TN Private Investigator study plan
TN Private Investigator · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Tennessee statutes, rules, and Commission regulations governing private investigation
Map the structure of the Tennessee Private Investigators Licensing and Regulatory Act and the role of the Commission before memorizing details
List the license classes and the activities each class authorizes
Define the unlicensed-activity prohibitions and the exemptions written into the statute
Build a one-page statutory outline organized by license type, prohibited conduct, and penalty
Your checkpoint
A one-page statutory outline plus a 25-question self-quiz scored at 80% or better
Tennessee statutes, rules, and Commission regulations governing private investigation
Recite licensing requirements: application, experience, examination, insurance, and continuing education
Summarize Commission disciplinary authority, complaint process, and the range of sanctions
Differentiate statutory requirements from Commission rule requirements so each can be cited correctly
Convert the week-1 outline into 40 flashcards covering numbers, deadlines, and terms
Your checkpoint
40 verified flashcards and a written summary of the disciplinary process in under 300 words
Tennessee statutes, rules, and Commission regulations governing private investigation & Investigative principles, techniques, and case planning
Apply statutory limits on investigator authority to three hypothetical fact patterns
Draft a case-intake worksheet that captures client objective, scope, budget, and legal constraints
Outline the investigative cycle from intake through closure, naming the decision point at each stage
Identify the legal boundaries that constrain techniques such as pretext, GPS use, and database queries
Your checkpoint
Two completed case plans (realistic written scenario, no external references) built from the intake worksheet
Investigative principles, techniques, and case planning & Evidence collection, handling, and chain of custody
Design a case plan template that ties objectives to specific techniques and evidence sources
Sequence evidence-collection methods by reliability and admissibility risk
Draft chain-of-custody procedures covering packaging, labeling, transfer, and storage
Explain how to authenticate and index photographs, digital files, and physical items
Your checkpoint
Timed 40-question midterm across Domains 1-3, scored at 75% or better, with a written error log
Evidence collection, handling, and chain of custody & Surveillance, interviewing, and investigative report writing
Apply chain-of-custody documentation to a simulated multi-item seizure and transfer
Choose surveillance method and positioning based on target pattern, environment, and legal risk
Design a pre-surveillance brief that logs time, location, activity, and continuity of observation
Draft an interview plan with question sequence, rapport steps, and documented statement format
Your checkpoint
A complete case file packet: surveillance log, custody form, and witness statement summary
Surveillance, interviewing, and investigative report writing & Professional ethics, conduct, and scope of authority of a licensed investigator
Write three investigative reports that separate observed fact from inference and conclusion
Apply the standards of ethical conduct and conflict-of-interest limits to written scenarios
Identify behaviors that create liability exposure, from misrepresentation to unauthorized disclosure
Revise your own reports to remove speculation, hearsay labels, and unverifiable statements
Your checkpoint
Three graded-quality reports plus a revised version of each with tracked edits
Tennessee statutes, rules, and Commission regulations governing private investigation & Investigative principles, techniques, and case planning & Evidence collection, handling, and chain of custody
Complete a full-length practice exam under timed conditions across all five domains
Rank your weakest sub-topics from the practice-exam score breakdown
Rebuild flashcards for the three lowest-scoring areas
Re-derive the statutory limits on authority from memory without notes
Your checkpoint
Two timed practice exams with score reports and a prioritized remediation list
Surveillance, interviewing, and investigative report writing & Professional ethics, conduct, and scope of authority of a licensed investigator & Tennessee statutes, rules, and Commission regulations governing private investigation
Retest on the remediation list and confirm each weak area now clears 80%
Review ethics and scope-of-authority scenarios daily for recall speed
Walk through the full investigative workflow end to end using a single integrated scenario
Finalize a one-page reference sheet of deadlines, license terms, and conduct rules
Your checkpoint
Final practice exam at 85% or better in every domain, plus a completed one-page reference sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Score 80% or better on a closed-book statutory quiz covering licensing, exemptions, and penalties
Week 4: Complete two defensible case plans and a midterm of 75% or better across Domains 1-3
Week 6: Produce a case file packet and three reports that survive a self-review against a written quality checklist
Week 8: Score 85% or better on a timed full-length practice exam in all five domains