(a) Except as otherwise provided by this code, an applicant for a license to act as an agent in this state must:
(1) take a personal written examination prescribed by the commissioner; and
(2) pass the examination to the satisfaction of the department.
(b) The examination must determine the applicant's competence with respect to:
(1) the type of insurance contracts for which the applicant seeks a license;
(2) the laws of this state regulating the business of insurance; and
(3) the ethical obligations and duties of an agent.