- What Is the NY-IA Certification?
- Who Needs the NY-IA and Who Hires For It
- Exam Format: Series 17-70 Specifics
- The 16 Exam Domains Explained
- Registration, Fees, and Fingerprinting
- License Terms, Renewal, and Cost
- Building a Domain-Weighted Study Plan
- Common Mistakes Candidates Make
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Series 17-70 has 100 scored questions, a two-hour limit, and a 70% passing score.
- Adjusting Losses is the heaviest domain at 11% of the exam.
- The exam fee is $40; no prelicensing course is required for independent adjusters.
- You must apply within two years of passing and submit fingerprints.
What Is the NY-IA Certification?
The NY-IA Certification refers specifically to the New York Independent General Adjuster Exam, known by its administrative code as Series 17-70. It is governed by the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) and delivered through PSI, the third-party testing vendor DFS uses to schedule, proctor, and score the exam. If you're trying to pin down exactly what this credential covers, our companion pieces What Is NY-IA?, NY-IA Meaning, and What Does NY-IA Stand For? break down the terminology in plain language.
Because "NY-IA" is used loosely across the insurance industry to describe several different things, it's worth being precise here: this article is only about the New York-specific independent adjuster licensing exam administered under PSI's current bulletin, last updated April 28, 2023. Everything below reflects that bulletin's content and mechanics.
Who Needs the NY-IA and Who Hires For It
Independent adjusters are hired on a contract basis - often by independent adjusting firms, third-party administrators, or insurance carriers that need extra claims capacity after storms, large-loss events, or seasonal surges. Unlike public adjusters, who represent policyholders and must meet bond and Certificate of Character requirements, independent adjusters represent the insurer's interests and are not subject to those bonding rules under New York's licensing framework.
If you're evaluating whether this path fits your career goals, NY-IA Jobs outlines the types of employers that recruit licensed independent adjusters, and Is the NY-IA Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 weighs the licensing cost against the career upside without relying on invented salary claims.
Key Takeaway
Independent adjusters work for insurers and adjusting firms, not policyholders - that distinction is why bonding and Certificate of Character rules don't apply to this license track.
Exam Format: Series 17-70 Specifics
Understanding the exact structure of Series 17-70 matters more than generic test-taking advice. Here's what you're actually sitting down to take:
- 100 scored multiple-choice questions delivered in a closed-book format - no reference materials, notes, or outside tools allowed.
- Two-hour time limit, which averages to a little over one minute per question, though some questions (especially claim-scenario items) take longer to work through.
- 70% passing score - you need roughly 70 of the 100 scored items correct.
- Five to 10 unscored experimental questions may be mixed in. You won't know which ones are experimental, so every question should be treated as if it counts.
- Testing is available at a PSI test center or via remote proctoring, giving candidates flexibility on where and how they sit for the exam.
For a deeper breakdown of exactly what "70%" means in terms of raw questions and how PSI scores the test, see NY-IA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. And if you want a realistic read on difficulty relative to time limit and content breadth, How Hard Is the NY-IA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 covers that in detail.
The 16 Exam Domains Explained
Series 17-70 spans 16 distinct content domains, each weighted differently. Knowing the weights lets you prioritize study hours where they matter most instead of spreading effort evenly across topics that barely appear on the exam.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Adjusting Losses | 11% |
| Homeowners (2011) Policy | 10% |
| Auto Insurance | 9% |
| Commercial Package Policy (CPP) | 9% |
| Businessowners (2010) Policy | 8% |
| Other Coverages and Options | 8% |
| Insurance Regulation | 6% |
| Insurance Basics | 6% |
| Accident and Health Insurance Basics | 6% |
| Dwelling (2014) Policy | 6% |
| Workers' Compensation Insurance | 6% |
| Understanding the Language of Medical Reports | 4% |
| Fidelity Coverages | 3% |
| Aviation Hull Coverages | 3% |
| Aircraft Liability Coverages | 3% |
| Surety Bonds | 2% |
Domain 3: Adjusting Losses (11%)
This is the single largest domain and covers the actual mechanics of claims handling - investigation steps, loss valuation, settlement negotiation, and documentation practices that apply across policy types.
- Master the sequence of a claim from first notice of loss through settlement
- Know how actual cash value differs from replacement cost in practice
- Understand subrogation and how it plays into claim resolution
Domain 7: Homeowners (2011) Policy (10%)
The second-heaviest domain. Expect detailed questions on coverage forms, perils, exclusions, and endorsements specific to the 2011 homeowners form edition referenced in the PSI bulletin.
- Distinguish between named-peril and open-peril coverage sections
- Know standard exclusions and how endorsements modify them
- Be comfortable with loss settlement provisions for dwelling and contents
Domains 14 & 15: Aviation Hull and Aircraft Liability Coverages (3% each)
These niche domains carry low weight but still appear on every exam. Don't skip them entirely - a light pass covering core definitions and coverage triggers is usually enough given their combined 6% share.
For a complete walkthrough of every domain with study priorities baked in, read NY-IA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 16 Content Areas. It pairs well with the condensed reference in NY-IA Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts for last-week review.
Registration, Fees, and Fingerprinting
Registration mechanics for Series 17-70 are straightforward but easy to get wrong if you don't plan ahead:
- Exam fee: $40, paid to PSI when scheduling your test.
- Testing options: a physical PSI test center or remote proctoring from your own location.
- No prelicensing course required for the independent adjuster track - you can self-study and go straight to scheduling the exam.
- Fingerprints required as part of the licensing application process.
- Two-year application window: you must submit your license application within two years of passing the exam, or your passing score no longer qualifies you to apply.
Full cost breakdowns, including how the exam fee stacks against licensing fees, are covered in NY-IA Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you're not yet sure you meet all prerequisites, start with NY-IA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify, and check current testing windows in NY-IA Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling before you commit to a study timeline.
Key Takeaway
Don't let a passing score expire - the clock starts the moment you pass, and you have exactly two years to file your license application.
License Terms, Renewal, and Cost
Once you pass Series 17-70 and complete the application (including fingerprinting), the license itself has its own set of rules distinct from the exam:
- Licenses are issued for up to two years.
- Cost is $100 for a term longer than one year, or $50 for a term of one year or less.
- All independent-adjuster licenses expire on December 31 of even-numbered years, regardless of when they were issued - so your actual term length depends on how close you are to that cycle date.
- Independent adjusters are exempt from continuing education requirements in New York, unlike many other license types that require periodic CE credits.
This licensing structure is one of the more distinctive parts of the New York independent adjuster path, and it's worth understanding fully before you plan your exam date around a specific renewal cycle. Bond and Certificate of Character requirements, again, apply only to public-adjuster applicants - not to this track.
Building a Domain-Weighted Study Plan
Rather than studying every domain equally, allocate time proportional to exam weight, with heavier domains getting multiple review passes and lighter domains getting a single focused session.
Foundations and Regulation
- Insurance Basics and Insurance Regulation (6% each)
- Accident and Health Insurance Basics (6%)
Core Property Forms
- Homeowners (2011) Policy (10%)
- Dwelling (2014) Policy (6%)
Commercial and Auto Lines
- Commercial Package Policy (9%)
- Businessowners (2010) Policy (8%)
- Auto Insurance (9%)
Claims Handling and Niche Coverages
- Adjusting Losses (11%) - heaviest domain, review twice
- Workers' Compensation Insurance (6%)
- Surety Bonds, Fidelity, Aviation Hull, Aircraft Liability, Medical Report Language, Other Coverages
Notice that Adjusting Losses gets dedicated review time in the final week specifically because it's the largest single domain at 11% - a point worth building your whole schedule around. For a more detailed week-by-week breakdown with practice-test checkpoints, see NY-IA Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. Running timed practice sets that mimic the two-hour, 100-question format on our practice test platform is the most direct way to know if your pacing will hold up on exam day.
Common Mistakes Candidates Make
- Treating all 16 domains equally. Spending the same number of hours on Surety Bonds (2%) as Adjusting Losses (11%) is a poor use of limited study time.
- Skipping fingerprinting logistics. Candidates sometimes pass the exam but delay the application past the two-year window because they didn't plan for fingerprint scheduling in advance.
- Assuming a prelicensing course is required. It isn't for the independent adjuster track - but that also means there's no structured classroom pacing built in, so self-directed study discipline matters more.
- Underestimating the closed-book constraint. Without a policy manual to reference, memorization of form language and exclusions has to happen well before test day.
- Ignoring experimental questions. Since you can't identify which five to 10 questions are unscored, mentally discounting "weird" questions can cost you points if they turn out to be scored.
To calibrate your expectations against real data patterns rather than guesswork, review NY-IA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows. And if you're still deciding whether this exam and license are the right professional move, What Is A NY-IA? and What Does NY-IA Mean? offer additional context, while NY-IA Training and What Is NY-IA Certification? cover preparation resources beyond self-study. You can also start practicing directly on the main practice test platform to see where your knowledge gaps sit relative to each domain weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 100 scored multiple-choice questions, plus PSI may add five to 10 unscored experimental questions that look identical to scored ones.
You need a 70% passing score on the scored portion of the exam, which is administered as a closed-book test with a two-hour time limit.
No. Independent adjuster applicants in New York are not required to complete a prelicensing course before sitting for Series 17-70.
Independent-adjuster licenses are issued for up to two years and expire on December 31 of even-numbered years, regardless of the original issue date.
No. Independent adjuster licenses in New York are exempt from continuing education requirements, unlike many other producer license types.