Section 0780-01-56-.07 - EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS(1) All applicants for an insurance producer license, unless otherwise exempted by law, are required to pass a written examination in order to test the applicant's knowledge as to the line of insurance for which a license is applied, the duties and responsibilities of an insurance producer, and the insurance laws and rules of this state. There shall be a separate examination for each line of insurance in which an insurance producer may be licensed. Applicants wishing to be licensed as an insurance producer in more than one line of insurance shall take each applicable examination.(2) Each examination for a license shall be approved for use by the commissioner. Examinations for licensing shall be at such reasonable times and places accessible to the applicants as are designated by the commissioner.(3) An individual taking an examination pursuant to this Rule shall pay a non-refundable fee in order to take such examination. An individual who takes an examination more than once shall pay the examination fee for each subsequent taking of the examination, regardless of the reason for the subsequent examinations.(4) The minimum score that will be considered as a passing score for any examination given hereunder is seventy percent (70%). Any score on an exam below seventy percent (70%) shall be considered a failing score.(a) An individual who has failed to pass an examination for a license applied for may take another examination following the expiration of thirty (30) days from the date of the applicant's last unsuccessful examination upon submission of the examination fee.(b) An individual who has not successfully passed the examination within six (6) months of the first attempt shall be required to re-take pre-licensing education courses as set forth in Rule 0780-01-56-.06.(5) The commissioner may enter into a contract with a testing organization for the examination of applicants for license as an insurance producer. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, such contract may provide that the testing organization shall: (a) Assume responsibility for administration and grading of the examination; and(b) Charge and collect reasonable non-refundable examination fees, subject to the approval of the commissioner.(6) No individual taking an examination for an insurance producer license shall possess or examine the examination questions and/or answers prior to the time of examination, nor shall any such individual use improper notes or other reference materials during the examination. Furthermore, no person shall have such questions or answers reproduced and/or disseminated for the purposes of assisting an insurance producer in passing an examination.(7) To determine that the applicant has not committed any act that would disqualify the applicant from receiving an insurance producer license, all individuals desiring to take a test under this Rule, shall submit to the commissioner:(a) Two (2) full sets of fingerprints;(b) A certified check made payable to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation representing the cost of having criminal history record checks performed; and(c) A reasonable administrative fee representing the cost of the collection and transmission of fingerprint data made payable to the contractor; or(d) Alternate methods of fingerprint submission if approved by the commissioner. Applicants that have had a criminal background check performed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation within six (6) months prior to taking an examination may have the results of that examination submitted directly from the criminal background check provider to the Agent Licensing section.
Applicants that are required to take an examination after the lapse of a license will be required to submit fingerprint background checks prior to taking a new examination.
Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-01-56-.07
Original rule filed February 12, 1991; effective March 29, 1991. Amendment filed April 16, 2004; effective June 30, 2004. Repeal and new rule filed October 18, 2007; effective January 1, 2008. Repeal and new rule filed October 17, 2008; effective December 31, 2008. Amendment filed January 5, 2011; effective April 5, 2011.Authority: T.C.A.§§ 56-1-107, 56-6-102, 56-6-105, 56-6-106, 56-6-112, 56-6-124, 56-32-114, 56-35122, and 56-35-201.