- What Does TN-LH Mean?
- How the TN-LH Exam Is Structured
- Registration, Fees, and Scheduling Mechanics
- The 13 Domains Behind the TN-LH Name
- Who Actually Needs to Pass TN-LH
- What Happens After You Pass
- Retake Rules If You Don't Pass the First Time
- Building a Study Plan Around the TN-LH Domains
- Frequently Asked Questions
- TN-LH stands for the Tennessee Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam, regulated by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.
- Life and Accident and Health are two separate 77-question exams, each with 68 scored and 9 pretest questions.
- Each exam gives you 1 hour 45 minutes and requires a scaled score of 70 to pass.
- A single test-center attempt costs $55; the OnVUE combination for both lines costs $80.
What Does TN-LH Mean?
TN-LH stands for the Tennessee Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam - the state licensing test that anyone who wants to sell life insurance or accident and health insurance in Tennessee must pass. It's not a private certification or a designation you add after your name; it's a regulatory requirement administered on behalf of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance and delivered through Pearson VUE testing centers, with an OnVUE remote-proctoring option also available.
If you've landed here searching "what does TN-LH mean," the short answer is: it's the gateway exam standing between you and a Tennessee producer license for life and health products. For a broader introduction to the credential itself, see What Is TN-LH? or the plain-language breakdown at TN-LH Meaning.
How the TN-LH Exam Is Structured
Unlike a single combined test, TN-LH is really two separately scored exams: the Life exam and the Accident and Health exam. Candidates who want authority to sell both product lines must pass both.
- Each exam contains 77 questions, made up of 68 scored questions and 9 unscored pretest questions that don't count toward your result.
- You get 1 hour 45 minutes per exam to complete it.
- A scaled score of 70 is required to pass each exam.
- Because pretest questions are mixed in with scored ones and look identical, you should treat every question on the screen as if it counts.
This structure matters when you're planning your study time - the Life exam and the Accident and Health exam draw from entirely different content pools, aside from the shared Tennessee law domains. For a full breakdown of how the content is organized, see TN-LH Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas.
Key Takeaway
Because Life and Accident and Health are scored separately, a strong Life score cannot offset a weak Accident and Health score, or vice versa - you need 70 or higher on each.
Registration, Fees, and Scheduling Mechanics
Understanding the fee structure helps you budget and choose the right testing format:
| Testing Option | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single exam at a test center | $55 | Covers either Life or Accident and Health, not both |
| Life + Accident and Health combination via OnVUE | $80 | Remote-proctored, both lines in one scheduling package |
There is no prelicensing course requirement for these lines in Tennessee, which means candidates can go straight from self-study to scheduling an appointment. That flexibility is convenient, but it also puts more responsibility on you to structure your own preparation - a gap tools like the practice exams on TN-LH Exam Prep are built to fill.
The current exam outlines took effect October 15, 2025, so make sure any content review, including the domain list further down this page, reflects that version. For eligibility details beyond the exam content itself, review TN-LH Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
The 13 Domains Behind the TN-LH Name
The letters "L" and "H" in TN-LH directly correspond to the exam's two subject areas: Life and Health. Together they span 13 domains, weighted as combined shares of the 136 total scored questions across both exams. Knowing these weights helps you prioritize study time toward the topics tested most often.
Domain 1: Life - Types of Policies (11.0%)
Covers term, whole, universal, and variable life products, along with how each is structured and marketed.
- Distinguish permanent from term coverage
- Understand cash value mechanics
Domain 2: Life - Policy Riders, Provisions, Options, and Exclusions (11.0%)
Tests knowledge of add-ons and standard contract language that modify a base life policy.
- Waiver of premium, accelerated benefits, and other common riders
- Nonforfeiture options and exclusions
Domain 5 & 12: Tennessee Laws and Departmental Rules Common to Life, Accident and Health, Property and Casualty Insurance (10.3% each)
These identically named domains appear on both the Life exam and the Accident and Health exam, each worth 10.3% of its respective exam's weighting, making shared Tennessee statutes some of the highest-value material to master.
- Licensing, appointment, and continuing education rules
- Unfair trade practices and market conduct standards
Domain 7: Accident and Health - Types of Policies (11.8%)
The single highest-weighted domain across both exams, covering individual and group health products.
- Disability income, long-term care, and Medicare supplement basics
- Group versus individual health contract differences
The remaining domains - including Life Underwriting and Delivery, Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts, Social Insurance, Field Underwriting Procedures, and the line-specific Tennessee law domains - round out the full picture. For the complete weighted list of all 13 domains with study guidance for each, see TN-LH Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 13 Content Areas.
Key Takeaway
Domains 5 and 12 (shared Tennessee law) and Domain 7 (Accident and Health policy types) carry the heaviest combined weight - prioritize them if your time is limited.
Who Actually Needs to Pass TN-LH
Passing TN-LH is the entry requirement for anyone planning to work as an insurance producer selling life or health products in Tennessee. This typically includes:
- New agents joining career agencies affiliated with life and health carriers
- Independent producers who want to offer both life and supplemental health products
- Career changers moving into financial services who need a state license before selling policies
- Existing property and casualty producers expanding their book of business to include life and health lines
Because the license is state-issued and tied directly to this exam, it's a non-negotiable step rather than an optional credential. If you're weighing whether pursuing this path fits your career goals, see Is the TN-LH Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and TN-LH Jobs for a look at where the license opens doors.
What Happens After You Pass
Passing the exam itself isn't the finish line. Tennessee requires a few additional administrative steps before your license is active:
- Fingerprinting: Completed as part of the background check process required for licensure.
- 48-hour wait: After passing, you must wait 48 hours before you're able to file your license application electronically.
- $50 license application fee: Paid at the time of electronic filing.
Skipping ahead or filing before the 48-hour window has elapsed can delay your application, so plan your timeline accordingly once you've passed both exams.
Retake Rules If You Don't Pass the First Time
Not everyone passes on the first attempt, and Tennessee's rules for retesting are specific:
- After a first failed attempt, you must wait 10 days before retesting.
- After any subsequent failure, the wait extends to 30 days.
- Candidates are limited to two OnVUE (remote) attempts per exam line before they must switch to an in-person test center for further attempts.
These waiting periods make first-attempt preparation valuable - a failed attempt doesn't just cost a retake fee, it costs weeks of delay. For a realistic assessment of how challenging the exam tends to be and how to prepare accordingly, read How Hard Is the TN-LH Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and TN-LH Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
Building a Study Plan Around the TN-LH Domains
Rather than studying generically, structure your prep around the actual domain weights and the fact that you're preparing for two separate exams.
Life Product Foundations
- Domain 1: Types of Policies
- Domain 2: Riders, Provisions, Options, and Exclusions
Life Underwriting, Retirement Concepts, and Law
- Domain 3: Application, Underwriting, and Delivery
- Domain 4: Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts
- Domains 5 & 6: Tennessee Life Law
Accident and Health Product Core
- Domain 7: Types of Policies (highest single weight)
- Domain 8: Policy Provisions, Clauses, and Riders
Health Concepts, Underwriting, and Law Review
- Domains 9-11: Social Insurance, Other Concepts, Field Underwriting
- Domains 12 & 13: Tennessee Accident and Health Law
- Full-length timed practice under 1 hour 45 minute conditions
Because Domains 5 and 12 cover nearly identical Tennessee law material tested on both exams, reviewing them once thoroughly pays double dividends. Timed practice matters too - since only 68 of the 77 questions on each exam are scored, get comfortable moving through unfamiliar-feeling questions without losing your pacing. Practice exams that mirror the real format, like those at TN-LH Exam Prep, can help you build that pacing before test day. For a condensed reference you can review the night before, check the TN-LH Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts, and for a full week-by-week plan see the TN-LH Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Frequently Asked Questions
It refers to two separately scored exams - Life, and Accident and Health - each with its own 77 questions and its own passing requirement of a scaled score of 70.
No. There is currently no prelicensing course requirement for the Life and Accident and Health lines in Tennessee, though thorough self-study is still essential.
A single exam at a test center costs $55. Taking both the Life and Accident and Health exams together through OnVUE costs $80 combined.
A first failed attempt requires a 10-day wait before retesting; any later failure requires a 30-day wait. You're also limited to two OnVUE attempts per exam line before needing to test at a physical center.
You must complete fingerprinting and wait 48 hours after passing before filing your license application electronically, along with paying a $50 license application fee.