- AK-IADJ is the Alaska Independent Adjuster Exam, administered by Pearson VUE for the Alaska Division of Insurance.
- The test is 80 scored questions in 90 minutes, computer-based, at a test center or via OnVUE remote proctoring.
- Passing requires a scaled score of 70, not 70% of questions answered correctly.
- Three domains are tested: general terms and concepts, Alaska laws and regulations, and policy types and coverages.
What Is the AK-IADJ, Exactly?
The AK-IADJ - short for the Alaska Independent Adjuster Exam - is the state licensing test that individuals must pass to work as an independent insurance adjuster in Alaska. "Independent" is the key word: this exam and license apply to adjusters who investigate, evaluate, and negotiate claims on behalf of insurers or self-insured entities without being a direct, exclusive employee of a single admitted insurance company. If you're planning to build a claims career that spans multiple carriers, catastrophe assignments, or third-party administrator work in Alaska, this is the credential that opens the door.
It is not a designation you earn through a private industry association, and it is not a general professional certificate. It is a state-issued license tied directly to a passing exam score, an application, and a set of eligibility requirements set by Alaska regulators. For a full breakdown of what candidates must qualify for before they can even sit the test, see our AK-IADJ requirements guide.
Who Regulates and Administers It
The exam is overseen by the Alaska Division of Insurance, part of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, and it is delivered through Pearson VUE. When you register, you'll be scheduling under the "Alaska Adjuster, Level 14" exam listing, which carries the test-center code InsAK-Adj14 or the online proctoring code OPAdj14, depending on how you choose to sit for it.
The current content outline governing the exam took effect March 3, 2025. Note that the publicly linked candidate handbook is dated September 2023 - for anything involving fees or reciprocity, always defer to the more recent state fee schedule and reciprocity guidance rather than the older handbook text, since those policy areas have since been updated.
Exam Format, Fees, and Delivery
The AK-IADJ is a closed-book, computer-based exam. You can take it two ways: in person at a Pearson VUE test center, or remotely through OnVUE online proctoring from a private, quiet location that meets the remote-testing rules.
- Questions: 80 scored multiple-choice questions
- Time allowed: 90 minutes
- Delivery: Test center or OnVUE remote proctoring
- Exam fee: $89 per attempt
Beyond the exam fee itself, licensing carries its own separate costs: an initial independent-adjuster license fee of $75, a biennial renewal fee of $75, and fingerprint processing at $47 under the state fee schedule effective January 27, 2026. These are cumulative costs candidates should budget for beyond just the test - our AK-IADJ certification cost breakdown lays out the full picture line by line.
Key Takeaway
If you fail on OnVUE, you get up to four total attempts on that exam before you must switch to a test center. Retake waits are 7 days after the first failure, 14 days after the second, and 30 days after the third.
The Three Content Domains
Every scored question on the AK-IADJ falls into one of three domains. Knowing the weight of each domain tells you exactly where to spend your prep hours.
Domain 1: General Insurance Terms and Concepts (18 questions)
Foundational vocabulary and concepts that apply across all lines: policy structure, claims terminology, contract principles, and the basic mechanics of how insurance transactions work.
- Insurable interest, indemnity, and subrogation concepts
Domain 2: Alaska Laws, Rules, and Regulations Pertaining to Adjusters (21 questions)
State-specific statutes and regulatory requirements governing adjuster conduct, licensing obligations, unfair claims practices, and the Division of Insurance's authority.
- Licensing conditions, renewal cycles, and disciplinary standards specific to Alaska
Domain 3: Types of Insurance Policies and Coverages (41 questions)
The largest domain by far, covering property, casualty, and related policy forms - the coverages, exclusions, and endorsements an independent adjuster is expected to recognize and apply when evaluating a claim.
- Policy provisions across property and liability lines make up the bulk of the exam
Because Domain 3 accounts for roughly half of all scored questions, it deserves proportionally more study time than the other two combined. For a deeper walkthrough of subtopics within each domain, see the AK-IADJ exam domains guide, and for an honest read on where candidates tend to struggle, check how hard the AK-IADJ exam really is.
How Passing Works
The AK-IADJ uses a scaled score, and the passing threshold is 70. This is not the same as answering 70% of the 80 questions correctly - scaled scoring adjusts for question difficulty, so the raw number of correct answers needed to reach 70 scaled is not a fixed percentage you can calculate in advance. Our AK-IADJ passing score explainer goes into more detail on what a scaled score means for how you should interpret practice-test results.
Exam results are valid for one year, which matters if you're also working through licensing paperwork, fingerprinting, or a background check - don't let your passing score expire while other pieces of your application are still pending.
Who Actually Hires AK-IADJ Holders
Independent adjusters licensed under the AK-IADJ typically work for independent adjusting firms, third-party administrators, catastrophe response teams, and insurers that contract out claims work rather than staffing it entirely in-house. This is distinct from a staff adjuster role.
Important distinction: staff adjusters who work directly and exclusively for their admitted-insurer employer are exempt from needing an independent-adjuster license at all. The AK-IADJ is specifically for adjusters operating independently of a single carrier's payroll. It's also worth noting that Alaska does not issue a separate public-adjuster insurance license, so if you've seen "public adjuster" roles referenced elsewhere, that is not a parallel Alaska credential.
If you're evaluating whether this license fits your career plans, our AK-IADJ jobs overview and ROI analysis of the AK-IADJ certification both dig into where this license tends to matter most and where it doesn't.
Eligibility and Application Basics
To sit for the AK-IADJ as a resident applicant, you generally need to:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Meet the application, competence, and applicable fingerprint/background-check requirements
- Satisfy an experience requirement
The experience piece can be satisfied one of two ways: six months of qualifying active work within the preceding two calendar years, or holding qualifying Alaska independent-adjuster licensure in good standing within the preceding four calendar years. Applications are submitted through NIPR, and if an original fingerprint card is required, it must be mailed directly to the Division in Juneau - it isn't simply uploaded with your online application. Full step-by-step detail lives in our AK-IADJ requirements article.
Reciprocity and Renewal
Effective January 1, 2026, qualifying nonresident applicants may be eligible for reciprocity that waives both the examination and the experience requirements, and designated-home-state licensing is also available for those who qualify. This can be a significant shortcut if you're already licensed as an adjuster in another state with a reciprocal relationship with Alaska.
Once licensed, renewal is biennial, falling due at the end of your birth month. Nonexempt licensees must complete 24 continuing education hours per renewal cycle, including 3 hours specifically in ethics. Up to 8 CE hours can be carried forward into the next cycle, and initial-period or reciprocal exemptions may apply depending on your specific situation.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | $89 per attempt |
| Initial license fee | $75 |
| Renewal fee (biennial) | $75 |
| Fingerprint processing | $47 |
| Scored questions / time | 80 questions / 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 70 (scaled) |
| CE per renewal cycle | 24 hours (3 ethics) |
A Domain-Aware Way to Prepare
Because Domain 3 (policy types and coverages) carries 41 of the 80 scored questions, your study calendar should weight it accordingly rather than splitting time evenly across all three domains. A practical sequence looks like this:
General Terms and Concepts
- Build foundational vocabulary before layering on state-specific rules
Alaska Laws, Rules, and Regulations
- Focus on licensing obligations and unfair claims practice standards unique to Alaska
Policy Types and Coverages
- Spend double the time here given its 41-question weight, cycling through property and casualty forms repeatedly
Rotate in timed practice questions throughout, not just at the end, so you get used to the 90-minute pace with 80 questions. For a structured week-by-week plan built specifically around this exam's domain weighting, read the AK-IADJ study guide for 2026, and keep a condensed reference nearby using the AK-IADJ cheat sheet during final review. You can also run full-length timed sets on our AK-IADJ practice test platform to get comfortable with the scaled-scoring pacing before exam day.
Key Takeaway
Don't treat all three domains as equal in your prep hours - Domain 3 alone outweighs Domains 1 and 2 combined, so your schedule should reflect that math.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. In this context, AK-IADJ refers specifically to the Alaska Independent Adjuster Exam administered through Pearson VUE for the Alaska Division of Insurance. It should not be confused with any other credential that happens to share the same abbreviation.
The exam has 80 scored questions and you're given 90 minutes to complete it, delivered by computer at a test center or through OnVUE remote proctoring.
You need a scaled score of 70. This is not the same as getting 70% of questions right - scaled scoring accounts for question difficulty, so treat 70 as the target rather than trying to reverse-engineer a raw percentage.
Not necessarily. Staff adjusters employed directly by their admitted-insurer employer are exempt from independent-adjuster licensure. This license is aimed at adjusters working independently across multiple clients or carriers.
You're allowed up to four attempts on OnVUE, with mandatory waits of 7, 14, and 30 days after the first three failures. Beyond that, remaining attempts must be taken at a physical test center.