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Key Facts: Barber Exam

60 items

Written question count

Q-Net Craftsman-grade qualification standard

60 minutes

Written exam duration

Q-Net examination timetable / Craftsman-grade standard

60% (36/60)

Written and practical passing threshold

HRD Korea grading regulations

KRW 14,500

Written exam registration fee

Q-Net jmCd=7908 fee schedule (checked 2026-09-20)

KRW 20,100

Practical exam registration fee

Q-Net jmCd=7908 fee schedule (checked 2026-09-20)

2 years

Written pass exemption validity

National Technical Qualifications Act Enforcement Decree Art. 21

이용사 is the official South Korean national technical qualification for barbers. The 2026 written paper consists of 60 four-choice questions in 60 minutes (passing score: 60/100), followed by an approximately 2-hour-10-minute work-type practical. Official Q-Net fees are KRW 14,500 written and KRW 20,100 practical. OpenExamPrep provides 94 independent English practice questions on barbering, hair and scalp care, disinfection, and 이용업 law.

Sample Barber Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Barber exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 94+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In Korean men's barbering, what does a 하상고 (ha-sang-go) silhouette mean?

A.Hair is left longer at the nape and shorter on the crown

B.Hair is thinned only at the front hairline and left full in the back

C.Hair is cut to one uniform length all over the head

D.Hair is shorter at the nape and sides and left longer on top

Explanation: 하상고 is the classic Korean men's short-cut geometry: the perimeter (nape and sides) is kept short while the interior/top is left longer. Q-Net's 이용사 공개문제 names the practical haircut task 단발형 이발(하상고), so candidates must produce that shorter-below, longer-above relationship rather than a one-length bowl.

2What is the main purpose of clipper-over-comb (클립퍼 오버 콤) on the sides and back of a men's cut?

A.To deposit oxidative color evenly through the mid-lengths

B.To stretch wet hair so a blunt one-length line can be cut

C.To remove bulk and create an even taper that follows the head shape

D.To replace shampooing when the scalp is oily

Explanation: Clipper-over-comb uses the comb as a moving guide so the clipper removes length in a controlled plane. On the sides and back it produces a taper that follows cranial curvature instead of leaving a heavy shelf. It is a cutting method, not a chemical or shampoo substitute.

3Why do barbers often cut with a palm-to-palm scissor position when working around a client's head?

A.It forces the wrist into extreme extension so the cut is faster

B.It lets the thinning shear replace the cutting shear on every section

C.It keeps the scissor points directed away from the scalp and eyes and improves control

D.It is required only when cutting chemically bleached hair

Explanation: Palm-to-palm keeps the moving blade under visual control and points the tips away from the client's scalp, ear, and eye. The extra control matters in men's interior and outline work. It is a safety-and-control habit, not a bleach-only rule or a reason to switch to thinning shears.

4What form results when hair is cut with 0° elevation (no lift off the head) at the perimeter?

A.Uniform layers with no perimeter weight

B.A high-elevation disconnected undercut with no outline

C.A strongly overdirected interior that is shorter than the nape

D.A solid or blunt weight line because all lengths fall to the same plane

Explanation: Zero elevation holds the hair at natural fall, so every strand in that section is cut to the same hanging length. That builds a solid/blunt weight line. Men's outlines and some fringe work use this on purpose; it is the opposite of 90° layering that removes interior weight.

5How does graduation differ from uniform layering in a men's cut?

A.Graduation always means shaving the head to the skin; layering means a full beard trim

B.Graduation can be done only with a razor; layering can be done only with clippers

C.Graduation builds a stacked, increasing-length interior; uniform layering keeps lengths more equal from the head

D.There is no difference; both terms mean a one-length bowl cut

Explanation: Graduation uses below-horizontal elevation so each subsequent section is slightly longer, stacking weight. Uniform layering projects hair at about 90° from the head so lengths stay similar and weight is removed. Both are scissor or clipper-over-comb options; neither is defined as a full shave.

6A practical 단발형 이발(하상고) is judged too heavy at the occipital and too short on top. What is the most likely cutting error?

A.The barber asked the client how he usually parts his hair

B.The barber used a cape

C.The barber over-elevated the top and under-tapered the nape, reversing the 하상고 length relationship

D.The barber disinfected the clipper after the previous client

Explanation: 하상고 needs a short, blended perimeter and a visibly longer interior. A bulky occipital shelf means the nape/occipital was not tapered enough, and a too-short top means the interior was over-elevated or over-cut. Consultation, draping, and disinfection are correct habits, not the cause of that silhouette error.

7When tapering the nape of a men's haircut, what visual result should the barber aim for?

A.A sharp unblended step where the clipper guard suddenly stops

B.Cutting the nape only with thinning shears and never with a clipper

C.Leaving the nape longer than the crown in every 하상고

D.A gradual shortening into the neck so no heavy shelf remains

Explanation: A nape taper (점점 짧아지게) removes the corner so hair appears to melt into the neck. A visible step, a reversed 하상고, or using only thinning shears at the hairline all produce amateur outlines. Clipper-over-comb or shorter guards are the usual tools for that fade-in.

8On a given clipper setting, when does the cut usually come out closer to the skin?

A.When the clipper is moved with the hair-growth direction (with the grain)

B.When the clipper is held still and the client shakes his head

C.When the clipper is moved against the hair-growth direction (against the grain)

D.When the clipper blade has no remaining edge and is forced through the hair

Explanation: Against-the-grain clipper work lifts the hair into the teeth and removes more length, so the same lever or guard cuts closer. With-the-grain is softer and longer. A dull blade or a moving client creates snags and uneven patches, not a controlled closer cut.

9How should sideburns (구레나룻) be related to the finished men's haircut?

A.They should be left as long as the top even in a skin-tapered 하상고

B.They must always be shaved to the skin regardless of the client's request

C.They should be balanced to the haircut, natural hairline, and facial hair the client is keeping

D.They are outside 이용사 work and may be shaped only by a 미용사(일반)

Explanation: Sideburns are part of 이발 finishing: length, angle, and density should agree with the cut and with any beard the client keeps. 이용사 scope includes 이발 and 면도, so shaping them is barber work, not a beauty-licence-only task. Automatic skin shaving or matching them to a long top ignores design balance.

10Where is it generally unsafe or visually damaging to use thinning shears (숱가위) on a men's cut?

A.In the bulky interior of thick occipital hair, away from the outline

B.Only after a permanent color has been applied that day

C.Only on synthetic practice-wig fiber, never on human hair

D.Along the hairline, outline, or very short nape, where they punch visible holes

Explanation: Thinning shears remove selected strands. On a short outline or hairline those gaps show as holes, frizz, or a moth-eaten edge. Interior bulk on thick hair is the usual place to texturize. Human hair can be thinned; timing after color is a chemical-condition judgment, not the reason outlines fail.

About the Barber Exam

Barber (이용사) is South Korea's national technical qualification for barbers, administered by HRD Korea under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The written paper assesses 이용 및 모발관리. Passing candidates proceed to a work-type practical in 이용 실무. Under the Public Health Control Act, 이용업 is legally distinct from 미용업: it covers trimming or shaping a customer's hair or beard to tidy appearance, and a municipal 이용사 licence is required to open or work in a barber shop. The questions on this page are an independent English-language MCQ study adaptation by OpenExamPrep; they are not an official translation or format simulation.

Exam sponsor: HRD Korea (Q-Net) / Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

The written exam is one combined 60-question, 60-minute subject: 이용 및 모발관리 (no per-subject 과락). The practical is an approximately 2-hour-10-minute work-type assessment in 이용 실무. OpenExamPrep provides 94 practice questions covering the related technical and legal domains.

Time Limit

60 minutes for the written paper; approximately 2 hours 10 minutes for the work-type practical in 이용 실무

Passing Score

Written: 60 points or more out of 100 (at least 36 of 60 correct); Practical: 60 points or more out of 100

Exam / Certification Fees

KRW 14,500 written / KRW 20,100 practical (total KRW 34,600)

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Q-Net Barber (이용사) exam page (jmCd=7908) · Source checked 2026-09-20Official Korean title 이용사, Q-Net English title Barber, MOHW as related ministry, HRD Korea administration, written fee KRW 14,500, practical fee KRW 20,100, 출제기준 2022.1.1–2026.12.31 and 2027.1.1–2031.12.31. Candidate TXT jmCd=8339 is not this qualification.
National Technical Qualifications Act Enforcement Rule [별표 8] — written/practical subjects · Source checked 2026-09-20이용사 written subject: 이용 및 모발관리. Practical: 이용 실무.
Q-Net national technical qualification grading method (Craftsman grade) · Source checked 2026-09-20Written: four-option MCQ, 60 items, pass mark 60/100. Practical: 60/100.
Public Health Control Act (공중위생관리법) Article 2 — 이용업 definition · Source checked 2026-09-20이용업 is trimming or shaping a customer's hair or beard to tidy appearance. Distinct from 미용업.
Public Health Control Act Enforcement Rule Article 14 — 이용사 work scope · Source checked 2026-09-20이용사 scope: haircutting, iron work, shaving, scalp care, hair coloring, and shampooing.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

35 / 94 (37.2%)

Barbering Practice (이용 실무)

Men's haircutting, clipper and scissor work, shaving, iron work, and finishing used in licensed 이용업.

25 / 94 (26.6%)

Hair and Scalp Care (모발·두피 관리)

Hair and scalp structure, shampooing, permanent-wave and color knowledge used in barbering, and product choice.

19 / 94 (20.2%)

Public Hygiene and Disinfection (공중위생·소독)

공중위생관리법 이용업 rules, 이용사 licence and work scope, disinfection, and shop hygiene.

15 / 94 (16.0%)

Tools, Skin, and Safety

Instrument care, infection-control choices, and conditions that require medical referral rather than barbering.

Preparing for the Barber Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Written: 60 points or more out of 100 (at least 36 of 60 correct); Practical: 60 points or more out of 100
Assessment: The written exam is one combined 60-question, 60-minute subject: 이용 및 모발관리 (no per-subject 과락). The practical is an approximately 2-hour-10-minute work-type assessment in 이용 실무. OpenExamPrep provides 94 practice questions covering the related technical and legal domains.
Time limit: 60 minutes for the written paper; approximately 2 hours 10 minutes for the work-type practical in 이용 실무
Exam / certification fees: KRW 14,500 written / KRW 20,100 practical (total KRW 34,600) Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

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Barber: Suggested Study Strategy

1Treat the written paper as one 60-item exam: there is no 과락, but 36 correct answers are still required.

2Memorize the statutory 이용사 work scope in 공중위생관리법 시행규칙 Article 14: haircutting, iron work, shaving, scalp care, coloring, and shampooing.

3Do not mix 이용업 with 미용업 scopes. 이용장 (Master Barber, jmCd=3925) is a different qualification from 미용장.

4For the practical, use the current Q-Net 공개문제 and candidate notice for permitted tools, model rules, and any sitting-specific details.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Barber (이용사)?

It is a national technical qualification certified by HRD Korea under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It proves competence in 이용 및 모발관리. A municipal 이용사 licence under the Public Health Control Act is a separate step needed to open or work in 이용업.

How is the official examination structured?

The written exam is 60 four-choice questions in 60 minutes on the combined subject 이용 및 모발관리. The passing standard is 60% (36 correct out of 60) with no per-subject 과락. Candidates who pass become eligible for the work-type practical (이용 실무).

Are there prerequisites to register for this exam?

No. Under the National Technical Qualifications Act, this Craftsman-grade / 상시 sitting has no age, education, or prior-experience prerequisites.

How is 이용사 different from 미용사(일반)?

이용업 is defined in 공중위생관리법 Article 2 as trimming or shaping hair or beard to tidy appearance. 미용업(일반) covers perm, haircutting, styling, scalp care, coloring, shampooing, and non-medical eyebrow work. The two licences and Q-Net items are separate.

What are the official fees for the exam in 2026?

According to official Q-Net listings (jmCd=7908), the written fee is KRW 14,500 and the practical fee is KRW 20,100, totaling KRW 34,600. A later municipal licence fee is separate.