Texas doesn't use the NIC national exam. Licensing is run by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which contracts with PSI to deliver its own written and practical exams — with Texas-specific laws-and-rules content and domain coverage you won't find in generic national prep. If you're studying from national NIC materials, you're preparing for a different test.
Our Texas practice tests are built to the TDLR/PSI content outline — original questions, weighted to what Texas actually tests. Texas Manicurist prep is available now in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, with Cosmetology, Esthetics, and Barber coming soon. See prep options →
10 questions from the TX Manicurist bank, built to the TDLR outline. Toggle to a flashcard preview.
Texas does not use the NIC national examination. The Texas cosmetology, manicurist, esthetician, and barber exams are developed for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and delivered by PSI. Content overlap with the NIC is significant — both cover infection control, anatomy, disorders, and services — but the item banks, domain coverage, and Texas laws-and-rules content are TDLR-specific.
Our Texas products are built specifically for the TDLR/PSI exam. They are separate from our NIC national exam prep. If you're testing in Texas, use the Texas prep. Texas also requires a hands-on practical exam for most licenses — see the exam structure below.
Every question is original, modeled on the publicly available TDLR/PSI content outline. Our Texas Manicurist prep is available now in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Cosmetology, Esthetics, and Barber are in production.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) issues and regulates every cosmetology, manicurist, esthetician, and barber license in the state. TDLR contracts with PSI to administer the written and practical examinations. Here's what that means for your study plan.
Most states use the NIC national written exam. Texas doesn't — it uses TDLR's own exams, which include a Texas laws-and-rules component that national prep can't cover. Domain coverage overlaps heavily with the NIC on the science and safety side, but the item bank is Texas-specific.
Unlike California, Texas still requires a hands-on practical exam alongside the written for manicurist, cosmetology, esthetician, and barber. You must pass the written before you can schedule the practical. Our prep targets the written portion; the practical is a separate, in-person skills demonstration.
The TDLR/PSI manicurist written exam covers nail anatomy and physiology, nail disorders and diseases (contraindications), manicure and pedicure procedures, nail enhancement techniques (acrylics, gels, wraps, tips), product chemistry and safety, infection control, client consultation, and Texas laws and rules. Our practice tests are organized into the same domains our question bank uses: Nail Structure & Analysis, Nail Care, Infection Control, and Licensing & Regulation.
Complete your training hours at a TDLR-licensed school, submit your TDLR license application and $50 fee, and TDLR will send your eligibility to PSI. You then schedule the written exam at test-takers.psiexams.com/tdlr. Processing times vary; allow 1–6 weeks from application to eligibility.
PSI offers the Texas written exams in five languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese. Our Texas Manicurist practice tests are currently available in three of those:
Full practice tests and flashcards for the Texas manicurist written exam.
Full practice tests and flashcards for the manicurist written exam, in Spanish.
Full practice tests and flashcards for the manicurist written exam, in Vietnamese. Vietnamese-speaking candidates are a large share of Texas's nail candidate pool, and the exam is offered in Vietnamese for a reason — your prep should be too.
Studying for the Texas exam in Korean or Simplified Chinese? Email hello@nicprep.com — we'd love to hear from you.
Most nail-tech prep on the market is written to the NIC national exam and sold with "Texas" in the title. Our Texas prep is different in specific, verifiable ways:
Our question bank is organized around what Texas actually tests — including the Texas laws-and-rules and licensing content that national NIC prep simply doesn't cover. If you're studying a generic nail-tech course, the Texas-specific portion is a blind spot.
Every question is written for the Texas exam specifically — not repurposed from our NIC national products, not pulled from textbook question banks. 462 questions across 7 full-length tests, each with a full rationale.
Every test passes heuristic-resistance checks (no length-cue shortcuts, no answer-pattern hacks), every rationale is reviewed, and every distractor is clinically grounded. The methodology that makes our national products different applies identically here.
English, Spanish, and Vietnamese — covering the largest language groups in Texas's nail candidate pool. Not "coming soon." Available now.
No. Texas uses its own state-specific written and practical examinations, developed for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and delivered by PSI. Content overlaps with the NIC — both cover infection control, anatomy, disorders, and services — but the item banks, domain coverage, and Texas laws-and-rules content are TDLR-specific. Our Texas products are built for the TDLR exam, not the NIC.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) issues and regulates cosmetology, manicurist, esthetician, and barber licenses in Texas. TDLR contracts with PSI to administer the written and practical examinations at licensed testing sites statewide and, for some exams, through remote proctoring.
Yes. Texas requires both a written examination and a practical (hands-on) examination for the manicurist license. Both are administered by PSI. You must pass the written exam before you can schedule the practical.
70% of scored items. The practical examination also requires 70% to pass. You only retake the component you failed, not both.
Manicurist: 600 hours. Esthetician: 750 hours. Cosmetology Operator: 1,000 hours. Class A Barber: 1,000 hours. All hours must be completed at a TDLR-licensed school.
PSI offers the Texas written exams in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese. Our Texas Manicurist practice tests are currently available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Approximately $181 total: $55 for the written exam and $76 for the practical exam (both paid to PSI), plus a $50 TDLR license application fee. All exam fees are non-refundable.
Yes. Retakes are unlimited within a 5-year eligibility window from TDLR application approval. Wait 24 hours after a failed attempt before rescheduling, and pay the applicable fee for the component you retake.
No. NICPrep is an independent study tool operated by PassAllPrep LLC. Our questions are original and modeled on the publicly available TDLR/PSI content outline. They are not actual exam questions and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sourced from TDLR, PSI, or the State of Texas.
Want the full licensing walkthrough? See our Texas guides: Manicurist → · Cosmetology → · Esthetics → · Barber →
Testing in a state that uses the NIC? See our NIC Nail Technology prep → or NIC Cosmetology prep →
Questions are original and modeled on the publicly available Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation / PSI content outline. They are not actual exam questions and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sourced from TDLR, PSI, or the State of Texas. Fees and requirements change — always confirm current information with TDLR before applying. This is a study tool; passing depends on many factors.
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