PGI format and pass mark: 50 questions on the personal lines

The Personal General Insurance (PGI) exam is a 50-question multiple-choice paper you sit in 75 minutes, and you pass by scoring 70% or higher, which is 35 correct answers. It is one of the modules under the Capital Markets and Financial Advisory Services (CMFAS) framework for general insurance, run by the Singapore College of Insurance (SCI), and it is currently set on the 7th edition syllabus.

Here is the format at a glance:

Item	PGI detail
Questions	50 multiple-choice
Time	75 minutes
Pass mark	70% (35 of 50)
Fee	S$75 to S$85, GST included
Run by	SCI
Delivery	Computer Screen Examination (CSE)
Syllabus	7th edition

What the 70% pass mark actually means

You need 35 right out of 50. That leaves room for 15 wrong answers and still a pass, so the margin is wider than people assume. The grading is single-tier: there is no separate sub-section you can fail while passing overall, and there are no merit or distinction bands. You either clear 70% or you do not.

Each correct answer is worth one mark. Wrong answers and blanks score zero, and nothing is subtracted for a wrong guess. Because there is no penalty marking, leave nothing blank. If a question stumps you, eliminate what you can and pick the best remaining option before moving on.

Working the clock

Seventy-five minutes across 50 questions gives you about 90 seconds each. That is enough to read the stem properly, but it disappears fast if you stall on the hard ones early.

A reliable approach is to go through the paper once and answer everything you know on sight, flagging anything that needs thought. Most candidates clear the confident questions in 40 to 45 minutes. Spend the next stretch on the flagged ones, and keep the last few minutes to check the answers you were unsure about. The practice mode on CMFAS Prep runs on the same timer logic, so you can train this pacing before exam day instead of discovering it cold.

The seven chapters you are tested on

PGI covers seven areas of personal lines insurance:

1. Private motor car insurance
2. Personal property insurance
3. Personal accident insurance
4. Travel insurance
5. Personal liability insurance
6. Health insurance, covering critical illness and hospital cash
7. Foreign domestic worker insurance and golfer's insurance

Motor car insurance (chapter 1) carries a heavier share of questions than the rest, and chapter 7 carries the fewest. The middle chapters are spread fairly evenly. If you are short on study time, motor is where the marks concentrate, so the No-Claim Discount system, third-party versus comprehensive cover, and the certificate of insurance are worth knowing cold.

Studying chapter by chapter, then testing each one before you move on, exposes weak spots earlier than reading the whole guide front to back. The Practice by Chapter mode on CMFAS Prep lets you drill a single chapter at a time and check your accuracy on it in isolation.

How PGI sits next to BCP and ComGI

PGI is part of a three-module set for general insurance. Here is how the papers compare:

Module	Questions	Time	Pass mark	Chapters
BCP	40	45 min	70%	9
PGI	50	75 min	70%	7
ComGI	50	75 min	70%	9

PGI and ComGI share the same length and timing. PGI has fewer chapters than ComGI but goes into them at similar depth, so a smaller spread does not mean a lighter read. The Basic Insurance Concepts and Principles (BCP) paper is shorter at 40 questions in 45 minutes, and it pairs with PGI to give you the personal lines qualification (more on that below).

Calculator rules

You can bring a calculator into the PGI exam, but only a non-programmable model from the SCI approved list. Anything programmable will be turned away at the door. Check the SCI approved calculator list before you buy or pack one.

Bring it even if you expect a light paper. Premium maths and motor NCD step-downs can show up, and you do not want to be doing those by hand under time pressure. Whatever calculator you bring, practise with that exact unit beforehand so you are not hunting for the percentage key during the exam.

Booking the exam and the fee

The fee is S$75 to S$85 with GST included. You register through the SCI website: create an account, go to exam registration, pick PGI with your preferred date and time slot, pay, and wait for the confirmation. SCI runs PGI sittings on weekdays at its examination centres, so dates are easy to find without booking far ahead.

What to bring on the day

You need your original NRIC if you are a Singapore Citizen or PR, or a valid passport or Employment Pass if you are not. Bring your exam confirmation too.

Your approved non-programmable calculator is the only study-adjacent item allowed in. Phones must be switched off and stored away from your seat. No notes, no printed materials, and no programmable calculators are permitted in the exam room.

If you do not pass

There is no cap on attempts. You can resit PGI as many times as you need until you clear 70%. The catch is cost: the full fee applies every time, so a near-miss still means paying again.

Before you rebook, find out which chapters dragged your score down rather than re-reading everything. The performance by chapter view on CMFAS Prep breaks your results down per chapter after each mock, and the practice quizzes rebuild around the topics you keep getting wrong, so a resit is targeted instead of a blind second run.

After you pass

A pass gives you a result slip, not a printed certificate. PGI on its own is one half of the personal lines requirement: combine it with BCP and you hold the Personal General Insurance Certification. The pass is worth 1.25 CPD hours. If you want the full Cert SCI (General Insurance) designation, you go on to take ComGI as well, which covers commercial general insurance on top of the personal lines you have already done.

Your next steps

Knowing the format is the easy part. Turn it into a plan with the PGI study guide, then pressure-test yourself with free PGI sample questions to see where you actually stand.

When you are ready to drill against exam-style questions with instant explanations, start your PGI practice on CMFAS Prep. Run a few timed mocks before you book your sitting, aim past 35 out of 50 consistently, and walk in knowing you have already hit the mark.