Getting your West Virginia adjuster license is a straightforward process that only requires you to complete a few simple steps.
You’ll obtain your license once you successfully pass the West Virginia Pearson VUE exam — taking a pre-exam adjuster course is pivotal in passing this exam on your first attempt.
Then, all that’s left to do is submit your licensing application to the Offices of the West Virginia Insurance Commissioner and wait.
In this article, we offer everything you need to know in order to get started, helping you find the best way of getting your West Virginia insurance adjuster license.
Recommended: Interested in getting started? We recommend using AdjusterPro’s online study packages, which come with a 98% satisfaction rate.
How to Become an Insurance Adjuster in West Virginia
Getting your West Virginia adjuster license can be a simple and easy process, but this will ultimately depend on how you go about completing the required steps.
Step 1. Adjuster Pre-Exam Education
Preparing for your exam is not something to take lightly. This is because the average pass rate of insurance exams nationwide is around 55% for first-time test-takers and even less for any following attempts.
This means that it is generally recommended that you complete some form of education — such as purchasing a study guide or a state-approved online course — before sitting your exam.
These courses are composed of video, audio, and text and include short knowledge quizzes and practice exams, which will help you obtain the necessary understanding of the material that you will need to know.
Even though this is not a legal prerequisite in West Virginia, we believe that purchasing a pre-exam course can go a long way in ensuring that you pass your exam on your first attempt.
Recommended Course
Over 80% of our readers use AdjusterPro’s online courses — which come with a 98% satisfaction rate — when preparing for their insurance adjuster exam(s). For comprehensive study packages, StateRequirement recommends:
Step 2. West Virginia Insurance Adjuster License Exam
Once you have completed all of your coursework, you will be able to take (and hopefully pass) the West Virginia insurance adjuster license exam.
This is a proctored test, which means that you will be in a controlled environment with a person watching over you. It is, therefore, a good idea to work on both your timing and nerves prior to sitting for your exam.
In West Virginia, only one line of authority is offered to adjusters:
- The Independent Adjuster line — This exam consists of 75 questions, and you will be given one hour (1:00:00) to complete it.
Each attempt of the exam costs $86 and will be paid when you make your reservation.
A total score of 70% or more is required to pass this test. To explain the scoring of these exams, the Pearson VUE West Virginia Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook writes:
Equating and Scaling
There are multiple versions of each of the licensing examinations. These versions are known as forms. Although all forms of an examination are developed based on the content outlines, the difficulty of the forms of an examination may vary slightly because different questions appear on each form. To ensure that no candidate is put at an unfair advantage or disadvantage due to the particular form of an examination that he or she is given, a statistical procedure known as equating is used to correct for differences in form difficulty.
For example, in an examination with two (2) forms, Form A and Form B, the state licensing agency determines that answering 30 questions correctly on Form A demonstrates the minimum amount of knowledge necessary to be licensed. It is further determined through the equating process that Form B contains slightly more difficult questions than Form A; therefore, answering 30 questions correctly on Form A would indicate the same level of knowledge as answering only 28 questions correctly on Form B. Under this set of circumstances, a score of 30 questions correct would be used as the passing score on Form A whereas a score of 28 questions correct would be used as the passing score on Form B.
A second statistical procedure known as scaling is used to derive the numerical score to report for each candidate. Scaling is used to place a raw score on a common reporting scale on which each scaled score represents a given level of knowledge regardless of the difficulty of the form on which the raw score was achieved.
To illustrate how scaling works, suppose that in the examination example used above, the state licensing agency decides to use a score of 500 as the passing score for reporting purposes. (Note that the score selected to be used as the reported passing score is not related to, and has no bearing on, the difficulty of the examination.) Based on the information provided above, a raw score of 30 on Form A would translate to a scaled score of 500; a raw score of 28 on Form B would also translate to a scaled score of 500 since a raw score of 30 on Form A represents the same level of knowledge as a raw score of 28 on Form B.
Scaled Score
The passing score of an examination was set by the West Virginia Office of the Insurance Commissioner. (in conjunction with Pearson VUE) after a comprehensive study was completed for each examination. Raw scores are converted into scaled scores that can range from 0 to 100. The scaled score that is reported to you is neither the number of questions you answered correctly nor the percentage of questions you answered correctly. With a passing score of 70, any score below 70 indicates how close the candidate came to passing, rather than the actual number or percentage of questions the candidates answered correctly.
StateRequirement recommends that you study for one exam at a time. This is because insurance adjuster exams are difficult enough on their own without the possibility of confusing information from one line to another. This will allow you to work incrementally towards completing your final exam.
You can register to take your exams — as well as find out more information — on the Pearson VUE West Virginia Insurance or by calling Pearson VUE at (800) 274-2614.
Note: Before registering for your exam, we recommend completing some form of pre-exam education. Even though this is not a legal requirement in West Virginia, it can go a long way in ensuring that you pass your exam on your first attempt.
Step 3. Fingerprinting And Background Check
The State of West Virginia requires that all insurance license applications provide fingerprints prior to licensing. Giving your fingerprints will initiate a background check. If you have any prior misdemeanors or felonies, this may affect the outcome of your licensing efforts. For more information on this topic, call the Department of Insurance at (304) 558-0610 or email the licensing department.
Fingerprinting must be completed through IdentoGO.
The fee for fingerprint services is $45.75. Your fingerprints will be submitted automatically to the Insurance Department.
Note
Fingerprints are only good for thirty (30) days, so be sure to follow the next steps quickly.
Step 4. West Virginia Insurance Adjuster License Application
Once you have completed all your coursework and passed your examination, you are now ready to apply for your license.
Note: The fee for an online application is $25.
Apply online with the West Virginia Insurance Adjuster License Application.
Step 5. Application Review
Once you have submitted your application and have completed all the other requirements, your West Virginia license application will be reviewed by the state.
This process generally takes about three to five business days. Depending on the results of your background check, the Department of Insurance may request more information or documentation.
After the review is complete, you will receive an email from the state regarding the status of your license.
Congratulations!
You’ve done the work, put in the time and effort, and now hold the key to your own success! We’re proud of you. Take five (5) minutes and celebrate.
What Kind of Insurance Adjuster Will You Be?
There are four main types of insurance adjusters: staff adjusters, independent adjusters, catastrophe adjusters, and public adjusters.
Each of these positions accomplishes essentially the same task: assess the damage to property brought about by some event and make an evaluation of what monetary value the insurance claim should carry.
The big difference between these different types of insurance adjusters is who pays them and, in the case of the public adjuster, who they are advocating for. Staff, independent, and catastrophe adjusters all require the same type of license, while a public adjuster license is a little different in its specifications.
- Staff Adjuster – Works directly for one insurance company in order to investigate, evaluate, and potentially settle claims
- Independent Adjuster – Works for a third-party company, often called an Independent Adjusting Firm, which has been contracted by insurance carriers to help settle their claims
- Catastrophe (CAT) Adjuster – Can be an independent or staff adjuster who travels to an area that has been largely affected by an event (usually severe weather) and performs adjustment services to insurance claims en masse
- Inside Adjuster – Inside adjusters, sometimes referred to as “desk” or “remote” adjusters, handle claims from an office. They are the policyholder’s main contact and the person who applies the policy terms and standards to the claim
- Public Adjuster – Independent insurance adjusters that customers choose to hire in order to settle insurance claims. Public adjusters are not hired by insurance companies
Note: To become a public adjuster, you must obtain a standard adjuster license, get an appointment from a public adjusting firm, gain work experience, and eventually pass an additional exam.
West Virginia Department of Insurance Contact Information
Mailing Address:
West Virginia Lottery Building
900 Pennsylvania Avenue
Charleston, West Virginia 25302
Phone: (304) 558-0610
Fax: (304) 558-4966
Email: OICAgentLicensing@wv.gov
Website: http://www.wvinsurance.gov/
West Virginia Insurance Adjuster License FAQ
Does West Virginia require an adjuster license?
If you want to be able to work as an insurance adjuster in West Virginia, you are required to pass the adjuster exam and obtain your independent adjuster license. To find out more about some of the roles and responsibilities you will be able to perform once you have your adjuster license, these are included in our What Does an Insurance Adjuster Do article.
How do I become a claims adjuster in West Virginia?
Becoming a claims adjuster in West Virginia is a simple process composed of three steps: taking a pre-exam course, passing your exam, and submitting an application to the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner. If you are worried about passing your licensing exam, we cover this topic in detail in our How to Pass the Insurance Adjuster Exam article.
What states are reciprocal with a West Virginia adjuster license?
West Virginia grants reciprocal licenses in 30 other states. As such, you are eligible to obtain any of these without additional examination by virtue of holding a resident adjuster license in West Virginia. To see the full list of states that West Virginia shares reciprocity with, be sure to read our article on Adjuster License Reciprocity.
How much does it cost to get your insurance license in West Virginia?
In West Virginia, it costs around $295 to get your insurance license. This figure assumes that you pass your exam on your first attempt, as each go will cost an additional $88. Another key cost that has been omitted in this figure is the maintenance cost of your continuing education every two years. To find out more about these requirements, see our article on Adjuster Continuing Education.
How much do insurance adjusters make in West Virginia?
In West Virginia, insurance adjusters can expect to make around $54,000 per annum. However, this figure can vary greatly depending on the type, level of experience, and specialty of the insurance adjuster. For more information on the factors influencing an insurance adjuster’s salary, check out our How Much Does an Insurance Adjuster Make article.