builds full length practice tests from your exact pages, or just name a topic if you have nothing to upload.
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