The California cosmetology written exam, everything on one page
Questions, minutes, the scoring rule, the fee, the five exam languages, the topic weights and the published pass rates for California cosmetologists.
California tests cosmetologists with a written exam only. The practical exam was dropped on January 1, 2022, so the written exam is the whole exam.
The numbers
| Questions | 110 |
| Scored questions | 100 |
| Unscored questions | 10 |
| Time | 120 minutes |
| Vendor | PSI |
| Practical exam | None since January 1, 2022 |
| Fee | 125 dollars, the application for examination and initial license |
| Re-examination fee | 75 dollars |
| Languages | English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Simplified Chinese |
The 125 dollars is the board's fee and it covers the exam and your first license together. PSI charges no separate written exam fee in California.
The passing score is not published, and that is normal
California scores the exam against a standard rather than against the other people in the room. The board does not publish the number of correct answers you need. Your result notice states your score and tells you whether you passed.
Nobody can tell you the magic number, so the only useful target is to be comfortably above any plausible one. Aim to score in the eighties on full timed practice exams.
What the exam asks, in its own proportions
The outline in force is the April 2026 content update.
| Topic | Scored questions |
|---|---|
| Safety and infection control | 30 |
| Client consultation and hair, skin and nail analysis | 19 |
| Chemical texture services | 12 |
| Haircoloring | 10 |
| Hair removal | 8 |
| Nail care | 8 |
| Skin care | 4 |
| Eyelash and eyebrow | 4 |
| Haircutting | 3 |
| Hairstyling | 2 |
Note what is missing. California does not test state licensing law as its own topic. Texas does, with twenty questions. If you are preparing from Texas material, you are studying twenty questions that your exam will not ask.
These weights changed. Before April 2026, safety and infection control was 25 percent of this exam. Anyone reading older study notes is reading the old split.
The published pass rates
From January to March 2026, for the cosmetologist license:
- First-time candidates: 1,744 tests, 65 percent passed.
- Candidates testing again: 1,512 tests, 33 percent passed.
By how the candidate qualified, first attempt: school 70 percent, apprentice 29 percent, educated outside the country 33 percent.
By exam language, first attempt: English 69 percent, Simplified Chinese 78 percent, Vietnamese 63 percent, Korean 63 percent, Spanish 27 percent.
The Spanish figure is the one to sit with. It is 137 tests, so it is a real group, and the gap to English is 42 points.
The other three licenses
| License | Questions | Scored | Minutes | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetologist | 110 | 100 | 120 | 125 dollars |
| Barber | 95 | 85 | 120 | 125 dollars |
| Esthetician | 85 | 75 | 90 | 115 dollars |
| Manicurist | 65 | 60 | 90 | 110 dollars |
Every one of them is written only, and every one has the 75 dollar re-examination fee.
The weights differ a lot. Safety and infection control is 40 percent of the esthetician exam and 50 percent of the manicurist exam. Half of the California nail exam is infection control.
Retakes
California sets no limit on the number of attempts. Each attempt needs a new re-examination application and the 75 dollar fee. The form is on the board's applicants page.
Where to book and what to bring
You book with PSI once the board says you are eligible. Bring one valid government photo identification that has not expired, arrive at least 30 minutes early, and expect to be thumb printed at check in. Books and notes stay in a locker.
One California thing worth knowing
The board publishes written exam pass rates for each school, quarter by quarter. The most recent file covers April to June 2026 and holds 257 schools and 11,236 first-time tests. If you are choosing a school, or wondering how your school's candidates do, that file is public and we republish it in a readable form.