Tennessee BC-A, B Combined Residential/Commercial Contractor

Tennessee BC-A, B Exam: What You Need to Know to Pass in 2026

The Tennessee BC-A, B Combined Residential/Commercial Contractor license opens the door to projects valued at $25,000 or more — both residential and commercial. To get it, you'll need to pass the trade exam administered by PSI. It's 100 questions, 5 hours, open book, and covers everything from concrete mix design to OSHA fall protection. This guide walks you through every topic, shows you sample questions, and tells you exactly how to prepare.

Ready to gauge where you stand right now? Take a free practice exam and find out.

Tennessee BC-A, B Exam Overview

Here's the fast version:

• Questions: 100 scored items
• Time limit: 300 minutes (5 hours)
• Passing score: 73 correct out of 100 (73%)
• Format: Open book — you bring your own approved references
• Administered by: PSI

This is a long exam, but the 5-hour window gives you an average of 3 minutes per question — which is workable if your books are well-organized. You're not competing on memory; you're competing on how fast you can find answers.

Register through PSI at the exam registration page, or review requirements at the state licensing website. Full candidate details are in the official exam bulletin.

Exam Topics and How They're Weighted

Know where to focus. The real Tennessee BC-A, B exam emphasizes these topics (listed from heaviest to lightest weight):

High-weight topics — prioritize these:
- General Code, Plan Reading, and Estimating — 27 items. The single largest section. Covers IBC occupancy classifications, building height and area limits, plan reading, and cost estimating.
- Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement — 15 items. Mix design, water-cement ratios, admixtures, and reinforcing bar placement.

Mid-weight topics:
- Sitework, Footings, and Foundation — 10 items. Soil classification, footing depth, frost protection, and foundation systems.
- Masonry — 10 items. Mortar types, masonry unit classifications, wall systems, and reinforcement requirements.
- Metals — 10 items. Steel joist designations, erection procedures, bridging, and metal decking.
- Associated Trades — 10 items. Plumbing, HVAC, fuel gas, and electrical basics — GFCI/AFCI, drainage, and duct systems.

Lower-weight topics (still on the exam — don't skip them):
- Carpentry — 6 items. Lumber grades, wall and floor framing, roof framing, and engineered wood products.
- Roofing — 6 items. Roof styles, slope calculations, sheathing, underlayment, and ice barriers.
- OSHA Safety — 6 items. Fall protection, scaffolding, excavation, PPE, and hazardous materials.

Sample Tennessee Residential Commercial Contractor Exam Questions

These questions reflect the style and difficulty you'll face on test day. Work through them — but we're not giving you the answers here.

Question 1 — General Code, Plan Reading, and Estimating (Medium)

Using the dimensions in Section A-A and the total footing length shown, how many cubic yards of concrete should be ordered for the continuous perimeter footing?
A) 15 cy
B) 400 cy
C) 48 cy
D) 11 cy

Question 2 — General Code, Plan Reading, and Estimating (Medium)

A permit application for proposed work shall be deemed abandoned after how many days from the date of filing, unless pursued in good faith or a permit has been issued?
A) 365 days
B) 90 days
C) 120 days
D) 180 days

Question 3 — Associated Trades (Hard)

You are a residential builder constructing a new home with anchored brick veneer over wood-framed walls. The home is located in Seismic Design Category D₁. Your mason asks what type of fastener should be used to attach the corrugated sheet metal veneer ties to the wood stud backing. What is the minimum required tie fastener for this seismic design category?
A) 8d common nail (2½ in. × 0.131 in.)
B) 6d common nail (2 in. × 0.113 in.)
C) 10d common nail (3 in. × 0.148 in.)
D) 8d ring-shank nail (2½ in. × 0.131 in.)

Question 4 — Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement (Medium)

You are a carpenter building concrete block foundation walls for a residential basement. To provide adequate headroom, you plan to lay eleven courses of block above the footings with a 4-inch solid cap block on top. Approximately how much headroom will this provide between the basement floor and the joists?
A) 7 feet 8 inches
B) 6 feet 8 inches
C) 7 feet 4 inches
D) 8 feet 0 inches

Question 5 — Masonry (Easy)

You are a commercial building contractor planning a masonry veneer installation on a new office building. Where must you look for the applicable requirements governing masonry veneer?
A) Chapter 17
B) TMS 604
C) TMS 403
D) Chapter 14

Know which answers you'd pick? Take our free practice exam to check your instincts across 10 real-style questions — no account required.

What Types of Questions to Expect

Here's a breakdown by topic — and how many practice questions we offer for each:

• Sitework, Footings, and Foundation (75 practice questions): Soil classification, presumptive load-bearing values, footing sizing, frost depth requirements, and foundation wall design.
• Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement (126 practice questions): Mix design proportioning, water-cement ratio, admixture selection, reinforcing bar placement, and durability requirements.
• Masonry (83 practice questions): Mortar type selection (M, S, N, O, K), masonry unit properties, wall system types (cavity, veneer, composite, reinforced), grouting, and anchor/tie requirements.
• Carpentry (60 practice questions): Lumber grades and moisture content, wall and floor framing components, span table interpretation, roof framing geometry, and engineered wood products like LVL and I-joists.
• Metals (50 practice questions): Steel joist series identification (K, LH, DLH, CJ), hoisting and erection sequencing, bridging installation, column anchorage, and metal deck fastening.
• Roofing (60 practice questions): Rafter and ridge terminology, slope/pitch/run calculations, sheathing requirements, underlayment application, and ice barrier installation.
• Associated Trades (75 practice questions): Water supply and backflow prevention, sanitary drainage and venting, fuel gas systems, HVAC duct design, and electrical branch circuits including GFCI and AFCI placement.
• General Code, Plan Reading, and Estimating (196 practice questions): IBC occupancy classifications, construction type limitations, building area calculations, reading architectural and structural drawings, and material quantity takeoffs.
• OSHA Safety (41 practice questions): Fall protection systems, scaffold capacity and safety, excavation cave-in protection, PPE selection, and hazardous substance requirements including asbestos, silica, and lead.

Total: 766 practice questions available across all topics in our full practice exam.

Required Study Materials for the TN Combined Residential Commercial Contractor Test

This is an open-book exam, so the reference list is also your study list. These are the approved materials you'll bring to the test center:

• International Building Code 2021 — The heaviest hitter. Know its chapter structure cold.
• International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings (2021) — Essential for the residential side of this combined license.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — OSHA's construction standards. Six questions on safety makes this worth tabbing thoroughly.
• Carpentry and Building Construction — Covers framing, materials, and engineered wood systems.
• Roofing Construction and Estimating — Roof framing, slope math, and estimating in one volume.
• Modern Masonry – Brick, Block, Stone (9th) — Mortar types, wall systems, and reinforcement details.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting (Revised) — Covers plumbing, drainage, and sitework.
• Gypsum Construction Handbook (7th) — Associated trades and interior systems.
• Technical Digest No. 9 – Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders (4th) — The go-to reference for the Metals section.
• SDI Manual of Construction with Steel Deck — Decking types, installation, and fastening.
• Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (16th) — Mix design, admixtures, and durability. Critical for 15 exam items.

Recommended organization tools:
- Sharpie Tank Highlighters — Bright fluorescent colors, chisel tip, smear-resistant. Highlight key tables and code sections before test day.
- Redi-Tag Permanent Colored Tabs — 100 tabs in 5 colors. Color-code by topic so you can flip straight to the right section under pressure.

Study Tips for the Tennessee BC-A, B Exam

Tab and highlight everything before test day. On an open-book exam, the fastest answer-finder wins — not the smartest person in the room. Highlight key tables, underline definitions, and tab every major chapter. Practice landing on any topic in seconds.

Work through questions in two passes. Answer what you know, skip what you don't, then circle back. You can bookmark questions for review — just like in our practice exams. Never burn more than a few minutes on a single question while the clock runs.

Give yourself three to six weeks. Use the official exam bulletin as your study roadmap. Focus on find-it-fast skills over memorization. Aim for consistent 80%+ scores in practice — a margin above 73% means you have room for a tough question or two on test day.

Practice under time pressure. Timed practice tests train your pacing. By the time you walk into the test center, the format and clock should feel routine.

FAQs: Tennessee BC-A, B Combined Residential/Commercial Contractor Exam

How much does the exam cost?
The BC-A, B exam has two separate portions — a Trade Portion and a Business & Law portion — each costing $57. Fees are not refundable or transferable.

How many questions are on the exam and how long do I have?
The trade exam has 100 questions and a 300-minute (5-hour) time limit.

What's the passing score?
You need to answer at least 73 out of 100 questions correctly (73%).

Is it open book?
Yes. Bring your own approved references. Books may be highlighted, underlined, and tabbed with permanent tabs — but no written notes in the margins.

What reference books are allowed?
Approved references include the IBC 2021, IRC 2021, OSHA 29 CFR 1926, Carpentry and Building Construction, Roofing Construction and Estimating, Modern Masonry, Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Gypsum Construction Handbook, Technical Digest No. 9, SDI Manual of Construction with Steel Deck, Placing Reinforcing Bars, Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, Training and Certification for Unbonded Post-Tensioning, Erectors' Manual (Precast Concrete), ACI 530/530.1, and ACI 318.

Can I use a calculator?
Yes — a silent, nonprinting, non-programmable calculator is allowed. A construction calculator is also permitted.

How do I register?
Register online at the exam registration page or call PSI at (855) 868-1882. Phone registration is available Monday–Friday 6:30 am–9:00 pm and Saturday–Sunday 8:00 am–4:30 pm, Central Time.

What ID do I need on test day?
One valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID with your signature — driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, military ID, Alien Registration Card, or Canadian government-issued ID. Must be a permanent physical card; paper or temporary versions are not accepted.

What if I fail?
You cannot schedule a retake the same day you tested. Starting the next day, you can call PSI and retest as soon as the following day, depending on space availability.

How long is my registration fee valid?
Your fee is forfeited if you don't test within 1 year of the date PSI receives your payment.

Start Preparing Today

The Tennessee BC-A, B exam is challenging — 100 questions across nine technical topic areas — but it's very passable with organized books and solid practice. Start with our free practice exam to get a feel for question style and format. When you're ready to go deep, upgrade to the full practice exam: 766 questions, timed to match the real test, with a score breakdown by topic so you know exactly where to spend more time.