Start Practice Test

Tennessee BC-A Residential Contractor — Practice Exam

What This Practice Exam Covers

The Tennessee BC-A Residential Contractor licensing exam consists of 100 questions with a 300-minute time limit. You need a 73% (73 correct answers) to pass. The exam spans eight topic areas, from sitework and foundations through OSHA safety.

This practice exam is available in two forms:

Free practice exam: 10 questions per attempt, drawn from a limited pool. You can retake it as many times as you like to get a feel for the format and question style. It's a solid starting point with no cost or commitment.

Full practice exam (paid): Mirrors the real exam exactly — 100 questions, 300-minute time limit, and built from a pool of 725+ questions so each attempt generates a unique set. No duplicate exams. Questions are drawn directly from the official exam topics provided by the test provider, covering the same code sections and reference materials you'll face on test day.

Start with the free exam to calibrate where you stand, then move to the full exam for serious, targeted preparation.

What You'll Be Tested On

Sitework, Footings, and Foundation — 10 items

Expect questions on footing sizing (width, depth, and how soil bearing capacity affects design), the differences between continuous, stepped, pier/isolated, and monolithic footing types, and when each is appropriate. Rebar placement and sizing within footings — including cover requirements and keyway construction for connecting walls to footings — are tested directly. You'll need to distinguish full-height basement walls from crawl-space walls and know their respective construction requirements. Formwork questions cover form materials, tie spacing, wales, bracing, and proper stripping procedures. Concrete mix design for foundations — including minimum compressive strength standards — also appears here. This section references The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction and the IRC extensively.

Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement — 10 items

This topic goes deeper into mix design than the foundation section: cement types, aggregate selection, water-cement ratio, and the role of admixtures. Field testing questions are common — you must know how slump tests, air content tests, compressive strength cylinders, and unit weight/yield tests are performed and what acceptable results look like. Formwork design and the safety requirements around shoring and reshoring appear here. Consolidation techniques (vibration methods, depths, insertion spacing) are also tested.

Masonry — 7 items

Know mortar types (M, S, N, O) and their proportions. Brick and CMU classifications — including grades and exposure ratings — appear regularly. Wall system types (solid, cavity, composite, veneer, and reinforced masonry) require you to understand structural behavior, not just definitions. Laying techniques — establishing leads, maintaining coursing, tooling joints, and keeping walls plumb and level — are tested procedurally. Expect questions on anchor and tie spacing and the role of joint reinforcement. Footing sizing for masonry structures is also covered, referencing Modern Masonry, Chapter 15, Section 15.2.1.

Carpentry — 20 items

The largest topic area. Platform, balloon, and post-and-beam framing systems each have distinct structural logic you'll need to explain, not just name. Floor framing questions cover sill plate anchoring, girder sizing and bearing, joist spacing, bridging requirements, and subfloor installation. Wall framing questions target header sizing for openings, cripple stud placement, double top plate splicing, and sheathing attachment. Roof framing is heavily tested: common, hip, valley, and jack rafter layout, ridge board sizing, slope calculations, and rise/run relationships. Engineered wood products — plywood grades, LVL, OSB, glulam, and I-joists — are tested on properties and appropriate applications. Stairway construction requires knowledge of IRC stringer, tread, riser, and headroom requirements. References include Carpentry and Building Construction throughout and IRC sections including R311.7.1 through R311.7.8.

Roofing — 10 items

Be ready to calculate roof areas using slope factors and determine ridge, hip, and valley lengths. Asphalt shingle type ratings and installation methods are tested in detail. Underlayment requirements vary by roof slope and covering type — know which conditions require a single layer versus double layer. Flashing installation (drip edge, valley, step, chimney, and vent) is tested procedurally. Roof sheathing span ratings and thickness requirements by material type appear, as do wood shingle and shake grades, exposure calculations, and installation rules. The IRC and Roofing Construction and Estimating are the primary references.

Estimating, Plan Reading, and General Residential Code Requirements — 20 items

The second-largest section. Estimating questions require multi-step calculations: material takeoffs, waste factors, markup, and change order pricing. Plan reading questions ask you to interpret elevation views, section cuts, floor plans, and detail drawings. Code questions cover permit requirements, inspection sequences, zoning concepts, and deed restrictions. The IRC sections tested here include permit exemptions (R105.2), inspection requirements (R109.1.5.1), and general scope (R101.2).

Associated Trades — 15 items

Drywall questions cover panel types (standard, Type X fire-code, moisture-resistant, flexible), screw sizing for single- and double-layer applications, and finishing levels 0 through 5. Plumbing questions address supply system components, DWV system layout, trap requirements (IRC P3201.2), and fixture clearances (IRC P2705.1). Electrical questions target service sizing, branch circuit requirements, GFCI locations (bathrooms, kitchens, garages, outdoors), and AFCI protection for bedrooms and living spaces, referencing multiple IRC E36xx sections. HVAC questions cover equipment clearances, duct material requirements, and exhaust system sizing.

OSHA Safety — 8 items

Fall protection is the most tested subtopic: the 6-foot trigger height for residential construction per 29 CFR 1926, §1926.501(b)(13), and the systems that satisfy the requirement. Scaffold questions draw from 29 CFR 1926, §1926.451 on platform standards, guardrail requirements, and access rules. Excavation questions focus on cave-in protection, sloping/shoring requirements, and soil classifications (29 CFR 1926, Subpart P, Appendix B, §B-1.1). PPE employer obligations appear under 29 CFR 1926.28(a). Electrical safety and GFCI requirements on jobsites are also tested.

Worked Sample Questions

Question 1 — Carpentry

When rafters and ceiling joists have a depth-to-thickness ratio exceeding 6 to 1 based on nominal dimensions, lateral support must be provided by solid blocking, diagonal bridging, or a continuous wood strip nailed across them. What is the maximum interval at which this bridging must be installed?

• A. 4 feet
• B. 6 feet
• C. 10 feet
• D. 8 feet

Correct Answer: D — 8 feet

Per IRC Section R802.8.1, rafters and ceiling joists with a depth-to-thickness ratio exceeding 6:1 require lateral support at intervals not exceeding 8 feet. The three acceptable methods — solid blocking, diagonal bridging, or a continuous 1×3 wood strip nailed across the members — are interchangeable as long as the 8-foot spacing is maintained. Candidates often confuse this with the 4-foot bridging intervals used for floor joists, which is why the 4-foot option is a reliable distractor.

Question 2 — Estimating, Plan Reading, and General Residential Code Requirements

Change order: $9,000 material + $5,000 labor, 15% markup. Total?

• A. $15,000
• B. $15,500
• C. $16,000
• D. $16,100

Correct Answer: D — $16,100

Add the base costs first: $9,000 + $5,000 = $14,000. Apply the 15% markup to the entire subtotal: $14,000 × 1.15 = $16,100. The most common error is applying markup only to materials or only to labor rather than to the combined total.

Question 3 — Associated Trades

In a double-layer gypsum panel application, what size Type S screws are required for the face layer?

• A. 1 inch
• B. 1-5/8 inch
• C. 3/4 inch
• D. 1-1/4 inch

Correct Answer: B — 1-5/8 inch

Per the Gypsum Construction Handbook, Backerboard Installation, Board application section: in a double-layer assembly, the base layer uses 1-inch Type S screws and the face layer uses 1-5/8-inch Type S screws. The longer screw is required for the face layer to achieve adequate penetration through both panels into the framing. Candidates frequently reverse the two screw sizes — memorize base = 1 inch, face = 1-5/8 inch.

How to Read Your Score

The passing threshold is 73% — 73 correct out of 100.

Treat your first practice attempt as a diagnostic, not a verdict. Most candidates underperform on their initial run simply because they haven't yet identified where their knowledge gaps are. A score of 60–68% on a first attempt is common and entirely recoverable. Use the topic-by-topic breakdown to see exactly which of the eight areas are dragging your score down, then focus study time there rather than reviewing topics you already know well.

If you're scoring in the 70–72% range on practice — just under passing — resist the temptation to treat that as "almost ready." Exam conditions add time pressure and unfamiliar phrasing. A comfortable margin of 78–82% on practice is a more reliable signal that you're prepared. Scores below 65% suggest two or more topic areas need systematic review before scheduling your test date.

Where Candidates Lose Points

Carpentry (20 items) is where most points are won or lost. Candidates often confuse rafter layout terminology — misidentifying jack rafters, hip rafters, or valley rafters — or misapply slope calculations. Header sizing is another common stumble: wrong span table or wrong load condition.

Estimating (part of the 20-item section) trips candidates who skip intermediate steps. Missing a waste factor, applying markup to the wrong base, or misreading a scale on a plan drawing each costs a point.

OSHA Safety (8 items) seems small but is heavily code-specific. Candidates who rely on general knowledge rather than the actual CFR section numbers frequently choose an answer that's close but wrong — especially on scaffold platform width requirements and excavation protective system triggers.

Associated Trades (15 items) tests three distinct trade disciplines. Candidates who are strong in carpentry often underestimate how precisely the electrical and plumbing subtopics are tested. GFCI versus AFCI location requirements are a reliable source of wrong answers.

Roofing (10 items) catches candidates who skip the slope factor calculation and guess at shingle exposure or underlayment laps.

Exam Quick Facts