- Series 17-70 is 100 scored questions, closed-book, multiple-choice, with a two-hour limit and 70% passing score.
- PSI may add five to 10 unscored experimental questions you can't identify - don't waste time guessing which ones.
- Adjusting Losses is the single largest domain at 11%, more than any other content area.
- The exam fee is $40, and you can test at a PSI center or via remote proctoring.
Exam Snapshot: The Numbers You Must Memorize
Before you touch a single domain, lock in the mechanical facts of the New York Independent General Adjuster Exam (Series 17-70). These numbers govern your pacing, your review strategy, and your expectations walking into the test center or your remote-proctoring session.
- Format: Closed-book, multiple-choice
- Scored questions: 100
- Unscored questions: Five to 10 experimental items mixed in, indistinguishable from scored questions
- Time limit: Two hours
- Passing score: 70%
- Regulator: New York State Department of Financial Services
- Test administrator: PSI
Because the exam mixes scored and unscored questions without labeling them, don't slow down chasing a "trick" question - treat every item with equal seriousness and move at a steady pace. For a deeper breakdown of exactly what that 70% threshold means in practice, see NY-IA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Domain-by-Domain Cheat Sheet
Series 17-70 draws from 16 distinct content areas, and each carries a different weight on exam day. Memorizing these percentages helps you allocate study hours proportionally instead of spreading effort evenly across topics that don't deserve it.
| 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% |
| Fidelity Coverages | 3% |
| Aviation Hull Coverages | 3% |
| Aircraft Liability Coverages | 3% |
| Understanding the Language of Medical Reports | 4% |
| Surety Bonds | 2% |
For a full narrative walkthrough of what each domain actually tests, bookmark NY-IA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 16 Content Areas. Below is a condensed version of the highest-stakes domains.
Adjusting Losses (11%)
The largest single domain. Expect scenario-based questions on claim investigation, damage assessment, settlement negotiation, and documentation standards.
- Loss investigation sequencing and evidence gathering
- Coverage verification against policy language before settlement
- Proper claim file documentation practices
Homeowners (2011) Policy (10%)
Second-heaviest domain. Focus on the structure of HO forms, covered perils, exclusions, and endorsements as they apply to dwelling and personal property claims.
- Coverage A through D distinctions
- Named-peril versus open-peril forms
- Common exclusions adjusters must apply correctly
Auto Insurance and Commercial Package Policy (9% each)
These two domains combined represent nearly a fifth of the exam. Auto questions test liability, physical damage, and no-fault concepts; CPP questions test how monoline coverages combine into a single commercial policy.
- Auto: liability limits, PIP/no-fault basics, physical damage coverage triggers
- CPP: how property, liability, and crime coverage parts interact under one package
Registration, Fees, and Testing Logistics
Unlike some other adjuster credentials, the independent-adjuster path in New York does not require a prelicensing course. That makes registration mechanics and application deadlines even more important to get right, since there's no classroom checkpoint forcing you to stay on schedule.
- Exam fee: $40
- Testing options: PSI test center or remote proctoring
- Prelicensing course: Not required for independent adjusters
- Fingerprints: Required as part of the application process
- Application deadline: You must apply within two years of passing the exam
Note that bond and Certificate of Character requirements exist in New York's adjuster licensing framework, but they apply to public-adjuster applicants - not to independent-adjuster candidates sitting for Series 17-70. Don't waste time gathering documents you don't need. For the complete list of what actually applies to you, read NY-IA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify, and for a full cost breakdown across the whole licensing process, see NY-IA Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Schedule your PSI exam only after you've confirmed your fingerprint appointment timeline - since you have a hard two-year window from passing to applying, don't let paperwork lag behind your study schedule.
Licensing Facts After You Pass
Passing Series 17-70 is the exam milestone, but the license itself has its own set of rules worth memorizing now so you're not caught off guard later.
- License term: Issued for up to two years
- Cost: $100 for a term longer than one year, or $50 for a term of one year or less
- Expiration: December 31 of even-numbered years
- Continuing education: Independent adjusters are exempt from CE requirements in New York
That expiration structure means your actual license term depends on when in the cycle you apply - apply early in an even-numbered year's cycle and you get closer to the full two years; apply late and your term is shorter, even though the fee brackets stay tied to whether the term is longer or shorter than one year.
If you're weighing whether this credential fits your career plans before you even sit for the exam, Is the NY-IA Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and NY-IA Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis are worth reading alongside this cheat sheet.
Final-Week Review Plan
You don't need a generic 12-week template here - you need a review sequence built around the domain weights themselves. In the final stretch before your scheduled date, allocate review blocks proportional to exam weight rather than personal comfort with a topic.
Heaviest Domains First
- Adjusting Losses (11%)
- Homeowners (2011) Policy (10%)
Mid-Weight Coverage Domains
- Auto Insurance (9%)
- Commercial Package Policy (9%)
- Businessowners (2010) Policy (8%)
- Other Coverages and Options (8%)
6% Cluster
- Insurance Regulation
- Insurance Basics
- Accident and Health Insurance Basics
- Dwelling (2014) Policy
- Workers' Compensation Insurance
Low-Weight Specialty Lines
- Understanding the Language of Medical Reports (4%)
- Fidelity, Aviation Hull, Aircraft Liability (3% each)
- Surety Bonds (2%)
Within each block, use active recall against practice questions rather than passive re-reading - pull a timed set from our practice test platform and simulate the two-hour, 100-question format so pacing feels automatic by test day. For a step-by-step version of this approach expanded across a full prep timeline, see NY-IA Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Common Mix-Ups to Avoid on Test Day
Most missed points on Series 17-70 come from a handful of predictable confusion points rather than obscure trivia. Keep this short list in mind as you do final review passes.
- Homeowners vs. Dwelling forms: Candidates frequently blend Homeowners (2011) Policy provisions with Dwelling (2014) Policy provisions. They're tested separately and weighted differently (10% versus 6%) - know which form a question is referencing before selecting an answer.
- CPP vs. Businessowners: Both bundle multiple coverage types, but they're structured differently. Commercial Package Policy and Businessowners (2010) Policy questions test how coverage parts are assembled, not just what's covered.
- Aviation Hull vs. Aircraft Liability: These sound similar but test different coverage triggers - hull coverage protects the aircraft itself, liability coverage addresses third-party claims.
- Scored vs. unscored questions: You cannot tell which of the up-to-10 experimental questions don't count toward your score, so treat all 100-plus questions on your screen with equal focus.
If you want a realistic sense of how these mix-ups affect overall difficulty and where candidates typically lose points, How Hard Is the NY-IA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and NY-IA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows go deeper on this.
For readers who landed on this cheat sheet without full background on the credential itself, our companion explainers - What Is NY-IA?, NY-IA Meaning, and What Does NY-IA Stand For? - cover the basics in plain language, while NY-IA Certification and What Is NY-IA Certification? walk through the credential end-to-end.
Once you're licensed, independent adjusters handling New York claims are typically engaged by insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and independent adjusting firms that need licensed staff to handle overflow claim volume or catastrophe response. If you're mapping out next steps after passing, NY-IA Jobs and NY-IA Training cover what comes after you hold the license, and What Is A NY-IA? and What Does NY-IA Mean? are useful references to share with colleagues unfamiliar with the credential.
FAQ
The exam has 100 scored questions with a two-hour time limit. PSI may also add five to 10 unscored experimental questions that aren't identified to the candidate.
You need to score 70% on the scored questions to pass Series 17-70.
No. Independent adjusters in New York are not required to complete a prelicensing course before testing, unlike some other license types.
The exam fee is $40. You can test at a PSI test center in person or through remote proctoring, depending on what's available and convenient for you.
No. Bond and Certificate of Character requirements apply to public-adjuster applicants in New York, not to independent-adjuster applicants sitting for Series 17-70.