1.1 The 2026 Tennessee Master Barber Exams: PSI Theory Blueprint, Practical Test, and Fees

Why the exam format matters

Tennessee's barber license is the master barber certificate of registration issued by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. The Board contracts with PSI Services LLC to run the National Barber and Cosmetology Program tests in Tennessee. You earn the license by passing two separate PSI tests: a computer-based theory test and a hands-on practical test. Knowing how each one is built tells you where your study hours pay off.

This guide follows PSI's Tennessee Master Barber Test Taker Guide, version Barber v1.1, effective August 28, 2026. PSI updated its national barber and cosmetology content for Tennessee in August 2026. If you studied from an older bulletin that described a 100-question test, a separate 25-question law test, or two-hour timing, replace that information with the numbers below.

The theory test at a glance

A tutorial of up to 15 minutes runs before the clock starts, and it does not count against your time. You can change any answer while the test is still open. After you end the test or time runs out, you can no longer change anything. Because the 15 experimental items look like real questions, answer every question as if it counts.

The only way to challenge a theory question is the Comments link on the question screen. PSI reviews comments but does not answer individuals. There is no review process for the practical test.

The official theory blueprint

PSI publishes a weight for each of 11 domains. The item counts below are our estimates from those weights; PSI publishes the percentages, not per-domain item counts.

Three points stand out:

• Tennessee law is inside the theory test. Domains IX, X, and XI total 23 percent, or about 25 questions. They cover licensure requirements, renewal and reinstatement, discipline, license display, mobile shops and residential services, shop changes, owner and manager duties, required postings, and the Board's sanitary rules.
• Safety and shaving carry 41 percent together. Infection control, chemical safety, electrical safety, and the four razor strokes are worth more than all the chemical, color, cutting, styling, and skin care domains combined.
• Small domains still count. Hairstyling and skin care are 4 percent each. That is about four questions each, and every one still counts toward the 77 correct answers you need (70 percent of 110).

PSI lists its question sources as Milady Standard Barbering (7th edition, 2025), Pivot Point Fundamentals: Barbering (2022), Board rule chapters 0200-01 and 0200-03, and Tennessee Code Annotated Title 62, Chapter 3.

The practical test

The practical test runs about 195 minutes, costs $67, and also requires 70 percent. A proctor reads instructions and keeps time, and a certified evaluator scores you. Every task is scored for workplace infection control precautions and workplace safety precautions as well as for the technical result.

What the Test Taker Guide requires you to bring and do:

• A closable supply kit, suggested no larger than 24 by 24 by 24 inches. It counts as your clean, disinfected storage, so do not contaminate it.
• Two disposal containers, one marked "single use" and one marked "multi use".
• Chemicals that must appear on a Safety Data Sheet in a real shop go in their original, manufacturer-labeled containers. Other products may be mock-ups with a label.
• No aerosols in the testing area.
• A disinfectant whose label lists bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal activity.
• Your name and school name covered on your person and supplies.

Evaluators do not coach. If you ask a question, you will hear "Do the best with what you have" or "Demonstrate as you learned." Watching another test taker is treated as cheating.

Scheduling, timing, and fees

1. Eligibility. When you finish your course, your school sends your eligibility to PSI electronically. Then you pay and schedule online or by phone at (855) 340-3710.
2. Order. You must pass the theory test before you can schedule the practical test.
3. Three-year window. You have 3 years to pass both tests. Board Rule 0200-01-.04 lets you retake a failed portion for up to 3 years; after that you reapply and retake the full exam.
4. Six months to apply. After passing both tests, you have 6 months to apply for your license. Rule 0200-01-.10 requires the $60 original license fee within 6 months of being notified that you qualify, or you must reapply and retest. The Board may extend this for good cause.
5. Fees. Theory $67, practical $67, and $35 per portion for reinstatement tests. PSI fees are not refundable or transferable and stay valid for one year from payment.
6. Canceling. Cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours ahead by web or by speaking with a live agent. A voicemail does not cancel.
7. Test day. Arrive 30 minutes early. Late arrival means no admission and a lost fee. Bring one valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID with your signature, with the name exactly as registered. Military ID is not accepted for online testing.

Turning the blueprint into a study plan

Split your theory study time roughly by weight. For 60 hours of theory review, that is about 14 hours on safety and infection control, 10 on shaving, 8 on licensure, 7 on consultation and hair and skin analysis, 4 on sanitary rules, and 2 to 4 hours on each smaller domain. Practice the eight practical topic areas on a timer, because unfinished tasks earn no score.