Cosmetology in New York

New York's Department of State runs its own cosmetology exam — and, like its nail exam, it is one of the most language-accessible in the country, but with a different language set. The official DOS page confirms the WRITTEN cosmetology exam is schedulable in 14 translations on top of English: Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, and Turkish — so a Chinese-, Korean-, or Spanish-speaking candidate can sit the real written test in their language. (Note the cosmetology list differs from the nail-specialty list — for example it does not include Vietnamese.) You need 1,000 training hours and must pass both a written and a practical exam; results are pass/fail (no numeric score), with 2.5 hours for the written test.

State rules and fees change often. This table shows only facts confirmed from an official board or vendor source on the date noted; anything unconfirmed is marked “to confirm.” Always verify current requirements with your state board or its testing vendor before you register. Our practice questions are a study aid and never imply your state offers the exam in a language it does not.