- TN-PC stands for the Tennessee Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam, split into two separate 77-question tests.
- Each exam (Property, Casualty) has 68 scored and 9 unscored questions, 1 hour 45 minutes, and a passing scaled score of 70.
- Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms is the single largest domain at 33.8% of the Casualty exam.
- Testing costs $55 at a Pearson VUE test center, or $80 for the OnVUE combination appointment.
What TN-PC Actually Stands For
TN-PC is shorthand for the Tennessee Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam - the licensing test that Tennessee requires before someone can sell, solicit, or negotiate property and casualty insurance in the state. It is not a designation you earn once and keep forever like a professional certification; it is a regulatory exam tied directly to obtaining and maintaining a state insurance producer license.
Importantly, "Property and Casualty" is not one combined test. Tennessee treats them as two separate 77-question exams: a Property exam and a Casualty exam. Candidates who want a full P&C license typically need to pass both. If you've seen other sites or forums throw around the acronym "TN-PC" in a different context, be careful - several unrelated credentials share similar-looking abbreviations. On this site, TN-PC refers exclusively to the Tennessee producer exam described above. For a broader introduction, see What Is TN-PC? and TN-PC Meaning.
Who Governs and Administers the Exam
The exam is governed by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI), which sets the licensing requirements, content outline, and legal standards candidates must know. Actual test delivery is handled by Pearson VUE, which operates the physical test centers and the OnVUE remote-proctoring platform used for online testing.
This two-party structure matters for how you prepare: TDCI determines *what* you need to know (the content outline and Tennessee-specific statutes), while Pearson VUE determines *how* you take the test (scheduling, format, and testing rules). If you're unclear on how these pieces fit together, TN-PC Certification and What Is TN-PC Certification? walk through the full licensing pathway in more depth.
Exam Format, Timing, and Fees
Both the Property exam and the Casualty exam follow the same structure:
- 77 total questions - 68 scored and 9 unscored pretest items mixed in without identification
- 1 hour 45 minutes allotted per exam
- Computer-based, multiple-choice delivery at Pearson test centers or via OnVUE remote proctoring
- Scaled passing score of 70 on each exam
- $55 per exam at a physical test center
- $80 for the OnVUE Property and Casualty combination appointment listed by Pearson
The unscored pretest questions exist so Pearson VUE can evaluate new items for future exam versions - you won't know which nine questions don't count, so every question deserves your full attention. If you're testing via OnVUE, know that unscheduled breaks are not permitted during the online exam, and Pearson caps candidates at two OnVUE attempts per exam line before requiring you to test at a physical center. That's a meaningful scheduling detail worth planning around - see TN-PC Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling for how to build your timeline. For a full fee breakdown, check TN-PC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Treat both exams as equally serious tests, not a "main exam plus an add-on." Each has its own 77 questions, its own 105-minute clock, and its own pass/fail outcome.
The Ten TN-PC Content Domains
The content outline - effective October 15, 2025 - splits across ten domains, five for Property and five for Casualty. Two domains carry outsized weight and deserve proportionally more study time.
Domain 6: Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms (33.8%)
The single heaviest domain on either exam. Candidates must distinguish liability policy types, understand surety and fidelity bonds, and know casualty-specific terminology cold.
- Largest single domain across both exams - prioritize accordingly
Domain 1: Property - Types of Policies (32.4%)
Nearly as heavy as Domain 6. Expect deep coverage of homeowners, dwelling, commercial property, and related policy forms.
- Second-largest domain overall
The remaining domains cover insurance terms and related concepts, policy provisions and contract law, and - critically - Tennessee-specific statutes and departmental rules for each line. Here's the full list:
- Domain 1: Property - Types of Policies
- Domain 2: Property - Insurance Terms and Related Concepts
- Domain 3: Property - Policy Provisions and Contract Law
- Domain 4: Property - Tennessee Laws, and Departmental Rules Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property and Casualty Insurance
- Domain 5: Property - Tennessee Laws, and Departmental Rules Pertinent to Property Insurance Only
- Domain 6: Casualty - Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms
- Domain 7: Casualty - Insurance Terms and Related Concepts
- Domain 8: Casualty - Policy Provisions
- Domain 9: Casualty - Tennessee Laws, and Departmental Rules Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property and Casualty Insurance
- Domain 10: Casualty - Tennessee Laws, and Departmental Rules Pertinent to Casualty Insurance Only
Notice that Domains 4 and 9 cover laws and rules common across insurance lines - meaning some legal/regulatory content overlaps between the Property and Casualty exams. Studying that shared material well pays off twice. For a domain-by-domain breakdown with study priorities, see TN-PC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 10 Content Areas.
| Exam | Heaviest Domain | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Property Exam | Types of Policies | 32.4% |
| Casualty Exam | Types of Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms | 33.8% |
Eligibility and Application Mechanics
Getting to test day involves a few concrete steps beyond just studying:
- Minimum age of 18
- Fingerprint-based background screening completed before licensure
- Application through NIPR (National Insurance Producer Registry)
- No prelicensing education course is required in Tennessee - candidates can self-study and schedule the exam directly
That last point surprises a lot of first-time candidates: unlike some states, Tennessee does not mandate a prelicensing class before you sit for the Property or Casualty exam. That flexibility is convenient, but it also means the responsibility for adequate preparation falls entirely on you. A structured resource like the TN-PC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt or a full rundown at TN-PC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify can fill that gap.
Who Actually Needs a TN-PC License
Passing the TN-PC Property and Casualty exams is the gateway credential for anyone who wants to work as an insurance producer selling home, auto, commercial liability, bonds, or related coverage in Tennessee. That includes:
- Independent agents affiliated with an agency
- Captive agents working for a single carrier
- New hires at insurance agencies who need licensing before writing business
- Career-changers entering insurance sales or account management roles
Agencies and carriers hiring in Tennessee routinely list "active P&C license" as a hard requirement, since producers legally cannot solicit or negotiate covered lines without it. If you're weighing whether pursuing this path is worthwhile for your career goals, Is the TN-PC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and TN-PC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis dig into that question further. For open roles once you're licensed, browse TN-PC Jobs.
Mapping Study Time to the Highest-Weight Domains
Because Domain 6 (33.8%) and Domain 1 (32.4%) together represent the bulk of question volume on their respective exams, your study calendar should reflect that weighting rather than splitting time evenly across all ten domains.
Property Foundations
- Focus heavily on Domain 1 (Types of Policies) since it's nearly a third of the Property exam
- Build a term glossary for Domain 2 concepts as you go
Property Provisions and Tennessee Rules
- Cover Domain 3 (Policy Provisions and Contract Law)
- Study Domains 4 and 5 together since Domain 4's shared rules also apply to the Casualty exam
Casualty Foundations
- Prioritize Domain 6 - the largest domain across both exams
- Layer in Domain 7 terminology once policy types feel solid
Casualty Provisions, Rules, and Full Review
- Finish Domains 8, 9, and 10
- Run full-length timed practice sessions matching the 105-minute, 77-question format
Spaced review works especially well for the two Tennessee-law domains on each exam (4/5 and 9/10), since statutory details are easy to memorize and just as easy to forget without repeated exposure. For more on calibrating difficulty expectations before test day, read How Hard Is the TN-PC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026, and check TN-PC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows for context on outcomes. A condensed reference like the TN-PC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is useful for last-minute review of the highest-weight domains.
After You Pass: Renewal and CE
Passing the exam is the entry point, not the finish line. Tennessee resident producer licenses renew every two years (biennially), and renewal requires 24 continuing education hours, including 3 hours specifically on ethics. Building a habit of tracking CE credits early prevents a scramble near your renewal date.
If you're still building foundational knowledge before your first attempt, structured practice on our practice test platform can help you get comfortable with the multiple-choice format and timing constraints before you ever sit down at a Pearson VUE center. Running full-length timed sets on the practice site also helps you gauge readiness against the 70 scaled-score threshold well before exam day, and reviewing missed items on our platform after each session highlights exactly which domains need another pass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two. The Property exam and Casualty exam are administered separately, each with 77 questions (68 scored, 9 unscored pretest) and a 1 hour 45 minute time limit.
No. Tennessee does not require a prelicensing education course. You can prepare independently and schedule directly through Pearson VUE once you meet age and background-check requirements.
A scaled score of 70 on each exam. This applies separately to the Property exam and the Casualty exam.
$55 per exam at a Pearson VUE test center. Pearson also lists an $80 OnVUE combination appointment covering both Property and Casualty.
Yes, via Pearson's OnVUE platform, but online sessions don't allow unscheduled breaks, and you're limited to two OnVUE attempts per exam line before you must test at a physical center.