All four Tennessee beauty licenses in one place. Tennessee uses PSI's own National exams, not NIC, at 70% passing. One combined board for all modalities, CORE portal for applications, and a required 1-hour domestic violence awareness training for every initial applicant. CE-free for practitioners. Cosmetology Licensure Compact member since May 2024.
Tennessee converted to PSI's National exams on 26 January 2022. The Board says so plainly: "Both exams use new content referred to as the National Exam." It is not NIC.
⚠️ Tennessee's cosmetology exam changed on 17 August 2026. The current form is v1.0: 125 scored + 15 pretest over 180 minutes, with the state law test folded into the theory paper, so it is one sitting. Prep written for the old structure is stale.
The extra length is a Tennessee regulatory block worth 20% of the exam — Licensure Requirements 12%, Sanitary Rules 6%, Rights and Responsibilities 2%. The other ten domains are the national form: Safety and Infection Control 24%, Client Consultation and Analysis 16%, Chemical Texture 10%, Haircoloring 8%, Hair Removal 6%, Nail Care 6%, Skin Care 3%, Eyelash and Eyebrow 3%, Hairstyling 2%, Haircutting 2%. Renormalised, those ten are the same blueprint every other state in this group uses.
Those 25 law items are the Tennessee Law Test. PSI merged it into the theory paper on 17 August 2026, so an initial candidate now sits one exam, not two — if you have been told to book a separate law test, that changed. A standalone Law Test still exists, but only for reactivating a retired licence, reinstating after three years, and out-of-state applicants. Either way, a fifth of this exam is Tennessee rules and our banks cover the NIC portion only.
Fees are $67 theory and $67 practical. Three years to pass both parts, then six months to apply. Languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese.
Our practice tests are built to the NIC blueprint, which is not this one: NIC cosmetology is four domains in 90 minutes, the PSI National form is ten domains in 120, and not a single domain label is shared. They cover the underlying science; this exam's weighting differs. Worth knowing before you buy.
Verify: Tennessee Cosmetology and Barber Examiners Board at tn.gov.
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Practice Test + Flashcards
Practice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
Practice Test + Flashcards
Practice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
No bank — here is what we know
Tennessee’s Master Barber licence takes 1,500 hours and sits its own examination, which is not the NIC barber paper our bank is built to.
Practice Test + Flashcards
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10 questions from the NIC cosmetology bank and 10 terminology cards from the decks — the same items, the same rationales, the same study modes you get after checkout. Tennessee tests on the PSI National exam. These questions cover the underlying science it draws on; the blueprint differs. No email, no signup.
Tennessee · Cosmetology
1,500 hours at a licensed school, PSI National exam at 70%, apply through CORE within 6 months of passing. DV awareness training required before applying. Cosmetologists may use only a safety razor — straight-razor shaving is reserved for Master Barbers.
Tennessee uses PSI National Theory and Practical Examinations administered by PSI Services. NICPrep's PSI National bank is built to the national core Tennessee sits, which is 80% of this paper. The other 20% is Tennessee's own regulatory block — Licensure Requirements 12%, Sanitary Rules 6%, Rights and Responsibilities 2% — and our banks carry none of it. Passing score: 70% on both components. Apply through CORE (core.tn.gov) within 6 months of passing both exams.
Tennessee's Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners — a combined board since 2014 — governs all beauty and barber licenses under TDCI. License applications go through the CORE portal. All exams administered by PSI Services at test centers statewide.
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Your school submits your eligibility to PSI directly — students cannot self-submit. Verify school approval at tn.gov/commerce/regboards/cosmo.
Typically completed during school or online at barbicide.com. Required before submitting your initial license application.
$70 written + $70 practical to PSI. Schedule at test-takers.psiexams.com or 855-340-3710. Remote proctoring available. Exam fee valid 6 months from date PSI receives payment.
Apply at core.tn.gov, pay $60 application fee. License issued in 5–10 business days. Confirm active status at verify.tn.gov before working.
Tennessee joined the Cosmetology Licensure Compact on May 29, 2024 (SB 2732/HB 2781). Once fully operational, Tennessee cosmetologists with multistate licenses can practice in all compact member states (currently AL, AZ, CO, KS, KY, MD, OH, TN, VA, WA) without additional licensure.
Biennial · $60 renewal fee · CE-free · $25 late fee after expiration · Renew at core.tn.gov.
🇪🇸 NICPrep's cosmetology prep is also available in Spanish.
Tennessee · Esthetics
Tennessee spells this "aesthetician" in statute. 750 hours, PSI National exam, 70% passing. Esthetics licenses through school training only. Nail services require a separate manicurist license. Microneedling authorized under physician supervision (SB 1339/HB 915).
Tennessee uses the PSI National Esthetics Theory and Practical Examinations administered by PSI. NICPrep's PSI National esthetics bank is built to the national core Tennessee sits; the state's own regulatory block sits outside it. Passing score: 70%.
SB 1339 and HB 915 authorize licensed Tennessee aestheticians to perform cosmetic microneedling under the supervision of a licensed physician. Confirm current requirements with the Board before offering this service.
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School submits eligibility to PSI. Verify approval at tn.gov/commerce/regboards/cosmo.
Free at barbicide.com or approved nonprofits. Required before initial application.
Schedule at test-takers.psiexams.com or call 855-340-3710. Remote proctoring available.
Apply at core.tn.gov, $60 fee. Confirm active at verify.tn.gov before working.
Biennial · $60 renewal fee · CE-free · $25 late fee · Renew at core.tn.gov.
Tennessee · Barber
1,500 hours — same as cosmetology. PSI National exam, 70% passing. Unique apprenticeship: 750 classroom hours + pass theory exam + 750 hours under a licensed barber with 10+ years experience. Court order: diploma requirement unenforceable, only 10th grade required. Straight razor: Master Barbers only.
Tennessee’s Master Barber examination is administered by PSI for the Tennessee Cosmetology and Barber Examiners Board; which form it uses is unconfirmed. NICPrep's barber question bank is built from the NIC Barber Styling CIB — a different blueprint, so it covers the underlying science; this exam's outline differs. Passing score: 70%.
Master Barbers may use a straight razor for shaving. Tennessee cosmetologists may only use a safety razor. Both licenses allow haircutting, styling, and color. A licensed TN cosmetologist can apply 750 cosmetology school hours toward the 1,500-hour barber requirement for a crossover.
Ready to start studying? See pricing ↑
Verify school registration at tn.gov/commerce/regboards/cosmo. Apprenticeship requires Board enrollment before starting and a mentor barber with 10+ years of active TN licensure.
Required before initial application.
Schedule at test-takers.psiexams.com or 855-340-3710. Remote proctoring available.
Apply at core.tn.gov, $60 fee. Barber license renewal fee is $60 biennial.
🇪🇸 NICPrep's barber styling prep is also available in Spanish.
Tennessee · Manicurist
Tennessee calls nail technicians "manicurists." 600 hours, PSI National exam, 70% passing. School training only. Critical: Tennessee offers zero reciprocity for manicurist licenses — every applicant from every state must complete 600 hours of TN-approved training and pass TN exams.
Tennessee uses the PSI National Nail Technology Theory and Practical Examinations administered by PSI. NICPrep’s PSI National bank is built to the national core Tennessee sits, which is 80% of this paper. The other 20% is Tennessee’s own regulatory block, which this bank does not cover. Passing score: 70%.
Tennessee does not offer reciprocity for manicurist (nail technician) licenses from any state. Applicants who hold nail tech licenses from other states — including states with higher training hour requirements — must complete 600 hours of Tennessee-approved training and pass the Tennessee PSI examinations to obtain a Tennessee manicurist license.
Ready to start studying? See pricing ↑
School submits eligibility to PSI. Your school submits it. Verify school approval at tn.gov/commerce/regboards/cosmo.
Required before application. Free at barbicide.com.
Schedule at test-takers.psiexams.com. Remote proctoring available. Exam fee valid 6 months. 5-year eligibility window.
Apply at core.tn.gov, $60 fee. Confirm active at verify.tn.gov before working.
🇻🇳 NICPrep's nail technology prep is also available in Vietnamese.
Tennessee uses PSI's own National exams — 70% passing, CE-free. NICPrep is built from the same NIC CIBs. See the full prep on the modality page.
2026 CIB changes, domain study tips, and new-modality launches — a few emails a month, no spam.