Best Real Estate Courses & Schools in Tennessee (2026)

Tennessee requires 90 total hours: a 60-hour Basic Principles of Real Estate course (completed before your exam) and a 30-hour Course for New Affiliates (completed after passing your exam, but before applying for your active license).

Yes, bundling them is usually the smartest and cheapest option, but pay close attention to how the school structures them. Tennessee requires 90 total hours of education before you can get your license: a 60-hour Real Estate Principles course (which you must complete before taking the PSI exam) and a 30-hour Course for New Affiliates (which can be completed before or after the exam). Most top schools sell these as a discounted 90-hour package. Buying them together saves money and ensures both course completion certificates sync smoothly when you apply for your license through Tennessee’s CORE portal.

The 60-hour course typically takes 2 to 8 weeks depending on your pace. Add time for your school to submit your completion certificate, scheduling your exam, and your background check (which can take 3 to 6 weeks), and most agents are licensed within about 8 to 10 weeks total.

Most agents describe it as challenging. The exam has 120 questions split into two sections — an 80-question National section and a 40-question State Law section — and you’ll need at least 70% correct on each section to pass.

If you fail one section but pass the other, you get two more attempts to pass the remaining section within 6 months. Retake fees are $37 for the national section or $26 for the state section. If you don’t pass after two attempts, you’ll need to wait 30 days before trying again.

You get two retake attempts per section within your 6-month eligibility window. If you don’t pass after those attempts, you’ll need to wait 30 days before your next try.

120 total questions, split into an 80-question National section and a 40-question State Law section. You’ll have 160 minutes to complete the exam.

70% or higher on both sections — that’s 56 out of 80 on the National section and 28 out of 40 on the State Law section.

You have six months from your exam date to complete all requirements and submit your application to TREC. Applying within 6 months keeps the standard $91 fee; applying between 3 and 12 months adds late fees, and waiting past 12 months means your passing score expires and you’ll need to retake the exam.

Most Tennessee-approved pre-licensing courses include practice exams as part of the coursework. For additional free practice questions, check YouTube for study walkthroughs, or ask your course provider whether sample questions are available before purchasing standalone exam prep materials.

Many students actually find the Tennessee State section trickier because it relies heavily on memorizing specific Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) rules, agency disclosures, and local licensing laws rather than general real estate math or concepts.

While the National portion tests broad principles, the State portion asks detailed questions about TREC disciplinary actions, trust money handling, and advertising regulations. Choosing a school or standalone exam prep package that offers dedicated Tennessee State Law practice banks—rather than generic national questions—is crucial to passing this section on your first try.

Take as many practice exams as you can, and focus extra attention on the state law section — since it’s shorter (40 questions) than the national section, every question carries more weight toward your score. Pace yourself: with 120 questions in 160 minutes, that’s a little over a minute per question, so don’t get stuck too long on any single one.

In person only — Tennessee’s exam is administered by PSI at testing centers throughout the state, with a dedicated Tennessee candidate service line for scheduling.