1.4 The PSI National Manicurist Practical Exam: Topic Areas, Timing, Kit Rules & Scoring
Key Takeaways
The PSI National Manicurist practical test has five topic areas of 10, 20, 20, 30 and 10 minutes, about 90 minutes in total.
A Michigan manicurist candidate must earn at least 33 of 42 points to pass the PSI practical test.
28 of the 42 practical rating lines measure adherence to workplace infection control or safety precautions.
PSI bans aerosols and mechanical hands with removable digits from the practical test.
PSI requires factory-sealed monomer labeled low odor or odorless, and a disinfectant labeled virucidal, bactericidal and fungicidal.
Structure of the practical
| Topic area | Task | Time | What is timed inside it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Workstation preparation | 10 min | Prepare a daily workstation |
| 2 | Basic manicure | 20 min | 5 min set up and prepare client, 10 min manicure, 5 min clean up |
| 3 | Nail tip application | 20 min | 5 min set up and prepare client, 10 min tip application, 5 min clean up |
| 4 | Nail enhancement using a form | 30 min | 5 min set up and prepare client, 20 min enhancement, 5 min clean up |
| 5 | Workstation preparation for next client | 10 min | Complete clean-up for the next client |
The guide describes the test as about 90 minutes. A prompter reads each instruction and a proctor keeps time. Personal timers are not allowed. When you hear "Please stop working," stop at once and stand quietly. Work not finished in the time limit is not scored. Raise your hand at the end of each section.
How it is scored
You need 33 of 42 points to pass, about 79%. The CIB lists the rating criteria line by line:
- Topic areas 1 and 5 have 3 lines each.
- Topic areas 2, 3 and 4 have 12 lines each.
In every block of three, one line is the task itself, such as "Performs a basic manicure." The other two are "Adheres to workplace infection control precautions" and "Adheres to workplace safety precautions." That makes 28 of the 42 lines about infection control and safety. A beautiful nail cannot make up for contaminating your kit.
You get a PASS report, or an overall score with a score for each topic area if you fail. There is no review process for the practical.
What PSI watches for
Infection control examples from the guide:
- clean your hands before you start and whenever they become contaminated
- treat the supply kit as clean storage: never return used items to it or leave it open
- know which items are single-use and which are multi-use, and throw each into the right container
- disinfect work surfaces, and keep them uncontaminated
- dispense products without double-dipping
- never put an item that touched a contaminated surface back into a product container, and never let it touch a dispensing tip
- keep the client, your containers and your tools free of contamination
- handle any body fluid (blood, vomit or feces) without contaminating yourself or others
Safety examples:
- know and follow federal and state safety rules
- avoid cross-contaminating chemicals on the station
- mix and store chemicals correctly, and know their SDS
- clean up spills and pick up dropped items to prevent slips and trips
- use only tools in safe working order, with no frayed or exposed wires and no rusty metal
- use every tool and piece of equipment safely
Kit, product and room rules
| Rule | What the CIB says |
|---|---|
| Supply kit | A closable container, suggested no larger than 24 by 24 by 24 inches. It holds everything you need. PSI publishes no supply list. |
| Practice hand | No mechanical or trainer hands with removable parts or digits. Nail tips are glued or formed on each finger to stand in for the natural nail. |
| Disposal | Bring two containers, one marked "Single-use" and one marked "multi-use." Every used item goes into one of them. |
| Topic bags | You may pack a labeled bag for each topic area. Empty it at setup, and put the bag in the single-use container. |
| Non-hazardous products | Products not listed on an SDS as OSHA-hazardous may be simulated, with a real or self-made label. |
| Hazardous products | Products that would appear on an SDS must be in the original container with the manufacturer's label, or in a container bearing that label. |
| Labels | Large, legible print the evaluator can read |
| Disinfectant | Manufacturer label must list virucidal, bactericidal and fungicidal activity |
| Monomer | Factory sealed and labeled "low odor" or "odorless"; anything else is refused entry |
| Aerosols | Absolutely none in the testing area |
| Conduct | Do not watch other candidates. Cover your name and school name. Do not ask about test content. |
Instructions are delivered in English. A "Red Book" script is provided in your chosen language: English, simplified Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish or Vietnamese.
How the guide maps to each topic area
| Topic area | Study first |
|---|---|
| 1 and 5, workstation preparation and clean-up | Sections 2.3, 2.4, 1.3 |
| 2, basic manicure | Sections 5.3, 6.1, 6.3 |
| 3, nail tip application | Section 7.2 |
| 4, enhancement using a form | Sections 7.1, 7.3 |
| All topic areas | Sections 2.5 and 3.1 to 3.4 |
Warning
Common automatic losses: setting a used file back on the clean towel, dipping a brush that touched the station back into product, leaving the kit open, using an aerosol activator, and carrying a disinfectant whose label lacks one of the three required claims. Practice the whole 90-minute sequence with a timer at least twice before test day.
How many points must a candidate earn to pass the PSI National Manicurist practical test used in Michigan?
33 of 42
30 of 42
45 of 60
42 of 50
Which item in a candidate's supply kit would be refused under the PSI practical rules?
A factory-sealed monomer labeled odorless
A disinfectant whose label lists virucidal, bactericidal and fungicidal activity
An aerosol spray activator for nail resin
A container labeled "Single-use" for discarded items
During the nail tip application topic area, a candidate drops a file on the floor and then sets the same file back on her clean work towel. Which rating lines is she most likely to lose?
Only the line for performing the tip application
None, because files are single-use anyway
Lines in topic area 1, because scoring is cumulative
The infection control and safety lines
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.