Tennessee (TN) Real Estate Exam Cheat Sheet 2026

The 8 rules worth memorising

Not subject knowledge — that comes from practice questions. These are the procedural rules candidates lose the exam to: how the threshold is applied, what a partial fail means, and the deadlines that void a pass.

1. 1

   Tennessee calls it the Affiliate Broker exam

   The entry-level license here is Affiliate Broker, not salesperson. When you search for study material or book with PSI, that is the exam you want — the "salesperson" listing in Tennessee is the timeshare salesperson exam, a different test.

   Source: PSI bulletin, Examination Summary Table

2. 2

   The passing mark is given as a count, not a percentage

   You need 56 correct of 80 on the national portion and 28 correct of 40 on the Tennessee portion — 70% each. Knowing the count is more useful than the percentage: on the state portion you can miss twelve questions and no more.

   Source: PSI bulletin, Score Reporting

3. 3

   Advertising is the biggest single state topic

   Advertising and marketing is 7 of the 40 state items — more than agency (6) and more than the Commission’s own powers (4). Social media advertising, team advertising and required listing information are all named in the outline. Most candidates underprepare this.

   Source: PSI bulletin, State Portion Content Outline

4. 4

   Trust fund and record-keeping rules are 8 items together

   Escrow handling (4) plus documents and record keeping (4) is a fifth of the state portion. Expect specifics: deposit deadlines, commingling, how long records are kept, and the Commission’s right of access.

   Source: PSI bulletin, State Portion Content Outline

5. 5

   60 hours to test, 90 before you are licensed

   Sixty hours of real estate principles qualify you to sit the exam. The remaining 30-hour Course for New Affiliates must be finished before a license is issued. Budget for both.

   Source: PSI bulletin, Affiliate Broker Candidates (T.C.A. § 62-13-303(b)(2))

6. 6

   Apply within one year of passing

   After passing all portions you must apply at core.tn.gov within one year. The exam fee is separately valid for one year, and the application is valid for 12 months from the exam date.

   Source: PSI bulletin, Affiliate Broker Candidates

7. 7

   No same-day rebooking

   You cannot book a new appointment on the day you test, because PSI needs time to process scores. The bulletin’s own example: test unsuccessfully on a Monday, call Tuesday, retest as soon as Friday if a seat is open.

   Source: PSI bulletin, Re-taking a Failed Examination

8. 8

   Score review is the only look you get

   PSI and the Commission may re-evaluate and adjust results on review, and the bulletin states this is the only review of examination materials available to candidates. There is no walk-through of your wrong answers.

   Source: PSI bulletin, Examination Review