Texas Barber Practical Exam Kit List & Checklist
Every item, the exact must-label vs. do-not-label rules, and all 11 timed stations for the Texas Class A Barber practical exam, administered by PSI on behalf of TDLR — sourced directly from the official PSI Candidate Information Bulletin effective January 1, 2026, which added a manicure and a thermal-curling section.
3h 29m
Total Exam Length
70%
Passing Score (115/163 pts)
11
Timed Sections
163
Total Points
Interactive kit checklist
Tick items as you pack — your progress is saved on this device. Print or save it as a PDF to check your bag the night before.
Products & containers you must bring
Label each in English (manufacturer labels are acceptable; numbering of any kind is not allowed).
Tools & implements you must bring
Do NOT label these — labeling a do-not-label item can lose points.
Already provided at the exam site — don't bring these
- Work area and chair
- Covered trash cans
- Mounted wall clock
- Brooms and dust pans
Station-by-station step order
Every task must be performed in this exact order — the time allotted for each section includes setup and cleanup, and you cannot leave the exam area once you've signed in.
1. Pre-Examination Set Up & Disinfection
- • Disinfect work surfaces and properly dispose of waste
- • Kit remains sanitary; avoid cross-contamination
- • Kit stays closed except when retrieving an item
2. Manicure (on mannequin hand)New in 2026
- • Complete a manicure on five nails
- • Set up table, sanitize hands, shape nails, soften & push back cuticles, apply cuticle remover, clean under the free edge, finish nails
- • Nail liquid must be odorless — examiners check it before the exam
3. Professional Shave Service
- • Prep the client and face, lather, remove, and re-lather
- • Demonstrate freehand, backhand, and reverse freehand strokes, then remove all lather
- • Procedure steps score 3 points each
4. Blood Exposure Incident
- • Wear gloves, apply pressure to the simulated cut, cleanse and bandage it
- • Properly dispose of used materials and sanitize hands
5. Facial
- • Apply cleansing cream, demonstrate at least one massage manipulation, remove cream
- • Apply astringent, freshener, or toner
6. Haircut (on mannequin)
- • Remove one inch of hair throughout using shears and clippers
- • Scalp analysis, freehand clipper in the nape, clipper-over-comb, finger-and-shear on top, arching, shear-over-comb blend, balanced result, full clean-up
- • Procedure steps score 3 points each
7. Blow Drying & Thermal CurlingNew in 2026
- • Blow dry wet hair in one quadrant
- • Test the iron for proper temperature, curl one sub-section, and protect the scalp while forming the curl
8. Chemical Application Preparation
- • Prepare the mannequin, section hair into two quadrants, apply protective cream
9. Permanent Wave
- • Wrap a minimum of 4 rods with proper band position and tension
- • Demonstrate saturation on all rods and a test curl
10. Single Process Color Retouch
- • Assume one inch of regrowth
- • Perform a strand test and a patch test, apply color, and keep all product off facial skin and ears
11. End of Examination Disinfection
- • Dispose of used materials, disinfect and clean the work area, remove all supplies and personal belongings
Rules that cost candidates real points
- •All tasks must be performed in the order listed — steps out of order, or not completed within the allotted time, are not scored.
- •Every service is performed on a mannequin — bring TWO mannequins, since one is used for the haircut. No live models.
- •Follow the bulletin's two labeling lists exactly: label the required products in English, but do NOT label tools/implements. Numbering any item is never allowed; an identifying bag for a service is fine.
- •Cheat sheets and written notes — including written task lines on containers or bags with a written supply list — are prohibited and cost points across all Procedure Criteria.
- •Aerosol products are not permitted. Nail liquid must be odorless or you can't use it (examiners check).
- •No markings or coloring around the mannequin's hair, scalp, or hairline.
- •Raise your hand at the end of each section to signal completion.
- •Wear closed-toe shoes. Cell phones are not allowed in the practical room. Once you sign in you cannot leave the area, and anything left behind is discarded.
Where to get your kit
You can assemble this kit yourself from what you already used in school, or buy a pre-packed Texas barber state-board kit from a beauty-supply vendor. If you buy one, verify it against the list above first — the exam changed on January 1, 2026 (manicure and thermal-curling sections were added), and not every vendor kit has been updated to match the current bulletin.
Common Questions
How long is the Texas barber practical exam, and what score do I need to pass?
As of the January 1, 2026 Candidate Information Bulletin, the practical exam runs 3 hours and 29 minutes across 11 timed sections, worth 163 total points. You need 70% — 115 of 163 points — to pass.
Does the Texas barber practical exam really include a manicure now?
Yes. The exam updated effective January 1, 2026 added a 22-minute Manicure section performed on a mannequin hand (fingers prepped with tips to represent the natural nail), plus a Blow Drying & Thermal Curling section using an electric curling iron. If your study materials don't mention these, they're based on the older exam.
Which kit items have to be labeled, and which must NOT be labeled?
The bulletin gives two explicit lists. Products like your disinfectant, hand sanitizer, astringent, cleansing/massage/protective products, shaving cream, simulated chemical and perm products, water spray bottle, blood-exposure kit, and trash bags MUST be labeled in English. Tools like your blow dryer, curling iron, clippers, shears, razor, combs, clips, perm rods, and mannequins must NOT be labeled — and numbering any item is never allowed. Labeling the wrong items loses points.
What happens if I'm missing a required kit item on exam day?
You are responsible for bringing everything, and you can't leave the exam area once you've signed in. Missing or non-approved items (e.g. a non-approved disinfectant, or an aerosol product, which are prohibited) mean you lose the points for any step requiring that item. Check every item against your bag the night before, not the morning of.
Where can I find the official, most current kit list?
Your own Candidate Information Bulletin at psiexams.com is the authoritative source. This page is built from the PSI Class A Barber bulletin effective January 1, 2026, but requirements are updated periodically — confirm against your current bulletin before your exam date.