6.5 The Practical Examination: Kit, Sections & Scoring

Two Exams, Not One

16 TAC §83.21(e) states that all barbering and cosmetology examinations consist of a written and a practical part, and that a passing grade on each part is needed to satisfy the examination requirement. §83.21(c) and PSI's bulletin both add the ordering rule: you must pass the written examination before you can sit for the practical.

This matters because a great deal of prep material treats the Texas eyelash exam as a written test only. It is not. 16 TAC §83.200(a)(5) makes passing "a written and practical examination required under §83.21" an eligibility condition for the licence itself.

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The Practical at a Glance

• Total length: 57 minutes.
• Total points: 36.
• Passing score: 70%, which is 26 points out of 36.
• All procedures are performed on mannequins. Live models are not used for the eyelash practical, and trainer hands for nail procedures are not permitted.
• Scoring is evaluated on safety, sanitation, and procedures.
• All tasks must be performed in the order listed in the bulletin unless otherwise stated, or you do not receive the points.
• The time allotted for each service includes setup and cleanup.
• Raise your hand at the end of each section to indicate completion; you must step back and signal.

The four graded sections

Notice the arithmetic: safety criteria alone are worth 20 of the 36 points. Sanitation is not a background expectation on this exam — it is the majority of the score.

Section by Section

1. Pre-Examination Set Up and Disinfection — 10 minutes, 4 points

You are told you have ten minutes to unpack your general supplies and prepare your work area, with a warning at five minutes remaining. All four points are safety criteria, one point each:

1. Disinfect work surfaces
2. Properly dispose of waste material
3. Kit remains sanitary
4. Avoid cross contamination

"Kit remains sanitary" and "avoid cross contamination" recur in three of the four sections — nine of your 36 points ride on keeping the kit closed, keeping clean and soiled items separated, and never letting a contaminated hand or tool touch a clean surface.

2. Eyelash Extension Application — 25 minutes, 18 points

Announced as "Please demonstrate applying extensions," with a warning at 13 minutes remaining.

Procedure criteria (1 point each), in this exact order:

1. Sanitize/clean hands
2. Prepare the mannequin for service
3. Protect lower lashes
4. Prepare for extension application
5. Apply extension #1
6. Apply extension #2
7. Apply extension #3
8. Apply extension #4
9. Apply extension #5
10. Apply extension #6
11. Demonstrate separation

Safety criteria (1 point each):

1. Properly dispose of waste material
2. Ensure workstation/area remains sanitary
3. Ensure draping is maintained throughout service
4. Replace contaminated items
5. Ensure containers remain closed when not in use
6. Kit remains sanitary
7. Avoid cross contamination

What this section is really testing. You place six extensions in 25 minutes — a pace no working artist would ever need. The exam is not measuring speed or artistry; it is measuring whether you protect the lower lashes, keep the drape in place, keep your adhesive and product containers closed between uses, and demonstrate isolation and separation cleanly. "Ensure containers remain closed when not in use" is the point candidates most often drop, because leaving the adhesive uncapped between lashes is a habit.

3. Blood Exposure Incident — 12 minutes, 11 points

Announced as "Please perform procedures for a Blood Exposure Incident," with a warning at 6 minutes remaining.

Procedure criteria (1 point each), in order:

1. Wear gloves
2. Clean simulated cut
3. Bandage simulated cut
4. Properly dispose of used materials
5. Sanitize/clean hands

Safety criteria (1 point each):

1. Properly dispose of waste material
2. Ensure workstation/area remains sanitary
3. Replace contaminated items
4. Ensure containers remain closed when not in use
5. Kit remains sanitary
6. Avoid cross contamination

Gloves go on first, before you touch the simulated cut or open the first-aid kit. This section is the practical embodiment of 16 TAC §83.111, and it is worth 11 of your 36 points — nearly a third of the exam for a procedure most candidates practise least.

4. End of Examination Disinfection — 10 minutes, 3 points

All three points are safety criteria:

1. Dispose of used materials
2. Disinfect work area and clean work area
3. Remove all supplies, materials, and/or personal belongings

Items left behind are discarded — so is any point you were still owed. Check the station before you finish.

Your Kit: What to Label and What Not to Label

Labelling is scored, and the bulletin splits the kit into two lists that work in opposite directions. Numbering of any kind is not allowed on either list; manufacturer labels are acceptable.

Items that MUST be labelled

Items that must NOT be labelled

Adhesive holder; drape(s); gloves; individual eyelashes; glasses/specs (optional); head draping; mannequin head prepped with an eyelash strip to represent natural lashes; mannequin stand or tripod; paper towels; small scissors; tweezers; under-eye pads.

Labelling something on the second list "may result in a loss of points."

Provided by the test centre

Brooms and dust pans; covered trash cans; a mounted wall clock; the work area and chair.

The kit is your responsibility. The bulletin is explicit: "It is important to have all needed supplies and equipment when you arrive… You will NOT be permitted to leave the examination area once you arrive and are signed in." There is no going out to the car.

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Conduct Rules That Cost Points Before You Start

• Closed-toe shoes are required. This appears both in the bulletin and in 16 TAC §83.21(g). Arriving in the wrong footwear counts as not being dressed appropriately, which forfeits your examination fee outright.
• All supplies must be clean, sanitary, and unstained, and products must be labelled in English (manufacturer labels are acceptable).
• Cheat sheets and written notes are prohibited — including written task lines on containers, numbered items, and bags carrying a written supply list or instructions. Using them results in loss of points for all Procedure Criteria throughout the examination. An identifying bag for a service is allowed.
• No markings or colourings around the mannequin's hair, scalp, hairline, hands, or fingers. A marked mannequin scores zero for the sections requiring it.
• Aerosol products are not permitted.
• Cell phones are not allowed in the practical examination room.
• No conversing or communicating with other candidates once you enter the examination area, and you may not observe other candidates' work.
• You must follow patron-protection rules throughout to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
• Raise your hand at the end of each section, and step back, to indicate completion.
• You may use the restroom during the examination, but the clock keeps running and missed instructions are not repeated. Only one candidate may leave at a time.

Evaluator rules that protect you

An evaluator may not grade a candidate who is their current student, current employee, employer, or co-worker, or who is related to them by family, personal, or financial interest. If your assigned evaluator falls into any of those categories, you must notify the evaluator immediately — if a conflicted evaluation is discovered later, the candidate's results may be voided. Evaluators are not permitted to converse with candidates or discuss results.

Afterwards

Score reports are accessed through your PSI test-taker account. If a report is not available within 24 hours, PSI's cosmetology examination address is the contact point. Remember: there is no review of the practical examination. Points are final.