- NY-IA is the Series 17-70 exam: 100 scored questions, two-hour limit, 70% passing score.
- The exam is closed-book and administered by PSI under DFS oversight, with a $40 fee.
- Adjusting Losses is the heaviest domain at 11%, followed by Homeowners Policy at 10%.
- No prelicensing course is required, but you must apply within two years of passing.
What NY-IA Actually Is
NY-IA stands for the New York Independent General Adjuster Exam, also known by its state exam code, Series 17-70. It is the licensing test that the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) requires before someone can work as an independent adjuster in New York - meaning an adjuster who investigates and settles claims on behalf of insurance companies or self-insured entities, typically as a contractor rather than a company employee. PSI Services administers the actual test on behalf of DFS, and the current PSI candidate bulletin covering this exam was last updated April 28, 2023.
If you're just starting your research, it helps to separate this credential from generic "adjuster training" content you might find elsewhere. This site focuses exclusively on Series 17-70 as defined by New York DFS, and every fact in this article ties back to that specific exam - not to any similarly-named certification from another organization.
Exam Format and Scoring
The Series 17-70 exam is multiple-choice and closed-book - no reference materials, notes, or outside resources at the testing station. Candidates answer 100 scored questions within a two-hour time limit, and a score of 70% or higher is required to pass. PSI may also insert five to 10 additional unscored experimental questions into the exam; these are used to evaluate future test items and are not identifiable to the candidate, so every question should be treated as if it counts.
Because the exam blends broad insurance fundamentals with narrow, line-specific knowledge (aviation hull coverage sits alongside auto insurance, for example), question style shifts noticeably as you move through content areas. Some questions test definitions and regulatory concepts; others present a short claims scenario and ask you to identify the correct coverage response or adjusting step. For a full breakdown of exactly what "passing" requires numerically, see the NY-IA Passing Score 2026 guide.
Key Takeaway
Budget your two hours across roughly 100 questions - that's a little over a minute per question on average, so don't let a handful of unfamiliar specialty-coverage questions (aviation, surety, fidelity) eat into your time for higher-weighted domains.
Registration, Fees, and Testing Options
Sitting for NY-IA is comparatively low-cost and low-friction compared to many professional licensing exams. The examination fee is $40, and candidates can choose between testing in person at a PSI test center or completing the exam through remote proctoring from an approved location. Notably, New York does not require a prelicensing education course for independent adjuster candidates, which is a meaningful difference from how some other adjuster or agent licenses work in this state.
Two administrative details trip up candidates who assume the process ends at passing:
- You must submit fingerprints as part of the licensing process.
- You must apply for your license within two years of passing the exam, or your passing score effectively expires for licensing purposes.
Bond and Certificates of Character requirements exist in New York's adjuster licensing framework, but they apply to public-adjuster applicants - not to independent-adjuster applicants sitting for Series 17-70. Don't let unrelated bonding requirements you may read about elsewhere confuse your own application checklist. For the complete rundown of every dollar figure and administrative step, the NY-IA Certification Cost 2026 breakdown and NY-IA Requirements 2026 guide cover the fee structure and eligibility mechanics in more depth than a single overview article can.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | $40 |
| Scored questions | 100 |
| Time limit | 2 hours |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Unscored items | 5 to 10 possible |
| Prelicensing course | Not required for independent adjusters |
| Testing options | PSI test center or remote proctoring |
The 16 Exam Domains
Series 17-70 covers sixteen distinct content domains, ranging from broad regulatory concepts to narrow specialty-line coverages. Understanding the weight of each domain is the single most useful thing you can do before building a study plan, because not all sixteen deserve equal study time.
Domain 3: Adjusting Losses (11%)
This is the largest domain on the exam and covers the actual mechanics of investigating, evaluating, and settling claims.
- Loss investigation and documentation steps
- Determining coverage and calculating settlement amounts
- Claim handling obligations and fair-practice concepts
Domain 7: Homeowners (2011) Policy (10%)
The second-heaviest domain, testing detailed knowledge of the ISO Homeowners 2011 policy form.
- Coverage forms, perils, and exclusions
- Endorsements and policy conditions
- Claims scenarios tied to dwelling and personal property loss
The remaining fourteen domains carry lighter but still meaningful weight: Auto Insurance and Commercial Package Policy (CPP) each carry 9%; Businessowners (2010) Policy carries 8%, as does Other Coverages and Options; Insurance Regulation, Insurance Basics, Accident and Health Insurance Basics, Dwelling (2014) Policy, and Workers' Compensation Insurance each carry 6%; Understanding the Language of Medical Reports carries 4%; Fidelity Coverages and Aviation Hull Coverages and Aircraft Liability Coverages each carry 3%; and Surety Bonds carries the smallest weight at 2%.
For a domain-by-domain walkthrough with more specific subtopics under each of the sixteen areas, see the NY-IA Exam Domains 2026 complete guide. If you want a condensed, single-page reference of must-know facts across all domains for last-minute review, the NY-IA Cheat Sheet 2026 is built for that purpose.
After You Pass: Licensing Mechanics
Passing the exam is only the first step - the license itself has its own set of rules that differ from what many candidates expect. Independent-adjuster licenses in New York are issued for a term of up to two years. The cost depends on the term length: $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 during the cycle you were licensed, which means your actual term length depends on when in the cycle you apply.
One detail that surprises candidates coming from other licensing backgrounds: independent-adjuster licenses in New York are exempt from continuing education requirements. Once you're licensed, there's no CE credit tracking or renewal coursework tied to this particular license - renewal is a matter of reapplying and paying the applicable fee, not accumulating classroom hours.
Key Takeaway
Because licenses expire on a fixed even-numbered-year cycle rather than a rolling anniversary date, apply for your license promptly after passing - waiting near the two-year application deadline can compress your effective license term.
Who Hires Independent Adjusters With This License
Independent adjusters licensed under Series 17-70 are typically engaged by independent adjusting firms, third-party administrators, and insurance carriers that need supplemental claims capacity - especially during catastrophe surges when in-house staff adjusters can't keep pace with claim volume. Because the exam's domain list spans homeowners, dwelling, auto, commercial package policies, businessowners policies, workers' compensation, and several specialty lines (surety, fidelity, aviation hull, and aircraft liability), a licensed independent adjuster is positioned to work across a wide range of claim types rather than a single narrow specialty.
This breadth is exactly why the exam blueprint looks the way it does: DFS wants independent adjusters entering the field with working knowledge across property, casualty, health-adjacent claims documentation (hence the medical-report-language domain), and niche commercial coverages, even if a given adjuster ends up specializing after licensure. If you're evaluating whether this career path fits your goals, the NY-IA Salary Guide 2026 and Is the NY-IA Certification Worth It? ROI analysis go deeper into earnings and career trajectory, while NY-IA Jobs outlines the kinds of roles this license opens up.
How to Prepare Around the Domain Weights
Generic study advice - flashcards, timed drills, spaced review - only helps if it's pointed at the right material. For Series 17-70, that means anchoring your schedule to domain weight rather than domain order in the outline.
Foundations plus the two heaviest domains
- Insurance Regulation and Insurance Basics for context
- Deep dive into Adjusting Losses (11%) and Homeowners (2011) Policy (10%)
Mid-weight commercial and auto domains
- Auto Insurance and Commercial Package Policy (9% each)
- Businessowners (2010) Policy and Other Coverages and Options (8% each)
Remaining 6% domains and health-adjacent content
- Accident and Health Insurance Basics, Dwelling (2014) Policy, Workers' Compensation
- Understanding the Language of Medical Reports
Low-weight specialty lines and full review
- Fidelity, Aviation Hull, Aircraft Liability, Surety Bonds
- Full-length timed practice to simulate the two-hour, 100-question format
Because the exam is closed-book, memorization of specific policy form language and coverage triggers matters more than it would on an open-reference test. A structured, week-by-week walkthrough with more granular tasks is available in the NY-IA Study Guide 2026, and if you want a realistic sense of difficulty before you commit to a timeline, How Hard Is the NY-IA Exam? and NY-IA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows are useful companion reads. You can also run full-length timed simulations on our practice test platform to get comfortable with the two-hour pacing before exam day.
Frequently Asked Questions
NY-IA refers to the New York Independent General Adjuster Exam, officially designated Series 17-70 by the New York State Department of Financial Services. For more on the terminology itself, see NY-IA Meaning and What Does NY-IA Stand For?.
No. New York does not require a prelicensing education course for independent adjuster applicants, though you will still need to submit fingerprints and apply within two years of passing the exam.
The exam fee is $40. You can test at a PSI test center in person or use remote proctoring, depending on what's more convenient for your schedule.
Adjusting Losses carries the most weight at 11%, followed by Homeowners (2011) Policy at 10%. Together they represent over a fifth of the scored questions, making them the highest-priority study areas.
No. Independent-adjuster licenses in New York are exempt from continuing education requirements. However, licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years and must be renewed through the standard application and fee process.