- The TNREAB exam has 120 scored items across 11 national domains (80 questions) and 9 state domains (40 questions).
- Contracts (19%) and Agency (13%) are the two heaviest national domains - master them first.
- Advertising and Marketing is the single largest state domain at 17.5% of the state portion.
- You need 56/80 correct nationally and 28/40 correct on the state section to pass each part.
How the TNREAB Exam Is Structured
The Tennessee Real Estate Affiliate Broker Exam is administered by PSI on behalf of the Tennessee Real Estate Commission, and it's built as two separate tests taken back-to-back: 80 national questions in 160 minutes, followed by 40 state-specific questions in 80 minutes. PSI may also slip in 5-10 unscored experimental items that look identical to scored questions, so you can't game the test by trying to identify which items "don't count."
Each side is scored independently. You need 56 of 80 correct on the national portion and 28 of 40 correct on the state portion. Because the two sections are graded separately, it's entirely possible to pass one and fail the other - and if that happens, only the failed section needs to be retaken, provided you do so within two retakes or one year of your passing score, whichever comes first.
Understanding this split matters because it changes how you should allocate study time. The national side draws from 11 broad domains rooted in general real estate principles, while the state side is built from 9 domains that are almost entirely Tennessee-specific law, commission rules, and licensee conduct standards. If you want the full mechanics of scoring thresholds, see our TNREAB Passing Score 2026 guide; if you're still mapping out eligibility before you even schedule, start with TNREAB Requirements 2026.
The 11 National Content Domains
The national portion covers general real estate practice concepts tested across almost every U.S. jurisdiction. These 80 questions are weighted unevenly, and three domains - Contracts, Agency, and Practice of Real Estate - together make up nearly half of the national score.
Domain 5: Contracts (19%)
The single heaviest domain on the entire exam. Expect questions on offer and acceptance, contingencies, contract termination, remedies for breach, and the elements required for a valid real estate contract.
- Essential elements of a valid contract (capacity, consideration, legal purpose)
- Contingency clauses and how they affect performance deadlines
- Breach of contract remedies: rescission, specific performance, liquidated damages
Domain 6: Agency (13%)
Fiduciary duties, types of agency relationships, and how agency is created and terminated. This domain overlaps heavily with Domain 19 on the state side, so mastering it pays double.
- Fiduciary duties: loyalty, obedience, disclosure, confidentiality, accounting, reasonable care
- Express vs. implied agency, and how dual agency is created
- Termination of agency by expiration, completion, mutual agreement, or operation of law
Domain 10: Practice of Real Estate (12%)
Day-to-day licensee conduct rules: what an affiliate broker can and cannot do, license law basics, and fair housing obligations that apply nationally.
- Fair housing protected classes and prohibited practices
- Antitrust concerns: price fixing, group boycotting, market allocation
- Independent contractor vs. employee status distinctions
The remaining eight national domains - Property Ownership (10%), Financing (10%), Valuation (8%), Real Estate Calculations (7%), Property Disclosures (7%), Transfer of Title (6%), Land Use Controls (5%), and Property Management (3%) - round out the national score. Property Ownership and Financing questions test estates in land, encumbrances, loan types, and amortization concepts. Real Estate Calculations covers math-heavy items: prorations, commission splits, and loan-to-value ratios, so don't skip practice problems just because the weight looks modest.
Key Takeaway
Study Contracts and Agency first - together they're nearly a third of your national score, and both concepts reappear on the state side under different domain names.
The 9 Tennessee State Law Domains
The 40-question state portion is where Tennessee-specific law lives. These domains don't carry the same explicit percentage breakdown as the national side in every case, but one stands out clearly: Advertising and Marketing.
Domain 14: Advertising and Marketing (17.5%)
This is the largest domain on the entire state exam. It covers Tennessee-specific advertising rules for affiliate brokers, including how a listing must identify the firm, what can and cannot appear in "for sale by owner" style ads placed by licensees, and internet advertising disclosure requirements enforced by the Tennessee Real Estate Commission.
- Required firm name/brokerage identification in all advertising
- Rules around "blind" ads and team name disclosures
- Social media and internet listing advertising compliance
Domain 12: Duties and Powers of the Real Estate Commission
Covers how TREC is structured, its authority to investigate complaints, issue discipline, and set rules governing licensees statewide.
Domain 13: Licensing Requirements
Tests the education, application, and renewal framework for Tennessee affiliate brokers - including the 60-hour pre-licensing education, the 30-hour Course for New Affiliates, and the one-year window to apply after passing.
The remaining state domains round out the practical, day-to-day compliance knowledge a licensee needs:
- Domain 15: Broker/Affiliate Relationships - supervision duties and the affiliate broker's obligations to a principal broker
- Domain 16: Handling of Documents and Record Keeping - retention periods and required disclosures in transaction files
- Domain 17: Handling of Trust/Escrow Funds - earnest money deposit timelines and trust account rules
- Domain 18: Other Improper Activities and Consumer Protection - prohibited conduct and consumer protection statutes
- Domain 19: Agency and Disclosure Issues - Tennessee's specific agency disclosure forms and timing requirements
- Domain 20: Special Areas of Practice - niche transaction types unique to Tennessee practice
National vs. State Weighting at a Glance
| Portion | Questions | Time | Passing Score | Heaviest Domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | 80 scored | 160 minutes | 56/80 | Contracts - 19% |
| State | 40 scored | 80 minutes | 28/40 | Advertising and Marketing - 17.5% |
Both sections combine to make the full 120-item, $63 exam ($37 if you're retaking national-only, $26 if retaking state-only). For a full cost breakdown across retakes and prerequisite courses, see our TNREAB Certification Cost 2026 breakdown.
Turning Domain Weights Into a Study Plan
Once you know the 20 domains and their relative weight, the smartest move is to schedule study blocks in proportion to how many questions each domain actually contributes - not just alphabetically working through a textbook.
Contracts and Agency (National)
- Drill contract elements, contingencies, and breach remedies
- Memorize fiduciary duties and agency creation/termination rules
Practice of Real Estate, Financing, Property Ownership
- Review fair housing classes and antitrust violations
- Practice loan-to-value and amortization calculations
Advertising and Marketing, Licensing Requirements, Commission Powers
- Learn Tennessee firm-name disclosure rules for every ad type
- Map out the 60-hour and 30-hour education requirements
Remaining State Domains and Full Timed Practice
- Cover trust funds, record keeping, and disclosure timing
- Take full-length timed practice exams split by section
This kind of weighted scheduling is only half the equation - pacing, question-elimination strategy, and remote-proctoring rules matter just as much. Our TNREAB Study Guide 2026 walks through a full first-attempt strategy, and if you're wondering how the difficulty actually compares between the national and state sections, How Hard Is the TNREAB Exam? breaks it down further. You can build domain-specific practice at our TNREAB practice test platform to test how well the weighted schedule above is actually sticking.
Registration, Fees, and Test-Day Format
Before any of the 20 domains matter, you have to actually qualify to sit for the exam. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, complete 60 hours of principles or fundamentals coursework, provide proof of a high school education, carry E&O insurance, submit fingerprints with the initial application, and affiliate with a principal broker. After passing, you have one year to apply for licensure, and the separate 30-hour Course for New Affiliates must be completed before that license is issued.
On test day, the exam is computer-based and closed book, offered either at a physical test center or through remote proctoring. If you choose remote testing, know the tradeoffs going in: remote candidates are not permitted to use scratch paper or take breaks during the session, which changes how you should pace the state section's calculation-heavy items in particular.
Once licensed, renewal comes every two years and requires 16 hours of continuing education, including the mandatory 6-hour TREC CORE course, plus maintained E&O coverage. For the exact scheduling windows and how far in advance to book your seat, check TNREAB Exam Dates 2026. If you're still deciding whether the license is worth pursuing given the current market, our ROI analysis and TNREAB Salary Guide cover that ground. For a distilled, one-page reference you can review the morning of the exam, bookmark the TNREAB Cheat Sheet 2026.
Key Takeaway
Your domain study plan is only useful if your paperwork is in order - fingerprinting, E&O insurance, and principal broker affiliation are prerequisites, not afterthoughts.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 20 content domains total: 11 national domains covering 80 questions and 9 Tennessee state-law domains covering 40 questions.
Contracts, at 19% of the national portion, is the single heaviest domain. Agency (13%) and Practice of Real Estate (12%) follow closely behind.
Advertising and Marketing is the largest state domain at 17.5%, covering Tennessee-specific rules on firm disclosure and internet or social media advertising.
No. Each section is scored separately, and a passed section stays valid for two retakes of the failed section or one year, whichever comes first.
No. PSI may include 5-10 unscored experimental items mixed into the exam, but they look identical to scored questions and don't count toward your pass/fail result.