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Important Tennessee classification fact: BC-A, B combines BC-A Residential with the full BC-B Commercial classification. Unlike BC-A,b(sm), BC-A, B does not carry the small-commercial classification cap. Your actual contractor license still receives a Board-approved monetary limit that controls the maximum amount you may bid or contract on an individual project.
Tennessee divides building contractor licensing into several building classifications. BC-A covers residential construction, while BC-B covers full commercial building work.
BC-A residential authority includes construction, remodeling, repair, and improvement of one-, two-, three-, and four-family residences that do not exceed three stories in height, along with related accessory-use structures.
BC-B commercial authority covers buildings and structures for use and occupancy by the general public. It also includes residential construction containing more than four units or buildings exceeding three stories.
Combining those classifications creates BC-A, B Combined Residential / Commercial. That makes it a strong option for contractors who want to build homes and also pursue full commercial construction projects.
Trade exam: BC-A, B Combined Contractor, Residential / Commercial.
Provider: Prov for newly scheduled Tennessee contractor examinations.
Questions: 100.
Passing score: 73 percent.
Format: open book and computer based.
Exam fee: $53 per attempt under the current Prov program.
Additional examination: Tennessee Contractor Business and Law for new license applicants.
The Tennessee BC-A, B Combined Residential / Commercial Contractor Online Course helps candidates prepare for the residential, commercial, code, structural, safety, and reference-navigation portions of the licensing examination.
The trade exam is only one part of Tennessee contractor licensing. The business entity, qualifying agent, financial qualification, insurance, experience, and application requirements also matter.
| Step | Authority / Requirement | What to Verify |
|---|---|---|
| Classification | Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors | BC-A, B matches your residential and full commercial building goals |
| Qualifying Agent | Owner, officer, or qualifying full-time employee | The QA registers for the applicable examination and properly qualifies the business entity |
| Trade Exam | Prov | BC-A, B Combined Contractor, Residential / Commercial |
| Business & Law | Prov | New contractor applicants generally must also pass Tennessee Contractor Business and Law |
| Financial Qualification | Tennessee Board | Requested monetary limit, financial statement route, or qualifying surety-bond option |
| Insurance | Tennessee Board / State Law | General liability and workers' compensation or approved exemption |
| Business Entity | Tennessee Secretary of State when applicable | Corporation, LLC, partnership, or other entity is properly established and active |
| Final Application | CORE / Tennessee Board | Online application, reference, affidavit, scores, financial information, insurance, entity documents, and $250 fee |
Tennessee changed contractor examination providers in 2026, so candidates should use current Board and Prov information instead of relying on older PSI-only instructions.
| Verified Point | Authority | Current Result |
|---|---|---|
| Exam provider | Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors | Prov began administering newly scheduled contractor exams July 1, 2026 |
| Trade examination | Prov Candidate Information Bulletin | BC-A, B Combined Residential / Commercial, 100 questions, open book |
| Passing standard | Prov | 73 percent |
| Exam fee | Prov | $53 per exam attempt |
| BC-A scope | Tennessee Board classification outline | One- through four-family residential construction not exceeding three stories, plus accessory structures |
| BC-B scope | Tennessee Board classification outline | Full commercial building classification, including larger multifamily and structures exceeding three stories |
| Initial license fee | Tennessee Board fee schedule | $250 |
| Renewal fee | Tennessee Board | $200 for the two-year contractor renewal cycle |
2026 exam-time caution: the June 15, 2026 Prov Candidate Information Bulletin lists a two-hour allowance for BC-A, B. Prov has been updating online exam information during the 2026 provider transition. Always verify the exact time shown in your current Prov scheduler and appointment confirmation before building your final pacing plan.
The current Prov outline contains 15 subject areas totaling 100 questions. This is a broad building exam, so candidates need both residential and commercial construction knowledge.
The largest categories are Estimating and Plan Reading with 15 questions and Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement with 15. General Code contains 12 questions.
Masonry and Structural Steel each contain 10 questions. Together, those five categories account for 62 questions. That makes estimating, code, concrete, masonry, and steel the heavyweight section of the test.
The remaining questions cover sitework, footings and foundations, carpentry, doors, windows and stairs, interior finish, roofing, siding and insulation, plumbing concepts, HVAC concepts, electrical concepts, and OSHA safety.
BC-A, B is a combined classification, so do not study only commercial code because commercial work looks bigger and more dramatic. Residential construction still matters. The exam can move from structural steel to a dwelling-code question without asking permission first.
Study by the current exam weighting and by reference. The BC-A, B exam covers a lot of ground, but the question counts tell you where the biggest points are hiding.
Estimating and Plan Reading: practice quantities, dimensions, takeoffs, scales, plans, specifications, symbols, and basic construction math.
General Code: know how to navigate the IBC and residential code quickly, especially definitions, occupancy, construction type, egress, fire protection, heights, areas, and dwelling requirements.
Concrete: study placement, reinforcement, curing, forms, mix concepts, foundations, slabs, and structural requirements.
Masonry and Structural Steel: review materials, installation, reinforcement, connections, structural concepts, and safe erection practices.
Residential Construction: do not skip framing, roofs, stairs, openings, foundations, wall systems, insulation, and dwelling-code topics.
Safety: review OSHA fall protection, ladders, scaffolds, excavation, PPE, tools, and jobsite hazards.
The Tennessee BC-A, B Highlighted & Tabbed Book Package helps candidates organize the residential, commercial, building-code, and safety references for open-book practice.
The fastest way to improve on this exam is to recognize what kind of question you are looking at before opening a book. A plan-reading question, concrete question, IBC question, residential-code question, and OSHA question usually belong in different places.
Tennessee BC-A, B exam-prep illustration for estimating, plan reading, building code, concrete, masonry, structural steel, and OSHA safety.
Move from classification selection through trade testing, Business and Law, financial qualification, insurance, application review, and final Tennessee contractor licensing.
Choose BC-A, B if you need residential authority plus the full BC-B commercial classification without adding industrial BC-C.
Determine which entity will hold the license and which owner, officer, or qualifying full-time employee will serve as the QA for the examination requirement.
Organize the IBC, IRC, Commercial Building Contractor study guide, OSHA reference, Residential Home Builder Study Guide, and separate Tennessee Business and Law reference.
Prepare for 100 questions, a 73 percent passing standard, open-book testing, and the current Prov examination rules.
New contractor applicants must generally complete the separate Business and Law examination in addition to the trade test.
Use the required reviewed or audited financial statement or, when eligible, Tennessee's newer contractor surety-bond option.
Prepare general liability coverage, workers' compensation or exemption documentation, reference letter, affidavits, and business-entity records.
Apply through Tennessee's CORE system and wait for Board approval before bidding or contracting above the licensing threshold.
The current Prov bulletin assigns all 100 trade questions across the following 15 subject areas.
Study priority: Estimating and Plan Reading, General Code, Concrete and Reinforcement, Masonry, and Structural Steel combine for 62 of the 100 questions. Master those five areas first, then close the gaps across the remaining ten categories.
Tennessee's 2026 move from PSI to Prov created a temporary reference transition. Verify the current Prov list before purchasing or bringing books to the exam.
| Reference | Primary Study Use | 2026 Exam Note |
|---|---|---|
| International Building Code, 2021 | Commercial occupancy, construction type, fire resistance, heights, areas, means of egress, accessibility, structural provisions, and commercial code navigation | Primary Prov commercial-code reference |
| International Residential Code | Residential planning, foundations, floors, wall framing, roofs, stairs, guards, glazing, weather protection, and dwelling safety | Prov's June CIB lists 2021. Prior PSI-approved editions remain temporarily usable under the 2026 transition rules |
| Study Guide for Commercial Building Contractor, 2024 | Commercial construction methods, materials, terminology, project concepts, structural systems, and contractor trade knowledge | Current Prov-listed commercial study reference |
| OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 | Fall protection, excavation, ladders, scaffolds, PPE, tools, material handling, and construction jobsite safety | Current Prov safety reference |
| Residential Home Builder Study Guide | Residential materials, sequencing, framing, foundations, roofs, walls, finishes, and home-builder construction knowledge | Current Prov-listed residential study reference |
| NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Tennessee, 4th Edition | Separate Tennessee Business and Law examination | Current Prov Business and Law reference |
Temporary reference transition: Prov's June 2026 bulletin states that PSI-approved reference materials may continue to be used through January 1, 2027. The current 1 Exam Prep BC-A, B packages include the 2018 IRC, which is part of the transition-era preparation set. Always verify your exact allowed books before exam day.
Prov reference rules: highlighting and permanent tabs are allowed. Handwritten notes, movable tabs, Post-it notes, added photocopies, photocopied books, and unauthorized test-preparation guides are not permitted in the testing room. You may not mark in the references while testing.
BC-A, B combines Tennessee's residential and full commercial building classifications under one contractor license classification.
The residential BC-A portion includes one-, two-, three-, and four-family residences not exceeding three stories, along with related accessory-use structures.
The commercial BC-B portion includes public-use and occupancy buildings such as offices, retail buildings, schools, churches, warehouses, and larger multifamily construction. Residential buildings containing more than four units or exceeding three stories fall within the commercial side.
Building classifications also cover Tennessee's recognized building subcategories within the applicable residential or commercial project scope.
BC-A, B does not add industrial BC-C authority. If your business plans include industrial production facilities, manufacturing plants, or other BC-C work, compare BC-A, B with the full BC classification.
Project-size rule: the BC-A, B classification itself provides full commercial classification authority, but your contractor license still has a monetary limit. That dollar limit determines the maximum individual project amount you may bid or contract, subject to Tennessee's applicable tolerance rules.
The names look similar, but the project authority can be very different.
| Classification | Main Scope | Commercial Authority | Important Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC-A | Residential building | No full BC-B commercial classification | One- through four-family residences not exceeding three stories |
| BC-A,b(sm) | Residential + small commercial | Limited small-commercial authority | Small-commercial classification carries a project cap based on Tennessee rules |
| BC-A, B | Residential + full commercial | Full BC-B commercial classification | Actual project size controlled by the monetary limit assigned to the contractor license |
| BC-B | Commercial building | Full commercial | Does not provide the same standard BC-A residential classification by itself |
| BC | Residential + commercial + industrial | Full commercial plus industrial authority | Broadest major Tennessee building classification |
2026 surety-bond option: beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee allows contractors to use the Board's approved Contractors' Surety Bond as an alternative to a CPA-reviewed or audited financial statement. The bond must generally equal at least 50 percent of the monetary limit requested.
Renewal: Tennessee contractor licenses renew on a two-year cycle. The current contractor renewal fee is $200.
Build residential and commercial knowledge together, then add reference speed so open-book testing actually helps.
BC-A, B can be difficult because it combines two major building worlds into one examination. You need residential knowledge and full commercial knowledge.
The test is especially heavy in estimating and plan reading, general code, concrete, masonry, and structural steel. Those subjects account for 62 percent of the current Prov outline.
The challenge is not just memorizing facts. You may need to move from a concrete question to an IBC table, then to masonry, then to a residential requirement, then to OSHA safety.
Open-book testing helps only when you know which book to open. If five books are sitting on the desk and every question begins with a three-minute guessing game about the correct reference, the books quickly become expensive paperweights.
Strong preparation combines construction knowledge, code familiarity, fast topic recognition, and repeated timed reference-navigation practice.
Timing rule: use the exact time shown on your current Prov scheduling and appointment confirmation. Tennessee's 2026 provider transition has created conflicting older and newer time displays, so your current confirmation is the safest final pacing reference.
Business and Law reminder: passing BC-A, B does not complete the testing requirement for a new Tennessee contractor license. New applicants generally also take the separate Tennessee Contractor Business and Law examination.

This 1 Exam Prep image is directly related to the Tennessee BC-A, B Combined Residential / Commercial Contractor exam and shows the residential, commercial, plans, and construction focus of the classification.
• BC-A residential + BC-B full commercial authority
• 100-question combined trade examination
• 73% passing standard
• Open-book Prov testing
• Estimating and plan reading
• Commercial and residential building code
• Concrete, masonry, and structural steel
• Roofing, carpentry, building systems, and OSHA safety
• Separate Tennessee Business and Law requirement for new applicants
Build construction knowledge and reference speed together. BC-A, B covers too many subjects to rely on last-minute memorization. Know the subject, know the book, find the rule, answer the question, and keep the project moving.
Tennessee BC-A, B Licensing
BC-A, B Trade Exam
Exam Topics
References and Open-Book Rules
Business and Law
Financial and Licensing Requirements
1 Exam Prep
Watch this related 1 Exam Prep video focused specifically on the Tennessee BC-A, B Combined Residential / Commercial Contractor exam. Use it to reinforce the exam structure, construction topics, reference navigation, open-book strategy, and licensing path.
Study tip: watch the video with your trade references nearby. When the video reaches concrete, code, estimating, structural steel, residential construction, or OSHA, practice finding that subject in the reference you would use during the real exam.
Combine current Tennessee Board and Prov information with structured 1 Exam Prep residential, commercial, Business and Law, book, practice-question, and licensing resources.
Build faster reference navigation, stronger estimating and plan-reading skills, better IBC and residential-code knowledge, confidence with concrete, masonry, structural steel, foundations, carpentry, roofing, building systems, OSHA safety, Business and Law, and Tennessee's contractor licensing process.
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