- The Pass Rate Reality: What TDCI and Pearson VUE Actually Publish
- Exam Mechanics That Shape Your Score
- Why Domain Weighting Decides Who Passes
- Property vs. Casualty: Two Exams, Two Score Reports
- Who Tends to Struggle on TN-PC (and Why)
- Retake Rules and OnVUE Attempt Limits
- A Domain-Aligned Study Timeline
- Frequently Asked Questions
- TN-PC is actually two separate 77-question exams: Property and Casualty, each scored independently.
- Each exam has 68 scored and 9 unscored pretest questions, with a required scaled score of 70.
- Casualty Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms carries the heaviest weight at 33.8%.
- Property Types of Policies is nearly as large at 32.4%, making these two domains decisive.
The Pass Rate Reality: What TDCI and Pearson VUE Actually Publish
If you searched for a specific numeric pass rate for the Tennessee Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam, you're not alone - and you've probably noticed that neither the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) nor Pearson VUE publishes a rolling, publicly updated percentage the way some other licensing programs do. What we can talk about with confidence is the structure of the exam itself, because that structure is exactly what determines whether a candidate passes or fails.
TN-PC is not one exam - it's two. Property and Casualty are each independent 77-question tests, each with 68 scored questions and 9 unscored pretest items, and each requires a scaled score of 70 to pass. That means your "pass rate" outcome is really two separate pass/fail events, and a candidate can pass Property while failing Casualty, or vice versa. Understanding this bifurcation is the first step to understanding why some candidates report the exam as manageable while others get blindsided on one half but not the other.
Exam Mechanics That Shape Your Score
Before diagnosing what drives outcomes on TN-PC, it helps to lock in the mechanics, since every one of these details has a direct effect on pacing and pass probability:
- Each exam (Property or Casualty) is 77 computer-based multiple-choice questions: 68 scored, 9 unscored pretest.
- Candidates get 1 hour 45 minutes per exam.
- A test-center attempt costs $55; Pearson also lists an $80 OnVUE combination appointment covering both Property and Casualty online.
- No prelicensing course is required by the state, which means self-study quality is the single biggest lever on outcomes.
- Applicants must be at least 18, pass fingerprint-based background screening, and apply through NIPR.
That last point matters more than it looks. Because Tennessee doesn't mandate a prelicensing course, there's no built-in floor of instructional hours forcing candidates toward domain-by-domain mastery. Some candidates self-study efficiently and pass on the first try; others under-invest in the lower-weighted domains and get caught off guard. For a structured walkthrough of what a strong self-study plan actually looks like, see the TN-PC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Key Takeaway
Because no prelicensing course is required, the gap between well-prepared and under-prepared candidates is driven almost entirely by self-study discipline - not classroom exposure.
Why Domain Weighting Decides Who Passes
The content outline effective October 15, 2025 splits each exam into related domain clusters, and the weighting is lopsided by design. Two domains alone account for roughly two-thirds of all scored content between the two exams:
Domain 6: Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms (33.8%)
This is the single largest domain on the entire TN-PC content outline. Candidates must be fluent in the structure and purpose of major casualty policy forms and bonds, and be able to distinguish coverage triggers and exclusions across policy types.
- Highest point-value domain - under-preparing here is the most common reason candidates miss a scaled score of 70 on Casualty.
Domain 1: Property - Types of Policies (32.4%)
Nearly as large as Domain 6, this domain tests recognition and application of property policy forms and endorsements. It's the mirror-image anchor domain for the Property exam.
- Combined with Domain 6, these two domains alone justify a disproportionate share of total study time.
The remaining eight domains - covering insurance terms, policy provisions and contract law, and Tennessee-specific statutes and departmental rules - carry smaller individual weights but collectively still make up a substantial share of each exam. Skipping them to over-focus on the two largest domains is a common mistake. For the full weight breakdown across all ten domains, see the TN-PC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 10 Content Areas.
| Domain Cluster | Relative Weight | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms | 33.8% | Casualty |
| Property - Types of Policies | 32.4% | Property |
| Remaining 8 domains (terms, provisions, TN law) | Combined smaller shares | Both |
Property vs. Casualty: Two Exams, Two Score Reports
Because each exam is scored on its own scaled-score system with a passing threshold of 70, candidates should treat Property and Casualty as two separate study projects rather than one blended effort. It's entirely possible to feel confident walking out of the Property exam and then feel shaky on Casualty an hour later - especially given how heavily Domain 6 (Casualty Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms) is weighted compared to anything on the Property side apart from Domain 1.
This split also affects how you should think about difficulty. A candidate strong in property forms but weak on bonds and casualty-specific terminology may sail through one exam and stumble on the other. If you're trying to gauge realistically how tough this pairing is for your background, the How Hard Is the TN-PC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down difficulty by domain and content type rather than treating TN-PC as a single monolithic test.
Who Tends to Struggle on TN-PC (and Why)
TN-PC candidates come from varied backgrounds - career-changers entering the insurance industry, agency staff moving into producer roles, and people pursuing licensing specifically to work in property and casualty lines for agencies, brokerages, and carriers that hire licensed producers. The exam doesn't test sales skill or general business knowledge; it tests specific, technical command of policy forms, terms, provisions, and Tennessee regulatory rules.
Patterns that tend to correlate with weaker performance include:
- Treating the two Tennessee-law domains as an afterthought. Domains 4, 5, 9, and 10 cover departmental rules - material that's easy to skim past but shows up as direct recall questions.
- Underestimating bonds terminology. Because Domain 6 blends "Types of Policies" with "Bonds," candidates who only study casualty policy forms and skip surety/fidelity bond concepts leave points on the table in the single heaviest-weighted domain.
- Confusing property and casualty contract law concepts. Policy provisions and contract law appear in both exams but with different applications; conflating them across the two tests causes avoidable errors.
- Poor pacing under the 1 hour 45 minute clock. With 77 questions per exam, candidates who linger on uncertain items early tend to rush the back half, where fatigue compounds errors.
None of this means the exam is unreasonably difficult - it means the exam rewards candidates who study the outline as published rather than relying on generic P&C intuition. A quick-reference approach to the highest-yield facts across all ten domains is available in the TN-PC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Retake Rules and OnVUE Attempt Limits
One overlooked factor in pass outcomes is the testing format itself. Tennessee's TN-PC is delivered as computer-based multiple-choice testing either at Pearson VUE test centers or through OnVUE remote proctoring. The two formats are not identical in flexibility:
- Online (OnVUE) exams do not allow unscheduled breaks - plan your 1 hour 45 minute window accordingly, since stepping away is not an option mid-test.
- Candidates are limited to two OnVUE attempts per exam line before they're required to test at a physical Pearson VUE test center.
- A standard test-center attempt costs $55 per exam; Pearson also lists an $80 OnVUE appointment that combines Property and Casualty into a single online session.
This attempt cap has a direct strategic implication: if you fail an OnVUE attempt, you don't have unlimited retries in that format. Candidates who treat their first OnVUE sitting casually - assuming they can just retake it repeatedly online - may find themselves funneled into test-center scheduling sooner than expected. For a full breakdown of what each attempt and format actually costs across scenarios, see the TN-PC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Because unscheduled breaks aren't allowed on OnVUE, use the bathroom and clear distractions before you start - you cannot pause the 1 hour 45 minute clock once it begins.
It's also worth confirming eligibility mechanics before you ever schedule a sitting. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, complete fingerprint-based background screening, and apply through NIPR - steps that, if delayed, can push back your test date regardless of how ready you are on content. The TN-PC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify walks through this sequencing in detail, and if you want the exact numeric target you're studying toward, the TN-PC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass explains how the scaled score of 70 is applied.
A Domain-Aligned Study Timeline
Generic study techniques - spaced repetition, timed drills, active recall - work fine for TN-PC, but only if they're mapped against the actual weight of each domain rather than applied evenly across all ten. Given that Domain 6 (Casualty Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms) and Domain 1 (Property Types of Policies) together represent the bulk of scored content, your calendar should visibly reflect that imbalance.
Property Foundations
- Master Domain 1 (Property - Types of Policies) since it's 32.4% of the Property exam
- Layer in Domain 2 (Property - Insurance Terms and Related Concepts) for shared vocabulary
Property Law and TN Rules
- Cover Domain 3 (Policy Provisions and Contract Law)
- Study Domains 4 and 5 - the two Tennessee-law domains for Property - using active recall on rule names and thresholds
Casualty Core
- Prioritize Domain 6 (Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms) since it's the single largest domain on the outline at 33.8%
- Drill bond terminology specifically - it's the part of Domain 6 most often under-studied
Casualty Law and Full Review
- Finish Domain 7 (Insurance Terms) and Domain 8 (Policy Provisions)
- Close with Domains 9 and 10 (Tennessee laws for Casualty), then run full-length timed practice under the 1 hour 45 minute limit
Notice that Weeks 1 and 3 are anchored directly to the two heaviest domains - that's intentional, not arbitrary sequencing. If you want a version of this plan expanded into daily tasks and practice-question benchmarks, the TN-PC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt goes deeper on execution, and running full-length simulations on our practice test platform before test day is one of the most reliable ways to confirm you can hold pace across all 77 questions.
Once you're licensed, understanding where TN-PC-licensed producers actually work - independent agencies, captive carrier offices, and brokerages writing property and casualty lines - can help you plan next steps. The TN-PC Jobs overview and the TN-PC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis are useful once you've cleared the exam and are weighing where the license takes you. And if you're still deciding whether the licensing path is worth pursuing at all, Is the TN-PC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 lays out the tradeoffs before you spend on a test-center or OnVUE appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Neither TDCI nor Pearson VUE publishes a continuously updated public pass-rate percentage for the Property and Casualty exams. What's publicly documented is the exam structure itself - 77 questions per exam, 68 scored, and a required scaled score of 70 - which is the best available basis for gauging difficulty.
Difficulty varies by candidate background, but structurally the two heaviest domains - Domain 1 (Property Types of Policies, 32.4%) and Domain 6 (Casualty Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms, 33.8%) - are close in weight. Casualty's inclusion of bonds terminology alongside policy types is often the part candidates underestimate.
Since Property and Casualty are scored as separate 77-question exams, you retest only the exam you didn't pass. Just be aware that OnVUE limits candidates to two online attempts per exam line before test-center testing is required.
No - Tennessee does not require a prelicensing course for TN-PC. This makes independent, outline-aligned study (particularly on the two largest domains) the primary factor separating strong first-attempt outcomes from retakes.
Content is the same either way, but OnVUE doesn't allow unscheduled breaks during the 1 hour 45 minute window, and you're capped at two OnVUE attempts per exam line before you must test in person. Factor that into which format you choose.