The CPE exam costs $325 for non-AEA members, and $275 for members. Of course, membership costs between $140 - $350, depending on where you live and when you join. Keep in mind the expense of going to what ever city the CPE Exam is being given, and while you are there, you may as well get those CEU's (and I don't mean "certified educational upgrade" either
sorry, hairtell inside joke) by attending the actual AEA convention at a cost of another $275 to $350. Don't forget to figure in the cost of travel and the hotel stay, and meals and incidentals of course. Basically, most people pay about $1,000 or more around taking the CPE test alone, and then one must decide if one is to repeat that expense on a yearly basis, or retest once every 5 years instead. This doesn't count what they paid for their training.
Speaking of training, the requirements for taking the exam state:
the registration form
MUST be accompanied with the following documentation:
A. If applicant practices in a licensed state
1. a photocopy of state electrology license
B. If applicant resides in an unlicensed state
1. a photocopy of certificate of completion
from a SCHOOL OF ELECTROLOGY with
date of graduation and number of hours
completed (320 minimum required). You
must have graduated from school prior to
registration. PROMETRIC must receive copies
of certificates no later than the registration
deadline.
****OR 2. a NOTARIZED AFFIDAVIT from an instructor,
who is a CPE, indicating number of hours
completed (320 minimum required), date completed,
and proof that trained electrologist has
been in practice for at least one (1) year following
completion of hours (i.e. notarized statement
from employer, photocopy of advertising dated
one year previous to completing registration
form, etc.)
AND proof of residency such as photocopy of
driver’s license.
An eligible electrologist is defined as one who
has met all necessary requirements in the state
in which he/she resides/practices, or in the case
of not having an established practice, the state
in which legal residence is maintained.
So, although the training time needed to take the CPE is 320 regardless of how one gets that training, if one's state did not require that, and one was not planning on taking that test, one might not go for that much school time.
Keep in mind, schools are almost never around the corner, and usually require one to travel and set up living in another city, if not another state. Add to that many schools bigotry against training men (leading to the closest school, not being the closest school you may actually be allowed to attend), and you find a real hardship for would be electrolysis students looking for training.
In the end, the difference between a good electrolysis provider and a not so good one will be that person's desire to learn, and willingness to practice. No amount of arbitrary hours can assure that. (especially when many of those hours are spent on things that have only tangental relevance to the actual work an electrologist performs.)
The electrology school was bought out and closed a few years after I graduated. Oh, the irony. If I only knew then and seen the opportunity...
But as someone said earlier, it sure looks impressive hanging on the wall 
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