Whether you want to stay up to date on regulatory and industry changes or want to see how XCEL is working to help you meet your career goals, you'll find it here!
XCEL Launches New Pet Insurance CE Course
August 2026
Pet insurance is a rapidly growing opportunity and many pet owners would benefit from adding this coverage to their portfolios. XCEL recently released a new CE course, worth two credit hours, built to help you build your knowledge of pet insurance so you can offer it confidently to your clients!
Pet Insurance: What Every Producer Needs to Know provides a clear, comprehensive look at this coverage, including market characteristics, the components of a pet insurance policy, and differentiating between insurance and wellness programs, and the disclosure requirements necesseary to ensure transparency and consumer understanding.
Explore our Property & Casualty CE Courses
XCEL Launches New Auto Insurance CE Course
July 2026
We recently released a new CE course designed to help insurance agents strengthen their knowledge of automobile insurance.
The Personal Auto Insurance Policy: Beyond the Basics explores today's standard personal automobile insurance policy in the context of industry changes and evolving coverage needs. Learners will gain a deeper understanding of the Personal Auto Policy (PAP), how it has evolved over time, and key concepts that impact today's auto insurance landscape.
Explore our Property & Casualty CE Courses
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Expanded Exam Prep Enhancements Across 10 States
July 2026
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Pennsylvania
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Massachusetts
- Kentucky
- Montana
- North Carolina
- New and updated practice questions within exam simulators and certification exams
- Expanded answer explanations that provide additional context and reinforce key concepts
- Detailed explanations for incorrect answer choices where appropriate, helping learners better understand common misconceptions
- New "Key Test Point" takeaways designed to reinforce important exam concepts
- Updated question weighting and post-exam reporting to support a more targeted study experience
- Refreshed state law content and streamlined review materials in select states
- New introduction and summary videos, along with additional study resources in select programs
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Arizona Exam Content Update
June 2026
- Updates aligned with Arizona's latest exam content outline
- Refreshed course materials where applicable
- State-specific exam prep content reviewed for accuracy and relevance
Massachusetts Testing Provider Changes
June 2026
The Massachusetts Division of Insurance is transitioning all licensing exams from Prometric to Pearson VUE. How will this affect you?
- Final Prometric Date: July 16, 2026
- Testing blackout period (No testing): July 17–21, 2026
- Pearson VUE Launch: July 22, 2026
Pearson offers 29 test centers within Massachusetts and 97 locations in neighboring states. You can begin scheduling your insurance exam through Pearson VUE either online or by phone beginning on July 6, 2026. One of the biggest changes with this shift is that testing at Pearson VUE is in-person only, and they will not offer remote testing. For full registration instructions and testing center locations, visit the Pearson VUE Massachusetts Insurance page or call 888-674-1558. For legacy information or exams taking place on or before July 16, visit Prometric Massachusetts Insurance.
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XCEL Introduces AI-Powered Exam Prep
May 2026
In May, XCEL launched an AI-powered study partner, Rubi™, built into all XCEL's pre-licensing and exam prep courses to ensure students have the instant support they need to keep moving forward.
Rubi™ makes it possible for students to get clarity and understand complex concepts quickly through a variety of ways:
- Answers questions with clear explanations and concept breakdowns.
- Provides real-life examples that help students apply concepts
- Generates additional practice questions to ensure understanding
- Translates content into multiple language for more accessible learning
With Rubi™, students can learn more quickly and feel more confident about their exam readiness!
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XCEL's Platform Enhancements to Improve Reliability, Speed, and Consistency
April 2026
XCEL continues to make targeted enhancements to strengthen the learning experience to improve performance, accuracy, and the user experience across the platform.
More Accurate, Consistent Data
Course progress, transcripts, certificates, and credit hours now align across all views, with fixes to time zone inconsistencies whci could impact completion dates.
Faster Access to Courses
Courses are now available near real-time after assignment or purchase, reducing delays and helping students start learning faster.
Improved Platform Performance
Our IT team implemented improvements to increase platform stability, resulting in more reliable access and fewer system disruptions.
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Nebraska Eliminates Remote Insurance Licensing Exams
February 2026
On March 16, 2026, Nebraska will eliminate remote testing for agent licensing exams. Remote or online proctored licensing exams are no longer permitted, andcandidates will be required to complete exams at approved in-person testing centers This change is intended to strengthen exam security and integrity and will be applied to all insurance licensing exams moving forward.
While this update limits flexibility in how candidates can take their exams, there are no changes to the core licensing requirements or exam content.
See the full Nebraska guidance here.
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California Ends Insurance Pre-Licensing Education Requirement
January 2026
Beginning in 2026, California is shifting away from stricy seat-time mandates to a more flexible approach to exam preparation. They are eliminating the 20 hour pre-licensing education hour requirements for certain license types, including Life, Health, Property & Casualty, Life & Health, and Personal Lines, and only retaining the 12-hour Code and Ethics course. However, there are no changes to the state exam.
Though candidates will still need a strong understanding of the material, these changes offer greater flexibility in how you prepare for the exam.
