TN Affiliate Broker Exam: 120 Questions, 70% to Pass (2026)

Last updated: July 2, 2026. Data aligned to the Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) and the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for the TNRE exam, effective 2025-2026.

The Tennessee Affiliate Broker Exam: Quick Answer

In Tennessee, the entry-level real estate salesperson license is officially called an affiliate broker license. It is the same role that most other states call a "salesperson" or "sales agent" — and it is distinct from Tennessee's higher-level broker license, which has its own PSI exam with different question counts. The affiliate broker exam, administered by PSI for TREC, has two independently scored sections. For 2026:

• National section: 80 scored questions, pass at 56 correct (70%)
• State section: 40 scored questions, pass at 28 correct (70%)
• Time limits: 160 minutes national, 80 minutes state (240 minutes total)
• Exam fee: $39 per registration, paid to PSI
• Both sections must be passed independently — a high combined score cannot rescue a failed section.

The exam is computer-based, multiple-choice (four options per question), and offered at PSI Tennessee test centers or through PSI's secure remote online proctoring. Results appear on screen immediately after you finish.

Official Exam Structure

Scored vs. Pretest (Experimental) Questions

PSI's TNRE candidate bulletin notes that each portion may include 5 to 10 unscored "pretest" questions used for exam development. These are mixed in with scored items, do not count against your score, and the time taken to answer them does not count against your testing time. The passing thresholds above (56 national, 28 state) apply only to the 80 + 40 scored questions, so you do not need a higher raw count to account for pretest items.

National Portion Content Outline (PSI)

The national portion tests general U.S. real estate principles. PSI's published content outline for the affiliate broker exam assigns the following weights to the 80 national questions:

Contracts, agency, and practice of real estate together account for roughly 44% of the national portion. These three areas are the highest-yield use of study time on the national side. Calculations appear both as a standalone 7% block and embedded inside financing, valuation, and transfer-of-title items, so fluency with commission, proration, loan-to-value, and area/volume math compounds across multiple topic areas.

Tennessee State Portion Content Outline (PSI)

The state portion tests Tennessee-specific law, TREC rules, and licensee conduct. PSI distributes the 40 scored state questions across nine topic areas:

State items are typically short scenarios that test what TREC expects a competent affiliate broker to do under Tennessee rules, not generic national rules. The largest blocks — advertising (7 questions), agency and disclosure (6 questions), and broker/affiliate relationships (5 questions) — together make up 18 of the 40 state questions. These areas reward candidates who study TREC's supervision framework, advertising rules, and Tennessee agency disclosure law in detail.

How Scoring and Retakes Work

PSI scores each section independently. The retake rules from PSI's TNRE candidate bulletin are:

• Pass one section, fail the other: you retake only the failed section.
• Passed section validity: the passed section is valid for two (2) retakes of the failed section or one (1) year, whichever comes first.
• First failure: you may retake as soon as you want, but you cannot schedule the next attempt until the day after the failed attempt.
• After the second failure on the same section: you must wait 30 days between any subsequent failed attempts before retaking.

Each retake requires a new $39 exam registration fee paid to PSI. There is no limit on the total number of attempts, but you must pass both sections within the validity window of the section you passed first. Use the section diagnostic on your PSI score report to target the specific topic areas where you lost points before retesting.

Pre-License Education: 60 + 30 = 90 Hours

Before becoming a licensed affiliate broker, TREC requires you to complete two separate courses:

1. 60-Hour Basic Principles of Real Estate — a TREC-approved pre-license course covering real estate law fundamentals, agency, contracts, finance, valuation, government controls, and Tennessee regulations. This course must be completed and on file with PSI before you can schedule the affiliate broker exam.
2. 30-Hour Course for New Affiliates — required before you apply for the license, not before the exam. Most candidates take it after passing the exam, but the completion certificate must accompany your license application.

Additional eligibility requirements to sit for the exam and obtain the license: be at least 18 years old, be a Tennessee resident for at least 45 days, hold a high school diploma or GED, and submit fingerprints for a TBI/FBI background check through IdentoGo (typically $35). TREC does not allow anyone on parole or probation to schedule the licensing exam.

There is no separate post-license course for Tennessee affiliate brokers. The 30-hour Course for New Affiliates is a pre-license requirement, not a post-license one. The only ongoing education obligation is the 16-hour CE cycle described below.

License Application, Fees, and Activation

After passing both exam sections you have six months to apply for your affiliate broker license through Tennessee's CORE portal. Required documents at application:

• Proof of completion of the 60-hour and 30-hour courses
• Exam pass confirmation (issued at the PSI testing center)
• Fingerprinting and background check verification
• Proof of errors and omissions (E&O) insurance coverage
• Eligibility Verification

You cannot practice until your license is issued and you are affiliated with a sponsoring Tennessee principal broker. The principal broker holds your license and is responsible for your professional conduct — affiliate brokers may not operate independently, hold trust funds in their own name, or advertise without brokerage supervision. After at least two years as an affiliate broker, you may complete additional education and upgrade to a Tennessee broker license, which has its own PSI exam (75 national + 50 state questions).

Continuing Education and Renewal

Tennessee affiliate broker licenses renew every two years. To renew, you must complete 16 hours of TREC-approved continuing education within each renewal cycle and pay the renewal fee:

The renewal fee is $75, paid through the TREC CORE portal. Late renewal is accepted up to 60 days after expiration with an added penalty. If a license expires more than one year, you may have to retake the licensing exam.

Common Failure Patterns on the TN Affiliate Broker Exam

1. Treating the state section like the national section. Tennessee procedure often differs from the general U.S. rule. The tempting answer on a state item is frequently the national rule, not the TREC rule — especially on advertising, trust accounts, and broker/affiliate supervision questions.
2. Weak advertising and broker/affiliate supervision questions. These are the two largest state blocks (7 + 5 = 12 of 40 state questions) and test what an affiliate broker may do only through the principal broker. Candidates who skip TREC's advertising rules lose 5 to 7 state points.
3. Rushing real estate calculations. The national portion includes a 7% calculations block plus math embedded in financing and valuation; careless work on commission, proration, and loan-to-value problems costs 4 to 6 national points.
4. Untimed practice only. Candidates who never practice under the 160 + 80-minute pacing run out of time on the national section, where 80 questions in 160 minutes leaves only 2 minutes per item.
5. Testing before reaching a stable benchmark. Sitting the exam at exactly 70% practice average leaves no buffer for exam-day variance — and both sections must clear 70% independently.

Benchmark Scores Before Test Day

Because Tennessee requires independent section passing, track your national and state practice scores separately. A 90% national average with a 71% state average is a borderline candidate, not a strong one — the state section is the one most likely to pull you below the line.

14-Day Timed Plan Before Your Exam

Days 14-10

• One full national timed set (80 questions in 160 minutes)
• One full state timed set (40 questions in 80 minutes)
• Detailed miss log grouped by PSI topic area, not just a percentage

Days 9-5

• Drill your two weakest national domains (usually contracts and agency)
• Drill your weakest state block (typically advertising or trust/escrow)
• Two mixed timed sets at full pace

Days 4-2

• Two full simulations under real 160 + 80-minute time limits
• Final formula sheet (commission, proration, loan-to-value, cap rate, area/volume)
• Tennessee rule sheet (TREC authority, advertising, trust accounts, agency disclosure, broker/affiliate supervision)

Day 1

• Light review only — formulas, Tennessee vocabulary, retake rules, ID logistics
• Confirm PSI appointment details and arrival window (arrive 30 minutes early for in-center testing)

Exam-Day Checklist

1. Confirm PSI appointment time and delivery mode (in-center or remote online proctoring).
2. Bring two forms of valid ID matching the name on your registration — one government-issued with photo and signature.
3. National pacing: roughly 2 minutes per question (80 questions in 160 minutes).
4. State pacing: roughly 2 minutes per question (40 questions in 80 minutes).
5. Mark and move on any question that stalls you; return in the flagged-question pass at the end.
6. Basic calculators are provided at the testing center; personal calculators are not allowed.

After You Pass: Affiliate Broker Career Context

Once licensed and affiliated with a principal broker, affiliate brokers in Tennessee earn on commission splits rather than salary. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $56,320 for real estate sales agents as of May 2024, with the middle 50% earning roughly $42,000 to $89,000 and the top 10% earning more than $125,140 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024). Tennessee markets with strong agent activity include Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and the Franklin/Murfreesboro corridor. First-year affiliate brokers typically earn less than the median while building a client base.

Free Practice Path

Start your Tennessee preparation with our full study path and timed practice:

• Tennessee Real Estate Study Guide — full study path aligned to the PSI content outline
• Tennessee Real Estate Practice Questions — timed question sets by section and weak domain

You can also use 10 free AI-powered practice questions per day on OpenExamPrep to drill Tennessee state-law scenarios and national calculations without paying for a prep course. The AI tutor will quiz you on the exact PSI topic weights, build a 14-day study plan around your weak areas, and explain every missed question in Tennessee or national vocabulary as needed.

Official Sources (2026)

• PSI: Tennessee Real Estate License (TNRE) Exam — scheduling, retake rules, FAQ
• TREC: How to Get a License — pre-license education and application steps
• TREC: Licensee Applicant Resources — fee schedule, fingerprinting, E&O insurance
• TREC Rules (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1260-05) — licensing and CE requirements
• BLS: Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents — national wage data (May 2024)