1. What is the LACP certification?
The NAIFA Certification Commission developed the Life and Annuity Certified Professional (LACP) certification for advisors who wish to demonstrate knowledge and experience beyond the requirements for industry licensure. A NAIFA LACP assesses client needs and implements solutions in accordance with the highest ethical standards, ensuring that client needs are met on an ongoing basis.
Certification is a means for qualified individuals to indicate to customers, employers, co-workers, insurance companies, and other stakeholders that they have met the standards of an impartial, recognized organization. Certification provides assurance to stakeholders that persons certified have met objective standards of knowledge and experience.
2. What is the LACP Certification Exam?
The LACP Certification Exam is a proctored exam administered at conveniently located testing centers around the world. The exam includes 150 multiple-choice questions. Exam development is based on psychometrically validated procedures and testing industry standards. NAIFA Certification Commission and Scantron Worldwide, our professional certification development strategic partner, ensure that the LACP Certification Examination is valid, reliable, statistically sound, and legally defensible. NAIFA has a study guide available to purchase to aid in your exam preparation.
The LACP Certification examination is developed and built around three content areas Product Knowledge, Ethical, Legal & Regulatory and Consultative Sales Process.
Download LACP Exam Content Outline
3. How long does the LACP exam last?
The scheduled test duration time is three (3) hours. During the examination, candidates will have the opportunity to review questions, change answers, mark questions to return to, or skip questions. Should a candidate’s time expire while taking the exam, all answers, regardless of how they are marked, will be calculated into the score. Once the allotted time has expired, or the candidate exits the examination, questions cannot be seen or reviewed again.
4. How is the exam scored?
The exam is based on a scaled score. The raw score is converted through a statistical formula, revealing a scaled score. As such, we cannot indicate an exact number or percentage of questions that needs to be answered correctly to pass the exam. Because there is no penalty for incorrect answers, it is recommended that candidates try to answer each question to the best of their ability.
5. What are the eligibility requirements to sit for the exam?
To be eligible to sit for the examination, all candidates must demonstrate the following qualifications:
1. Licensure as a life insurance agent in the jurisdiction(s) of practice
2. Attestation of compliance with the NAIFA Code of Ethics
3. Three (3) years (equivalent to 6,000 hours) of full-time experience as an active life insurance agent. Full-time employment is generally equated to 2,000 hours of work annually. Agents who have worked part-time may achieve eligibility by completing 6,000 hours of work over more than three (3) years.
4. Bachelor’s or higher degree granted by a college or university that is accredited by an entity approved by the United States Department of Education, or the equivalent
Or
Industry designation (CLU, CFP, ChFC, FIC, FLMI, FSCP, LUTCF, others may be approved as needed)
Or
Two (2) years (equivalent to 4,000 hours) of additional experience for a total of five (5) years (equivalent to 10,000 hours) of experience as an active life insurance agent
In addition to completing the above requirements, the successful candidate must:
Achieve a passing score on the examination.
6. What are the fees for the application and the exam?
Application and examination fees are $500 for NAIFA members, $700 for Non-NAIFA Members, and $500 for non-U.S. candidates.
Other fees include:
Re-examination Fee: $300, if retaking the exam within the 366-day eligibility period. Candidates will be allowed no more than one (1) testing attempt per testing window. If the candidate has not successfully passed the exam within 366 days, he or she must reapply and pay the full application and examination fees again.
If a candidate is able to apply for re-examination, he or she will use the information noted in the Notice to Schedule (NTS) of the Candidates Handbook to pay the re-examination fee, receive a new NTS, and schedule a new testing appointment for the next testing window, not the current one. Candidates are allowed one testing attempt per window.
Reschedule/Cancellation Fee – $50
If a candidate schedules a testing appointment and wishes to reschedule the testing appointment within the same testing window, he or she can pay a rescheduling fee to cancel the current testing appointment and schedule a new appointment as long as the request is made at least four (4) business days prior to the original appointment date. If a candidate schedules a testing appointment and wishes to cancel the testing appointment, he or she may do so as long as the request is made at least four (4) business days prior to the appointment date and the cancellation fee is paid. Candidates whose applications remain eligible (366 days from the application submission) will receive a Notice to Schedule (NTS) email for the next testing window. The $50 rescheduling fee must be paid before scheduling a new testing appointment in the new testing window.
If the cancellation or rescheduling request is made fewer than four (4) business days in advance of the testing appointment, the candidate will be considered a no-show and the full testing fee will apply.
Late Registration Fee: $50
Scantron will accept late candidate registrations up to 15 days prior to opening of the testing window, with a late fee of $50 per candidate. At Scantron description, candidate registrations submitted within 15 days prior to opening of the testing window may be accepted; however, Scantron cannot guarantee scheduling availability for these registration exceptions. If Scantron can schedule the late candidate registration exceptions, the late fee of $50 per candidate will apply.
All fees must be paid in U.S. funds to Scantron Worldwide by Visa or MasterCard.
7. What are the locations and dates for the 2020 LACP exam?
The proctored exams are administered by Scantron through a network of nearly 1,000 testing centers in cities throughout the world. Test centers, which are subject to change, are listed here.
The exam is offered during three month-long testing windows each year. All forms and applicable fees must be submitted by the specified deadlines. Forms submitted without appropriate fees will not be processed.
| Testing Window | Application Deadline | Late Deadline (+$50 Late Fee) | Cancellation/Rescheduling Request |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1- Aug 31 | June 1 | July 15 | No later than 4 business days
prior to testing appointment |
| Oct 1-31 | Sep 1 | Sep 15 | |
| Jan 1-31 | Dec 1 | Dec 15 |
Candidate eligibility will be valid for 366 days, and candidates will be permitted only one testing attempt per window. If a candidate does not take the examination for which he or she applied or does not successfully complete the examination within the eligibility period, the application will be closed, all fees will be forfeited, and the candidate must submit a new application with the full fee. If a candidate misses the registration deadline but has eligibility remaining, the application will be credited toward the next testing window.
8. When will the exam results be available?
Examination results will be available approximately four to six (4-6) weeks after the close of the testing window. Examination scores will be available through the online candidate system and will not be released by telephone or fax. When results are available, the candidate will receive an email with instructions on logging into the online system and accessing his/her score report. Results will be released to the candidate only. Results will not be released to a third party. In the case of an eligibility audit, examination scores will be held until the audit is complete.
9. Is there an opportunity to take the exam again if I do not pass at my first attempt?
Individuals who do not pass the examination may retest during the next testing window. Candidates may not take the examination more than two (2) times in any 12-month period.
10. What about recertification?
Recertification is required every three years. The recertification fee is $300. Within the three-year period, certificants may document no less than 30 hours of continued education from providers approved by the LACP Certification Commission, or they must take and pass the certification exam. Certificants whose certification expires must submit an application that satisfies the then-current requirements and pass the certification exam. Certificants must also attest to working 500 or more hours per year in a practice that incorporates regular use of life insurance and annuities in addition to maintaining industry licensure. For more information and to access the recertification application visit the recertification section of the NAIFA website: https://tdc.naifa.org/lacp-recertification
11. Describe the differences between NAIFA’s designation and certification programs.
While some may use the terms “designation” and “certification” interchangeably, NAIFA’s LUTCF® designation and LACP certification are two different pathways to success.
To obtain the LACP certification, practitioners must meet the eligibility criteria for experience, education and commitment to ethical conduct and successfully complete the LACP examination.
To obtain the LUTCF designation, professionals must complete required coursework and fulfill specific requirements. The LUTCF curriculum consists of three, nine-week courses, consisting of eight weeks of instruction followed by a week of study and review for the exam.
NAIFA’s LUTCF® designation program – often considered the first designation any insurance professional should earn – has delivered value to more than 50,000 professionals since 1984. The NAIFA LACP certification is the logical “next step” for those who wish to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise beyond the requirements of industry licensure.
12. How can I prepare for the LACP exam?
NAIFA offers several materials to help you prepare for the LACP exam. Each of these products was prepared by experienced subject matter experts guided by the LACP Exam Content Outline.
The LACP Exam Prep Course is a self-paced, web-based training course created to help you review essential information from all three subject domains covered in the exam. NAIFA members can save $100 on the LACP Exam Prep Course. In order to receive the member discount, you must first log in as a NAIFA member at the Member Login page. Once logged in, go to https://community.naifa.org/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=18335760 to purchase your course. You will automatically receive the $100 discount. If you are not a NAIFA member, go directly to https://community.naifa.org/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=18335760 to purchase the course.
The LACP Study Guide provides an overview of the three subject domains covered in the exam: Insurance and annuity product knowledge; the consultative sales process; and ethical, legal and regulatory requirements for insurance and annuity sales. The Study Guide is available for purchase as an electronic document at https://community.naifa.org/store/ViewProduct.aspx?id=16426230.
The LACP Practice Exam is a great way to familiarize yourself with the exam format and measure your readiness for the exam with an abbreviated online sample test. Find out more about the LACP Practice Exam at https://www.scantron.com/programs/national-association-of-insurance-and-financial-advisors/.
