Tennessee Life & Health Exam Overview

Tennessee Life & Accident and Health Insurance Exam

Welcome to the Tennessee Life & Health Insurance study guide. In Tennessee, "Life & Health" is not one combined test — it is two separate Pearson VUE examinations that each pair a national General Knowledge block with a Tennessee Specific state-law block: the Life Agent exam and the Accident and Health (A&H) Agent exam. You may sit one or both. This guide covers Tennessee statutes (Title 56 of the Tennessee Code Annotated), Department rules (the 0780 chapters), and the producer-licensing process run by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI).

How the Exam Is Built

Each exam divides into national insurance concepts (General Knowledge) and Tennessee statutes and Department rules (Tennessee Specific). The content outline in effect is dated October 15, 2025 — confirm you are studying the current edition, because outlines are revised periodically and an old edition can leave gaps on annuity-suitability and best-interest topics.

Pretest questions are unscored items seeded for statistical validation; they do not count toward your result and are not flagged, so answer every item as if it counts. The time limit is 1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes) for each exam — roughly 90 seconds per question including pretest items. Arrive 30 minutes early; the on-screen clock starts the moment you view the first question, not when you sit down.

Passing Score & Scoring

The passing score is 70%, set by TDCI (not Pearson VUE). Tennessee uses scaled scoring: your raw score is converted so that equal scaled scores reflect equal knowledge across exam forms of differing difficulty. Your report reads "Pass" or "Fail" with diagnostic feedback by content area — Tennessee passers do not receive a numeric percentage. You leave the center with the official score report in hand.

Trap: Because the result is pass/fail, you will not "see how close you came." Treat 70% on every practice section as your floor, not your target — aim for 80%+ in practice to absorb exam-day pressure and tricky wording.

Fees & Registration

Register at pearsonvue.com/us/en/tn/insurance.html at least 24 hours before your desired date — walk-ins are not permitted. Fees are paid by credit/debit card or voucher at reservation, are nonrefundable and nontransferable, and you must change or cancel at least 48 hours in advance or forfeit the fee. OnVUE online-proctored testing is available as an alternative to a physical test center; it requires a private room, a webcam, and a system check.

What to Bring on Exam Day

• Two forms of valid, unexpired ID, at least one government-issued with photo and signature (driver's license, passport, state ID, or military ID).
• The name on both IDs must exactly match the name on your reservation — a nickname or a missing middle initial can cause a turn-away.
• No personal items, notes, phones, smartwatches, or study materials are allowed in the testing room; lockers are provided.

Pre-Licensing Education

Tennessee does NOT require pre-licensing coursework before either exam — there is no mandatory classroom or online-hour requirement. Most candidates still complete a self-study or provider course (often marketed as ~20 hours per line, ~40 hours for both) because the General Knowledge section is broad and covers contract law, underwriting, and product mechanics. Treat any such course as exam preparation, not a regulatory prerequisite.

Licensure Process After Passing

1. Pass the exam. Pearson VUE transmits your score electronically to TDCI.
2. Complete a fingerprint-based background check through IdentoGO (identogo.com).
3. Apply. File electronically through NIPR (nipr.com) — you must wait 48 hours after testing — or mail the paper Uniform Application with the $50 filing fee to TDCI, Insurance Division, 500 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243-1134.
4. Wait for review. Paper-application processing takes about 15 days from receipt; electronic filings clear faster.
5. License issued once TDCI confirms all requirements are met. You may not transact insurance until appointed/contracted by an insurer.

Retake Policy

A separate logistics rule: all candidates must also wait 24 hours before booking a retake reservation, and pay the exam fee again each attempt. If you pass Life but fail A&H (or vice versa), only the failed line is subject to the wait — your passed result stands and remains valid for licensing.

Continuing Education (CE)

Product-Specific Training (separate from the 24-hour CE)

Worked example: A producer born in March 1990 (even year) renews by March 31 of each even-numbered year (2026, 2028…). She completes 26 CE hours — 3 ethics, 23 general. Of the surplus general hours she may carry up to 12 to the next term; the 3 ethics hours are consumed and cannot be banked, and any carried hours cannot be applied to next cycle's ethics.

Who Regulates: TDCI

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance licenses producers, enforces Title 56, and issues Department Rules (the 0780 chapters). Contact: tn.gov/commerce/insurance; (615) 741-2693; 500 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243. The chapters that follow drill into TDCI's authority, Tennessee life and health policy law, and consumer-protection provisions.

Disclaimer: This guide is educational and does not guarantee exam success. Verify current fees, rules, and the active content outline directly with TDCI and Pearson VUE, as requirements change.