- The NY-IA (Series 17-70) requires 70% correct on 100 scored questions within a two-hour window.
- PSI may add 5-10 unscored experimental questions, so the actual test may have more than 100 items.
- Adjusting Losses is weighted heaviest at 11%, followed by Homeowners (2011) Policy at 10%.
- No prelicensing course is mandated, which shifts pass outcomes toward self-directed study quality.
Does New York Publish an Official NY-IA Pass Rate?
Anyone searching for a single published number for the New York Independent General Adjuster Exam (Series 17-70) will run into the same wall: the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), which governs the license, and PSI, which administers the test, do not release a public pass-rate figure for this specific exam. That absence of a headline statistic doesn't mean the data is unknowable - it means the more useful exercise is understanding the mechanics that actually determine whether a candidate passes or fails, and applying that understanding to your own preparation.
Instead of chasing an unverified percentage, this article walks through what is documented in the current PSI candidate bulletin (updated April 28, 2023): the scoring model, the domain weighting, the fee and scheduling rules, and the population of people who typically sit for this license. Those facts are far more actionable than a single aggregate number would be anyway, because pass rates are averages across thousands of candidates with different backgrounds - your personal outcome depends on your preparation against the specific content blueprint, not the average.
What "Passing" Actually Requires
The Series 17-70 exam is closed-book and multiple-choice, built from 100 scored questions administered under a strict two-hour time limit. The passing threshold is fixed at 70% - candidates need roughly 70 correct answers out of 100 scored items to earn a license-qualifying score. For a full breakdown of exactly how that threshold is calculated and what it means for your margin of error, see our dedicated NY-IA Passing Score 2026 guide.
One detail candidates frequently overlook: PSI may embed five to 10 additional unscored experimental questions into the exam. These questions are indistinguishable from scored items during the test, which means your actual question count on test day could run higher than 100 - but only 100 of them count toward your final score. Practically, this means:
- You cannot identify which questions are "extra," so every question deserves full attention and pacing discipline.
- Your effective time-per-question budget should assume the maximum possible item count, not the minimum.
- A flat two-hour clock covering up to 110 items leaves little room for lingering on any single question.
For a deeper look at how the closed-book format and time pressure combine to shape difficulty, our How Hard Is the NY-IA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide unpacks the pacing math in detail.
Domain Weighting and Where Candidates Lose Points
The 16 content domains on the Series 17-70 blueprint are not weighted equally, and that imbalance is the single most useful piece of "pass rate" intelligence available - because it tells you exactly where the exam concentrates its scoring power.
| 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% |
Notice that Adjusting Losses is the single largest domain at 11% - a candidate who under-studies claims-handling procedures, loss valuation, and settlement practice is putting more points at risk than in any other area. Homeowners (2011) Policy at 10% and the combined 18% covered by Auto Insurance and Commercial Package Policy round out the four heaviest domains, together accounting for nearly 40% of the scored exam. For a full walkthrough of what each of the 16 domains actually tests, bookmark the NY-IA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 16 Content Areas.
Adjusting Losses (11% - Heaviest Domain)
Candidates must understand loss evaluation, documentation, and settlement mechanics well enough to apply them across multiple lines of coverage, not just memorize definitions.
- Highest single-domain weight on the entire exam
- Cuts across auto, property, and commercial claim scenarios
- Likely the difference-maker for candidates near the 70% threshold
Smaller Specialty Domains: Aviation, Aircraft Liability, Surety, Fidelity
Aviation Hull Coverages (3%), Aircraft Liability Coverages (3%), Fidelity Coverages (3%), and Surety Bonds (2%) each carry small individual weight but together represent 11% of the exam - comparable to Adjusting Losses alone.
- Easy to under-prepare because each domain feels minor in isolation
- Combined weight makes them worth a dedicated review pass, not a skip
Who Sits for This Exam - and Why It Matters
The independent-adjuster license this exam supports is typically pursued by claims professionals who work on behalf of insurers, third-party administrators, or independent adjusting firms rather than policyholders directly - a distinction that also explains why the bond and Certificate of Character requirements that apply to public-adjuster applicants do not apply here. Understanding who else is in the candidate pool matters because it shapes the realistic competition for the license:
- Candidates transferring in from claims-handling roles in other states who need New York-specific licensure
- Career-changers entering independent adjusting without a prior insurance background
- Experienced adjusters adding New York to a multi-state independent-adjuster license portfolio
Because no prelicensing education course is mandated for independent adjusters in New York, there's no built-in classroom filter the way there is for some other license types. That places the full weight of exam readiness on self-study - which is exactly why structured resources matter more here than for licenses with mandatory coursework. If you're still confirming your eligibility path before you even schedule a test date, our NY-IA Requirements 2026 guide walks through fingerprinting and the two-year application window after passing.
Key Takeaway
Because there's no required prelicensing course, the quality gap between well-prepared and under-prepared candidates is likely wider for the NY-IA than for licenses that mandate classroom hours - making self-directed study strategy your biggest lever.
Registration, Fee, and Retake Mechanics
The practical logistics of sitting for the Series 17-70 also shape outcomes, since friction and cost affect how candidates approach scheduling and retakes:
- The exam fee is $40 per sitting.
- Candidates can test at a physical PSI test center or via remote proctoring - flexibility that reduces logistical excuses for delaying a test date.
- After passing, applicants must submit fingerprints and file their license application within two years of the exam date.
- Once licensed, an independent-adjuster license runs for up to two years, costs $100 for terms longer than one year (or $50 for a term of one year or less), and expires December 31 of even-numbered years.
- Independent-adjuster licenses in New York are exempt from continuing education requirements.
A relatively low $40 fee lowers the financial cost of a retake compared to many other professional exams, which can lead some candidates to under-prepare on a first attempt, planning to "learn the format" and retake if needed. That's a risky strategy given the 11% weight on Adjusting Losses alone. For the complete cost picture - including what happens after you pass - see NY-IA Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you're mapping out testing windows around the fixed license expiration cycle, the NY-IA Exam Dates 2026 guide covers scheduling considerations.
Structural Factors That Move Outcomes
Without an official published pass rate, the most defensible way to talk about "what the data shows" is to look at the structural features of the exam itself that are documented in the PSI bulletin - because these are the levers every candidate, regardless of background, has to manage:
Rather than speculate about a number nobody has published, it's more productive to closely audit your own readiness against the domain weightings above. Our NY-IA Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt builds a domain-by-domain checklist you can use for exactly this kind of self-audit, and practicing under real exam conditions on our full-length practice tests is the closest substitute for missing pass-rate data - it shows you, concretely, where you stand against the 70% line before test day.
A Domain-Weighted Study Timeline
Generic study advice (spaced repetition, timed drills, flashcards) only helps if it's pointed at the right targets. Here's a four-week structure that allocates time in rough proportion to domain weight rather than treating all 16 domains equally:
Heaviest Domains First
- Adjusting Losses (11%) and Homeowners (2011) Policy (10%)
- Build a claims-scenario worksheet you can revisit for Week 4 review
Mid-Weight Policy Domains
- Auto Insurance (9%), Commercial Package Policy (9%), Businessowners (2010) Policy (8%)
- Compare policy structures side by side to avoid confusing form language
Regulation, Basics, and Specialty Coverage
- Insurance Regulation (6%), Insurance Basics (6%), Workers' Compensation (6%), Dwelling (2014) Policy (6%)
- Batch the small domains: Fidelity (3%), Aviation Hull (3%), Aircraft Liability (3%), Surety Bonds (2%)
Timed Practice and Weak-Spot Review
- Full-length, two-hour timed practice sessions mirroring the real 100-question, closed-book format
- Revisit Accident and Health Insurance Basics (6%) and Understanding the Language of Medical Reports (4%) - easy to neglect but still scored
If you're unsure whether your baseline knowledge justifies a four-week or longer timeline, the NY-IA Cheat Sheet 2026 is a useful diagnostic - if a one-page review of must-know facts feels unfamiliar, budget more time before scheduling with PSI.
FAQ
Neither the New York State Department of Financial Services nor PSI publishes a public pass-rate figure for this specific exam. The most reliable way to gauge your own readiness is to test yourself against the documented scoring threshold and domain weights rather than an unpublished statistic.
You need 70% correct on the 100 scored questions. Up to 10 additional unscored experimental questions may appear on the test but do not count toward your score.
Adjusting Losses at 11% is the single largest domain on the blueprint, followed by Homeowners (2011) Policy at 10%. Prioritizing these two, along with Auto Insurance and Commercial Package Policy at 9% each, covers nearly 40% of the scored exam.
No. Independent adjusters in New York are not required to complete a prelicensing course before taking the Series 17-70 exam, which places more responsibility on self-directed study.
The exam fee is $40 per attempt, and candidates can test at a PSI center or via remote proctoring. There's no course requirement standing between attempts, so retakes are logistically straightforward - though repeated attempts still cost time and the $40 fee each time.