Connecticut's licensing structure is one of the most unusual in the country. Cosmetologists are licensed as "Hairdressers" — written exam only, no practical. Estheticians and nail technicians are licensed but not examined. Barbers sit a separate written examination. Both exams are NIC national theory forms delivered by Prometric. CE-free. Biennial renewal.
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Practice Test + Flashcards
$49 one-time · lifetime accessConnecticut hairdressers sit the NIC National Cosmetology Theory Examination via Prometric — the bank this is built to. Connecticut runs the older NIC outline (30/40/15/15), so expect a little more skin and nail weight than the current form. Practice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
Practice Test + Flashcards
$49 one-time · lifetime accessConnecticut barbers sit the NIC National Barber Styling Theory Examination via Prometric, written only — the bank this is built to. Practice tests and flashcards together. One purchase, one email, instant access to both.
No exam to prepare for — here is what we know
Connecticut licenses estheticians on 600 hours from an approved school, an infection-control attestation and a $100 application (CGS §20-265b). DPH lists no written or practical examination, so there is nothing to sit and nothing we sell for it.
No exam to prepare for — here is what we know
Connecticut licenses nail technicians on 100 hours from an approved school, an infection-control attestation and a $100 application (CGS §20-265d). DPH lists no examination, so there is nothing to sit and nothing we sell for it.
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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. Connecticut's hairdresser exam is the NIC National Cosmetology Theory Examination, so this is the bank for it. No email, no signup.
Connecticut · Hairdresser (Cosmetology)
Connecticut licenses cosmetologists as "Hairdressers." 1,500 hours at a Board-approved school. NIC National Cosmetology Theory exam via Prometric — 110 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes, written only, 70% to pass. Exam fee paid to Prometric at scheduling + $100 license application fee. Biennial renewal at $100, fee only. 9th grade education minimum.
Per the Prometric Connecticut Barber and Cosmetology Candidate Handbook (v. 7.2024), "the National Cosmetology Theory Examination is the licensure examination for Cosmetologists": 110 multiple-choice questions (100 scored, 10 pretest) in 90 minutes, written only, 70% to pass, offered in English and Spanish. Connecticut runs the older NIC outline — Scientific Concepts 30%, Hair Care and Services 40%, Skin Care and Services 15%, Nail Care and Services 15% — so expect a little more skin and nail weight than the current 35/45/10/10 form our tests mirror; the content is the same NIC bank.
Connecticut issues the licence under the title "Hairdresser." The hairdresser license covers hair, skin, and nail services within one credential. Connecticut examines by written theory exam only, via Prometric, and licensure runs through school training alone.
The Connecticut Examining Board for Barbers, Hairdressers, and Cosmeticians under the Connecticut Department of Public Health governs hairdresser and barber licensing. Apply through the CT Department of Public Health. Exam scheduling through Prometric at prometric.com.
Hair cutting, styling, coloring, chemical services; esthetic services (facials, makeup, waxing within cosmetology scope); nail services (manicures, pedicures). Connecticut's hairdresser license is broad — it includes services that other states would license separately under esthetics or nail tech categories.
Verify school approval through the CT Department of Public Health. Programs typically 9–14 months full-time.
Submit your application with school transcript and required documentation. Receive authorization to schedule exam with Prometric.
110 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, written only, 70% to pass. Pay the exam fee to Prometric when you schedule at prometric.com ($25 to reschedule). Immediate results.
Biennial renewal at $100, fee only. Renew through the CT DPH.
Connecticut offers reciprocity for cosmetologists licensed in other states who completed equivalent training (1,500+ hours) and passed a state board examination. Contact the CT DPH Examining Board for current reciprocity application requirements.
Connecticut · Esthetics
Connecticut licenses estheticians through the Department of Public Health, and has required that licence since 1 July 2020. It takes 600 hours from an approved school. What Connecticut leaves out is the exam: DPH lists training, an infection-control attestation and a $100 application as the requirements, while the hairdresser and barber licences are issued by examination through Prometric. A licensed hairdresser may also perform esthetic services within that licence's scope.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health licenses estheticians. A licence has been required to practise esthetics in Connecticut since 1 July 2020. Initial licensure requires a course of at least 600 hours of study with a certificate of completion from an approved school, an attestation of compliance with the department's infection prevention and control plan guidelines under CGS §19a-231, and a $100 application fee. Applications are accepted online only. DPH lists no written or practical examination among the requirements — unlike the hairdresser and barber licences, which are issued by examination through Prometric. For advanced or medically-based services, separate credentials (nursing, medical aesthetics) may be required depending on scope. Confirm current requirements with CT DPH before offering any service professionally.
If you want to work as an esthetician in Connecticut and perform a full range of services, your options are:
If you hold an esthetician license from another state, Connecticut does license estheticians, so apply to CT DPH directly rather than assuming your out-of-state licence transfers automatically. Licensure runs on the 600-hour certificate route; the affidavit route for two years' continuous Connecticut practice before 1 January 2021 closed to new applications on 1 January 2025. Contact the CT DPH Examining Board for guidance specific to your situation.
If you're pursuing a Connecticut Hairdresser license to practice esthetic services, NICPrep's esthetics content — skin anatomy, facial services, infection control, hair removal — is directly relevant to the NIC theory examination Connecticut uses, whose older outline gives Skin Care and Services 15%.
Connecticut · Barber
1,000 hours at a Board-approved barber school. NIC National Barber Styling Theory exam via Prometric — 110 questions, 90 minutes, written only, 70% to pass. Barbering apprenticeship pathway available. Cosmetology and barbering license separately. Biennial renewal. CE-free.
Per the Prometric Connecticut Barber and Cosmetology Candidate Handbook (v. 7.2024), "the National Barber Styling Theory Examination" is the licensure examination for barbers: 110 multiple-choice questions (100 scored, 10 pretest) in 90 minutes, 70% to pass, offered in English and Spanish, on the current national outline (Scientific Concepts 35%, Implements and Equipment 10%, Hair Care Services 40%, Facial Hair and Skin Care Services 15%). Written only — CGS §20-236 provides for "a written examination" and DPH lists no practical.
Verify school approval through CT DPH. Contact the Examining Board for apprenticeship details.
Submit application, transcript, and required documentation. Receive authorization to schedule Prometric exam.
110 questions in 90 minutes, written only. Pay the exam fee to Prometric when you schedule at prometric.com.
Biennial renewal at $100, fee only.
Connecticut · Nail Technology
Connecticut licenses nail technicians through the Department of Public Health, and has required that licence since 1 January 2021. It takes 100 hours from an approved school. What Connecticut leaves out is the exam: DPH lists training, an infection-control attestation and a $100 application as the requirements, and only hairdressers and barbers are examined.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health licenses nail technicians. A licence has been required to practise as a nail technician in Connecticut since 1 January 2021. Initial licensure requires a course of at least 100 hours of study with a certificate of completion from an approved school, or from an out-of-state school approved by that state's regulator, plus an infection-control attestation under CGS §19a-231 and a $100 application fee. The department may also grant a licence to an applicant already licensed as a nail technician in another US state, the District of Columbia, or a US territory. DPH lists no examination among the requirements.
Connecticut's hairdresser and barber exams are the NIC National Cosmetology Theory and National Barber Styling Theory Examinations, delivered by Prometric for CT DPH: 110 questions, 90 minutes, written only, 70% to pass. NICPrep's NIC Cosmetology and NIC Barber Styling banks are built to those forms.
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