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2026 Edition

Cosmetology Practice Test

Try our free Cosmetology Practice Test to study for your cosmetology licensing or certification exam.  

Most states require cosmetologists to take a two-part exam to become licensed or certified.  The first part is a written multiple-choice exam covering such subjects as skin structure, nail structure, haircutting, facials and sanitation.  The second part is a hands-on exam where a cosmetology candidate needs to demonstrate knowledge and skill in such things as haircutting, color application and manicure. 

To prepare for your test, use our 400 question Cosmetologist Practice Test that includes online flash cards and exam review. It is written by experts and instructors in cosmetology. Our interactive test platform allows you to simulate the exam. Take as many practice tests as you need. There's no time limit or recurrent charges.

For more information and test prep on cosmetology certification and licensing, including information on the content of the exams, see the Cosmetology Study Guide.
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1 Different levels of infection control are required in a salon. The lowest level of infection control is called ________.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Sanitation is the lowest level of infection control, as it keeps the area sanitized, which is unfavorable for the growth of bacteria. An example of sanitation would be washing your hands before performing a service.

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2 The second level of infection control that kills most microbes is called _______.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Disinfection kills most microbes. Remember, not all microbes are killed in a disinfecting solution. Some form spores not affected by heat or cold. An example of disinfection would be allowing your non porous tools (comb, brush, shears) to be immersed in a disinfecting solution after using them on a client.
3 Suzy has completed a manicure. What should she do with the following implements: cotton, emery boards and orange wood stick?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Porous items must be discarded since they cannot be disinfected.
4 Which of the following is true with regard to the use of Universal Precautions?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Universal Precautions are infection control practices that are used with every client. An apparently healthy client may be an asymptomatic carrier, or someone who may be a carrier of viruses or diseases with no recognizable symptoms. For this reason, all clients need to have the same infection control procedures done.

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5 Communicable diseases are diseases that can be spread from one person to another. An example of a communicable disease is Hepatitis B (HBV). What part of the body does HBV affect?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Human Hepatitis B is a highly infectious disease that affects the liver.
6 John is putting his marcel irons away for the day. He accidentally burns himself. What should he do first?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
When an electrical burn occurs, immerse the burned area in cool water immediately.
7 When performing first aid procedures for a cut, using a tourniquet is not recommended. Why?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Tourniquets may result in a subsequent medical amputation and are not recommended.

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8 John is about to perform the Heimlich maneuver. When performing the Heimlich maneuver, all of the following steps are involved EXCEPT:
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Never pat the victim on the back. This may lodge the item further.
9 In what year was the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard created?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard was created in 2001.
10 The technical name for the study of hair is _______
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The technical name for the study of hair is trichology.

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11 What are the three stages of hair growth, in the correct order?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The three stages of hair growth are anagen, catagen and telogen. The active growing stage is called the anagen stage, where the root sheath is attached to the hair fiber. The catagen stage is a quick stage when all cell division stops, and the root sheath begins to separate from the hair fiber. The telogen stage is a stage where the hair fiber has no attached root sheath, and the hair fiber falls out.
12 There are three parts of the hair strand. The outermost layer of the hair strand is called the _______.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair strand.
13 Due to its ability to lather freely, this type of water is preferred for shampooing in the salon. What type of water is it?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Soft water is most preferred for shampooing, because it is easy to lather, due it being free from minerals.

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14 Scott is performing a scalp analysis on a client. Scott notices bald areas with small black dots, some round scaly areas of dry skin and a couple puss-filled sores. What does the client likely present with?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The client presents with what appears to be ringworm of the scalp, called tinea capitis. Tinea corporis is ringworm of the body; tinea pedis is of the foot; and tinea cruris is of the groin.
15 Shampoos with a high ph level may cause hair to _________.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Shampoos with a high ph may cause hair to become dry and brittle.
16 The Marcel iron was invented in 1875 by _______.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The Marcel iron was invented by Marcel Grateau in 1875.

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17 When using a stove heated Marcel iron, you must test the iron on this type paper to ensure the iron is not too hot for your client's hair:
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Test the iron on a white paper towel. If it turns the paper towel a color, it is too hot to use on your client's hair.
18 If the ends of hair protrude over the top of the Marcel iron, the following may result:
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Fishhook ends are the name given to crinkled or creased ends, caused by allowing the hair end to stick out over the top of the iron
19 When using a pressing comb, this part of the comb straightens the hair:
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
When performing a hair pressing service with a pressing comb, it is the spine of the comb that straightens the hair.

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20 What are the three components of a pincurl?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The base, stem and circle are the three components of a pincurl.
21 Angela is performing a haircut. She looks down and notices that this finger controls the stationary blade of her shears. Which finger is it?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The ring finger controls the stationary blade of the shears.
22 Katie's teacher tells her to elevate the hair when cutting. What is another word for elevation?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Another word for elevation is projection.

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23 When cutting hair, there are two types of guides that can be used. What are they?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The two types of guide used in haircutting are stationary and traveling (mobile).
24 Marie is doing a consultation with her client. Her client says that she wants a "shag" haircut.
At what angle would Marie most likely elevate the hair while cutting?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
A shag is cut at 180 degrees.
25 In haircutting, a subsection of the hair is known as this.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
A part is a smaller subsection of hair.

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26 According to the color wheel, the three primary colors are:
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Red, blue and yellow are primary colors.
27 Robert has lightened his client's hair. His client says that she feels her hair has brassy, orange tones. Robert decides to use a toner on his clients hair to neutralize the unwanted brassiness. According to the color wheel, what color toner should Robert apply to his client's hair?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
According to the color wheel, blue and orange are complementary colors. Blue is used to neutralize the warmth of the orange (brassy) tone. Other complementary colors are red and green, yellow and violet.
28 All colors that contain aniline derivative tints require a _______ before application to determine if a client is sensitive to the chemicals.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
All colors that contain an aniline derivative tint require a patch test. A patch test involves applying the desired formula to the client's skin, allowing time to process and looking for signs of allergy such as itching, burning, redness, etc.

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29 Jane's son Jack wants a temporary color for a party he is going to. What type of temporary color would you recommend for him?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Spray on hair color is classified as a temporary hair color.
30 Permanent colors are able to:
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Permanent colors can lift natural pigment and deposit color in a single process.
31 What percentage of peroxide is found in a developer that states it is 20 volume?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
20 volume developer contains 6% peroxide.
32 Decolorizing hair and recolorizing it to the desired level and tone is called:
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Decolorizing hair and recolorizing it to the desired level and tone is called a double process technique. A double process technique is done when the desired color cannot be achieved through a single process of color.

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33 When deciding how long a color should process, you should always refer to _______.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Always refer to the manufacturer's directions when determining how long a color should process.
34 Sally has decided she wants a perm. However, she is running a low grade fever. How should her stylist proceed?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
If a client has a low grade fever, their body temperature is already elevated. Elevated body temperatures will speed up the processing time of the perm causing it to over process the hair and may cause damage. It is best not to perform the service.
35 The overlap method of wrapping hair for a permanent wave service is also called a ______.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The croquignole method is also referred to as an overlap method. This involves wrapping the hair from the ends, to the scalp.

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36 When wrapping hair for a permanent wave service, Janet's client has heavy density hair. What size partings should Janet take, to allow for even absorption of her permanent wave solution when it is applied to her client's hair?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
When a client has heavy density hair, it is recommended to take smaller partings to allow for even absorption of the permanent wave solution.
37 Which bonds are broken and rearranged during a permanent wave solution?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
During the permanent wave service, the perm solution breaks the disulfide bonds in the hair.
38 Todd's client's hair is short. His client wants a perm. Todd needs to figure out if his client's hair is long enough to make a complete curl. To make a complete curl during a permanent wave service, the hair must wrap around the tool how many times?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
In order to make a complete curl when wrapping hair for a perm service, the hair must be wound around the tool 2.5 times

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39 A chemical relaxer permanently relaxes curly hair into a straighter configuration. The most common active ingredient in relaxers today is _______.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The most common ingredient used today in relaxers is sodium hydroxide.
40 Kara, a client, wants a sodium hydroxide relaxer. During consultation, her stylist finds out Kara had an ammonium thioglycolate relaxer service done on her hair last week. How should Kara's stylist proceed?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Ammonium thioglycolate and Sodium Hydroxide are completely incompatible. The client must wait until her hair has grown out from the hair that was treated with ammonium thioglycolate.
41 Is the use of an overlapping relaxer recommended when performing a retouch relaxer service?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Overlapping relaxer may cause damage to previously relaxed hair, and is not recommended.

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42 Jill has rinsed her client's relaxer out. She needs to lower the ph level of the chemical relaxer. What kind of shampoo should Jill choose?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Neutralizing shampoo is used to lower the ph of the hair after a relaxer service. It also reforms disulfide bonds making the hair permanently straighter.
43 The skin has three main layers, the dermis, subcutaneous and the epidermis. The epidermis is the _______ layer of the skin.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The outermost layer of the skin is the epidermis.
44 Eric's teacher says that the ph of hair, skin and nails falls on the acid side of the ph scale. The ph of hair, skin and nails is _______.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The ph level of hair, skin and nails is 4.5 - 5.5.

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45 When doing a client consultation before a facial, Erin notices the her client's face is a bit flaky on the sides while the center around the nose is oily. What skin type does the client most likely have?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The client most likely has the combination skin type. The combination skin type typically presents with dry and flaky parts while the center of the face (nose, chin, forehead) is oily.
46 The white half-moon shape at the base of the nail:
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The white half-moon shape at the base of the nail is the lunula.
47 When referring to disorders of the nail, onychophagy is more commonly known as this:
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Onychophagy refers to bitten nails.

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48 While performing a manicure on a client, Tom cuts himself. What should he do immediately?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
If a technician gets a cut while performing a nail service, the service must be stopped immediately and blood spill procedures followed. After proper procedures are complied with, the technician can return to service.
49 The epidermis contains five layers of skin: Stratum Corneum, Stratum Lucidum, Stratum Granulosum, Stratum Spinosum, and Stratum Germinativum. Which layer is the lowest where cell growth occurs through mitosis?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The lowest level of skin where cell growth occurs through mitosis, is known as the Stratum Germinativum.
50 On average, how long does it take for a new nail to grow?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
4 to 6 months is the amount of time that it takes for growth of a new nail to occur.

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Quality starts with who wrote the material. Our writers:

Jennifer Gervais, Cosmetology Instructor, is a cosmetology instructor at The Salon Professional Academy in Huntsville, Alabama. Prior to TSPA, Jenn was a cosmetology instructor at Virginia College. Jenn has been a practicing cosemtologist for over 20 years.

Gabriela Feria, Cosmetology Instructor, is a cosmetology instructor at the Western Beauty Academy in Los Angeles, California. Gabriela has also taught cosmetology at the Los Angeles School District and prepared cosmetology students for the state cosmetology exam. She has been working in the cosmetology industry for over 20 years.

The multiple-choice exam of a Cosmetology Certification Exam covers such topics as:
  • Scientific Concepts
  • Safety in Cosmetology
  • Client Consultation
  • Hair Care and Services
  • Skin Care and Services
  • Nail Care and Services
  • Professional Practice
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