Tennessee · affiliate broker · exam facts · checked Oct 24, 2026
PSI Tennessee real estate exam rules
PSI runs the Tennessee affiliate broker exam for the Commission, at a test center or online with a remote proctor. The rules that catch candidates out are about retakes: a passed portion is kept, but only for a limited time, and after a second attempt there is a waiting period. Every rule below has its source and the date we checked it.
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Not affiliated with any state commission or test provider.
- 70% eachpass mark
- 120scored questions
- 240 mintesting time
- center or remotewhere you test
All exam facts
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test provider | PSI, for the Tennessee Real Estate Commission | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) · Tennessee Real Estate Commission: PSI exam information [1][2] | |
| Age and schooling | 18 or older, high school graduate | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) · Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker [1][3] | |
| National portion | 80 questions, 160 minutes | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| State portion | 40 questions, 80 minutes | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| Unscored questions | 5 to 10 experimental questions, not scored but timed | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| Testing time | 240 minutes: 160 national + 80 state | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| Passing score | 70% on each portion: 56 of 80 national, 28 of 40 state | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| Score report | On screen at the end and by email; a fail includes a diagnostic report | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| Fail one part | Yes: retake only the failed portion; a passed portion counts for 2 retakes or 1 year, whichever comes first | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| Retake | Retake from the next day; after the second attempt, wait 30 days between failed attempts | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| Cancel or reschedule | Cancel or reschedule at least 2 days before the exam to keep the fee; the fee is non-refundable and valid for 1 year | Tennessee Real Estate Commission: PSI exam information · PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1][2] | |
| Where you take it | PSI test center or remote online proctoring | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| Already licensed elsewhere | The national portion can be waived for a licensee of another state who passed a national exam at that level | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] | |
| Validity window | Apply at core.tn.gov within 1 year of passing all portions | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) · Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker [1][3] | |
| Vendor practice test | PSI sells online national salesperson practice exams, paid per attempt; the bulletin lists none for the Tennessee state portion | PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) [1] |
Booking: your school goes first
You cannot open a PSI account and book on your own. Once you finish the principles course, your school submits your eligibility to PSI electronically; PSI then emails instructions to pay and schedule. Retakes and out-of-state candidates are entered differently: you send the request through your CORE account (or email the Commission), staff add you to PSI’s system, and PSI emails you. Changing plans: cancel or reschedule at least 2 days before the exam to keep the fee; the fee is non-refundable and valid for 1 year.
Test center or remote proctor
You choose the format when you book: PSI test center or remote online proctoring. At a center, bring the admission notice and a valid state-issued photo ID with your signature. A remote session runs on your own computer under a live proctor, and breaks are not allowed. Both portions together run 240 minutes, so the bulletin says to test at a center if you need a break.
Scoring: two pass marks, not one
Each portion is scored by itself. You pass the national portion with 56 of 80 (70%) and the state portion with 28 of 40 (70%); a high score on one does not carry the other. The result appears on screen when you finish and arrives by email, and a fail comes with a diagnostic report by subject area. The 5–10 experimental questions do not count, but they do use your time.
If you fail: retake rules
Can you keep a passed portion?
Yes: retake only the failed portion; a passed portion counts for 2 retakes or 1 year, whichever comes first. Run out of either limit and the passed portion has to be taken again too.
When you can sit again
Retake from the next day; after the second attempt, wait 30 days between failed attempts. A retake of one portion is priced on its own: what a retake costs.
Licensed in another state: the national waiver
The national portion can be waived for a licensee of another state who passed a national exam at that level (Rule 1260-01-.02(2)(b)). You send the Commission proof of the earlier exam and its score, a license certification from every state where you hold or held a license, and your education records before you book; Tennessee does not waive its education requirement for out-of-state licensees, and you must affiliate with a Tennessee firm. Then you take only the 40-question state portion.
After you pass: the one-year clock
Passing does not license you. Apply at core.tn.gov within 1 year of passing all portions, and by then the Course for New Affiliates must be finished too. The application steps are on how to get licensed.
Practice the state portion on your phone
Practice on your phone
Tennessee affiliate broker: practice questions with every answer explained, in a study app. Not affiliated with any state commission or test provider.
- Tennessee affiliate broker Two portions scored separately, nine state-law areas on four pages, pass mark and fees
- Tennessee affiliate broker practice test Questions on the Tennessee state portion from all nine PSI areas, every option explained
- Tennessee affiliate broker cost Exam and license fees as of Oct 2026, per-portion retakes, costs the state does not set
- Tennessee affiliate broker how to get licensed The Tennessee license in order: school, PSI exam, principal broker, E&O, fingerprints
- Tennessee affiliate broker study guide The state portion mapped to the Tennessee rules and statutes behind each area
Sources
- PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7/1/2025) test-takers.psiexams.com · checked Oct 24, 2026
- Tennessee Real Estate Commission: PSI exam information tn.gov · checked Oct 24, 2026
- Tennessee Real Estate Commission: how to become an affiliate broker tn.gov · checked Oct 24, 2026
PSI Tennessee exam, quick answers
Can I take my PSI real estate exam online in Tennessee?
Yes. You can test at a PSI center or online with a remote proctor. Remote sessions allow no breaks, and both portions together take 240 minutes.
How many questions are on the PSI real estate exam in Tennessee?
80 on the national portion and 40 on the state portion (120 scored), plus 5–10 unscored ones.
How hard is the Tennessee real estate exam to pass?
The Commission and PSI publish no pass rate for it, so any percentage quoted online is not from them. What is published is the bar: 70% each, on two portions scored separately. Test yourself on the state portion with the practice test.
How long is a passed portion valid?
For two retakes of the failed portion or one year, whichever comes first. Some prep sites say six months; the PSI bulletin and the Commission’s exam page both say one year.