- The Official 2025 Pass-Rate Numbers
- First-Attempt vs. All-Attempt: Why the Gap Matters
- Exam Format Mechanics That Shape the Pass Rate
- Which Domains Carry the Most Risk
- Fee and Application Mechanics Behind the Numbers
- Putting the Pass Rate in Context
- A Domain-Weighted Study Timeline
- Pass Rate Snapshot Table
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The 2025 first-attempt pass rate for Series 16-72 was 50.40 percent (63 of 125 candidates).
- The all-attempt pass rate drops to 40.00 percent (86 of 215), showing retakes underperform first tries.
- You need 70 of 100 scored questions correct - PSI may slip in up to 10 unscored items you can't identify.
- Insurance Basics and Adjusting Losses each carry 20 percent of the blueprint, more than any other domain.
The Official 2025 Pass-Rate Numbers
Michigan's Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) publishes performance statistics for every licensing exam series it oversees through its testing vendor, PSI Services LLC. For the Independent Adjuster with Workers' Compensation Authority exam, Series 16-72, the 2025 data shows a first-attempt pass rate of 50.40 percent - 63 passing candidates out of 125 who sat for the exam for the first time. When every attempt is counted, including repeat sittings, the pass rate falls to 40.00 percent, or 86 passes out of 215 total attempts.
That combination of numbers tells a specific story: roughly half of candidates clear the bar on their first try, but people who fail once do not bounce back at the same rate on subsequent attempts. If you want the full breakdown of what a passing score actually requires, see MI-ADJ Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
First-Attempt vs. All-Attempt: Why the Gap Matters
A ten-point spread between first-attempt and all-attempt pass rates is a signal worth paying attention to. It suggests that failing once does not automatically mean a candidate studies harder and returns stronger - in many cases, repeat test-takers fail again. This is common across state adjuster exams because candidates often retake without changing their preparation strategy: they review the same materials, in the same order, and hit the same weak spots.
For Series 16-72 specifically, this means the smarter play is treating the first attempt as the only attempt you plan for. Since your application expires after six months without a pass, and each sitting costs $41, a scattershot "just take it and see" approach is expensive both in time and money. A structured first pass through the material - organized by the blueprint's actual weighting - is the more reliable path. The MI-ADJ Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt walks through exactly how to sequence that preparation.
Key Takeaway
Don't plan around a retake. Budget your prep time as if you get exactly one shot, because the all-attempt data shows retakes pass at a meaningfully lower rate than first attempts.
Exam Format Mechanics That Shape the Pass Rate
Understanding the mechanics of the exam itself helps explain why the pass rate sits where it does. Series 16-72 is a closed-book, computer-based, multiple-choice exam administered in person at a PSI test center - remote testing for this line was discontinued as of June 30, 2025. You have a two-hour time limit to answer questions drawn from a published blueprint of 100 scored questions.
Here's the detail that trips people up: PSI may insert between 1 and 10 additional unscored, experimental questions within that same two-hour window. You will not be told which questions are scored and which are experimental. This means the exam may present anywhere from 101 to 110 total questions in the time allotted for 100 - effectively tightening your per-question pacing without warning. Passing requires 70 correct answers out of the 100 scored questions, which is a 70 percent threshold.
- Two-hour limit applies regardless of how many total questions appear on screen.
- You cannot flag which questions are unscored, so every question must be treated as if it counts.
- Closed-book format means no reference materials, physical or digital, during the test.
This pacing pressure is one reason the first-attempt pass rate sits at just above half. Candidates who haven't internalized core concepts spend too long deliberating on early questions and run out of runway later in the exam.
Which Domains Carry the Most Risk
The Series 16-72 blueprint spreads content across ten domains, but the weighting is far from even. Two domains - Insurance Basics and Adjusting Losses - each account for 20 percent of the scored questions, meaning they alone represent 40 percent of your total score. Automobile Insurance follows at 15 percent, and Homeowners Policy at 12 percent. The remaining domains, including Workers' Compensation Insurance at 10 percent, split the rest of the blueprint in smaller slices.
Insurance Basics (20%)
Covers the foundational vocabulary, policy structure, and principles that every other domain builds on. Candidates who treat this as "easy review" and skip it often lose points scattered across the whole exam because later questions assume this baseline knowledge.
- Policy provisions and definitions
- Types of coverage and exclusions
- Contract law basics as applied to insurance
Adjusting Losses (20%)
Focuses on claims handling procedures, damage evaluation, and the practical duties of an independent adjuster in the field. This domain is where theoretical knowledge has to translate into applied judgment questions.
- Claims investigation and documentation
- Loss valuation methods
- Settlement and negotiation principles
Because these two domains alone determine 40 of the 100 scored questions, a candidate who is weak in either one is already fighting an uphill battle before touching the smaller domains like Businessowners Policy or Other Coverages and Options. For a full breakdown of all ten domains and how to allocate study time across them, see MI-ADJ Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 10 Content Areas.
Fee and Application Mechanics Behind the Numbers
The pass-rate data doesn't exist in isolation - it interacts with the licensing process's timing and cost structure, and understanding that structure helps explain candidate behavior. Resident applicants pay a $15 application fee to DIFS, separate from the $41 PSI exam fee charged per attempt. There is no mandatory prelicensing education requirement for this adjuster exam, which means candidates are largely self-directed in how they prepare - a factor that likely contributes to the spread in outcomes reflected in the pass-rate data.
- Application expires after six months if the exam hasn't been passed yet.
- A passing score stays valid for 12 months once earned.
- Exam fee of $41 is charged per attempt, so failing and retaking adds direct cost.
For a complete accounting of every fee involved in getting licensed, from application through your first renewal, see MI-ADJ Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. And if you're still confirming you meet the basic eligibility bar - age 18 minimum, good business reputation, and demonstrated knowledge of insurance and state law - the MI-ADJ Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify guide covers that in detail before you even schedule a seat.
Putting the Pass Rate in Context
A pass rate hovering around half of first-time candidates is neither reassuring nor alarming on its own - it simply means the exam is calibrated to separate candidates who studied the blueprint systematically from those who didn't. The 70-percent passing criterion, applied to a closed-book, timed, in-person format with unscored questions mixed in, rewards preparation that mirrors the actual weighting of the domains rather than general insurance familiarity.
If you're trying to gauge how much effort this exam actually demands relative to your background, the How Hard Is the MI-ADJ Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 article breaks down difficulty factors beyond the raw pass-rate number. And once you're licensed, it's worth understanding what the credential opens up - the Is the MI-ADJ Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 piece and the MI-ADJ Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis both cover what comes after you clear this bar.
A Domain-Weighted Study Timeline
Generic study techniques only help if they're pointed at the right material. Given that Insurance Basics and Adjusting Losses together make up 40 percent of the scored exam, your schedule should give them proportionally more repetition than the smaller domains - not equal time across all ten.
Foundation: Insurance Basics
- Work through policy definitions, provisions, and exclusions until they're automatic
- Use short recall sessions rather than long passive reading blocks
Applied Skills: Adjusting Losses
- Practice claims-handling scenario questions, not just terminology
- Cross-reference with Automobile and Homeowners policy specifics, since claims scenarios often blend domains
Mid-weight domains
- Cover Automobile Insurance, Homeowners Policy, and Workers' Compensation Insurance
- Time yourself on practice sets to build tolerance for the two-hour, unscored-question format
Small domains and full review
- Finish Dwelling, CPP, Businessowners, Other Coverages, and Regulation
- Run full-length timed simulations to rehearse pacing under exam conditions
Space this schedule against your actual test date, which you can lock in through PSI once your application is approved - see MI-ADJ Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling for how scheduling works. For a fast final-week reference, the MI-ADJ Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses the highest-yield facts across all ten domains onto a single page. You can also run full-length timed simulations on our practice test platform to see how your pacing holds up against the real two-hour limit before test day.
Pass Rate Snapshot Table
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| First-attempt pass rate (2025) | 50.40% (63 of 125) |
| All-attempt pass rate (2025) | 40.00% (86 of 215) |
| Passing score required | 70 of 100 scored questions (70%) |
| Time limit | 2 hours |
| Possible unscored questions | 1 to 10, mixed in unmarked |
| Exam fee per attempt | $41 |
These figures apply specifically to Series 16-72 and were verified against DIFS's published performance report. If you're comparing this exam against other state licensing paths or trying to decide whether the credential fits your career plans, the MI-ADJ Certification overview and MI-ADJ Jobs pages give broader context on where this license leads and who's hiring for it. You can start building familiarity with the question style right away using MI-ADJ Exam Prep's practice tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
The first-attempt pass rate was 50.40 percent (63 of 125 candidates), and the all-attempt pass rate, including retakes, was 40.00 percent (86 of 215), per DIFS's published performance report for Series 16-72.
The gap suggests candidates who fail on their first try don't always pass at a higher rate on subsequent attempts, often because they retake the exam without meaningfully changing their preparation approach.
No. Passing is determined only by the 100 scored questions on the blueprint. PSI may add 1 to 10 unscored experimental questions within the same two-hour window, but these do not count toward your 70-question passing threshold.
Insurance Basics and Adjusting Losses each represent 20 percent of the scored exam, more than any other domain, so they deserve the most study repetition before moving to smaller domains like Businessowners Policy or Other Coverages and Options.
Your application expires after six months if you haven't passed yet, so repeated failed attempts can force you to reapply. A passing result, once achieved, stays valid for 12 months.