- The NM-PC exam is 150 scored multiple-choice questions in 150 minutes, and you need 70% to pass.
- Domain 4 (Property and Casualty Insurance Basics) and Domain 9 (Commercial Property Policies) carry the heaviest weight - 16.7% and 14.7%.
- The exam fee is $75, and no formal prelicensing education is required to sit for it.
- 2025 data shows a 67.7% combined first-time pass rate, with remote candidates passing first-time at 72.6% versus 54.4% on site.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Before you dive into domain content, anchor yourself with the operational facts that govern how the New Mexico Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam actually works. This is the one-page version - everything else on this page builds off these numbers.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Regulating body | New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance |
| Testing vendor | PSI Services LLC |
| Exam identifier | Series 18-31 |
| Exam fee | $75 |
| Question format | 150 scored multiple-choice questions |
| Time limit | 150 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Prelicensing education | Not required |
| Testing options | PSI test centers or remote proctoring |
| Score validity | 12 months |
| Outline effective date | July 1, 2026 |
Every fact above comes straight from the current outline effective July 1, 2026. If you want the full context behind the fee structure, the NM-PC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown article breaks down every dollar you'll spend on the path to licensure. For the eligibility side - fingerprinting, background checks, and residency rules - see the dedicated NM-PC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify guide.
Domain-by-Domain Cheat Sheet
The New Mexico outline splits the 150 scored questions across 13 domains, and the weighting is not evenly distributed. Four domains - Property and Casualty Insurance Basics, Commercial Property Policies, Homeowners Policy Concepts, and Personal Automobile Policy - together account for well over half of the exam. That's where your review time belongs.
Domain 4: Property and Casualty Insurance Basics (16.7%)
The single largest domain on the exam. Expect questions on policy structure, insurable interest, indemnity, subrogation, and the mechanics of underwriting and rating that apply across every product line.
- Master the difference between named-peril and open-peril coverage forms before moving to specific policies
Domain 9: Commercial Property Policies (14.7%)
The second-heaviest domain. Focus on the Building and Personal Property Coverage Form, causes-of-loss forms, and coinsurance calculations - these show up repeatedly in scenario-based questions.
- Practice coinsurance penalty math until it's automatic; this is a recurring scored-question pattern
Domain 6: Homeowners Policy Concepts (12%)
Know the HO-2 through HO-6 forms cold, including which perils each covers and how Coverage A through F apply to real claim scenarios.
- Compare HO forms side-by-side so you can spot the differences quickly under time pressure
Domain 7: Personal Automobile Policy (12%)
Liability, medical payments, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and physical damage coverages are all tested. Expect questions that test how these coverages interact after a multi-vehicle loss.
- Drill the PAP's coverage parts (A through F) and know exclusions for each
The remaining domains - Insurance Regulation (10%), Commercial General Liability (10%), General Insurance Concepts (8%), Commercial Automobile Policy (4%), Businessowners Policy (4%), Other Types of Property and Casualty Insurance - Purpose and General Characteristics (2.7%), Dwelling Policy Concepts (2%), Federal Laws and Regulations (2%), and Workers' Compensation Laws (2%) - are individually smaller but still collectively make up a meaningful share of scored questions. Don't skip them; a handful of missed easy questions in a "small" domain adds up fast on a 70% threshold. For a deeper walk-through of every domain's subtopics, the NM-PC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas covers each one individually.
Key Takeaway
Spend roughly proportional time by weight: the top four domains deserve about half your study hours, while the nine smaller domains split the rest.
Registration & Test Day Mechanics
The New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance contracts with PSI Services LLC to administer the exam, and understanding the logistics reduces avoidable stress on exam day.
- Fee: $75 per attempt, paid through the PSI registration process.
- Background checks: Resident applicants must complete electronic fingerprinting along with state and FBI background checks - plan for this well before your scheduled exam date.
- Testing format: You can sit at a physical PSI test center or use remote proctoring from home or office.
- No prelicensing course requirement: Unlike many other states, New Mexico does not mandate a formal prelicensing education course before you can register for Series 18-31.
For a full breakdown of scheduling windows and how far in advance to book, check NM-PC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. And if you're still deciding whether remote or center-based testing fits your study style, the difficulty comparison in How Hard Is the NM-PC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 digs into why the gap between formats exists.
Passing Score & Retake Rules
You need 70% correct across the 150 scored questions to pass - there's no partial credit and no domain-by-domain minimum, so a weak Domain 4 score can be offset by strength elsewhere, as long as your overall total clears the bar.
- Passing scores remain valid for 12 months from the date you pass.
- If you fail four times, a six-month waiting period applies before you can attempt again.
- Official 2025 data reports a 71.0% overall pass rate across all attempts, including retakes, and a 67.7% combined first-time pass rate.
Those numbers mean roughly one in three first-time candidates does not clear the bar on attempt one - a strong argument for treating this cheat sheet as a supplement to, not a replacement for, full domain-level study. For the complete statistical picture, including how first-time and repeat attempts compare, see NM-PC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows. If you want the exact math behind the 70% threshold and how questions are scored, NM-PC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass walks through it in detail.
High-Yield Topics to Lock In
Given the domain weighting, certain topics disproportionately drive your score. Use this as a rapid-fire checklist in the days before your exam.
- Coinsurance and valuation clauses - recurring in Commercial Property Policies and Dwelling Policy Concepts questions.
- Policy conditions and endorsements - tested across General Insurance Concepts and Property and Casualty Insurance Basics.
- HO form differences (HO-2, HO-3, HO-4, HO-5, HO-6) - a near-guaranteed source of Homeowners Policy Concepts questions.
- PAP coverage parts and exclusions - the backbone of Personal Automobile Policy questions.
- CGL occurrence vs. claims-made triggers - a classic Commercial General Liability distinction that trips up unprepared candidates.
- Certificate of insurance vs. additional insured status - commonly confused, frequently tested.
- Workers' Compensation exclusive remedy doctrine - small domain weight, but a near-guaranteed question or two.
- Federal flood and terrorism-related regulatory basics - the compact Federal Laws and Regulations domain still contributes scored questions.
Final Seven-Day Review Schedule
If your exam is a week out, don't try to relearn everything. Instead, sequence your remaining hours by domain weight so your last look is at the highest-value material.
Heaviest domains first
- Review Property and Casualty Insurance Basics (16.7%) and Commercial Property Policies (14.7%)
- Work practice questions focused on coinsurance and open vs. named peril structures
Homeowners and Auto
- Compare all HO forms and drill PAP coverage parts
- Take a timed practice block to simulate the 150-minute format
Regulation and liability
- Cover Insurance Regulation, Commercial General Liability, and General Insurance Concepts
- Note any recurring wrong answers and re-read those specific rules
Small-weight domains
- Sweep Businessowners Policy, Commercial Automobile Policy, Dwelling Policy Concepts, Federal Laws and Regulations, Workers' Compensation Laws, and the remaining "Other Types" domain
- Don't skip these - collectively they represent a meaningful share of the 150 questions
Light review and logistics
- Confirm your PSI appointment, ID, and remote-proctoring setup if applicable
- Skim this cheat sheet once more instead of cramming new material
This sequencing mirrors the structured approach detailed in the NM-PC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, which lays out a longer multi-week plan if your exam date is further out. Pairing that plan with regular timed practice on our practice test platform is the fastest way to convert this cheat sheet from a reading exercise into exam-day muscle memory.
Who This Exam Actually Serves
The New Mexico Property & Casualty Insurance Producer license, verified through Series 18-31, is the credential independent agencies, captive carriers, and brokerages look for when hiring producers to sell homeowners, auto, commercial property, and general liability lines in New Mexico. Because no prelicensing education course is mandated, candidates come from varied backgrounds - career-changers, agency support staff moving into production roles, and new graduates alike.
If you're weighing whether this credential fits your career goals before you spend the $75 exam fee and go through fingerprinting and background checks, the ROI-focused breakdown in Is the NM-PC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and the market overview in NM-PC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis are useful next reads. For candidates specifically hunting for open roles once licensed, see NM-PC Jobs.
Key Takeaway
This cheat sheet is a review tool, not a substitute for full-length practice. Run several timed sessions on our practice exam so the 150-question, 150-minute format feels familiar before test day.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam consists of 150 scored multiple-choice questions administered in 150 minutes.
You need 70% correct answers to pass. There is no separate minimum required per domain.
No. New Mexico does not require formal prelicensing education before sitting for Series 18-31, though resident applicants must complete electronic fingerprinting and state/FBI background checks.
Yes. Testing is available at PSI test centers or via remote proctoring, and 2025 data shows remote first-time candidates passed at a higher rate (72.6%) than on-site first-time candidates (54.4%).
Passing scores are valid for 12 months. If you fail four times, you must wait six months before attempting the exam again.