The Written Examination in Insurance Medicine is one of several requirements for achieving Board Certification in Insurance Medicine. Prior to sitting for the Written Examination, a candidate must fulfill other requirements as described in the Requirements for Certification in Insurance Medicine. Passing the Written Examination is a prerequisite for sitting for the Oral Examination.

A candidate who has completed all prerequisites and wishes to sit for the Written Examination should contact the Secretary-Treasurer of the Board of Insurance Medicine to determine whether there are any incomplete or undocumented requirements. After the documentation of all requirements is complete, the candidate should inform the Secretary-Treasurer of their request to sit for the examination. The candidate will then be contacted by the Vice Chair of the Board of Insurance Medicine to arrange the location, date and time of their examination.

In the year of AAIM's Triennial Course in Insurance Medicine, the Written Examination is generally administered in the fall at the Triennial Course and other U.S. sites. In non-Triennial Course years, the Written Examination is generally administered in the fall, in conjunction with the AAIM annual meeting, and, if feasible, at the CLIMOA and ACLI Medical Section annual meetings. The Written Examination consists of a series of written questions. The format of the questions is generally multiple choice or true-false. The candidate is given three hours to complete the examination.

The Written Examination emphasizes knowledge important for the Medical Director of a U.S. or Canadian life insurer, with additional emphasis on disability income and long-term care. Many questions originate from faculty members of recent AAIM Triennial Courses. Questions cover the topics contained in AAIM's Core Body of Knowledge for Medical Directors. ECG interpretation is part of the Written Examination. Mortality Methodology is not a primary focus of the Written Examination.

The examinee will be notified of the result of their Written Examination within six weeks of the examination date.

The Oral and Written Examinations required for certification in Insurance Medicine are given in the English language. These examinations are not offered in other languages. Proficiency in understanding written and spoken English is very important as it enables the examinee to capture the meaning and intent of examination questions and/or provide answers. Individuals whose primary language is not English should consider this in their preparations for testing. Administration of these examinations to candidates who are not proficient in English or who otherwise require special assistance will be considered by the Board of Insurance Medicine on an individual basis.