24 Hours of CE in 6 Hours

[Charpress]

Nightmare of nightmares. I realized a couple of days ago that my license is up for renewal by the end of September -the end of my birth month in even-numbered years (in my state). This was changed a couple of years ago from everyone's license being renewed on the same date.

So, we renew every two years and we have to have 24 hours of CE during the 2-year period before the renewal can be accepted.

So, here it was Sunday and I have to do 24 hours of CE and there is a delay between completing the CE and getting it reported through the portal system to the Insurance Commissioner.

In answer to several questions I see in this Forum, I used WebCE, purchased 24 hours of "on sale" topics, found a discount coupon on line (use Google) and signed up for what I needed for $30.

Now, I have to say it was boring as hell and the fact it was in two 12 hours pieces with two tests is a bit chancy. If you screw up twelve hours you are, well, screwed. My preference would be to take several 3-4 hour courses with topics I found more interesting.

However, it was what it was. I needed hours and I needed them fast. So, the 24 hours on sale was 12 hours of dealing with seniors and the issues therein and 12 hours of "Life Insurance" which was, OMG, torture.

I did the senior thing in about 2 hours including the test. When I submitted it, I realized by looking at the WebCE site on completed seminars that I had done the exact same course 4 years ago. Maybe, just maybe, that is why it seemed familiar and why I got 100% on the test.

The life insurance was boring. It took about 4 hours to complete, including the test. I am guessing that is probably pretty average.

In any event, here it is the last day of September and I found out minutes ago that WebCE reported the completed courses through the Portal as promised and I am now good to go for another two years.

I have no doubt I will end up waiting to the bitter end once again. Maybe I will just take the same courses each time, not bother reading the materials, and just ace the tests in about 10 minutes. There doesn't seem to be any restriction on what courses you take or how often, as long as they add up to the right number of hours.

 

[Norwayguy]

Nightmare of nightmares. I realized a couple of days ago that my license is up for renewal by the end of September -the end of my birth month in even-numbered years (in my state). This was changed a couple of years ago from everyone's license being renewed on the same date.

So, we renew every two years and we have to have 24 hours of CE during the 2-year period before the renewal can be accepted.

So, here it was Sunday and I have to do 24 hours of CE and there is a delay between completing the CE and getting it reported through the portal system to the Insurance Commissioner.

In answer to several questions I see in this Forum, I used WebCE, purchased 24 hours of "on sale" topics, found a discount coupon on line (use Google) and signed up for what I needed for $30.

Now, I have to say it was boring as hell and the fact it was in two 12 hours pieces with two tests is a bit chancy. If you screw up twelve hours you are, well, screwed. My preference would be to take several 3-4 hour courses with topics I found more interesting.

However, it was what it was. I needed hours and I needed them fast. So, the 24 hours on sale was 12 hours of dealing with seniors and the issues therein and 12 hours of "Life Insurance" which was, OMG, torture.

I did the senior thing in about 2 hours including the test. When I submitted it, I realized by looking at the WebCE site on completed seminars that I had done the exact same course 4 years ago. Maybe, just maybe, that is why it seemed familiar and why I got 100% on the test.

The life insurance was boring. It took about 4 hours to complete, including the test. I am guessing that is probably pretty average.

In any event, here it is the last day of September and I found out minutes ago that WebCE reported the completed courses through the Portal as promised and I am now good to go for another two years.

I have no doubt I will end up waiting to the bitter end once again. Maybe I will just take the same courses each time, not bother reading the materials, and just ace the tests in about 10 minutes. There doesn't seem to be any restriction on what courses you take or how often, as long as they add up to the right number of hours.

I just jump to the exams done in 30 minutes.

 

[Charpress]

See, what you're doing there is demonstrating that you don't really need the CE in the first place.

Just take the test.

I'm always tempted to just go that route but it makes me a bit nervous. I don't know why since it is basically open book with unlimited attempts to pass allowed. And 70% pass rate? C'mon.

I have to admit at this point that I flunked the term insurance portion of the test. It didn't matter since it was only 1/8 of one of the exams. In other words, just 5 questions so that if you miss more than 1 question it is a flunk. Looking back, I think I transposed the correct answers for two question with each other. Plus, I don't do term insurance. Despite my apparent ignorance of term cases, I did 88% overall.

My overall solution remains the same. If you are just going to take the test, then just keep taking the same course every time. Maybe you could even have Google autofill the right answers for you.

 

[somarco]

GA changed the rules from 2 years ago and now I need 12 hours to include 3 of ethics. On top of that, they outsourced the back office to a new vendor that has no clue and their website has not been built out to accommodate everything.

Sound familiar?

I submitted ethics over a month ago and have been waiting on my new license. They never responded to email requests so I called and eventually got a rep that must be working from home. (I could hear a dog barking in the background).

She informed me I needed 6 more hours but could not tell me why. I asked to speak to a supervisor.

Several minutes later the supervisor told me I needed 6 more hours but could not tell me why. When I protested she informed me she worked for the GA DOI before coming to the new place and the CE hours have always been that way.

So, why have I been renewing for the last 8 years with only 3 hours of ethics?

"Apparently that was an oversight"

Really?

Web CE had a 12 hour course on Medicare and Medicaid and I had a coupon. Even though it was more than I needed it was essentially the same course I took 3 years ago.

Signed on, took the practice test without reading the book then went straight to the real test.

Made a 96.

I checked with the state and my credits showed up the next day.

That was over a week ago. Still don't have my renewal.

Another call to PSIonline let's me know they are not responsible once the license leaves their offices.

So, when was my license mailed?

Last Tuesday, four days after the necessary CE hours were approved by the state.

 

[JimmyUt]

WebCE is great. AT twice the price, I would still pay it. Easiest 24hrs , of my life.

 

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

If you want me to, #1, I will forward every CE Class I get invited to from now on, so you don't run into that again.

If you want to continue to do online, I have two people here, one in Woodstock, one in Roswell, who offer CE classes.

 

[somarco]

Thanks #2. I used to attend CE classes taught by Roger Bell. Very easy, no test. Then he sold the company and went to online only. I can't recall who bought his company but they stopped sending me reminders so I ended up with WebCE.

The CE requirements have changed. In case you don't know what they are here is the DOI page.

 

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

I know the CE requirements have changed. That's why I try to attend as many CE classes as I can, so that on the 23rd month, I am not scrambling.

 

[Norwayguy]

See, what you're doing there is demonstrating that you don't really need the CE in the first place.

Just take the test.

I'm always tempted to just go that route but it makes me a bit nervous. I don't know why since it is basically open book with unlimited attempts to pass allowed. And 70% pass rate? C'mon.

I have to admit at this point that I flunked the term insurance portion of the test. It didn't matter since it was only 1/8 of one of the exams. In other words, just 5 questions so that if you miss more than 1 question it is a flunk. Looking back, I think I transposed the correct answers for two question with each other. Plus, I don't do term insurance. Despite my apparent ignorance of term cases, I did 88% overall.

My overall solution remains the same. If you are just going to take the test, then just keep taking the same course every time. Maybe you could even have Google autofill the right answers for you.

I can not take the same courses. My state will not let you take the same course in any back to back biennium meaning it would need to be six years before you took it again and I think the courses need to be recertified with the state every 5. But the reality most of the CE courses are really watered down. I never do anything but go straight to the exam and normally pull 95 or higher on them.

----------

GA changed the rules from 2 years ago and now I need 12 hours to include 3 of ethics. On top of that, they outsourced the back office to a new vendor that has no clue and their website has not been built out to accommodate everything.

Sound familiar?

I submitted ethics over a month ago and have been waiting on my new license. They never responded to email requests so I called and eventually got a rep that must be working from home. (I could hear a dog barking in the background).

She informed me I needed 6 more hours but could not tell me why. I asked to speak to a supervisor.

Several minutes later the supervisor told me I needed 6 more hours but could not tell me why. When I protested she informed me she worked for the GA DOI before coming to the new place and the CE hours have always been that way.

So, why have I been renewing for the last 8 years with only 3 hours of ethics?

"Apparently that was an oversight"

Really?

Web CE had a 12 hour course on Medicare and Medicaid and I had a coupon. Even though it was more than I needed it was essentially the same course I took 3 years ago.

Signed on, took the practice test without reading the book then went straight to the real test.

Made a 96.

I checked with the state and my credits showed up the next day.

That was over a week ago. Still don't have my renewal.

Another call to PSIonline let's me know they are not responsible once the license leaves their offices.

So, when was my license mailed?

Last Tuesday, four days after the necessary CE hours were approved by the state.

That's one thing I like about Maine. My license is continuous unless revoked so no waiting on a new license, just make sure my CE is done and don't get in trouble and no license issues.

 

[somarco]

The license issued by the state has an expiry date. Agent licenses expire every 2 yrs in your birth month, agency licenses every 2 yrs at the end of the calendar year.

Carriers know this and will stop paying commissions until they get the new license. Some states allow you to print them online but not here.