different states do it different ways. I've heard New Mexico allows you to carry concealed without even a license.
Frankly I think it's a terrible idea to give someone a concealed carry license without giving them any instruction on when they are and aren't legally justified to use it. It's a great way to land a prison term, not to mention giving the entire gun lobby a bad name when they go out and do something stupid for simply being uninformed.
Oklahoma requires a one-day class, a passing score on an absurdly easy 15 question multiple choice test on gun safety, and to shoot 50 rounds through your handgun. I did the class last night, tonight was the shooting.
I felt sorry for the people who had to shoot 50 rounds through something small like a kel tec or a ruger LCP (for example my wife lol), having to load 6 rounds at a time and a tiny little gun with a ton of recoil. My XD-9 is like freakin cadillac compared to that. I was done with 50 rounds about the time my wife was through her 3rd 6 round clip, so I loaded my two magazines back up and let her fire mine for the last 26 rounds.
I did not feel sorry for the guy who ran his mouth through the whole class like he was some hardcore gun guy that knew everything, and then had to bandage his hand after he got bit by the slide from not knowing how to hold a pistol.