PSI Tennessee Real Estate Exam: 2026 Affiliate Broker Guide

In Tennessee, a new agent's license is called affiliate broker, and the PSI exam for it has a national section and a Tennessee section. The time limits are generous, but the retake rules get stricter after your second try. Here's what PSI's Tennessee Candidate Information Bulletin says about the exam and the steps before and after it.

Tennessee PSI exam at a glance

Information current as of October 2026. These details come from PSI's Tennessee Candidate Information Bulletin (updated July 1, 2025). Check the current bulletin before you book, since fees and rules can change.

Eligibility and education

Affiliate brokers need 90 hours of real estate education. Sixty of those hours cover real estate principles and fundamentals, and you must finish them before you can test. The remaining 30-hour Course for New Affiliates must be done before TREC issues your license. Your education provider sends your eligibility to PSI electronically. If PSI has no record of you, contact your school.

On exam day, you'll answer a few qualifying questions, such as whether you're at least 18 and whether you've held another license or have a criminal record. Under TREC Rule 1260-01-.01(4), you can't be eligible until two years have passed since the end of probation, parole, conviction or incarceration, whichever is latest. That applies to all felonies and to misdemeanors involving theft of money, services or property.

Format and Tennessee content

The national section uses PSI's standard outline. Contracts carry 19%, agency 13%, practice of real estate 12%, property ownership and financing 10% each, and calculations 7%. The 40-question Tennessee section is spread across nine areas:

• Advertising and marketing (7): owner/agent advertising, signs, team and internet advertising, required listing information, gifts and prizes, and social media.
• Agency and disclosure (6): creating agency, disclosing relationships, material facts, agent interest, handling offers, designated agents, facilitators and dual agency.
• Broker/affiliate relationships (5): how compensation is paid, permitted affiliations, supervision, changing affiliation and who owns listings.
• Commission duties and powers (4), licensing requirements (4), documents and record keeping (4) and trust/escrow funds (4), including deposit deadlines and commingling.
• Improper activities and consumer protection (3) and special areas of practice (3): timeshares, property management and commercial real estate.

Scoring and passing

Each section is scored separately, and you need 70% on both: 56 of 80 national and 28 of 40 state. The 5 to 10 experimental questions aren't scored but do count against your time, so answer everything. Pass one section and fail the other, and you retake only the one you failed.

Fees and scheduling

• PSI fees: $63 for the full exam, $37 for national only and $26 for state only. Fees aren't refundable, and the exam fee is valid for one year.
• Once your school has submitted your record, book at test-takers.psiexams.com/tnre or call (855) 340-3710. Choose a test center or remote proctored exam.
• Cancel at least 2 days ahead, or you lose your fee.

Test day

Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Bring one valid ID with your photo and signature, in your legal name exactly as registered. Tennessee's bulletin specifically mentions a state-issued driver's license or ID card. If you forget your ID or the names don't match, you won't be allowed to test and won't get a refund. Remote exams don't allow breaks. Our PSI exam day guide covers the rest.

Retake rules

Tennessee spells out its retake rules in detail:

• After a first failed attempt, you can retake as soon as you want, but you can't schedule until the day after your exam.
• After the second attempt, you must wait 30 days between any further failed exams.
• A passing score on one section is valid for two retakes of the failed section or one year, whichever comes first.

After you pass

1. Pass all required sections. You can't apply until you do.
2. Finish the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates if you haven't already.
3. Submit fingerprints. TREC requires them for every initial license application, though not for testing.
4. Apply at core.tn.gov within one year of passing all sections.

Study tips for the Tennessee exam

• Learn the advertising rules first. They're the largest state topic, and the details (team names, internet listings, social media) are easy points if you've memorized them.
• Know Tennessee's agency terms. Facilitators and designated agents show up in the outline by name.
• Learn the trust fund deadlines. Time requirements for depositing funds are listed outright.
• Pace yourself. 160 minutes for 80 national questions gives you two minutes each, so read every scenario carefully.

PSI Exams Prep has 400 real estate questions across 6 topics, with Study Mode explanations, timed Exam Mode, a daily challenge and topic mastery tracking. Our State Laws topic is general, not Tennessee-specific, so use your principles course for TREC rules. The National Portion topic is free, with up to 15 questions per test. For a full plan, see how to pass the PSI real estate exam.

Sources

• PSI: Tennessee Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin (updated July 1, 2025)
• PSI: Tennessee real estate exam scheduling
• TREC license applications (CORE)

Frequently asked questions

PSI Exams Prep is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by PSI Services LLC. Exam details change and vary by state. Always confirm requirements in the official Candidate Information Bulletin for your exam.