The LLQP is national. The licence is provincial. This page lays out exactly how the two fit together in Alberta, what it actually costs, and how to pick a course provider that gets you exam-ready.
Independent guide. Fees and requirements below are drawn from the Alberta Insurance Council. Always confirm current details on the AIC website before you pay.
Two things are often confused. The Harmonized LLQP (HLLQP) is a national certification course regulated by the Canadian Insurance Services Regulatory Organizations (CISRO) — your certificate is valid everywhere in Canada except Quebec. The provincial licensing exam and your actual licence are handled in Alberta by the Alberta Insurance Council (AIC). You do the course once; you write and license in the province where you'll practise.
This trips people up. Some provinces run their exams through Durham College — Alberta does not, and AIC will not accept those marks. In Alberta you register for and write your exams through the AIC Portal using your CIPR number. Your course provider certifies your HLLQP completion; AIC administers the provincial exams.
Most people move through this in two to six weeks, depending on how fast they finish the course and book exam sittings. See the full national picture in REMIC's guide to becoming a life insurance agent in Canada.
Register with the Canadian Insurance Participant Registry (CIPR) to get the number you'll use to enrol in a course, book exams, and apply for your licence. It's your identity across the whole process.
Take the Harmonized LLQP from an AIC-approved education provider. It covers all four modules — Life Insurance, Accident & Sickness, Segregated Funds & Annuities, and Ethics & Professional Practice. Your provider certifies completion; the certification is valid for one year.
Where REMIC comes inLog into the AIC Portal with your CIPR number and register for the four provincial LLQP exams. You must sit them within one year of your course certification. You need 60% on each module to pass — see AIC's exam rules and pass marks. Alberta lets you write all four in a single sitting if you choose.
To hold a Life licence you'll typically be sponsored by an insurer or agency, and you'll need Errors & Omissions (E&O) coverage in place. Note that Life and Accident & Sickness are two separate licence classes in Alberta — if you plan to sell both, you apply for both.
Submit your paid, completed application to AIC within 12 months of passing your provincial exams. Standard review time is about 15 business days per the AIC applying-for-a-license page. Once approved, you're licensed to sell — you can't provide insurance services until the licence is issued, even with a signed contract.
These are the AIC fees on top of your course tuition. They're among the lower provincial costs in the country. Always verify current amounts against AIC's exam fees and application fees pages — schedules change.
| Item | Approx. fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Provincial exams (all 4 modules) | ~$100 | Accident & Sickness module alone is lower (~$50). Add ~$11 + GST per module if you write online. |
| New life licence application | ~$95 | Paid in the AIC Portal before your application is reviewed. |
| Exam rewrites | Rewrite fee applies | Up to three attempts per module; after that a six-month waiting period applies. |
| E&O insurance | Varies | Cost depends on your sponsoring company; often arranged through them. |
| HLLQP course tuition | Provider-set | Your main variable cost. See REMIC's full cost breakdown by province. |
Every approved provider teaches the same national curriculum — so tuition tells you almost nothing about which one gets you licensed fastest. These are the criteria that actually separate them. Score any provider you're considering against this list, starting with AIC's approved educator list.
| What to check | Why it matters for Alberta |
|---|---|
| AIC-approved for Alberta | The provider must appear on AIC's approved LLQP educator list. Approval elsewhere isn't enough — and remember AIC won't accept Durham College exam marks. |
| Exam pass rates | The whole point is passing. Ask for the provider's pass rate and how they measure it. Strong practice-question banks correlate with results far more than slick video does. |
| Practice questions & mock exams | Alberta's exams are 60%-to-pass, multiple choice, with pilot questions mixed in. Volume and quality of practice questions is the single best predictor of readiness. |
| Study format & pace | Self-paced online vs. scheduled cohorts. Match it to how you actually learn and how fast you need to finish within the one-year certification window. |
| Support when you're stuck | Is there a real person to answer content questions? Ethics and Seg Funds trip up a lot of first-timers — support matters more than most people expect going in. |
| Current, maintained content | Curriculum and exam standards get updated. Make sure the material reflects the current CISRO framework, not a course that's been sitting untouched for years. |
REMIC is one of Canada's largest insurance and mortgage education companies. Our Harmonized LLQP course covers all four modules and certifies you to write the Alberta provincial exams — and to license anywhere in Canada outside Quebec.
No. That's the biggest misconception. Alberta administers its own provincial LLQP exams through the AIC Portal, and AIC does not accept exam results from Durham College. You register and write with AIC using your CIPR number.
Yes — Alberta allows you to sit all four LLQP exams in a single session if you prefer. You can also space them out. You need at least 60% on each module to pass.
One year from your initial certification date. You must register for and write your provincial exams within that window. If the certification expires, you can't register for the exams and would need to re-certify.
No. In Alberta they're two separate licence classes. If you plan to sell products with both life and A&S components — or group, critical illness, or disability alongside life — you'll need to apply for both.
You may be eligible for an Alberta licence without rewriting the provincial exams if you hold an active, equivalent licence from your home jurisdiction within 12 months of AIC receiving your approved, paid application. Check AIC's non-resident requirements for the specifics.
Up to three attempts per module, each subject to a rewrite fee. After a third attempt, a six-month waiting period applies before you can try again.