Exam info
What the LLE exam is — and what's allowed inside
It's an open-book exam, which changes how you should prepare. Knowing the format and the rules on references is half the battle.
The format at a glance
| Administered by | Prov (for the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors). |
|---|---|
| Format | Open book. |
| Questions | 40 multiple-choice. |
| Time limit | 2 hours. |
| Passing score | 29 of 40 correct (72.5%). Confirm the current passing score on your Prov candidate bulletin before test day. |
| Code edition | 2017 NEC (NFPA 70) — Tennessee's adopted edition for this exam. |
Accuracy note
The passing score is a hard 29 of 40 correct. The official statewide cut score lives inside Prov's registration materials and can change between cycles, so confirm the current cut score on your Prov candidate bulletin before you register.
Allowed references
Because it's open book, the references you bring — and how well you've tabbed them — matter enormously. The commonly allowed materials are:
- ✓2017 NEC (NFPA 70) — the National Electrical Code, 2017 edition.
- ✓Ugly's Electrical References (2020 edition) — the pocket field reference.
- ✓OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — the construction safety standards.
- ✓A silent, non-programmable calculator.
Rules on your books
Permanent tabs and highlighting are allowed. You may tab and highlight your code book and references ahead of time — and you absolutely should.
No loose notes, and nothing written into the books. Handwritten notes, index cards, and anything written into the margins are not permitted. Keep your marking to printed tabs and highlighter.
Reference lists and calculator rules can change between exam cycles — always verify the current allowed-materials list on your Prov candidate bulletin before test day.
How to register
Schedule and pay for the exam through Prov's Tennessee portal for the Board for Licensing Contractors.
The open-book strategy
Two hours for forty open-book questions sounds generous — until you're flipping pages. The candidates who pass comfortably aren't the ones who memorized the code; they're the ones who can find the answer fast. That's exactly what our Code Locator drill trains.