- Overview: How the Series 16-72 Blueprint Is Built
- Domain 1: Insurance Regulation (5%)
- Domain 2: Insurance Basics (20%)
- Domain 3: Dwelling Policy (5%)
- Domain 4: Homeowners Policy (12%)
- Domain 5: Automobile Insurance (15%)
- Domain 6: Commercial Package Policy (5%)
- Domain 7: Businessowners Policy (5%)
- Domain 8: Other Coverages and Options (3%)
- Domain 9: Workers' Compensation Insurance (10%)
- Domain 10: Adjusting Losses (20%)
- Turning Domain Weight Into a Study Order
- FAQ
- Insurance Basics and Adjusting Losses each carry 20% of the Series 16-72 blueprint - the two heaviest domains.
- The exam has 100 scored questions plus up to 10 unscored items, all within a two-hour, closed-book, computer-based format.
- Passing requires 70 correct scored answers (70%), with a $41 fee per attempt through PSI.
- Workers' Compensation Insurance is 10% but is the domain that separates this credential from a standard property/casualty adjuster exam.
Overview: How the Series 16-72 Blueprint Is Built
The Michigan Independent Adjuster with Workers' Compensation Authority Exam - administered under the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) and delivered through PSI Services LLC as exam series 16-72 - is organized into ten content domains. Each domain represents a fixed percentage of the 100 scored questions on the test, so understanding the weighting isn't optional trivia; it's the single most useful piece of intelligence a candidate can use to plan study time.
This guide breaks down all ten domains exactly as they appear on the current Series 16-72 outline, updated June 10, 2025. If you haven't reviewed the exam mechanics yet - fee, format, retake rules - start with the MI-ADJ Requirements overview before diving into content weighting here.
Domain 1: Insurance Regulation (5%)
What this domain covers
Insurance Regulation tests your understanding of the legal and administrative framework that governs adjusting activity in Michigan. Expect questions on licensing authority, the role of DIFS, and the general legal obligations tied to operating as an independent adjuster in the state.
- DIFS oversight of adjuster licensing and enforcement
- Definitions of good business reputation and moral character as they relate to licensure
- Basic legal concepts applicable to insurance transactions in Michigan
Because this domain is only 5% of the exam, it's rarely worth more than a focused review session. Candidates who've already read through the licensing pages tied to their application tend to recognize these questions quickly.
Domain 2: Insurance Basics (20%)
What this domain covers
Tied with Adjusting Losses as the largest domain on the exam, Insurance Basics tests foundational concepts that underpin every other domain. If your grasp of core terminology is shaky, it will cost you points across the entire test - not just here.
- Contract law principles as applied to insurance policies
- Key terms: indemnity, insurable interest, subrogation, warranties, and conditions
- Policy structure: declarations, insuring agreements, exclusions, endorsements
- Types of insurers and distribution methods
Key Takeaway
Because Insurance Basics vocabulary reappears inside Homeowners, Auto, CPP, and Workers' Compensation questions, mastering it early compounds your score gains across the whole exam.
Domain 3: Dwelling Policy (5%)
What this domain covers
This domain isolates the Dwelling Policy form from the broader Homeowners Policy, testing your ability to distinguish coverage forms, perils, and typical exclusions specific to dwelling-only policies.
- Coverage forms (basic, broad, special) and how perils differ between them
- Common exclusions unique to dwelling policies
- How dwelling coverage differs structurally from a full homeowners package
Candidates sometimes conflate Dwelling Policy questions with Homeowners questions on practice exams. Keep a clear mental separation between the two forms - the exam does.
Domain 4: Homeowners Policy (12%)
What this domain covers
At 12%, Homeowners Policy is a mid-weight domain that deserves real study time - comparable in importance to Automobile Insurance, though slightly smaller.
- HO policy forms and the coverage differences between them
- Coverage A through F structure: dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, liability, medical payments
- Standard exclusions and common endorsements
- Loss settlement provisions relevant to claims handling
Domain 5: Automobile Insurance (15%)
What this domain covers
Automobile Insurance is the third-largest domain on the blueprint at 15%. Given Michigan's distinctive auto insurance landscape, expect this domain to test both general auto policy structure and state-specific considerations that adjusters encounter in real claims.
- Personal auto policy structure: liability, medical payments, uninsured/underinsured motorist, physical damage coverages
- Exclusions and conditions common to auto policies
- Claims-handling principles unique to auto losses
Domain 6: Commercial Package Policy (CPP) (5%)
What this domain covers
The Commercial Package Policy domain tests your understanding of how multiple commercial coverage lines are bundled into a single package policy, along with the common conditions that apply across those lines.
- Structure of a CPP: common policy conditions plus individual coverage parts
- How CPP differs from standalone commercial lines policies
- Typical coverage parts bundled within a CPP
Domain 7: Businessowners Policy (5%)
What this domain covers
The Businessowners Policy (BOP) domain focuses on the packaged coverage designed for small to midsize businesses, distinguishing it from the more modular CPP structure covered in Domain 6.
- Eligibility characteristics for BOP coverage
- Property and liability coverage bundled within a standard BOP
- Key exclusions and endorsements specific to BOP forms
Domain 8: Other Coverages and Options (3%)
What this domain covers
The smallest domain on the exam at 3%, Other Coverages and Options is a catch-all for supplemental and optional coverages that don't fit neatly into the other nine categories.
- Miscellaneous endorsements and optional coverage additions
- Specialty coverage concepts that supplement primary policy types
Because it's only 3% of scored questions, this domain should get the lightest review pass in your study rotation - don't let it eat time better spent on Insurance Basics or Adjusting Losses.
Domain 9: Workers' Compensation Insurance (10%)
What this domain covers
This is the domain that gives the credential its name and its "Workers' Compensation Authority" distinction. At 10% of the exam, it's a mid-weight domain, but it's arguably the most important one for defining what makes this specific license different from a general property/casualty independent adjuster credential.
- Workers' compensation policy structure and covered classes
- Statutory benefit concepts: medical, indemnity, and rehabilitation benefits
- Employer and employee obligations under workers' compensation coverage
- Claims-handling considerations specific to workplace injury claims
Key Takeaway
If your career goal involves handling workers' compensation claims in Michigan, Domain 9 is the section of the exam that directly validates that authority - treat it as non-negotiable study time even though it's not the largest domain by percentage.
Domain 10: Adjusting Losses (20%)
What this domain covers
Tied with Insurance Basics as the single largest domain, Adjusting Losses is where theoretical policy knowledge becomes applied claims-handling judgment. This domain tests your ability to walk through the practical steps of investigating, evaluating, and settling a claim.
- Claim investigation procedures and documentation requirements
- Loss valuation and settlement principles
- Duties and ethical obligations of the adjuster during the claims process
- Fraud indicators and appropriate handling procedures
Adjusting Losses questions tend to be scenario-based rather than pure definition recall, which means practicing with realistic question formats matters more here than flashcard memorization. This is also the domain most closely tied to what employers actually expect from a working adjuster - see MI-ADJ Jobs for context on how this credential connects to hiring.
Turning Domain Weight Into a Study Order
With ten domains and only 100 scored questions across a two-hour, closed-book, computer-based exam, time efficiency matters. The smartest approach is to let domain weight dictate the order and depth of your review, not the order the domains happen to be listed in the outline.
| Domain | Weight | Study Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance Basics | 20% | Highest - foundational for all other domains |
| Adjusting Losses | 20% | Highest - scenario-based, practice heavily |
| Automobile Insurance | 15% | High |
| Homeowners Policy | 12% | High |
| Workers' Compensation Insurance | 10% | Medium-high - defines the credential's scope |
| Insurance Regulation | 5% | Medium |
| Dwelling Policy | 5% | Medium |
| Commercial Package Policy | 5% | Medium |
| Businessowners Policy | 5% | Medium |
| Other Coverages and Options | 3% | Low - light review only |
Insurance Basics + Insurance Regulation
- Build vocabulary and contract-law fundamentals before touching product-specific domains
- Review DIFS licensing framework
Homeowners Policy + Dwelling Policy
- Compare HO forms against the standalone dwelling form to avoid conflating the two
Automobile Insurance + Workers' Compensation Insurance
- Focus on Michigan-specific claims handling nuances
- Drill statutory workers' comp benefit categories
CPP, BOP, Other Coverages + Adjusting Losses review
- Finish the smaller commercial-lines domains
- Spend remaining time on scenario-based Adjusting Losses practice questions
For a deeper walkthrough of pacing, retake rules, and how to structure practice sessions around this weighting, the MI-ADJ Study Guide 2026 builds directly on this domain breakdown. And if you're still deciding whether this is the right credential to pursue at all, Is the MI-ADJ Certification Worth It? covers the return-on-investment side of that decision.
If you want to gauge your current readiness against this exact domain structure before scheduling your exam, working through timed practice questions on the main practice test site is the fastest way to see where your weak domains actually are, rather than guessing from the outline alone.
FAQ
Insurance Basics and Adjusting Losses are tied as the largest domains, each worth 20% of the 100 scored questions. Automobile Insurance (15%) and Homeowners Policy (12%) follow as the next-heaviest domains.
No. Despite giving the credential its "Workers' Compensation Authority" designation, this domain is weighted at 10% - smaller than Insurance Basics, Adjusting Losses, Automobile Insurance, and Homeowners Policy.
The exam has 100 scored questions total, and each domain's percentage translates roughly to that many questions out of 100 - for example, a 20% domain corresponds to roughly 20 scored questions, while a 3% domain corresponds to roughly 3.
No. PSI may add 1-10 unscored experimental questions within the two-hour limit, but the published domain percentages apply to the 100 scored questions only.
No. Domains range from 3% to 20% of the exam, so equal time allocation wastes effort. Prioritize Insurance Basics, Adjusting Losses, Automobile Insurance, and Homeowners Policy before moving to the smaller domains like Other Coverages and Options.