Sample practice questions

A few real questions from this free bank, with full explanations. Use the practice tool above for the whole set.

1. 1. Infection Control & Safety

   In a salon, which level of decontamination is required for multi-use (reusable) implements such as metal shears and combs that have not touched blood or body fluids?

   • a.Washing in hot soapy water, then air drying
   • b.Cleaning, then full immersion in an EPA-registered disinfectant
   • c.Autoclave sterilization before use on every client
   • d.Wiping with a disinfectant wipe between clients

   Answer: b

   Explanation: There are three levels of decontamination: sanitation (lowest, reduces germs), disinfection (kills most pathogens on hard nonporous surfaces), and sterilization (highest, destroys all microbial life). Multi-use implements must first be cleaned to remove visible debris and then fully immersed in an EPA-registered disinfectant for the manufacturer's stated contact time. Cleaning alone does not kill pathogens, and salons generally are not required to autoclave/sterilize implements that have not contacted blood.

2. 2. Infection Control & Safety

   In which situation is sterilization, rather than disinfection, the required level of decontamination?

   • a.For any instrument that penetrates the skin, which is sterilized or single-use and discarded
   • b.For shears and clippers used on dry hair between two ordinary haircut clients
   • c.For plastic capes and terry towels that go into the laundry at the end of a shift
   • d.For countertops and shampoo bowls that are wiped down throughout the workday

   Answer: a

   Explanation: Sterilization is reserved for instruments that break or penetrate the skin, because anything entering living tissue must carry no viable organisms at all; in most beauty settings such items are single-use and discarded instead. Ordinary salon tools, capes, towels, and surfaces do not penetrate skin, so cleaning followed by disinfection (or laundering, for linens) is the correct level for them.

3. 3. Infection Control & Safety

   A disease that can be transmitted from one person to another by contact is called:

   • a.A systemic disease, which spreads through the bloodstream to the whole body
   • b.An occupational disease, produced by long exposure to a chemical at work
   • c.A congenital condition, present in a person from the time of birth
   • d.A contagious (communicable) disease, spread by direct or indirect contact

   Answer: d

   Explanation: A contagious or communicable disease is one that passes from person to person, either by direct contact such as touching, or indirectly through a contaminated object such as a comb, cape, or towel. Common salon-relevant examples include tinea, head lice, and viral infections. A systemic disease affects the whole body but is not necessarily transmissible, an occupational disease comes from workplace exposure, and a congenital condition is present from birth.

4. 4. Chemical Services (Color, Perms, Relaxers)

   Six weeks after a permanent color service, a client shows a distinct line where new growth meets the colored hair. This happens because permanent color:

   • a.fades evenly out of the hair with every shampoo the client takes
   • b.is locked into the cortex and grows out rather than washing out
   • c.coats the cuticle and is gradually rubbed off by brushing and heat
   • d.changes the pigment inside the new growth as the strand emerges

   Answer: b

   Explanation: Permanent color oxidizes small dye precursors into large molecules trapped inside the cortex, so it does not shampoo out; the colored hair stays colored while new growth arrives in the client's natural shade. The result is a line of demarcation, corrected with a retouch applied to the new growth only. Fading and rub-off describe the deposit-only and temporary categories, and no product can affect hair that has not yet grown.

5. 5. Chemical Services (Color, Perms, Relaxers)

   A drop of relaxer splashes into a client's eye. What is the immediate action?

   • a.Apply a cool damp compress and continue once the stinging has stopped
   • b.Have the client blink rapidly and put a saline eye drop in the eye
   • c.Neutralize the eye with the acid-balanced shampoo from the service
   • d.Flush the eye with cool running water and seek medical attention

   Answer: d

   Explanation: A chemical splash to the eye is flushed immediately with cool running water for a sustained period, and the client is then referred for medical attention; the Safety Data Sheet kept for that product gives the manufacturer's first-aid instructions. Never put another salon chemical, including a neutralizing shampoo, into the eye. Gloves, a cape and towel, and careful head positioning are the everyday precautions that prevent splashes.

6. 6. Hair Care & Cutting

   What does a protein (reconstructor) conditioner do for chemically damaged hair?

   • a.It penetrates the cortex and temporarily reinforces the weakened strand
   • b.It permanently rebuilds the broken disulfide bonds throughout the cortex
   • c.It coats the cuticle in oil that blocks every future haircolor service
   • d.It raises the pH of the hair so that moisture escapes more freely

   Answer: a

   Explanation: A protein or reconstructor conditioner carries small hydrolyzed proteins that enter the cortex and temporarily fill and strengthen hair weakened by chemical services or heat, improving elasticity until it is shampooed out. Moisturizing conditioners work mainly on the surface to restore softness, and leave-in products stay on the hair to protect it and ease combing. No conditioner permanently rebuilds broken disulfide bonds, and conditioners are formulated to smooth and close the cuticle rather than raise the pH.

7. 7. Skin Care & Facials

   A small, raised, solid pimple on a client's chin contains no fluid. This lesion is called a:

   • a.macule, a flat discolored spot that is level with the surrounding skin
   • b.papule, a primary lesion that may or may not develop into a pustule
   • c.pustule, a raised lesion holding pus inside an inflamed hair follicle
   • d.fissure, a crack in the skin that extends down into the dermis

   Answer: b

   Explanation: A papule is a small, solid, elevated lesion with no fluid inside it; inflamed acne often begins as a papule that then fills with pus and becomes a pustule. A macule is flat rather than raised, such as a freckle. A fissure is a crack in the skin, like a chapped lip or a split heel, and it is a secondary lesion rather than a primary one.

8. 8. Nail Care

   Pterygium, an abnormal stretching of skin that adheres to the surface of the nail plate, should be handled by:

   • a.cutting the adhering tissue away with a nipper to free the plate underneath
   • b.pushing it back forcefully with a metal pusher at every single appointment
   • c.treating it gently without cutting, and referring the client if it is severe
   • d.applying a strong cuticle remover and leaving it in place for about an hour

   Answer: c

   Explanation: Pterygium is living tissue that has grown abnormally forward and attached itself to the plate, often after an injury or a burn. Because it is living skin, cutting it or forcing it back causes injury, bleeding, and possible infection, and it tends to worsen the condition. The professional response is conditioning oil, gentle massage, and no cutting, with a referral to a physician when the condition is significant. This is different from ordinary cuticle tissue, which is dead and may be removed from the plate.

9. 9. Anatomy, Physiology & Trichology

   Which two muscles are the chief muscles of chewing?

   • a.The orbicularis oculi and the corrugator, which close the eye and draw the brows in
   • b.The platysma and the sternocleidomastoid, which lower the jaw and rotate the head
   • c.The frontalis and the occipitalis, the front and back portions of the scalp muscle
   • d.The masseter and the temporalis, which raise the jaw and close the mouth

   Answer: d

   Explanation: The masseter and the temporalis are the chief muscles of mastication; both raise the lower jaw and close the mouth, and they are easy to feel by placing the fingers on the jaw angle and the temple while the client clenches. The orbicularis oculi and corrugator move the eye and brow, the platysma and sternocleidomastoid act on the jaw and head but are not chewing muscles, and the frontalis and occipitalis move the scalp. Clients who clench often carry tension in the masseter and temporalis, which is why those areas respond well to facial massage.

10. 10. Cosmetology Chemistry & Electricity

    Which habit is MOST likely to cause an electrical injury or fire in the salon?

    • a.Pulling a plug out of the wall by yanking on the appliance's cord
    • b.Unplugging appliances by taking hold of the plug and pulling it straight out
    • c.Checking cords for fraying before each use and retiring damaged ones
    • d.Plugging only one high-wattage heat appliance into each outlet in use

    Answer: a

    Explanation: Yanking a cord to unplug an appliance strains the wires where they enter the plug, which is exactly how cords become frayed and how shorts and fires start; appliances should always be disconnected by grasping the plug itself. The other habits described are correct practice: inspect cords and remove damaged ones from service, and avoid loading several high-wattage appliances onto one outlet or circuit. Appliances should also never be handled with wet hands or left unattended while plugged in.