Safety and Infection Control
30%of exam
Infection ControlDecontaminationExposure IncidentsSDSVentilation
Consultation and Analysis
19%of exam
Client IntakeContraindicationsPatch TestsHair AnalysisMedical Referral
Hairstyling
2%of exam
Textured StylingExtensionsHair PiecesBlowdryingThermal Curling
Haircutting
3%of exam
Hair TypesShearsRazorsClippersTrimmers
Haircoloring
10%of exam
ApplicationStrand TestLighteningColor TheoryChemical Safety
Chemical Texture Services
12%of exam
Virgin HairTreated HairRelaxingPermanent WavingChemical Safety
Skin Care
4%of exam
MassageExfoliationHot TowelsFacialsCalluses
Eyelash and Eyebrow
4%of exam
EnhancementsChemical ServicesTintingAdhesivesRemoval
Hair Removal
8%of exam
DepilatoriesWaxingSugaringTweezingThreading
Nail Care
8%of exam
ManicurePedicureVentilationNatural NailsEnhancements
Quick Facts
- Test
- Cosmetology Theory
- Provider
- PSI
- Effective
- May 1 2026
- Scored
- 100 questions
- Experimental
- 10 questions
- Time
- 120 min
- Pass
- 70%
- Materials
- Closed book
- Order
- Written before practical
Infection Sequence
Clean, disinfect, protect, then serve.
CleaningDisinfectionStorageSafety
Cleaning vs Disinfection
Cleaning
- Removes visible debris
- First decontamination step
- Prepares surfaces
Disinfection
- Destroys many pathogens
- Uses proper product
- Follows cleaning
Remove debris then disinfect
Alabama Exam Picker
- Ready to test→Apply to Board(Seek approval)
- Approval received→Schedule with PSI(Book written)
- Theory test starts→120-minute plan(Closed book)
- Review blueprint→Safety first(30%)
- Written exam passed→Apply practical(Required next)
- Exam fails→Reapply(Board process)
Infection and Safety
- Pathogen
- Disease-causing organism
- Cross-contamination
- Transfer of contamination
- Cleaning
- Remove visible debris
- Disinfection
- Destroy many surface pathogens
- Sterilization
- Destroy all microbial life
- Exposure incident
- Potential pathogen contact
- Single-use item
- Discard after one client
- SDS
- Chemical safety information
Exam Sequence
Written opens practical.
Board approvalPSIWrittenPractical
Disinfection vs Sterilization
Disinfection
- Surface pathogen control
- Proper disinfectant
- Not all microbial life
Sterilization
- All microbial life
- Highest decontamination level
- Includes spores
High control vs highest
Workstation and Tools
- Daily workstation
- Daily cleaning target
- Contaminated tool
- Requires proper decontamination
- Disinfected storage
- Protected clean-tool storage
- Chemical label
- Chemical identification information
- Chemical storage
- Safe material storage
- Protective barrier
- Client chemical protection
- Electrical safety
- Safe equipment operation
- Ventilation
- Air-quality control
Written vs Practical
Written theory
- 100 scored questions
- 120 minutes
- Closed book
Practical
- Hands-on topic areas
- Written required first
- Separate test
Knowledge before performance
Consultation Sequence
Analyze first; select safely.
IntakeConditionContraindicationService
Patch Test vs Strand Test
Patch test
- Allergy-reaction screening
- Client safety
- Before exposure
Strand test
- Color-result preview
- Hair outcome
- Before color service
Reaction vs result
Service Safety Picker
- Service begins→Client intake(Assess condition)
- Contraindication appears→Decline or alter(Protect client)
- Medical concern appears→Medical referral(No diagnosis)
- Allergy risk exists→Patch test(Follow procedure)
- Tool is contaminated→Clean then disinfect(Follow product label)
- Single-use item used→Discard item(No reuse)
Consultation and Analysis
- Client intake
- Service-information collection
- Consent form
- Client authorization record
- Contraindication
- Reason to decline service
- Patch test
- Allergy-reaction screening
- Hair analysis
- Hair-condition assessment
- Skin analysis
- Skin-condition assessment
- Nail analysis
- Nail-condition assessment
- Medical referral
- Recommend medical opinion
Contraindication vs Adverse Reaction
Contraindication
- Reason not to serve
- Found before service
- Decline or alter
Adverse reaction
- Undesired product response
- During or after
- Stop and protect
Before risk vs response
Theory Test Facts
- Scored questions
- 100 contribute score
- Experimental questions
- 10 unscored items
- Time limit
- 120 minutes
- Passing score
- At least 70%
- Test format
- Closed book
- Written approval
- Board approval first
- Practical order
- Written exam first
Styling and Cutting
- Textured styling
- Texture-focused hair procedures
- Braiding
- Textured styling procedure
- Hair extension
- Added-hair enhancement
- Hair piece
- Hair replacement addition
- Blowdrying
- Airflow styling procedure
- Thermal curling
- Heat-curling procedure
- Haircutting
- Hair-shaping procedure
- Cutting implements
- Shears razors clippers
Hair Service Picker
- Choose color formula→Hair analysis(Assess condition)
- Preview color result→Strand test(Check outcome)
- Lighten hair→Lightening procedure(Use safely)
- Change texture→Chemical texturing(Assess results)
- Hair is processed→Treated-hair procedure(Use precautions)
- Use thermal tools→Thermal precautions(Protect scalp)
Color and Texture
- Haircolor application
- Color-product placement
- Strand test
- Color-result preview
- Hair lightening
- Lightening-product procedure
- Color theory
- Color formulation principles
- Virgin hair
- Previously untreated hair
- Chemically treated hair
- Previously processed hair
- Chemical texturing
- Texture-changing service
- Process result
- Chemical outcome assessment
Skin and Hair Removal
- Facial massage
- Safe facial movements
- Exfoliation
- Surface-skin removal
- Hot towels
- Controlled towel application
- Eyelash enhancement
- Lash application service
- Eyebrow tinting
- Brow color procedure
- Waxing
- Wax hair removal
- Sugaring
- Sugar-paste hair removal
- Tweezing
- Individual-hair removal
Nail Care Basics
- Nail safety
- Safe nail-service practices
- Filing
- Nail-shaping procedure
- Buffing
- Surface-smoothing procedure
- Cuticle removal
- Safe cuticle procedure
- Manicure
- Hand and nail service
- Pedicure
- Foot and nail service
- Nail ventilation
- Particulate-control practice
- Nail enhancement
- Artificial nail service
Common Traps
Score Trap
100 scored ≠ 110 delivered ≠ Experimental ≠ scored
Decontamination Trap
Cleaning ≠ disinfection ≠ Disinfection ≠ sterilization
Test Trap
Patch test ≠ strand test ≠ Written ≠ practical
Service Trap
Contraindication ≠ adverse reaction ≠ Analyze ≠ diagnose
Hair Trap
Virgin ≠ treated hair ≠ Color ≠ texture service
Tool Trap
Single-use ≠ reusable ≠ Storage ≠ disinfection
Last Minute
- 1.Safety and Infection Control: 30%
- 2.Consultation and Analysis: 19%
- 3.Haircoloring: 10%; Texture: 12%
- 4.Hair Removal and Nails: 8%
- 5.100 scored plus 10 experimental
- 6.120 minutes; closed book
- 7.Pass mark: 70%
- 8.Clean before disinfection
- 9.Check contraindications before service
- 10.Patch test checks reactions
- 11.Strand test previews color
- 12.Written exam before practical
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