1.1 Current Illinois Esthetician Exam Facts
Key Takeaways
Illinois Licensed Esthetician is profession 131, licensed by IDFPR through the BCENT Board under the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Act of 1985 (225 ILCS 410).
Since October 1, 2026, the licensing exam is the CTS/PSI Esthetician Theory Exam: 85 questions (75 scored, 10 unscored pretest) in 90 minutes, across six areas led by Safety and Infection Control at 40%.
Illinois's passing score is 75 under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.710, and Illinois currently requires no practical examination.
Apply through Continental Testing Services and test by computer at PSI; the CTS computerized exam fee is $175 in all five languages, with no refunds.
You get an unofficial score report at the test center and an official CTS score report one to two weeks later; IDFPR has not published an official pass rate, and local practice-bank size is not the real exam size.
1.1 Current Illinois Esthetician Exam Facts
Quick Answer: Illinois Licensed Esthetician is profession 131. Since October 1, 2026, you take the CTS/PSI Esthetician Theory Exam: 85 questions, of which 75 are scored and 10 are unscored pretest items, in 90 minutes. The six outline areas are Safety and Infection Control 40%, Client Consultation and Skin Analysis 19%, Skin Care 17%, Hair Removal 15%, Eyelash and Eyebrow 6%, and Makeup 3%. You need a score of 75 or higher (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.710). Illinois has no practical exam. Apply through Continental Testing Services (CTS) and sit a computer-based test at PSI. The CTS computerized exam fee is $175, with no refunds.
Illinois does not license estheticians on a school final. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) licenses the profession, the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology (BCENT) Board advises the Division, and the statutory home is the Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Act of 1985, 225 ILCS 410. The test you sit is a theory exam administered by CTS and delivered on computer at PSI. If a study site still says "Illinois State Board of Cosmetology written and practical," it is describing a different state's model, not the current Illinois path.
Who licenses you, and who runs the test
Keep the names straight, because application portals, fee pages, and score letters come from different organizations:
| Role | Organization | What it does for profession 131 |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing authority | IDFPR, Division of Professional Regulation | Issues, renews, and disciplines the Illinois Licensed Esthetician credential |
| Board | BCENT Board | Barber, Cosmetology, Esthetics, Hair Braiding, and Nail Technology Board under 225 ILCS 410 |
| Exam contractor | Continental Testing Services (CTS) | Accepts the profession 131 application, collects the exam fee, publishes the candidate study guide, and issues the official score report |
| Test-center vendor | PSI | Sends the scheduling email, hosts the computer-based appointment, and prints the unofficial on-site report |
Profession 131 is the CTS/IDFPR number for Licensed Esthetician. Esthetics teacher is a different profession and a different exam. Do not apply under the teacher code, and do not study the teacher outline thinking it will license you as an esthetician.
What changed on October 1, 2026
Until September 30, 2026, Illinois esthetician candidates took the NIC National Esthetics Theory Examination, a national exam organized into two domains, Scientific Concepts and Skin Care and Services. The CTS/PSI candidate study guide effective October 1, 2026 sets a new Esthetician Theory Exam with its own outline, item counts, and five test languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese. You choose the language on your application. Older prep pages, and older school handouts, still describe the NIC format. When they disagree with the 2026 outline, follow the 2026 outline.
What the 2026 theory exam looks like
The exam has 85 multiple-choice questions. 75 are scored; the other 10 are unscored pretest ("experimental") questions that PSI uses to build future forms. You cannot tell which items are pretest, so answer every question as if it counts. Time allowed is 90 minutes, about 63 seconds per question. A computer tutorial runs before the exam and does not count against your time, but the exam timer keeps running during any personal break.
That 85/75 split is the official exam size. OpenExamPrep practice banks, school finals, and third-party "100-question Illinois tests" are study tools, not the CTS/PSI form.
The six outline areas
The 2026 outline lists each area with its weight and number of scored items:
| Area | Weight | Scored items | What the outline lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety and Infection Control | 40% | 30 | Infectious diseases, pathogens, and exposure prevention; cleaning and disinfecting tools, machines, and the workstation; levels of decontamination (cleaning, disinfection, sterilization); exposure incidents (Standard/Universal Precautions, OSHA, CDC); disinfecting products; labeling and storage; single- and multi-use items; safe working conditions and water temperature; equipment maintenance; chemical labeling and storage; Safety Data Sheets and prohibited substances; OSHA, EPA, and FDA rules; adverse chemical reactions; protective barriers and draping; ventilation; electrical safety |
| Client Consultation and Skin Analysis | 19% | 14 | Intake and consent forms to find contraindications; declining or altering a service; recommending a medical opinion; skin structure and skin analysis; choosing services by skin condition; patch tests; skin diseases and disorders; adverse reactions during and after service |
| Skin Care | 17% | 13 | Safe facial massage; preparing the client; skin care products; safe facial services; chemical and mechanical exfoliation; skin care tools, machines, and devices; hot towels; product use for all skin conditions |
| Hair Removal | 15% | 11 | Waxing and sugaring; tweezing and threading; tools, supplies, and products; infection control such as preventing cross-contamination and wearing gloves; contraindications |
| Eyelash and Eyebrow | 6% | 5 | Applying and removing eyelash enhancements; chemical lash services; brow and lash tinting; artificial lash adhesive and remover safety |
| Makeup | 3% | 2 | Safe and hygienic makeup application and removal, such as bracing, disposable applicators, and an artist palette |
Safety and Infection Control alone is 30 of the 75 scored items. Add Client Consultation and Skin Analysis and you have 44 scored items, close to 60% of the exam, built on sanitation, contraindications, and skin analysis rather than on service technique.
Illinois still cares about product chemistry, sanitary rules, sanitary procedures, chemical service procedures, skin anatomy as it relates to services under the Act, the Act itself, and labor and compensation laws. Those topics are listed in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.710(a). The 2026 outline has no separately weighted law area, but OSHA, EPA, FDA, and Safety Data Sheets sit inside Safety and Infection Control, and the Act and Part 1175 decide what you may do once licensed. That is why this guide still spends full chapters on Part 1175 sanitary standards, OSHA chemical-use rules, and the Workers' Compensation Act.
Illinois passing grade of 75, not a homemade percentage
1175.710(b) states: "The passing grade on each examination is 75 or another state's passing grade." The CTS/PSI candidate guide likewise treats 75 or higher as a passing score. Do not convert 75 into "75 of 85 questions" or "75 percent of the 75 scored items." Ten items do not count, and CTS does not publish a raw-score conversion. Study to the reported score of 75, and ignore third-party pages that still print a generic "70–75%."
IDFPR has not published an official pass rate for profession 131. Any 65–75% figure you see on a marketing page is not an official statistic. Do not memorize a pass-rate number for this exam; it is not a tested fact.
Fees
CTS lists the profession 131 computerized exam fee as $175.00 for each language version, with no refunds of testing fees (continentaltesting.net, Profession/Index/28). That is the fee you pay when you apply.
| Figure | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| $175 | CTS computerized profession 131 exam fee, all five languages | CTS Profession 131 page |
| $30 | IDFPR license application after you pass (not the exam fee) | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.100 |
Older blogs still quote $161 or $170 for the exam. Pay what CTS displays at application.
Illinois has no practical exam
Many states still require a practical, a written practical, or both. Illinois does not. Your Illinois license turns on the theory examination plus IDFPR's education and application rules. You will not be asked to demonstrate a facial, wax, or makeup application in a PSI suite. That does not mean procedure knowledge is untested. Skin Care (17%) and Hair Removal (15%) test sequence, contraindications, wax safety, and exfoliation depth as multiple-choice knowledge even though no examiner is watching your hands.
1175.710 still says examinations "shall cover both theoretical and practical knowledge" and then lists chemistry, sanitation, chemical services, skin anatomy, the Act, and labor law. Read that as content coverage, not as a promise of a live practical. The delivery mode in Illinois is a computer-based theory exam only.
How scores come back
Your score appears on screen at the end of the exam, and PSI gives you an unofficial score report before you leave. That printout is not a license and is not the document IDFPR will accept. The CTS/PSI guide effective October 1, 2026 says CTS sends official score reports one to two weeks after the test date; the older profession 131 instructions still say official results are usually released within about four weeks. Candidates who pass receive licensure instructions with the CTS report. Candidates who fail receive a diagnostic report showing the content areas to improve. Section 1.3 walks the letter-to-license sequence.
What this means for how you study
Build your plan around the 2026 CTS/PSI outline, not around a 100-item local bank, the old NIC two-domain split, or a practical kit list from another state. Spend the largest share of time on Safety and Infection Control (30 scored items), then Client Consultation and Skin Analysis (14), Skin Care (13), and Hair Removal (11). Do not skip Eyelash and Eyebrow or Makeup, but keep them in proportion: together they are 7 scored items. Several later chapters go deeper into anatomy, chemistry, body treatments, and advanced services than the six-area outline names; use them as background and for Illinois scope, and give your first study hours to the outline areas. Confirm the live fee and outline on CTS immediately before you apply.
What is the Illinois passing grade on the esthetician examination under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1175.710?
A reported score of 75
70 percent of 85 questions
75 of the 85 questions, guaranteed
80, matching the internship grade average
On the CTS/PSI Esthetician Theory Exam effective October 1, 2026, which content area carries the most scored items?
Skin Care at 17%
Safety and Infection Control at 40%
Illinois law and sanitation at 25%
A live practical examination at 50%
What is the Continental Testing Services computerized exam fee for Illinois Licensed Esthetician (profession 131)?
$175 in every language, with no refunds
$161, refunded if you cancel
$30, paid to CTS with the transcript
$112, the same fee as the barber exam
How many questions are on the Illinois esthetician theory exam effective October 1, 2026, and how many count toward the score?
110 questions, 100 scored and 10 unscored pretest
100 questions, all of them scored toward the result
85 questions, 75 scored and 10 unscored pretest
65 questions, 60 scored and 5 unscored pretest
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.