Guides / Esthetician state board written exam: what to know
What is on the esthetician written exam?
California and Texas use different esthetician exam topic lists, with question counts and weights that help guide your study time.
Updated October 18, 2026
Do states use the same topic list?
California and Texas use different topic lists for their Esthetician state board exams. California names makeup as a topic; Texas names licensing and regulation.
What does California cover?
On California’s esthetician state board exam, safety and infection control has 30 questions. Its weight is 40%.
California’s esthetician consultation and skin analysis topic has 14 questions, weighted at 19%. This topic combines client consultation with skin analysis.
Skin care carries 17% on California’s esthetician state board exam. The outline assigns 13 questions to this topic.
California’s esthetician makeup topic accounts for 3% of the exam. It has 2 questions in the outline.
Eyelash and eyebrow is a separate California esthetician topic. Its weight is 6%, with 5 questions.
California’s esthetician hair removal topic has 11 questions. It represents 15% of the written state board exam.
What does Texas cover?
Licensing and regulation carries 20% on Texas’s esthetician state board exam. The outline assigns 15 questions to it.
Texas’s esthetician infection control topic has 19 questions. Its published weight is 25% of the written exam.
Texas calls its esthetician skin analysis topic Skin Care. It covers 12 questions and carries a 16% weight.
Facial Treatments is a Texas esthetician topic with 21 questions. Its weight is 28% on the written state board exam.
Hair removal accounts for 11% of Texas’s esthetician written exam. The topic has 8 questions in the outline.
Where should you spend study time?
Focus your practice on infection control and skin care decisions. Work through cleaning, disinfection, skin analysis, and facial treatment questions, then revisit answers you missed.
The numbers on this page are read from each state's own candidate bulletin and were checked on 2026-10-18.
Common questions
- How much of California's esthetician exam is infection control?
- On California’s esthetician state board exam, safety and infection control has 30 questions. Its weight is 40%.
- Does Texas test licensing rules on the esthetician exam?
- Licensing and regulation carries 20% on Texas’s esthetician state board exam. The outline assigns 15 questions to it.
- How much of the Texas esthetician exam covers facials?
- Facial Treatments is a Texas esthetician topic with 21 questions. Its weight is 28% on the written state board exam.