What to expect at the Ohio State Board Cos Exam

First things first, I GOT MY COSMETOLOGY LICENSE LAST WEEK!!! I am super excited, happy, and relieved that I passed my first time in. The entire day was extremely stressful and I was high strung and wound up. I figured everyone else would also be feeling like this, so I thought I'd put together some tips and info for those heading to state board...

1. I got to the testing center around 7:30 in the morning, and wasn't the first. The parking lot filled up pretty quickly, and by 8 the waiting room was filled.

2. Be sure to have your photo, testing paper, and driver's license on hand.

3. Around 8 a.m. they start by lining everyone up and checking them in. They assign you to a room and give you a number. You'll either start by doing all of your hair practicals, or by doing your manicure, facial, and written test. I was in the group that did my mani and facial and written. I got about a 2 hour lunch break and came back at noon to do my hair practicals.

4. The written (on the computer) portion of the exam consists of 110 questions, which is randomly generated and can throw pretty much anything at you, so be prepared. You are able to, on the computer, go back and forth between questions, bookmark them, and move through the exam at your own pace. You're given 1 hour and 30 minutes for this portion of the test.

5. After both sections of your exams are over, you then sit in the lobby to wait for your test results, which are handed out in envelopes. Should you pass, you then can wait for your license that same day. All in all my day there lasted from 7:30 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. I came home exhausted and covered in gunk.

HELPFUL TIPS

1. When bringing barbacide, buy a bottle at Sally's. It MUST have all information on it. You can't just write barbacide on a bottle and take it in, you will have points deducted.

2. Instead of loads of towels, just bring 4-5 towels and instead, bring an entire roll of paper towels. You will be wiping down counters all day long and paper towels are neater and cleaner.

3. Trash bags. Bring THREE. You will use one for the mani/facial portion and two for the hair portion of your practicals.

4. Try to remember a shower cap for when you are finished with your mannequin head at the end of the day. She will be a hot mess and this will avoid getting cholesterol all over your bag.... not that I would know from personal experience.

5. You are allowed in your cabinet at any time during your practicals, so as soon as you're finished you can set up for the next one, which I found helpful. The order the practicals went in:

• Thermal
• Haircut
• Perm
• Color retouch
• Highlight
• Relaxer retouch
• Virgin relaxer

6. During the beginning of my set up time for the mannequin, I just immediatley draped her with a towel/cape/towel combo, so that I wouldn't have to redrape her with this when it came time for the chemical potion of the practicals.

I hope people find this helpful, as I sure wish someone would have written something like this for me before I went!!