Skip to content 
Are you planning to shift to the “Wolverine State”? Or are you interested in starting a career as a cosmetologist in Michigan but need to study for the Michigan State Cosmetology Exam?
This article has you covered with everything you need to know about the Michigan State Cosmetology Exam from registration to how to get your results in this step-by-step guide article.
Go straight to the practice test
Three Steps: Registration, Exam, and License
The first process is registering on the official exam website. The approval of licensure will happen after you qualify for both the written and practical exams. Qualifying for both exams will ensure your Michigan cosmetology licensure.
Let us see the step-by-step guide of how to receive your Michigan Cosmetology license.
STEP 1: CHECK YOUR ELIGIBILITY
To register in the Michigan Cosmetology State Board Exam, you must tick off the eligibility criteria stated by the Cosmetology Board.
The eligibility criteria are:
- You must be 17 years of age or older.
- You must have a middle school equivalency certificate.
- You must have a good moral character.
If you are applying for the role of cosmetology instructor, you must have a minimum number of working experience hours.
You must also complete the minimum number of practical hours stated by the Michigan Cosmetology Board.
- Cosmetology: 1500 hours (2 years apprenticeship)
- Esthetician: 400 hours (6 months apprenticeship)
- Nail Technician: 400 hours (6 months apprenticeship)
- Barbering: 2000 hours
- Cosmetology Instructor: along with a cosmetology license 500 hours working hours
- Massage Therapist: 500 hours
STEP 2: APPLY FOR THE MICHIGAN STATE BOARD OF COSMETOLOGY EXAM
Once you confirm your eligibility, you may apply for the exam.
If this is your first-time user, you must register in the PSI (Professional Service Industry) Exam account here.
If you already have an account with PSI, you can visit this website to log in and complete the registration process. You must pay an amount of $15.00 for the registration process.
STEP 3: PAY YOUR EXAM FEES
Are you done registering yourself with the PSI? If yes you have successfully crossed the first phase. Now you have to pay your exam fees.
The examination fees of the Michigan Cosmetology Board Exam are:
- For cosmetology theory and practical exam: $167.00.
- For cosmetology practical exam only: $93.00.
- For cosmetology theory exam only: $93.00.
All examination fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. You have a duration of 1 year to take your cosmetology exam from the day PSI receives your fees.
STEP 4: SCHEDULE YOUR EXAM
When you submit your application to PSI, you can schedule your exam within one year from the time PSI received your examination fees.
If this is your first time, you must mail or fax all required documents to PSI. PSI takes an average of two weeks to process all applications.
You may schedule the exam once you have an approval notice from PSI. You may schedule your exam online at http://www.psiexams.com/ 24 hours. You can schedule your exam online at any time of the day. If you want to register offline, you may schedule via PSI’s registrar.
You may call:
- From Monday to Friday anywhere between 9:00 am to 10:00 pm EST.
- On Saturday and Sunday, anywhere between 9:00 am to 5:30 pm EST.
You may cancel your scheduled examination without forfeiting your fees two days prior to your scheduled date. You may call PSI at (855) 579-4635.
STEP 5: ON THE DAY OF THE EXAMINATION
You must reach the examination center 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time which will ensure a smooth sign-in, document verification, and identification process.
On the day of the exam, you need to carry one valid government.-issued identification document to the exam center. The identification document must have your signature and photograph. Your name in the exam registration should match the official document you carry.
You may carry any one of the following identification documents:
- State-issued identification card.
- US Military Identification Card.
- State-issued driver’s license.
- US government-issued Alien Registration Card.
- US government. issued Employment Authorization Card.
STEP 6: TAKE THE EXAM
The Michigan Cosmetology Written Exam is two hours long. The exam is a computer-based and closed book exam. Apart from the scored questions, you will get 5-10 non-scored questions in the exam.
The Michigan Cosmetology Practical Exam is three hours and ten minutes long. You will be given two minutes to prepare.
STEP 7: RESULT ANALYSIS
To qualify for the written examination, you must score a minimum of 70%. To qualify for the practical examination, you must get a minimum of 75%. You will get the written results via email within 7 working days.
You may also check the result online at http://www.psiexams.com/. If you do not have an account, you may create one and check your results.
STEP 8: RECEIVE YOUR MICHIGAN STATE BOARD COSMETOLOGY LICENSE
After passing the written and practical exams, you will receive your Michigan cosmetology license. You may download the article by logging in to your PSI account.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Michigan Cosmetology Exams
HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE MICHIGAN BOARD OF COSMETOLOGY EXAMINATIONS?
The first step to applying for the Michigan Board of Cosmetology Examination is to register with PSI. PSI is the exam administrative body for the Michigan Cosmetology Board.
You must create an account if you do not have a PSI account. You may create an account through this link: https://candidate.psiexams.com/account/create_account.jsp. If you are an existing user, you can log in through this link: https://candidate.psiexams.com/ssl_login.jsp.
I CAN’T MAKE THE DATE OR TIME OF MY EXAMINATION. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If you want to cancel your scheduled examination, you may cancel your examination two days prior without forfeiting your examination fees. If you miss your scheduled exam appointment, you are not allowed to appear for the exam on the same day.
You may reschedule your exam through the PSI official website. After successful registration, you may schedule your examination. You must send the complete registration form to this address:
PSI, 3210 E Tropicana, Las Vegas, NV, 89121
WHICH EXAMINATION PROGRAM DOES THE MICHIGAN BOARD OF BARBERING AND COSMETOLOGY USE?
The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs contracts PSI to conduct and administer all licensing exams.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TAKE THE MICHIGAN STATE BOARD OF COSMETOLOGY EXAMS?
The examination fees of the Michigan Cosmetology Board Exam are:
- For cosmetology theory and practical exam: $167.00.
- For cosmetology practical exam only: $93.00.
- For cosmetology theory exam only: $93.00.
WHERE DO THE EXAMINATIONS TAKE PLACE?
You must schedule your written and practical exam separately for the Michigan Cosmetology State Board Exam.
For the practical examination, you may schedule your examination in any one of the following centers:
- Southfield-Practical examination center, Crossroads Building.
- Grands Rapids Examination center, 4595 Broadmoor Ave SE, Suite 145.
- Marquette examination center, Rock Cliff Professional Building.
For the written examination, you may schedule your examination in any one of the following centers:
- Dearborn Examination center.
- Holt-Lansing Examination center.
- Southfield-Crossroads Examination center.
- Southfield-Lahser Road Examination center.
- Grand Rapids Examination center.
- Gaylord Examination center.
- Marquette Examination center.
HOW MANY HOURS OF PRACTICAL WORK DO I NEED TO QUALIFY FOR THE MICHIGAN STATE BOARD EXAMINATIONS?
To be eligible to register for the Michigan Cosmetology State Board Exam, you must have:
- Cosmetology: 1500 hours (2 years apprenticeship)
- Esthetician: 400 hours (6 months apprenticeship)
- Nail Technician: 400 hours (6 months apprenticeship)
- Barbering: 2000 hours
- Cosmetology instructor: along with a cosmetology license 500 hours working hours
- Massage therapist: 500 hours.
MAY I TAKE THE STATE BOARD EXAMINATIONS BEFORE I’VE COMPLETED THE REQUIRED HOURS?
No, you must complete the requisite number of practical hours to be eligible for the Michigan Cosmetology State Board Exam.
HOW LONG IS THE COSMETOLOGY WRITTEN EXAMINATION?
The Michigan written exam is two hours long. The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The written exam is a computerized exam and a closed book exam.
WHAT’S THE FORMAT OF THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION?
The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The written exam is a computerized and closed book exam.
The topics of the written examination are:
- Sanitation, Disinfection, and Safety.
- Shampooing and Conditioning Hair.
- Haircutting and Hairstyling.
- Chemical Texture Services.
- Hair coloring.
- Skin Care.
- Nail Care.
- Licensing.
MAY I TAKE A PRACTICE TEST EXAM?
Of course, you can! If you want to familiarize yourself with the cosmetology questions for your state board exam, you can try our complete exam cheat sheet that contains a complete guide, practice questions, and mock question sets.
HOW LONG IS THE COSMETOLOGY PRACTICAL EXAMINATION?
The Michigan practical exam duration is three hours and ten minutes long. You need to get a minimum of 75% to qualify for the practical exam.
WHAT’S THE FORMAT OF THE PRACTICAL EXAMINATION?
The practical exam contains 136 points. You will get ten minutes of time for your pre-exam setup and disinfection process.
Here are the topics of the practical exam:
- Manicure service
- Facial service
- Chemical services
- Clean-up and shampoo
- Haircutting service
- Blow drying and thermal curling service
- End of the examination disinfection procedure
WHAT SCORES DO I NEED TO PASS BOTH PORTIONS OF THE COSMETOLOGY EXAM?
To receive your Michigan cosmetology license, you must get a minimum of 70% in your written exam and 75% for the practical exam to receive your license.
HOW MANY TIMES MAY I RETAKE THE STATE BOARD COSMETOLOGY EXAMINATIONS IF I FAIL?
You can retake the cosmetology exam as many times as you want in the duration of one year from the date on which your exam fees were submitted. But every time you are retaking the exam, you have to submit an examination fee.
HOW DO I TRANSFER MY COSMETOLOGY LICENCE TO MICHIGAN?
If you are planning to move to Michigan to start or continue your cosmetology career, you must transfer your cosmetology license. The Michigan Cosmetology Board gives licensure reciprocity to states whose requirements meet or are the same as the Michigan Cosmetology Board.
If you do not meet the Michigan Cosmetology Board requirements, you must complete extra hours of work to meet the requirements. Once you are eligible for the licensure reciprocity, you may fill the licensure reciprocity form. You must pay a fee of $39.00 for the license transfer form.
Michigan Cosmetology State Board Exam Practice Test
"*" indicates required fields
