Guides / Cosmetology state board written exam: what to know
What score do you need to pass?
Cosmetology passing scores vary by state and exam, with different rules for percentages, scaled scores, and unpublished results.
Updated October 15, 2026
What score do you need to pass?
There is no single passing score for US cosmetology written exams. States may use NIC questions, a vendor’s question bank, or their own exam.
Use the linked page for your state to check its cosmetology passing score. When choosing practice questions, match both the state and the license.
PSI national theory: state scores differ
California uses PSI’s national theory exam. PSI writes this exam; it is not a question bank written specifically for California.
California’s cosmetology passing number is not published. Its scoring method is criterion-referenced, and the failure notice gives the required number of correct answers.
Georgia’s PSI cosmetology theory exam requires 70 percent to pass. That published threshold also applies to Georgia’s practical exam.
Michigan’s PSI cosmetology threshold is 70 points from 100 scored points. Michigan reports the result as PASS or FAIL, rather than giving candidates a score.
Keep cosmetology score information separate from barber, esthetics, and nail information. Before comparing a practice result, check which license the passing threshold describes.
Texas: a percentage of scored answers
Texas uses its own exam content. The Texas cosmetology written passing rule requires correct answers on 70 percent of scored questions.
NIC: check the state’s scaled score
NIC does not publish a national passing score. The state sets the passing score, and its bulletin identifies the required scaled score.
North Carolina’s NIC cosmetology written exam requires a scaled score of 75.00. Its apprentice cosmetology threshold is different: 70.00 scaled.
A scaled score does not tell you how many answers were correct. Do not read a scaled passing score as a required correct-answer count.
Other exams and unpublished scores
Pennsylvania’s cosmetology exam uses Pearson VUE’s question bank. Its passing score is 75 scaled, on a scale running from 0 to 100.
Illinois does not publish a passing score for cosmetology. New York also lists its passing score as not published and gives passed-or-failed results without numerical scores.
When your state’s threshold says not published, avoid using another state’s target. Practice the subjects in your cosmetology outline and work through missed answers carefully.
The numbers on this page are read from each state's own candidate bulletin and were checked on 2026-10-13.
Common questions
- Does a scaled score show how many answers I got right?
- A scaled score does not tell you how many answers were correct. Do not read a scaled passing score as a required correct-answer count.
- How can I find California’s cosmetology passing score?
- California’s cosmetology passing number is not published. Its scoring method is criterion-referenced, and the failure notice gives the required number of correct answers.
- Will Michigan show my cosmetology exam score?
- Michigan’s PSI cosmetology threshold is 70 points from 100 scored points. Michigan reports the result as PASS or FAIL, rather than giving candidates a score.