1.2 Exam Format, Fees & Scheduling

1.2 Exam Format, Fees & Scheduling

Quick Answer: Georgia Barber II candidates must pass a PSI written exam (100 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes, plus a 15-minute tutorial, 70% to pass) and a separate practical exam (also 70%). Fees are $58 written and $89 practical. Schedule through PSI only after you receive a Board Letter of Eligibility. Training completed on or after July 1, 2018 generally carries a 48-month window to pass both parts.

This section is pure logistics: how the exams are structured, what they cost, how you book them, and what happens if you pass one part but not the other. Memorize the numbers—they appear constantly on practice tests and in Board FAQ materials.

Written Exam Format

The written (theory) exam is a closed-book, computer-based test delivered by PSI for the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers.

Use the tutorial window to learn the testing interface—how to flag questions, navigate, and submit—without burning exam minutes. Once the 90-minute clock starts, you are working the scored items.

Content emphasis aligns with national barber theory domains used for Georgia Barber II (no chemical services), plus Georgia law. Expect heavy weight on scientific concepts / infection control, haircutting and hair design, shaving and facial hair, implements and consultation, and Georgia law & Board rules. Exact NIC domain percentages are useful study weights, but your pass/fail decision is simply 70% overall on the Georgia written form.

Practical Exam Format

The practical is a separate hands-on assessment. Critical rules:

• You must score at least 70% on the practical.
• Passing the written does not pass the practical, and vice versa.
• You pay a separate $89 practical fee to PSI.
• You cannot finish licensing until both parts are passed.

Treat the practical as its own project: kit requirements, timed service demonstrations, sanitation sequence, and examiner criteria. Candidates who crush theory but under-prepare draping, disinfection, or shave/cut sequences often stall on this second gate.

Fees at a Glance

Budget for both exams before you schedule:

• Written exam: $58 (PSI)
• Practical exam: $89 (PSI)
• Combined PSI exam fees: $147 if you take both parts once each

Retakes, if needed, generally mean paying the fee again for the failed part. Confirm current amounts in your PSI scheduling account before you pay—Board/PSI published figures for this guide are $58 / $89, matching Georgia Barber II exam-meta logistics.

Scheduling Through PSI

You do not walk into a PSI center and demand a Barber II seat cold. The sequence is:

1. Complete Board-approved school or registered apprenticeship hours.
2. Receive a Board Letter of Eligibility (approval to test).
3. Create / log into your PSI candidate account and schedule the written and/or practical.
4. Appear at the assigned PSI site with required identification and any practical kit items the bulletin lists.

PSI contact channels candidates should keep handy:

• Phone: (855) 744-0314
• Web: psiexams.com / candidate.psiexams.com

Official Board pages also link PSI scheduling for Georgia barbers. If eligibility status, name mismatches, or expired authorizations block scheduling, resolve those with the Board/PSI process before paying repeatedly.

What to Bring and ID Rules

PSI security is strict. Plan for:

• Government-issued photo ID that matches the name on your eligibility/scheduling record
• Arrival early enough for check-in (follow your confirmation email; many centers expect you well before the start time)
• No unauthorized notes, phones, or study aids in the secure testing area
• For the practical: only the implements and supplies allowed by the current candidate bulletin—do not invent a kit from social-media lists

If your legal name changed after school enrollment, fix documentation before test day. Name mismatches are a common preventable failure mode at check-in.

Separate Scoring and Partial Progress

Georgia scores the written and practical separately. That creates a few important scenarios:

Do not assume a high written score "helps" the practical mathematically—it does not. Each part is its own 70% threshold.

The 48-Month Window

For candidates who completed training on or after July 1, 2018, Georgia generally allows up to 48 months to pass both the written and practical exams. That clock is about finishing the licensing exams after training—not an unlimited "study forever" plan.

Practical implications:

• Schedule early enough that a retake still fits inside 48 months.
• If life events delay testing, track your eligibility end date from Board/PSI records—not from memory.
• Letting eligibility expire can force you back through Board processes before you can test again.

Older training-completion cohorts may have been under different historical rules; this guide follows the on/after July 1, 2018 → 48 months rule stated in Georgia Barber II exam materials.

Exam-Day Mindset for the Written

On the 100-question written:

• Aim for a steady pace (roughly under a minute per question with review time left).
• Flag hard Georgia-law items and return after answering high-confidence sanitation and cutting questions.
• Read every absolute word—always, never, only, except—especially on scope and disinfection items.
• Remember Barber II excludes chemical services when a stem asks what you may legally perform.

Passing logistics are not glamorous, but they are half the licensing battle. Know the 100 / 90 / 70 / $58 / $89 / separate scores / Letter of Eligibility / 48-month package cold before you move into content chapters.