What is the RIBO Level 1 exam?
The RIBO Level 1 exam — officially the Level 1 Entry-Level Broker examination — is the licensing exam set by the Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO). Anyone who wants to act as a general insurance broker in Ontario has to pass it before a brokerage can sponsor their application for a Level 1 licence.
The exam checks whether you can do the job on day one: recognise a client’s exposures, recommend the right coverage, explain a gap, follow RIBO’s rules on disclosure and documentation, and know what happens when there is a claim. It covers personal lines (home and auto), commercial lines, travel health and the regulation of brokers.
RIBO sets the exam, but you write it with an exam provider — see where and how to book.
RIBO exam format at a glance
| Item | What you face |
|---|---|
| Length | 3 hours |
| Questions | 100 scored multiple-choice questions plus 15 pilot questions that do not count. You cannot tell which ones are pilots. |
| Answers | Four options, one correct. No negative marking — never leave a blank. |
| Pass mark | 75% — 75 of the 100 scored questions. |
| Reference | A consolidated resource (OAP 1, RIB Act, By-Laws, regulations) is provided — useful to confirm a detail, too slow to learn from. |
| Results | From the provider, about two weeks after the exam. |
The five content domains and their weight
Every scored question belongs to one of five domains. Your study time should follow the same weights — which is how the course program is built.
| Domain | On the exam | In the course |
|---|---|---|
| 25%General Insurance & the Regulated Broker | 25 questions | Modules 1–3 |
| 25%Personal Lines — Habitational | 25 questions | Modules 4–5 |
| 25%Personal Lines — Automobile | 25 questions | Modules 6–7 |
| 20%Commercial Lines | 20 questions | Module 8 |
| 5%Travel Health | 5 questions | Module 9 |
The ten competencies behind the questions
RIBO describes what an entry-level broker must be able to do: legal and regulatory compliance; professionalism, integrity and ethics; product and industry knowledge; risk identification and classification; consulting and advising; claims services; critical and analytical thinking; information management; relationship management; and continuous learning.
What RIBO exam questions look like
Do you know the rule?
“The minimum third-party liability limit in Ontario is…”
Do you understand it?
“Why does a coinsurance clause exist?”
Can you use it?
“A client’s son now drives the family car daily. What should the broker do?”
Application questions decide who passes. Wrong answers are rarely absurd: they are usually the right coverage in the wrong section, a true statement that answers a different question, a rule from another province or an older year, or the convenient answer that keeps the client happy today.
A four-step method for scenario questions
- Find the exposure — whose loss, what property, which person?
- Find the coverage — which policy and section responds?
- Find the condition — exclusion, limit, deductible or duty?
- Find the broker’s duty — advise, disclose, document.
Words like always, never and automatically usually sit in the wrong answer. Insurance runs on conditions, limits and exceptions.
Try RIBO sample questions
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Where and how to book the RIBO exam
You register and write the exam with an exam provider:
- Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) — online-proctored or in person.
- Insurance Institute — in person.
Registration closes about 10 days before a sitting. For online proctoring, test your computer, camera and room ahead of time and follow the provider’s rules to the letter; in person, arrive early with the required identification.
RIBO exam retakes and the 8-month wait
You have two attempts per provider. After a second failed attempt with the same provider, you must wait 8 months from that second failure before writing again with that provider. A result obtained during the waiting period is nullified, the clock restarts, and RIBO may add restrictions.
Treat your first attempt as the one that counts. Book only when your mock exams say you are ready — see the rule below.
How to study for the RIBO exam: the 8-week plan
Short daily sessions beat weekend marathons: about 45 focused minutes a day, five days a week. Work in order — lesson, then its practice quiz — and read every explanation, even when you were right.
| Week | Work | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Module 0 + Diagnostic, Module 1 | Baseline score recorded |
| 2 | Modules 2 and 3 | General practice quizzes at 75%+ |
| 3 | Module 4 — Habitational I | Basic vs Broad vs Comprehensive without notes |
| 4 | Module 5 — Habitational II | Coinsurance right first time |
| 5 | Module 6 — Automobile I | Any auto loss placed in the right OAP 1 section |
| 6 | Modules 7 and 9 | Explain the July 1, 2026 changes to a client |
| 7 | Module 8 — Commercial | Commercial practice quizzes at 75%+ |
| 8 | Module 10 — mock exams | Two mocks at 80%+, no domain under 70% |
Want the dates? The study planner works back from your exam date.
When to book: two mock exams at 80% or better on different days, no domain under 70%, and at least 15 minutes to spare.
Exam-day strategy and pacing
180 minutes for 115 questions is about 1 minute 30 seconds per question. Aim for about 40 questions answered at the one-hour mark and 80 at two hours, leaving 20 minutes for flagged questions. First pass: answer what you know, guess and flag the rest. Second pass: return to the flags. Never leave a blank.
Pass-mark calculator
Enter a mock or practice result.
Pace check
Mid-exam: are you on the 1:30 pace?
What changed for the 2026 RIBO exam
- January 1, 2024 — DCPD becomes optional. OPCF 49 lets an owner waive Direct Compensation.
- October 2024 — new RIBO By-Laws. Level 1 / 2 / 3 licences; changes reported to RIBO within 10 days.
- January 1, 2025 — new blueprint. Commercial Lines becomes 20% of the exam.
- January 1, 2026 — Level 2 through CAIB or CIP. No standalone Level 2 exam.
- July 1, 2026 — accident-benefits reform. Only medical, rehabilitation and attendant care remain mandatory; income replacement, caregiver, death and funeral and other benefits become optional and are recorded on OPCF 47R; auto insurance pays first for medical and rehabilitation (not medication); existing policies renew unchanged unless the customer agrees in writing.
After you pass: licence, supervision, CE and Level 2
Sponsorship & supervision
A licensed brokerage applies with you for your Level 1 licence. You then act under the supervision of the Principal Broker.
Report within 10 days
A change of brokerage, a charge or conviction, a bankruptcy: RIBO must hear about it within 10 days.
8 hours of CE per term
Each licence term (October 1 – September 30): at least 3 technical hours and 1 ethics hour. New licensees are exempt for the rest of their first licence year.
Level 2 via CAIB or CIP
Since January 1, 2026: CAIB 1, 2 and 3, or CIP C130 and C131, while holding an active Level 1 licence.
RIBO exam FAQ
Who has to pass the RIBO Level 1 exam?
Anyone who wants to act as a general insurance broker in Ontario. Passing the Level 1 (Entry-Level Broker) exam is the first step; a licensed brokerage then sponsors your application for a Level 1 licence.
How hard is the RIBO exam?
The content is learnable in a few weeks; what makes it hard is the 75% pass mark, the application-style questions (“what should the broker do?”) and the pace of about 90 seconds per question. Candidates who practise with explanations and timed mock exams are the ones who pass first time.
Where do I write the RIBO exam?
Through an exam provider, not RIBO directly: the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO), online-proctored or in person, or the Insurance Institute, in person. Registration closes about 10 days before a sitting.
How many times can I retake the RIBO exam?
Two attempts per provider. After a second failed attempt with the same provider, you wait 8 months from that failure before writing again with that provider. A result obtained during the waiting period is nullified. Confirm your situation with RIBO and the provider before you book.
Is the RIBO exam open book?
RIBO provides a consolidated resource (the OAP 1, the RIB Act, By-Laws and regulations). At about 90 seconds per question there is no time to read your way to an answer — use it only to confirm a detail you already know where to find.
When do I get my RIBO exam result?
From the exam provider, roughly two weeks after the exam.
What happens after I pass?
A sponsoring brokerage applies with you for your Level 1 licence. As a Level 1 broker you act under the supervision of the Principal Broker, report changes to RIBO within 10 days, and complete 8 hours of continuing education per licence term (October 1 to September 30), including at least 3 technical hours and 1 ethics hour.
How do I get my RIBO Level 2 licence?
Since January 1, 2026 there is no standalone Level 2 exam. You qualify through the CAIB 1, 2 and 3 courses or the CIP C130 and C131 courses, while holding an active Level 1 licence.
Sources: RIBO (ribo.com) — exam, licensing and continuing-education pages; FSRA (fsrao.ca) — 2026 automobile insurance reform. Checked September 2026. Rules change: confirm with RIBO and your exam provider before booking.