All four Wisconsin beauty licenses in one place. Wisconsin uses NIC exams via D.L. Roope Administrations. a scaled score of 75.00 on both components. Cosmetology and esthetics renew March 31 of odd-numbered years. No routine CE for any of the four licenses, barbers included.
Prep for this state
Wisconsin sits the NIC papers through D.L. Roope Administrations at a scaled score of 75.00 on both components. Cosmetology and esthetics renew on 31 March in odd-numbered years, and none of the four licenses carries routine continuing education, barbers included. 1,550 hours come first.
The NIC National electrology theory exam as D.L. Roope delivers it for the Wisconsin Cosmetology Examining Board, with the Wisconsin law and rules items seated inside the paper. Wisconsin does not publish how many law items its own paper carries, so we seat 10 on every one of our ten forms. Seats on our forms: Electrology Procedures and Services 41, Scientific Concepts 34, Wisconsin State Laws and Regulations 10.
Built for the NIC Electrology CIBThe NIC National cosmetology theory exam as D.L. Roope delivers it for the Wisconsin Cosmetology Examining Board, with the Wisconsin law and rules items seated inside the paper. Wisconsin does not publish how many law items its own paper carries, so we seat 10 on every one of our ten forms. Seats on our forms: Hair Care and Services 45, Scientific Concepts 35, Skin Care and Services 10, Nail Care and Services 10, Wisconsin State Laws and Regulations 10.
Built for the NIC CIB and this state’s law itemsWisconsin licenses this as an aesthetician. The NIC National esthetics theory exam as D.L. Roope delivers it for the Wisconsin Cosmetology Examining Board, with the Wisconsin law and rules items seated inside the paper. Wisconsin does not publish how many law items its own paper carries, so we seat 10 on every one of our ten forms. Seats on our forms: Scientific Concepts 55, Esthetics Procedures 45, Wisconsin State Laws and Regulations 10.
Built for the NIC CIB and this state’s law itemsThe NIC National barber theory exam as D.L. Roope delivers it for the Wisconsin Cosmetology Examining Board, with the Wisconsin law and rules items seated inside the paper. Wisconsin does not publish how many law items its own paper carries, so we seat 10 on every one of our ten forms. Seats on our forms: Hair Care Services 40, Scientific Concepts 35, Facial Hair and Skin Care Services 15, Implements and Equipment 10, Wisconsin State Laws and Regulations 10.
Built for the NIC CIB and this state’s law itemsThe NIC National nail technology theory exam as D.L. Roope delivers it for the Wisconsin Cosmetology Examining Board, with the Wisconsin law and rules items seated inside the paper. Wisconsin does not publish how many law items its own paper carries, so we seat 10 on every one of our ten forms. Seats on our forms: Nail Enhancement Services 20, Manicure and Pedicure Services 18, Infection Control and Safety Practices 16, Anatomy and Physiology 15, Nail Service Tools 13, Chemistry of Nail Products 10, Wisconsin State Laws and Regulations 10, Pre-service process 4, Post-Service Procedures 4.
Built for the NIC CIB and this state’s law itemsEvery question comes with a full rationale. When that isn’t enough — the concept is new, the wording is dense, you got it right by luck — tap Explain and the tutor talks you through it: why your answer was wrong, and what the right idea actually is. Ask it anything back, as many times as you need.
If English isn’t the language you learned this in, it teaches in yours, switched whenever you like. The questions stay in English, because that is how you will see them on exam day. Where enough candidates ask we translate the prep itself — so far Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian and Simplified Chinese, on the products that have it.
Included with every product · every question · 19 languages
Free preview · No signup
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. Wisconsin tests on the NIC exam, so this is the exam you'll sit. No email, no signup.
Wisconsin · Cosmetology
1,550 hours at a DSPS-approved school (or 3,712-hour apprenticeship). NIC exam via D.L. Roope — a scaled score of 75.00 to pass. $12 license fee. Renewal: March 31 of odd-numbered years. Routine CE is waived. Barbering requires the full program.
Wisconsin uses NIC National Theory and Practical Examinations administered by D.L. Roope Administrations LLC. NICPrep's cosmetology question bank is built from the NIC CIB — it covers the NIC portion of the paper. Wisconsin's own items sit inside that same form, and the Wisconsin edition seats ten of them on every one of its ten practice tests. Passing score: a scaled score of 75.00 on both written and practical. D.L. Roope: 1-888-375-2020 · dlroope.com.
Wisconsin's own component is administered in English regardless of the language selected for the rest of the paper. Our banks are built to the NIC blueprint, which carries state-law content in none of its domains.
Wisconsin's Cosmetology Examining Board, under the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS), governs cosmetologists, estheticians, manicurists, and electrologists. Barbers are regulated under the same DSPS umbrella but have separate barbering statutes. Apply for licenses through DSPS at dsps.wi.gov.
Ready to start studying? See pricing ↑
School submits your application through its portal or provides an application form. Verify school approval at dsps.wi.gov.
Apply online at dlroope.com or call 1-888-375-2020. Pay exam fees (~$10 per section). Receive practical exam admission letter with date, time, and location.
Written and practical. Results may take 2–5 business days to be posted online at D.L. Roope's portal.
Apply online at dsps.wi.gov. Pay $15 application + $12 license fee. License issued by DSPS. Renewal March 31 of odd years.
March 31 of odd-numbered years · Routine CE is waived · $12 renewal fee · Reciprocity: a one-hour Wisconsin law course, a clean disciplinary record and the fee — no practice-hour minimum · Renew at dsps.wi.gov.
🇪🇸 NICPrep's cosmetology prep is also available in Spanish.
Wisconsin · Esthetics (Aesthetics)
Wisconsin spells this "aesthetician." 450 hours in 11–30 weeks at a DSPS-licensed school (or apprenticeship). NIC exam via D.L. Roope — a scaled score of 75.00 to pass. $10 application + $12 license. Renewal: March 31 of odd-numbered years. Routine CE is waived.
Wisconsin uses the NIC National Esthetics Theory and Practical Examinations administered by D.L. Roope. NICPrep's esthetics question bank is built from the NIC Esthetics CIB — it covers the NIC portion of the paper. Wisconsin's own items sit inside that same form, and the Wisconsin edition seats ten of them on every one of its ten practice tests. Passing score: a scaled score of 75.00 on both.
Ready to start studying? See pricing ↑
Verify school approval at dsps.wi.gov. Programs typically run 3–5 months.
Apply at dlroope.com or call 1-888-375-2020. Pay exam fees (~$10 per section).
Results posted at dlroope.com within 2–5 business days.
Apply at dsps.wi.gov. Renewal March 31 odd years. Routine CE is waived.
Wisconsin · Barber
1,000 hours — among the lower barber requirements in the country. NIC exam via D.L. Roope, a scaled score of 75.00 to pass. Apprenticeship: 1,712 practical + 288 classroom hours. Barbering runs on its own pathway. Biennial renewal.
Wisconsin uses NIC National Barber Theory and Practical Examinations administered by D.L. Roope. NICPrep's barber question bank is built from the NIC Barber Styling CIB — it covers the NIC portion of the paper. Wisconsin's own items sit inside that same form, and the Wisconsin edition seats ten of them on every one of its ten practice tests. Passing: a scaled score of 75.00 on both. D.L. Roope: 1-888-375-2020.
Wisconsin barbers have no routine CE requirement. Under s. 454.265, Stats., the department may impose continuing education — but only “as a part of the disciplinary process”, the same rule that governs cosmetologists and estheticians. SPS 50.400 lists renewal exhaustively — application, fee, s. 454.267 digest certification — and no CE appears in it. A four-hour barber CE requirement did once exist: 2017 Wisconsin Act 81 removed it, and SPS 50.421 to 50.424 were repealed effective 1 June 2024.
Ready to start studying? See pricing ↑
Verify school approval at dsps.wi.gov. Programs typically run 12–18 months full-time.
Apply at dlroope.com or call 1-888-375-2020. Both written and practical required.
Results posted at dlroope.com. Disinfectant wipes only.
Biennial renewal. No routine continuing education.
🇪🇸 NICPrep's barber styling prep is also available in Spanish.
Wisconsin · Manicurist
300 hours in 7–20 weeks at a DSPS-approved school (or apprenticeship). NIC exam via D.L. Roope — a scaled score of 75.00 to pass. $10 application + $12 license fee. Renewal: March 31 of odd-numbered years. Routine CE is waived. Wisconsin licenses this as a manicurist (Wis. Stat. §454.01(14), with the title protected by §454.04(2)(d)); DSPS indexes the same credential under “Nail Tech”, which is the term most candidates search.
Wisconsin uses the NIC National Nail Technology Theory and Practical Examinations administered by D.L. Roope. NICPrep's nail technology question bank is built from the NIC Nail Technology CIB — it covers the NIC portion of the paper. Wisconsin's own items sit inside that same form, and the Wisconsin edition seats ten of them on every one of its ten practice tests. Passing: a scaled score of 75.00.
Ready to start studying? See pricing ↑
Verify school approval at dsps.wi.gov. Programs typically run 7–12 weeks full-time.
Apply at dlroope.com or call 1-888-375-2020. Pay exam fees. Written and practical required.
Results posted at dlroope.com within 2–5 business days.
Apply at dsps.wi.gov. Renewal March 31 odd years. Routine CE is waived.
🇻🇳 NICPrep's nail technology prep is also available in Vietnamese.
Wisconsin uses NIC exams via D.L. Roope. a scaled score of 75.00 on both written and practical. 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.