- Tennessee's C07 category exam requires a 70% score to pass, administered online by Everblue.
- Registration costs $25 per category, with 30 days of access once you activate the exam.
- All 12 domains carry exam questions - there is no separate weighting published, so no domain can be skipped.
- Category-specific content (Domains 11-12) plus Tennessee law (Domain 8) trip up unprepared candidates most often.
The Passing Score: What 70% Actually Means
If you're preparing for the Tennessee C07 Industrial, Institutional, Structural, and Health Related Pest Control Exam, the number that matters most is simple: you need 70% to pass. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture sets this threshold for the C07 category, and it applies uniformly whether you're testing online through Everblue or attending selected in-person testing tied to University of Tennessee training events.
Seventy percent is not a soft target. It means that across the full exam - pulling from core competencies in PB 1109, Tennessee-specific law in EPP792, and the category manual PB 1732 - you can only afford to miss roughly three in every ten questions. That margin shrinks fast if entire domains catch you off guard.
How the Everblue Exam Is Scored
Everblue administers C07 testing online for a $25 category fee, and once you register you get a 30-day window to access and complete the exam. This window matters for scoring strategy: it's long enough to study in phases, but it also means procrastination has a real cost - you can't treat "30 days" as a soft deadline if you want your knowledge fresh on test day.
The exam questions draw from the combined federal core competencies and the C07 category standard, meaning your score reflects mastery of both universal pest control knowledge (safety, labels, equipment) and Tennessee-specific structural and institutional pest content. There's no partial credit for "close" answers on label comprehension or application method questions - each question is scored correct or incorrect, and your raw percentage of correct answers is what's measured against the 70% line.
Key Takeaway
Because the exam blends federal core content with C07-specific material, you can't rely solely on general pest control experience. Structural and institutional-specific study is non-negotiable for hitting 70%.
Scoring Across All 12 Domains
The C07 exam draws from twelve domains. Understanding what each one covers helps you predict where points are actually won or lost. For a full breakdown of each area, see the TN-PEST Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas.
Domain 1: Label and Labeling Comprehension
Questions test your ability to read and interpret pesticide labels correctly - a skill that shows up again inside Domain 5 and Domain 12 questions.
- Signal words, precautionary statements, and re-entry intervals
Domain 8: Tennessee and Federal Pesticide Laws and Regulations
This domain draws heavily from EPP792 and covers how state-specific rules differ from or extend federal requirements.
- Recordkeeping obligations and licensing structure specific to Tennessee
Domain 11: Industrial, Institutional, and Structural Pest Identification
This is the category-defining domain. Expect questions on life cycles, habitats, and behavior of pests found in structural and institutional settings.
- Biology and signs of infestation for common structural and health-related pests
Domain 12: C07 Formulations and Application Methods
This domain ties directly to the category manual, PB 1732, and asks you to apply formulation knowledge in ways that protect food, structures, people, pets, and the environment simultaneously.
- Matching formulation type to setting: food-handling areas vs. general structural treatment
Domains 2 through 7 and 9 through 10 round out the exam with safety, environmental considerations, pest biology generally, pesticide chemistry, equipment use, application methods, supervisory responsibilities for noncertified applicators, and professionalism standards. None of these are minor - a candidate who skips studying "Responsibilities of Supervisors of Noncertified Applicators" (Domain 9) because it sounds administrative can lose several points unnecessarily.
Which Domains Sink Candidates
Because the exam question style leans on applied scenarios rather than pure memorization, candidates most often lose points in three places:
- Domain 8 (Tennessee/federal law): Generic pest control knowledge from other states doesn't map cleanly onto Tennessee's specific regulatory structure.
- Domain 11 (structural/institutional pest identification): Life cycle and behavior details are easy to skim and hard to retain without repetition.
- Domain 12 (C07 formulations): Applying the right formulation to protect food, people, pets, and structures simultaneously requires judgment, not just recall.
If you want a deeper look at what makes these sections difficult relative to the rest of the exam, read How Hard Is the TN-PEST Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Registration, Fees, and Your 30-Day Window
Understanding the mechanics of registration helps you plan your study timeline around the actual test-taking process, not an abstract deadline.
- Cost: $25 per category through Everblue's online testing platform.
- Access window: 30 days from registration to complete the exam.
- In-person option: Selected sessions follow designated University of Tennessee training events.
- Governing body: Tennessee Department of Agriculture oversees the C07 category and all commercial certification requirements.
For the complete fee structure and what's included at each stage, see TN-PEST Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. And if you're still confirming that C07 is the right path for your role, TN-PEST Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify walks through eligibility in detail.
Key Takeaway
Don't register for your 30-day Everblue window until your study plan is far enough along that you can realistically hit 70% within that month - registering too early wastes days you can't get back.
Building a Domain-Weighted Study Plan
With 12 domains and only a 30-day access window once you register, sequencing matters. A domain-weighted plan spends more time on category-specific material (Domains 8, 11, and 12) while still reviewing every other domain at least once before test day.
Foundations and Law
- Read through PB 1109 core concepts (Domains 1-3)
- Study EPP792 for Tennessee-specific law (Domain 8)
Pests, Pesticides, and Equipment
- Work through Domains 4-7: pest biology, pesticide categories, equipment, and application methods
C07 Category Depth
- Focus heavily on PB 1732 for Domains 11 and 12
- Drill structural/institutional pest identification and formulation scenarios
Review, Register, Test
- Review Domains 9-10 (supervisory responsibilities, professionalism)
- Register with Everblue and complete the exam within your 30-day window
For a structured walkthrough of exactly which resources to use in each phase, see the TN-PEST Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. You can also build recall using timed practice questions on the main practice test site before locking in your Everblue registration.
What Happens If You Fall Short of 70%
Falling below 70% simply means you haven't yet demonstrated mastery across the combined federal core and C07-specific content. Rather than treating a low score as a setback, use it as domain-level diagnostic feedback - if you missed cluster after cluster of questions on structural pest identification or Tennessee law, that tells you exactly where to concentrate your next study block.
Before attempting again, revisit the domains where your recall was weakest using the category manual (PB 1732) and law materials (EPP792), rather than re-reading everything uniformly. Candidates who retake without adjusting their study focus tend to repeat the same gaps.
| Factor | Detail |
|---|---|
| Passing score | 70% |
| Testing provider | Everblue (online) |
| Category fee | $25 per category |
| Access window | 30 days from registration |
| Governing body | Tennessee Department of Agriculture |
| Core references | PB 1109, EPP792, PB 1732 |
How the Passing Score Connects to Renewal
Passing at 70% gets you certified, but it's not the end of the story. The current commercial certification cycle runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, and renewal within that cycle depends on earning category-specific CE points or reexamination. In other words, the knowledge you build to hit 70% now becomes the foundation you'll need to maintain - or retest against - throughout the cycle.
This is one reason it's worth understanding the full picture before you test. If you're weighing whether the investment of time and the $25 category fee is worthwhile relative to job opportunities in the field, Is the TN-PEST Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and TN-PEST Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis cover that context. And if you want to see how other candidates have historically fared on this specific exam, TN-PEST Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows lays out the available data.
Once certified, many candidates start exploring where C07 credentials open doors - commercial pest control firms, institutional facilities, and health-related service providers frequently list this category as a hiring requirement. See TN-PEST Jobs for more on where this certification is applied in practice, and TN-PEST Training for ongoing education options that count toward renewal.
FAQ
You need 70% correct overall. This applies to the full exam pulling from all 12 domains rather than a separate cutoff per domain.
Yes. Whether you test online through Everblue or attend selected in-person sessions tied to University of Tennessee training events, the 70% threshold applies equally.
Everblue gives you a 30-day access window from the time you register to complete the C07 exam online.
There's no published requirement to hit 70% within each individual domain, but because your overall score is what's measured, consistently weak performance in any domain - especially Domains 8, 11, or 12 - makes reaching 70% overall harder.
Passing at 70% earns your C07 certification for the current cycle, running July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. Renewal within that cycle requires category-specific CE points or reexamination.