Tennessee BC-C Industrial Contractor

Tennessee BC-C Industrial Contractor Exam: What You Need to Know to Pass in 2026

You've decided to get your Tennessee industrial contractor license. Good. The BC-C Industrial Contractor credential opens doors to factory, manufacturing plant, and processing facility projects worth $25,000 or more — and the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors requires you to pass this exam first. This article breaks down exactly what's on the Tennessee BC-C exam, what books you need, and how to study smart. Start by taking our free practice exam to see where you stand right now.

Exam Overview: Tennessee BC-C Industrial Contractor

The Tennessee industrial contractor exam is administered by PSI and covers the full technical scope of industrial construction. Here's the rundown:

• Questions: 72 scored questions
• Time limit: 210 minutes (3.5 hours)
• Passing score: 73% — you need at least 53 correct answers
• Format: Multiple choice
• Open book: Yes. You bring your own approved references.

The exam is administered at PSI testing centers. You'll sit at a computer, navigate questions one at a time, and can flag questions to revisit before submitting. You're allowed a silent, nonprinting, non-programmable calculator and a construction calculator.

Register online at the exam registration page or call PSI at (855) 868-1882. Phone registration hours are Monday–Friday, 6:30 am–9:00 pm CT, and Saturday–Sunday, 8:00 am–4:30 pm CT. Review the official exam bulletin and the state licensing website for current requirements.

What Topics Are on the TN Industrial Building Contractor License Test?

Here are all nine topic areas and how many questions each carries on the real exam. Pay attention to the item counts — that's where to focus your energy.

Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement — 18 items
This is the heaviest topic on the exam. Expect questions on mix design and proportioning, admixtures, supplementary cementitious materials (fly ash, slag cement, silica fume), and reinforcement placement. Know your concrete inside and out.

Metals — 13 items
Steel joist designations (K-, LH-, DLH-, CJ-Series, and joist girders), steel deck types, OSHA Subpart R steel erection safety, bridging requirements, and jobsite handling of joist products. This section is technical and detail-heavy.

General Code, Plan Reading, and Estimating — 13 items
IBC occupancy classifications, fire-resistance ratings, types of construction, plan reading, and construction estimating. You'll need to read drawings and apply code requirements accurately.

Masonry — 6 items
Brick, CMU, stone, mortar types per ASTM C270, masonry wall systems (solid, hollow, cavity, composite, veneer, reinforced), and structural design methods under TMS 402/ACI 530.

OSHA Safety — 5 items
Fall protection, scaffolding, excavation and trenching, PPE, and electrical safety on construction sites. These questions pull directly from 29 CFR Part 1926.

Sitework, Footings, and Foundation — 5 items
Soil classification, geotechnical investigations, excavation safety (sloping, benching, shoring, trench boxes), footings, and foundations.

Carpentry — 4 items
Wood framing systems (platform, balloon, post-and-beam), floor and wall framing components, roof framing (common, hip, valley, jack rafters, trusses), and sheathing.

Roofing — 4 items
Roof framing terminology (span, run, rise, slope, pitch), roof styles, rafter layout methods, and sheathing installation requirements.

Associated Trades — 4 items
Plumbing DWV systems, basic electrical wiring and circuits, HVAC systems, insulation R-values, and drywall installation.

Sample Questions from the Tennessee BC-C Practice Exam

Here's a look at the kind of questions you'll face. These come straight from our question bank — same style as the real exam. See if you know the answers before you look them up.

Question 1 — Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement (Easy)
What is the total concrete for the walls plus the footing (net, to two decimals)? (Figure FN-4)
- A) 29.24 cu yd
- B) 33.63 cu yd
- C) 40.21 cu yd
- D) 36.55 cu yd

This is a concrete volume takeoff — the kind of calculation you'll do using plan figures. You need to work methodically from the drawing data.

Question 2 — Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement (Easy)
A steel-troweled concrete surface resists abrasion better than a surface that has not been troweled.

True/false format. It's testing whether you know how finishing method affects surface hardness — a concept covered in Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures.

Question 3 — Metals (Hard)
When installing plywood subflooring over steel floor joists spaced at 24" on center, what is the fastener spacing at the intermediate joists (field area)?
- A) 10 inches on center
- B) 12 inches on center
- C) 8 inches on center
- D) 6 inches on center

Specific fastener spacing from the SDI manual — the kind of detail that trips people up when they haven't tabbed their references.

Question 4 — Carpentry (Medium)
You are framing a commercial building's floor system and need to bore holes in wood joists. What is the maximum diameter permitted for bored holes relative to joist depth?
- A) One-third the depth
- B) One-half the depth
- C) One-sixth the depth
- D) One-fourth the depth

A straight code/specification question from Carpentry and Building Construction.

Question 5 — Metals (Medium)
In the SJI load tables, colored shading indicates erection bridging requirements. What does RED shading signify?
- A) One row nearest mid-span
- B) All rows of bridging must be installed
- C) One row nearest each end support
- D) Two rows nearest the third points

This comes directly from Technical Digest No. 9. If you haven't tabbed that book, you'll spend too much time hunting for it on exam day.

Not sure about your answers? Take the free practice exam and find out.

What Types of Questions to Expect — By Topic

Here's a realistic picture of the practice questions we've built for each topic area, and the skills they test:

• Sitework, Footings, and Foundation (50 practice questions): Soil classification, trench safety (sloping angles, shoring systems, trench boxes), footing dimensions, and foundation design basics.
• Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement (141 practice questions): Volume calculations, mix proportioning, admixture effects, rebar placement rules, supplementary materials (fly ash, silica fume), and surface finishing methods.
• Masonry (64 practice questions): Mortar type selection per ASTM C270, wall system identification, reinforcement detailing, and allowable stress vs. strength design under TMS 402.
• Carpentry (50 practice questions): Framing system identification, joist and rafter sizing rules, bored hole limits, sheathing installation, and truss types.
• Metals (60 practice questions): Joist series designations, deck profile types, SJI bridging color codes, OSHA Subpart R steel erection rules, and proper joist handling procedures.
• Roofing (47 practice questions): Rafter length calculations using the Pythagorean theorem and step-off methods, hip and valley rafter layout, shortening allowances, and sheathing fastening schedules.
• Associated Trades (45 practice questions): DWV pipe materials, basic circuit wiring, HVAC system components, insulation R-values and vapor retarder placement, and drywall fastening requirements.
• OSHA Safety (36 practice questions): Fall protection trigger heights, scaffold load ratings, excavation access requirements, PPE employer obligations, and electrical lockout procedures.
• General Code, Plan Reading, and Estimating (126 practice questions): IBC occupancy group definitions, construction type fire ratings, building area calculations, plan symbol interpretation, and quantity takeoffs.

Total across all topics: 619 practice questions in our full bank.

Study Materials: What to Bring (and What Helps You Study)

This is an open-book exam, so your references matter. Know where things are — tabbed and highlighted — before test day.

Required references:

• International Building Code 2021 — IBC occupancy types, construction types, and fire ratings. Tab it heavily.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — OSHA Standards for the Construction Industry. Safety questions come straight from this.
• Modern Masonry — Brick, Block, Stone (9th Edition) — Mortar types, masonry wall systems, and structural design methods.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting (Revised) — Excavation safety and sitework fundamentals.
• Technical Digest No. 9 — Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders (4th Edition) — Critical for the Metals section. The SJI color-shading system for bridging comes from here.
• SDI Manual of Construction with Steel Deck — Steel deck types, profiles, and installation requirements including fastener spacing.
• Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (16th Edition) — The main reference for Concrete topics. Know it well — it's your heaviest exam section.
• Carpentry and Building Construction — Framing systems, rafter layout, and wood construction details.

Study tools that make a real difference:

• Redi-Tag Permanent Colored Tabs — 100 laser tabs in 5 colors. Use color-coding by topic. Permanent adhesive means they won't slide off in your bag the morning of the exam. Temporary tabs like Post-Its are not allowed in the testing room.
• Sharpie Highlighters — Includes 12 highlighters in assorted colors. Mark key tables, code sections, and formulas before you walk in. You're allowed to highlight your references.

Study Tips for the Tennessee BC-C Exam

Tab and highlight before test day. You can highlight, underline, and use permanent tabs in your references — but you cannot write in them. No temporary tabs, no loose papers. Get your books organized before the exam.

Focus where the points are. Concrete and Reinforcement (18 items), Metals (13 items), and General Code/Plan Reading/Estimating (13 items) account for 44 of your 72 questions. Put more time into those three areas first.

Use the open-book format correctly. Work through the entire exam once. Answer what you know, flag what you don't. Then go back. Don't sink 10 minutes into one question while easier points slip by. The clock runs the whole time.

Watch out for "true but irrelevant" answers. Some answer choices are factually correct but don't actually answer the question. Read every choice, then go back and confirm your answer directly addresses what was asked. When two options look equally right, pick the one that best fits the question.

Practice until passing feels routine. You need 53 out of 72. Take practice exams repeatedly until you're consistently hitting that mark — or higher — without thinking twice about it.

Use the same format you'll face on exam day. Our full practice exam matches the real test: 72 questions, 210 minutes, same topic breakdown. Practicing in that format now means no surprises at the PSI center.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Tennessee BC-C Industrial Contractor exam cost?
The trade portion costs $57. If you also need to take the Business & Law exam, that's an additional $57. Fees are not refundable or transferable.

How many questions are on the BC-C exam and how long do I have?
72 scored questions. You get 210 minutes to complete them.

What is the passing score?
73% — that means 53 correct answers out of 72. One question here or there matters, so don't leave anything blank.

How do I register?
Online at the exam registration page, or call PSI at (855) 868-1882. Phone lines are open Monday–Friday 6:30 am–9:00 pm CT and Saturday–Sunday 8:00 am–4:30 pm CT.

Is the BC-C exam open book?
Yes. Bring your own approved references. Know where things are — you don't have time to read entire chapters during the exam.

What reference books are allowed?
Approved materials include the IBC 2021, OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, Modern Masonry, Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Technical Digest No. 9, SDI Manual of Construction with Steel Deck, Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, Carpentry and Building Construction, ACI 530/530.1, ACI 318, Training and Certification for Unbonded Post-Tensioning, Erectors' Manual (Precast Concrete), and Placing Reinforcing Bars (2022). A silent non-programmable calculator and construction calculator are also permitted.

Can I write in my books?
No. You can highlight, underline, and use permanent index tabs — but no writing. Temporary tabs like Post-It notes are not allowed. No loose or attached papers inside your references.

What ID do I need?
One valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID with your signature — a state driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, U.S. military ID, Alien Registration Card, or Canadian government-issued ID. It must be a permanent physical card. Paper or temporary IDs won't be accepted.

How soon can I retake the exam if I fail?
You can't rebook on the same day you tested. If you fail on a Monday, call Tuesday — you could potentially retest as early as Wednesday, depending on seat availability.

What happens if I don't test within a year?
Your fee is forfeited. PSI must receive your fee and you must test within one year. Plan accordingly.

Ready to Start Preparing?

You know what's on the exam, you know what books to get, and you know the score you need. Now put in the reps. Start with our free practice exam — 10 questions, no account required — to get a feel for the format and question style. When you're ready to prep seriously, the full practice exam gives you 619 questions across all nine topics, timed and structured exactly like the real Tennessee BC-C exam. Your score breakdown will show you exactly where to spend more time. Get your books tabbed, get your hours in, and go pass this thing.