- How the AK-LH Exam Is Structured
- Why 13 Domains Span Two Exams
- Life General Knowledge (Domains 1-4)
- Alaska Specific Life (Domains 5-6)
- Accident and Health General Knowledge (Domains 7-11)
- Alaska Specific Accident and Health (Domains 12-13)
- Domain Weighting: What Actually Counts Most
- Mapping a Study Timeline to the 13 Domains
- Registration, Fees, and Test-Day Mechanics
- Who Hires Producers With This License
- FAQ
- The AK-LH path covers 13 domains split between the Life exam (Domains 1-6) and the Accident and Health exam (Domains 7-13).
- The two "common" Alaska-law domains (5 and 12) together make up one-third of all scored questions.
- The March 3, 2025 outline sets 210 total items - 180 scored, 30 pretest - over 4 hours 30 minutes.
- A scaled score of 70 is required, and passing results stay valid for one year.
How the AK-LH Exam Is Structured
The Alaska Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam (AK-LH) isn't one test - it's a combination of two separate examinations administered through Pearson VUE under the authority of the Alaska Division of Insurance. Candidates pursuing the full Life-and-Health line sit for both exams in the same test-center session for a combined $89 fee. Together, the current outlines produce 210 multiple-choice items, made up of 180 scored questions and 30 unscored pretest questions, delivered across 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Older versions of the candidate handbook still reference a 220-item examination table, but the March 3, 2025 outlines - the ones that matter for anyone testing in 2026 - confirm 210 items. If you want the exact score threshold and how it's calculated, see AK-LH Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. This article focuses on the content itself: the 13 domains that determine what actually shows up on your screen.
Why 13 Domains Span Two Exams
Alaska organizes the AK-LH content into 13 distinct domains, and understanding which exam each domain belongs to is the first step in building a realistic study plan. The Life exam draws from Domains 1 through 6. The Accident and Health exam draws from Domains 7 through 13. Two of those 13 domains - one on each exam - cover Alaska law that overlaps with property, casualty, and personal lines producers, not just Life and Health.
| Exam | Domains Covered | Domain Count |
|---|---|---|
| Life Exam | Domains 1-6 | 6 |
| Accident and Health Exam | Domains 7-13 | 7 |
Because the domains normalize scored-item counts across the entire two-exam path, no single domain exists in isolation - your overall performance is judged as one combined credential even though you sit for two separate content blocks. For a broader look at how tough this dual structure feels in practice, check How Hard Is the AK-LH Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Life General Knowledge (Domains 1-4)
The first four domains form the backbone of the Life exam and test general product and process knowledge that isn't Alaska-specific - it applies to life insurance concepts broadly, then gets layered with state law later in Domains 5 and 6.
Domain 1: Types of Policies
Covers the structural differences between term, whole life, universal life, and variable products.
- Distinguish level term from decreasing/increasing term
- Understand cash value accumulation mechanics in permanent products
- Know how variable life ties cash value to separate accounts
Domain 2: Life Provisions, Riders, Options, and Exclusions
Tests your grasp of contract add-ons and standard clauses that modify a base policy.
- Waiver of premium, accelerated death benefit, and guaranteed insurability riders
- Nonforfeiture options and settlement options
- Common exclusions such as suicide and aviation clauses
Domain 3: Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policies
Focuses on the producer's role from application intake through policy delivery.
- Field underwriting duties and material misrepresentation risks
- Conditional receipts and temporary insurance agreements
- Policy delivery requirements and free-look periods
Domain 4: Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts
Covers annuities, qualified plans, and how life products interact with retirement planning.
- Immediate vs. deferred annuities and payout options
- Qualified vs. nonqualified plan taxation basics
- Group vs. individual retirement vehicles
Alaska Specific Life (Domains 5-6)
These two domains bring state law into the Life exam and deserve dedicated attention because they carry disproportionate weight relative to their small domain count.
Domain 5: Alaska Laws, Rules and Regulations Common to Life, Health (Accident and Health), Property, Casualty and Personal Lines Insurance
This is one of the two "common" domains that also appears on the Accident and Health exam as Domain 12. It covers licensing rules, unfair trade practices, and general regulatory requirements that apply across insurance lines in Alaska.
- Producer licensing, renewal, and continuing-education obligations
- Unfair claims and trade practices under Alaska statute
- Penalties for violations and Division of Insurance authority
Domain 6: Alaska Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Life Insurance Only
Narrower than Domain 5, this covers statutes specific to life contracts issued in Alaska.
- Free-look periods and replacement regulations
- Beneficiary designation rules under state law
- Alaska-specific disclosure requirements for life products
Key Takeaway
Domains 5 and 6 are compact in number but should never be treated as an afterthought - Alaska law questions are where generic national study material falls short. This is precisely the gap the AK-LH Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt is built to close.
Accident and Health General Knowledge (Domains 7-11)
The Accident and Health exam opens with five general-knowledge domains before moving into Alaska-specific law. These domains mirror the Life exam's structure - product types, then provisions, then supporting concepts and procedures.
Domain 7: Types of Policies
Covers the major categories of health coverage a producer must recognize.
- Individual vs. group health contracts
- Disability income, long-term care, and Medicare supplement basics
- Managed care structures like HMOs and PPOs
Domain 8: Policy Provisions, Clauses, and Riders
Tests knowledge of standard contract language in health insurance.
- Elimination periods and benefit periods in disability contracts
- Coordination of benefits provisions
- Guaranteed renewability and cancellation clauses
Domain 9: Social Insurance
Covers government-run programs a producer must be able to explain to clients.
- Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D structure
- Medicaid eligibility basics
- Social Security disability income coordination
Domain 10: Other Insurance Concepts
Covers foundational health insurance terminology and concepts not tied to a specific product.
- Deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance mechanics
- Pre-existing condition limitations
- COBRA and continuation-of-coverage basics
Domain 11: Field Underwriting Procedures
Focuses on the producer's responsibilities when submitting health applications.
- Application completion accuracy and disclosure duties
- Replacement and conservation requirements
- Producer liability for misrepresentation on health applications
Alaska Specific Accident and Health (Domains 12-13)
Just as the Life exam closes with state-law domains, so does the Accident and Health exam - and Domain 12 is the direct counterpart to Domain 5.
Domain 12: Alaska Laws, Rules and Regulations Common to Life, Health (Accident and Health), Property, Casualty and Personal Lines Insurance
Identical in scope to Domain 5, this content repeats on the Accident and Health exam because it applies broadly across insurance lines rather than to one product type.
- General licensing and appointment requirements
- Statutory definitions used across multiple insurance lines
- Regulatory enforcement mechanisms
Domain 13: Alaska Laws, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Health (Accident and Health) Insurance Only
The final domain narrows to statutes unique to health insurance contracts written in Alaska.
- State-mandated health benefits and coverage requirements
- Small group vs. individual market rules
- Alaska-specific disclosure and rate filing basics for health products
Domain Weighting: What Actually Counts Most
Domain percentages on the AK-LH outline are calculated by normalizing the official scored-item counts across the full two-exam path - meaning the weight of each domain reflects its share of the 180 scored questions, not the pretest items. The single most important structural fact to internalize: the two common Alaska-law domains, 5 and 12, together account for one-third of all scored questions.
The remaining scored questions are distributed across the nine general-knowledge domains (1-4 and 7-11), covering product types, provisions, underwriting, and social insurance concepts. If you want a condensed reference of the highest-yield facts across all 13 domains, bookmark the AK-LH Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts for last-week review.
Mapping a Study Timeline to the 13 Domains
Because Domains 5, 6, 12, and 13 carry outsized weight relative to their count, a smart schedule front-loads Alaska law early and revisits it right before test day, rather than treating it as a one-time pass.
Life General Knowledge Foundations
- Work through Domains 1-2: policy types, provisions, riders, and exclusions
- Build a glossary of contract terms you keep confusing
Life Application, Underwriting, and Concepts
- Cover Domains 3-4: field underwriting, delivery, retirement concepts
- Start Alaska law early with Domain 5 and Domain 6
Health General Knowledge, Part One
- Work through Domains 7-9: policy types, provisions, social insurance
- Compare Medicare/Medicaid structure against life-side retirement concepts
Health General Knowledge, Part Two + Alaska Law Review
- Cover Domains 10-11: other concepts and field underwriting
- Finish with Domains 12-13, then re-review Domains 5 and 6 side by side
Notice that Alaska law appears twice in this plan - once during initial coverage, once during final review - because it drives one-third of your score. For a full walkthrough of pacing, practice-question rotation, and review cycles, see AK-LH Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and pressure-test your recall with timed sets on the practice test platform before scheduling your exam date.
Registration, Fees, and Test-Day Mechanics
Eligibility for the AK-LH combination is straightforward: you must be at least 18 years old, reside in Alaska, be considered trustworthy and competent, and pass the examinations. There is no prelicensing education hour requirement, which makes disciplined self-study across all 13 domains even more important. Initial applicants also submit a fingerprint card as part of licensing. Full eligibility details are covered in AK-LH Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
On test day, expect 210 total items - 180 scored, 30 unscored pretest - across 4 hours and 30 minutes, administered through Pearson VUE. The combined Life-and-Health session costs $89 and is test-center-only; individual exams may be offered via OnVUE for candidates only needing one line. A scaled score of 70 is required to pass, and a passing result stays valid for one year, so don't let too much time lapse between finishing the exam and completing licensing paperwork. For current scheduling windows, see AK-LH Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling, and for a full fee breakdown beyond the exam itself, check AK-LH Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Once licensed, producers renew biennially and must complete 24 continuing-education hours, including 3 ethics hours, after each full two-year licensing period - so mastering these 13 domains now sets the foundation for ongoing CE requirements later.
Who Hires Producers With This License
A Life-and-Health producer license opens doors across carriers, independent agencies, and financial-services firms operating in Alaska that sell life insurance, annuities, disability income, Medicare supplement, and group health products. Because the 13 domains span both personal life planning and health/social insurance concepts, licensed producers are equipped to work across product lines rather than being siloed into one. If you're weighing whether the licensing effort translates into real opportunity, AK-LH Jobs outlines where these openings typically appear, and Is the AK-LH Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 walks through the broader value proposition, including how income potential is discussed in the AK-LH Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.
Whichever path you take after licensing, the exam itself remains the gatekeeper - and every one of its 210 items maps back to one of these 13 domains. Rotating through domain-specific question banks on the main practice test platform is the most direct way to confirm which of the 13 areas still need reinforcement before you commit to a test date.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Domains 1-6 belong to the Life exam and Domains 7-13 belong to the Accident and Health exam. Candidates pursuing the full Life-and-Health license typically sit for both in one combined test-center session.
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