Direct answer: You can retake it. Texas requires a score of 70% or better to pass, and there is no limit on attempts while your exam eligibility is active — but you must wait 24 hours before rescheduling, and you pay the exam fee again for each attempt. You must pass the written theory exam before you’re allowed to sit for the practical, so a failed theory exam pauses everything until you retest.
Failing an exam feels final. It isn’t. Every year a share of candidates in every state retest and go on to have long careers, and nobody in a salon has ever asked a stylist how many attempts their license took. What matters is what you change before attempt two.
Retakes are scheduled through PSI, the testing vendor TDLR uses. After a failed attempt you’ll get a score report showing the content areas where you lost points — that report is the single most useful study guide you will ever get, because it tells you exactly what to fix.
You must wait 24 hours before rescheduling. Eligibility to test is good for five years, so there’s no rush that should push you into an under-prepared second attempt. There is also a separate fee for each attempt, which is a real reason to prepare properly rather than “just try again Monday.”
Theory failures usually cluster in three places: Texas laws and rules, infection control and sanitation, and anatomy or product chemistry. These are memorization areas, not judgment areas, which is good news — they respond very well to two focused weeks of study.
Work from your score report, use the reference materials listed in the Candidate Information Bulletin, and drill practice questions until you’re consistently above 80% before you rebook. And remember: until you pass theory, you cannot sit for the practical.
More prep detail here: How to Pass Your Texas Cosmetology Licensing Exam.
Practical failures are rarely about talent. They’re about timing, setup, and sanitation steps performed in the wrong order or skipped under pressure. The fix is rehearsal: run the full practical, timed, with your kit laid out exactly as it will be on exam day, until the sequence is automatic.
If you graduated from William Edge Institute, come back and ask. Our instructors run mock practicals, and a graduate who needs one more run-through is still our student.
What score do you need to pass the Texas cosmetology exam? 70% or better.
How many times can you retake the Texas cosmetology exam? As many times as you need while your eligibility is active, though a fee applies to each attempt.
How long do you have to wait to retake it? At least 24 hours before you can reschedule.
Do I lose my school hours if I fail? No. Your hours stand, and exam eligibilities are good for five years.
Can I take the practical before the theory exam? No. Texas requires you to pass the written exam first.
If you haven’t started yet, the surest way to pass on the first attempt is to train somewhere that treats the state exam as part of the curriculum, not an afterthought. Come see how we prepare students — call 830-387-4094 or email admissions@wmedge.com.