What is the cheapest way to prepare for the California Manicurist / Nail Technician (State Board) exam?

Start with what costs nothing: 100 practice questions on PrepPass, with explanations and no signup. If you want it taught in one file you keep, the full study guide is $14.99 once; the printable cram sheet for the last days is $6.99. No subscription on any of them.

Who administers the California Manicurist Examination?

California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — exam delivered by PSI Services LLC. PSI's bulletin states that the Board has contracted with PSI Services LLC to conduct its examination programme.

How many questions are on the California Manicurist Examination?

65 questions (60 scored, 5 unscored pretest). The Board's page gives the Manicurist theory exam as 60 scored questions plus 5 pretest questions.

What is the passing score for the California Manicurist Examination?

Not published by California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. 16 CCR § 932(b) says only that the Board sets the passing score by a criterion-referenced method, and PSI's bulletin gives the method with no number; neither publishes a percentage.

How much does the California Manicurist Examination cost?

$75 — Application and examination fee (Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, one-time); $35 — Initial license fee (Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, one-time); $50 — License renewal (Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, every two years). 16 CCR § 998 lists these fees; the Board's combined application collects the application/examination fee and the initial license fee together.

What languages is the California Manicurist Examination offered in?

English · Korean · Spanish · Vietnamese · Simplified Chinese. The Board says the exam is available in these five languages, each translated into the most universal or neutral version of the language.

Does the California Manicurist / Nail Technician (State Board) cram sheet come as a PDF?

Yes — California Manicurist / Nail Technician — Cram Sheet (2026) downloads as PDF, 29 pages. The download link is emailed the moment payment clears and does not expire.

California Manicurist / Nail Technician (State Board) · 2026 Edition

California Manicurist / Nail Technician — Cram Sheet (2026)

Every figure the California Manicurist / Nail Technician exam turns on, pooled by value on reference sheets with a recall twin — and four routes through them: 14 days, 7, 3, or tonight.

29-page printable cram packet: the figures without the teaching, each reference page paired with a recall page you fill in from memory
Cross-referenced against standard nail-technology references / EPA disinfection / CA BBC (16 CCR §979) / Cal-OSHA / state board outlines
100 free practice questions for this exam stay free on PrepPass

PDF · English · 29 pages · $6.99 one-time

This cram sheet is written in English.

Instant download after payment — no account needed, no subscription.

14-day money-back guarantee: not satisfied for any reason? Email support@preppass.org within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. Refund policy

Look inside the book

Three real pages, rendered straight from the PDF you download — a reference page, a teaching page, and a worked question, always in that order. Nothing here was redrawn to look better.

How it's taught
PDF page 2
An explanation page: the material taught in prose, in the order the exam tests it.
How it's taught
PDF page 13
An explanation page: the material taught in prose, in the order the exam tests it.
How it's taught
PDF page 14
An explanation page: the material taught in prose, in the order the exam tests it.

About the exam itself

California Manicurist Examination — Exam facts
Administering body	California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — exam delivered by PSI Services LLC Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — Information Regarding the Examination
Questions	65 questions (60 scored, 5 unscored pretest) Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — Information Regarding the Examination
Time limit	90 minutes Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — Information Regarding the Examination
Passing score	Not published by California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology What we read and found nothing in: 2026 Barbering and Cosmetology Act and Regulations (PDF) — 16 CCR § 932 (passing grades) and § 998 (schedule of fees)
Fees	$75 — Application and examination fee (Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, one-time) $35 — Initial license fee (Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, one-time) $50 — License renewal (Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, every two years) Source: 2026 Barbering and Cosmetology Act and Regulations (PDF) — 16 CCR § 932 (passing grades) and § 998 (schedule of fees)
Languages offered	English · Korean · Spanish · Vietnamese · Simplified Chinese Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — Information Regarding the Examination

Exam facts, with a source for every line

Questions buyers ask

What is the cheapest way to prepare for the California Manicurist / Nail Technician (State Board) exam?: Start with what costs nothing: 100 practice questions on PrepPass, with explanations and no signup. If you want it taught in one file you keep, the full study guide is $14.99 once; the printable cram sheet for the last days is $6.99. No subscription on any of them.
Who administers the California Manicurist Examination?: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — exam delivered by PSI Services LLC. PSI's bulletin states that the Board has contracted with PSI Services LLC to conduct its examination programme.
How many questions are on the California Manicurist Examination?: 65 questions (60 scored, 5 unscored pretest). The Board's page gives the Manicurist theory exam as 60 scored questions plus 5 pretest questions.
How long is the California Manicurist Examination?: 90 minutes
What is the passing score for the California Manicurist Examination?: Not published by California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. 16 CCR § 932(b) says only that the Board sets the passing score by a criterion-referenced method, and PSI's bulletin gives the method with no number; neither publishes a percentage.
How much does the California Manicurist Examination cost?: $75 — Application and examination fee (Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, one-time); $35 — Initial license fee (Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, one-time); $50 — License renewal (Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, every two years). 16 CCR § 998 lists these fees; the Board's combined application collects the application/examination fee and the initial license fee together.
What languages is the California Manicurist Examination offered in?: English · Korean · Spanish · Vietnamese · Simplified Chinese. The Board says the exam is available in these five languages, each translated into the most universal or neutral version of the language.
Does the California Manicurist / Nail Technician (State Board) cram sheet come as a PDF?: Yes — California Manicurist / Nail Technician — Cram Sheet (2026) downloads as PDF, 29 pages. The download link is emailed the moment payment clears and does not expire.
How much does the California Manicurist / Nail Technician (State Board) cram sheet cost?: $6.99, once. There is no subscription and no account to create; the PDF file is yours to keep.
Are there free California Manicurist / Nail Technician (State Board) practice questions?: Yes — 100 of them, free to use with no signup and an explanation on every one. They are separate from this cram sheet, which is what you are buying here.
What is the difference between the California Manicurist / Nail Technician (State Board) study guide and the cram sheet?: The study guide ($14.99) teaches the material chapter by chapter and is meant to be read over weeks. The cram sheet ($6.99, 29 pages) drops the teaching and keeps the figures: every number on the exam grouped by value so the confusable ones sit together, each reference page paired with a recall page that blanks the answers, and four routes by days left — 14, 7, 3, or tonight. They are separate purchases; neither replaces the other.
Is this the official California Manicurist / Nail Technician (State Board) cram sheet?: No. This is an independent cram sheet and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the exam's awarding body. It is written from standard nail-technology references / EPA disinfection / CA BBC (16 CCR §979) / Cal-OSHA / state board outlines. Always confirm current requirements with the body that issues your licence.

Free California Manicurist / Nail Technician (State Board) practice questions and study chapters →

What's included — and what isn't

Included

A RECALL twin of every REFERENCE sheet: same rules, same positions, figures blanked — print double-sided, cover, write, flip
A concept self-test for the rules with no figure to blank
Four routes through the same pages: 14 days, 7 days, 3 days, tonight
Every rule id links to the free chapter that teaches it

Not included

No printed copy is shipped — this is a file you download and can print yourself
No video course, instructor or tutoring comes with the book — the free videos on the site are separate
Not your exam registration or the testing centre's fee, which you still pay to the official body

Before you buy

How do I get it?: Pay, and the download appears on this page straight away. The links are also emailed to you. No account is required.
What if it isn't for me?: Email us within 14 days for a full refund, no questions asked.
Is the free practice going away?: No. Every practice question, the timed mock and the free chapters on this site stay free. This packet is the exam's figures arranged for recall, not a gate around the free half.
Can I read it on my phone?: Yes — it is a PDF, which opens on phones, tablets and computers and prints cleanly. There is no EPUB edition of this one.

Full refund policy

The details

Every figure the California Manicurist / Nail Technician exam turns on, pooled by value on reference sheets with a recall twin — and four routes through them: 14 days, 7, 3, or tonight.

PrepPass team · Verified against standard nail-technology references / EPA disinfection / CA BBC (16 CCR §979) / Cal-OSHA / state board outlines · How we review

Format: PDF download · 29 pages
100 free practice questions for this exam on PrepPass, included at no cost
$6.99 one-time — no subscription
14-day money-back guarantee · refund policy
Cross-referenced against: standard nail-technology references / EPA disinfection / CA BBC (16 CCR §979) / Cal-OSHA / state board outlines
Last updated: September 2026

Verified from the official source(standard nail-technology references / EPA disinfection / CA BBC (16 CCR §979) / Cal-OSHA / state board outlines)
100 free practice questions
Instant download, yours for life

What the cram packet is for

The practice questions and timed mock stay free. This $6.99 packet is not a shorter study guide: it drops the teaching and keeps the exam's figures, set out for the last days before the exam.

Reference pages of the exam's figures, each paired with a recall page that blanks them — print double-sided, cover, write, flip
Four routes through the same pages, by days left: 14, 7, 3, or tonight
Print-ready PDF — made to be printed and written on
Yours for life — one-time $6.99, instant download, no subscription

And it's risk-free: 14-day money-back guarantee — not satisfied? Email us for a full refund, no questions asked. See the refund policy.

Get the PDF — $6.99 ↑

14-day money-back guarantee · full refund, no questions asked.

One-time purchase, lifetime access to the download. The download is a single PDF. Educational summary, not professional or legal advice — always confirm the current rules with the official source. Last updated: September 2026.