Tennessee Real Estate Exam Study Guide
Pass the Tennessee Real Estate Affiliate Broker exam on your first attempt. 75 original practice questions with detailed answer explanations, complete coverage of all two-section PSI content areas, and every real estate math formula you’ll see on test day — built for candidates who don’t have time to waste.
Beat the 62–67% First-Attempt Pass Rate
If you’ve been searching for a Tennessee real estate exam study guide, here’s the reality: the TN Affiliate Broker exam first-attempt pass rate is around 62–67%, and Tennessee uses a split 70% pass standard on each section. Most candidates fail because their study materials don’t cover Tennessee’s Facilitator default under TCA 62-13-401 (a licensee is NOT an agent unless a written designated agency agreement is signed), the fact that subagency is NOT recognized in TN, the unique Sinkhole disclosure under TCA 66-5-212, or Tennessee’s title-theory + 60–90 day non-judicial foreclosure (among the fastest in the nation). Note also: TN’s entry-level license title is AFFILIATE BROKER (not ‘salesperson’), and TN has no state income tax. This guide distills TCA Title 62, Chapter 13 and TN Rules Ch. 1260-02 into quick-reference tables and includes 75 original practice questions.
Tennessee Real Estate Exam Facts at a Glance
Exam Format
120 multiple choice
Time Limit
4 hours (160 min nat + 80 min state)
Passing Score
70% on each section
Exam Fee
$63
Your Step-by-Step Path to Passing
The exact 7-step study sequence our guide walks you through
Complete Your 90-Hour Pre-License Course
Tennessee requires 90 hours of pre-license education (60 hr Basic Principles + 30 hr New Affiliates). The New Affiliates course must be completed within 180 days of receiving the license. This guide is a focused exam-prep companion — it doesn’t replace the course.
- TREC-approved providers include Tennessee Real Estate Educational Systems, Real Estate Express, Aceable Agent
- 60-hour Basic Principles must be completed BEFORE the licensing exam
- 30-hour New Affiliates must be completed within 180 days AFTER receiving license
- Submit application + $91 license fee on passing
- Sponsorship by a TN-licensed principal broker required for activation
Master Universal Real Estate Principles
Drill the universal content areas first — they form the foundation for the Tennessee-specific material.
📘 Our guide’s Part 1 covers deeds, titles, the bundle of rights, contracts essentials, financing fundamentals, valuation approaches, fair housing protected classes, federal income tax rules, and more — in quick-reference table format so you can scan fast and recall on test day.
Master Tennessee-Specific Material (40 Questions)
TN-specific testing focuses on the Facilitator default under TCA 62-13-401, the Confirmation of Agency Status form, the TN Residential Property Condition Disclosure with 3-day post-delivery rescission, Sinkhole disclosure, the title-theory + non-judicial foreclosure (60–90 day) structure, and TN Realty Transfer Tax.
Facilitator DEFAULT (TCA 62-13-401): Licensee is NOT an agent unless written designated agency agreement
Subagency NOT recognized in TN: Non-designated cooperating licensees are facilitators
TN Residential Property Condition Disclosure: 3-day buyer rescission if delivered after offer
Sinkhole disclosure (TCA 66-5-212): TN-specific seller disclosure
Title theory + 60–90 day non-judicial foreclosure: Among the fastest in the nation
TN Realty Transfer Tax: $0.37 per $100 ($3.70/$1,000), seller-paid
Drill Real Estate Math (10 Questions)
Math is only 10% of the exam — but it’s the area that trips up the most candidates. Every formula has a pattern; once you see the pattern, the questions become easy points.
- Commission & percentage — Part = Whole × Rate (T-bar method)
- LTV calculations — Loan ÷ Value
- Tax prorations — 365-day method, day of closing belongs to buyer
- Property tax — Assessed value × tax rate (with state caps if applicable)
- Transfer tax — Tennessee-specific rate calculations
- Capitalization — Value = NOI ÷ Cap Rate
- Acreage — 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft; 1 section = 640 acres
Take Practice Exams Under Test Conditions
Sit for the full 75-question practice set in one sitting. 2-hour timer. No notes. No phone. The point isn’t to score perfectly — it’s to identify weak content areas before exam day.
🎯 Pro tip: Review every answer — even the ones you got right. Sometimes you get the right answer for the wrong reason, and the explanation reinforces the concept for similar variations on the actual exam.
Schedule Your PSI Exam
Schedule via PSI at one of TN’s testing centers — or take online via secure remote proctoring.
Exam fee: $63 total ($37 national + $26 state)
Format: 120 questions: 80 national (160 min) + 40 TN-specific (80 min)
Pass score: 70% on EACH section (split scoring)
Materials: Closed book; basic calculator allowed
Pass with 70% / 70% → Activate Under a Sponsoring Principal Broker
Your TN Affiliate Broker license is active only when sponsored by a TN-licensed principal broker. License period is 2 years (biennial). CE: 16 hours per cycle including 6 hr TREC Core Course.
What’s Next After Passing
- • Choose a sponsoring TN principal broker
- • Complete 30-hr New Affiliates course within 180 days of license
- • Activate license through TREC
- • Plan 16-hour CE curriculum across the 2-year cycle
Build Your Business Fast
- • Google Business Profile + Maps SEO
- • Use AI for listings & client comms
- • Build referral network
- • Earn from your first closing
⚠️ Why Generic Practice Quizzes Fall Short:
Most free online practice tests recycle the same generic national questions and skip the Florida-specific material that makes up almost half the exam. Worse, many give you the answer with no explanation — so even when you get it right, you don’t understand why. Our 75 questions are organized by topic, written specifically for the Florida exam, and every answer includes a detailed explanation tied to the underlying statute or concept.
Everything You Need to Pass on Your First Attempt
28–32 pages · 75 practice questions · all two-section content areas · instant download
Tennessee Real Estate Affiliate Broker Exam Study Guide
2026 Edition · PDF Download · Written by Mark Sias
- All two-section PSI content areas covered with weight breakdown
- 75 original practice questions grouped by topic for targeted review
- Detailed answer explanations for every question — not just the ones you missed
- Complete real estate math walkthroughs (commission, LTV, prorations, doc stamps, cap rate, acreage)
- Quick-reference tables for Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) Title 62, Chapter 13 and TN Rules Chapter 1260-02
- Tennessee-specific content: agency disclosure rules, license law, mandatory disclosures, transfer tax, state caps
- Memory aids and acronyms (DEEP-U, MARIA, COLIC, OLD CAR SKID, T-bar method)
- National portion fundamentals: deeds, contracts, financing, fair housing, valuation
- Recommended study approach with realistic 2–4 week timeline
Tennessee Exam Study Guide
Why This Guide Beats Free Practice Quizzes
Free quiz sites are everywhere. A focused, Tennessee-specific blueprint isn’t.
PSI Aligned
Organized exactly the way the Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) under the TN Department of Commerce and Insurance breaks down the two-section content areas, so you study what’s actually tested at the right weighting.
Tennessee Law Built In
Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) Title 62, Chapter 13 and TN Rules Chapter 1260-02 distilled into quick-reference tables — not buried in a 600-page textbook.
Math Made Simple
Every formula you’ll see on test day, with worked examples. The T-bar method makes percentage problems trivial.
75 Practice Questions
Original questions modeled on the exam format. Grouped by topic so you can target weak areas after your first run-through.
Detailed Explanations
Every answer is explained — not just labeled right or wrong. Memory aids and acronyms reinforce the concepts.
Phone & Print Ready
Optimized for reading on phones, tablets, and desktops. Print-friendly for highlighting and margin notes.
two-section Content Areas, Weighted by Exam Importance
Knowing which topics are worth the most points lets you spend study time where it matters
High-Weight (Study First)
License title is AFFILIATE BROKER (entry-level, NOT ‘salesperson’); Facilitator DEFAULT (TCA 62-13-401); NO subagency; TN Residential Property Condition Disclosure (3-day post-delivery rescission); Sinkhole disclosure (TCA 66-5-212, UNIQUE); TITLE THEORY state; fast non-judicial foreclosure (60–90 days); TN Realty Transfer Tax $0.37/$100; 25% residential assessment ratio.
Medium-Weight
TN Human Rights Act (TCA 4-21-101); Greenbelt classification (agricultural/forest property tax reduction); TN Mortgage Tax ($0.115/$100 over $2,000); license renewal & CE.
Lower-Weight (Don’t Skip)
Specialty topics — leases, commercial nuances, methamphetamine contamination registry.
What Tennessee Licensing Actually Costs
Realistic Tennessee Affiliate Broker Licensing Budget
💰 The $63 retake math: Failing the TN exam and retaking costs $63. The average new TN agent’s first commission check is $4,500+. Spending $14.97 to pass on the first attempt is the obvious move.
Bonus: every concept in this guide reappears in real life. The contracts, disclosures, math, and brokerage relationship rules you study to pass the exam are the same rules that govern every transaction you’ll work for the rest of your career.
Who Wrote This Guide
Mark Sias — Founder, Noble Notary & Legal Document Preparers
Mark is a Florida-commissioned notary, legal document preparer, and digital marketing author based in Port Orange, FL. He co-owns Noble Notary & Legal Document Preparers with his wife Grace, where they prepare real estate documents (deeds, POAs, lease agreements, dissolution packages) for clients across multiple Florida counties.
Mark authored “A Homeless Guy’s Guide to Digital Marketing” and runs Notary Prosperity Academy, where he’s trained thousands of notaries, signing agents, and legal entrepreneurs through his YouTube channel (5,000+ subscribers, 500,000+ views) and online courses.
This study guide draws on years of working alongside real estate agents, title companies, and attorneys — distilling Tennessee’s exam material into the quick-reference format that mirrors how working professionals actually use the law every day.
After You Pass — Build a Real Income
Passing the exam is one milestone. Turning a license into actual closings is a separate challenge — and it’s the challenge most new agents underestimate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is the Tennessee real estate exam?
The TN Affiliate Broker exam first-attempt pass rate is around 62–67%. The exam is 120 questions (80 national + 40 TN-specific) in 4 hours, with split scoring requiring 70% on EACH section. Most candidates fail because their study materials don’t cover Tennessee’s Facilitator default (TCA 62-13-401), the lack of subagency, the Sinkhole disclosure, or the title-theory + fast non-judicial foreclosure structure.
How much does the Tennessee real estate exam cost?
The PSI exam fee is $63 ($37 national + $26 state). The TREC license fee on passing is approximately $91. Add background check (~$45) and the required 90-hour pre-license course ($300–$700) for total upfront licensing costs of $500–$900.
How long should I study for the Tennessee real estate exam?
Most candidates need 2–3 weeks of focused study after the 60-hour Basic Principles course. Plan for 1–2 hours per day. This guide compresses that timeline by focusing on what’s actually tested — Facilitator default, license law, TN math, and disclosures.
Does this guide replace the 90-hour pre-license course?
No. TN law requires every Affiliate Broker candidate to complete the 60-hour Basic Principles course (before exam) plus the 30-hour New Affiliates course (within 180 days after license). This study guide is a focused exam-prep companion.
What does the Tennessee real estate exam cover?
120 questions: 80 national + 40 TN-specific. National content covers deeds, contracts, financing, valuation, and federal fair housing. TN content covers TCA Title 62 Ch. 13 (license law), Facilitator default (TCA 62-13-401), Designated Agency, TN Residential Property Condition Disclosure (TCA 66-5-202), Sinkhole disclosure (TCA 66-5-212), TN Realty Transfer Tax, TN Mortgage Tax, title theory + non-judicial foreclosure, 25% residential assessment ratio, and TN Human Rights Act.
What is the default brokerage relationship in Tennessee?
Tennessee’s DEFAULT relationship is FACILITATOR (transaction broker / non-agent). A licensee is NOT an agent unless a written designated agency agreement is signed under TCA 62-13-401. Subagency is NOT recognized in TN. Dual agency is permitted with informed written consent of both parties.
How is the Tennessee Realty Transfer Tax calculated?
The TN Realty Transfer Tax is $0.37 per $100 of consideration (= $3.70 per $1,000), seller-paid, paid at the register of deeds. On a $200,000 sale: $200,000 × $0.37/$100 = $740. On a $400,000 sale: $1,480.
What format is the guide?
Digital PDF download — 25 pages with quick-reference tables, real estate math walkthroughs (including Realty Transfer Tax, Mortgage Tax, and 25% assessment-ratio property tax), 75 original practice questions, and detailed answer explanations. Print-friendly. Instant download via Kajabi.
© 2026 Noble Notary & Legal Document Preparers. All rights reserved.
This study guide provides educational information to help candidates prepare for the Tennessee Real Estate Affiliate Broker licensing examination. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for the required 90-hour pre-license education or for the official content outline published by the Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) under the TN Department of Commerce and Insurance. All practice questions are original content based on public statutes (Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) Title 62, Chapter 13) and public administrative rules (TN Rules Chapter 1260-02). No actual PSI exam content is reproduced. Tennessee statutes, administrative rules, fees, and exam content may change — always verify current information at tn.gov/commerce. Mark Sias is a Florida notary and legal document preparer, not a licensed attorney or real estate instructor. Not affiliated with or endorsed by TREC, the TN Department of Commerce and Insurance, PSI, or the National Association of REALTORS.