A client is nicked and bleeds. The barber stops the service. What is the first step of Connecticut's blood and body fluid exposure procedure?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Blood and Body Fluid Exposure)
A comb falls on the floor during a haircut. What do Connecticut's guidelines require?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Safety and Infection Control Practices)
A conditioner is kept acidic with an acidifier such as citric acid. What does an acidic product do to the cuticle of the hair?Wikipedia, Hair conditioner (Ingredients)
By the glossary of the CDC's disinfection guideline, what does a sanitizer do?CDC, Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities (Glossary)
For how long may a batch of disinfectant solution be kept in a Connecticut shop?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Disinfecting)
Gloves come off after a blood spill is cleaned up. What does the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard require next?29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(v)
Hepatitis C is a liver disease spread through blood. Is there a vaccine for it?CDC, Hepatitis C Basics
How many cervical vertebrae are in the neck?NCI SEER Training Modules, Axial Skeleton (80 bones)
Show all 66 questions (58 more)
Scientific concepts, continued
How many pairs of cranial nerves emerge from the brain to serve the head, neck and face?NCI SEER Training Modules, The Peripheral Nervous System
How many pairs of muscles are responsible for the chewing movements of the jaw (mastication)?NCI SEER Training Modules, Muscles of the Head and Neck
In the skull, which of these is a facial bone, not a cranial bone?NCI SEER Training Modules, Axial Skeleton (80 bones)
Most bones of the face come in pairs. Which of these facial bones is a single bone?NCI SEER Training Modules, Axial Skeleton (80 bones)
Relaxers are always somewhat alkaline. What does that call for once the relaxer has been rinsed out?Wikipedia, Relaxer (General usage)
What can overexposure of the scalp to a lye or no-lye relaxer cause?Wikipedia, Relaxer
What do Connecticut's guidelines say about alcohol alone as a disinfecting agent for tools?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Disinfecting)
What is a carbuncle?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Carbuncle
What is trichotillomania?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Trichotillomania
What may an ultraviolet (UV) electric sanitizer be used for under Connecticut's guidelines?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Storing Items)
When may a Connecticut barber use an alcohol-based hand rub in place of washing the hands?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Hand Washing)
Where does blood-stained tissue or cotton go under Connecticut's blood exposure procedure?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Blood and Body Fluid Exposure)
Which layer of the skin completely lacks a network of capillaries?NCI SEER Training Modules, Classification & Structure of Blood Vessels
Implements and equipment 6
How do Connecticut's guidelines have shears and razors treated after each use?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Shears and Razors)
How may a plastic or nylon cape be treated between uses under Connecticut's guidelines?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Laundered Items)
How often must the stylist chairs at hair stations be cleaned and disinfected under Connecticut's guidelines?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Fixtures)
What does a diffuser attachment do on a hair dryer?Wikipedia, Hair dryer (Function)
What makes a razor a safety razor?Wikipedia, Safety razor
Which parts of an electric clipper do Connecticut's guidelines have cleaned and disinfected after each use?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Electrical and Electronic Tools)
Hair care services 24
A client asks how long a haircut will take to grow out. About how fast is scalp hair commonly said to grow?Wikipedia, Human hair growth
A client has an open sore in the area to be serviced. What do Connecticut's guidelines say?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Safety and Infection Control Practices)
A scalp treatment uses a dandruff shampoo. How long may some of them need to sit on the scalp before rinsing, according to dermatologists?American Academy of Dermatology, How to treat dandruff
A strand test shows uneven shades from a semi-permanent color. On what does each strand's final color depend?Wikipedia, Hair coloring (Semi-permanent synthetic dyes)
After an outline and neck shave, curved hairs cut short along the back hairline can grow back into the skin of the neck. What is this condition called?Wikipedia, Pseudofolliculitis barbae
Among hair enhancement options, what is a toupée?Wikipedia, Toupée
At which pH do classic alkaline perms, made with ammonium thioglycolate, usually work?Wikipedia, Permanent wave (Technical considerations)
Before wet styling, how do dermatologists say to take the water out of freshly washed hair?American Academy of Dermatology, How to stop damaging your hair
During a scalp analysis, how do the eggs of head lice (nits) differ from flakes of dandruff?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Head lice
How is a braid formed?Wikipedia, Braid (hairstyle)
How is a guanidine hydroxide "no-lye" relaxer prepared?Wikipedia, Relaxer (No lye relaxers)
Hydrogen peroxide lightens hair. Why is it mixed with ammonia?Wikipedia, Hair coloring (Hair bleaching)
In balayage, how is the hair color applied?Wikipedia, Hair coloring (Application techniques)
In foiling, what are the pieces of foil for?Wikipedia, Hair coloring (Application techniques)
In permanent hair color, what does a higher developer volume give?Wikipedia, Hair coloring (Permanent synthetic dyes)
Locs can form by themselves in very curly hair. With which techniques can they also be created?Wikipedia, Dreadlocks
Thermal styling uses hair irons. Which three general kinds are there?Wikipedia, Hair iron
What does the "cool shot" button on a hair dryer do?Wikipedia, Hair dryer
What is shampoo typically used to remove from the hair?Wikipedia, Shampoo
What is the main purpose of a hair conditioner?Wikipedia, Hair conditioner
When must hair be removed from a shampoo bowl under Connecticut's guidelines?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Fixtures)
Where are used or soiled towels, linens and capes stored in a Connecticut shop?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Laundered Items)
Which is the outer covering of a strand of hair?Wikipedia, Hair (Description)
Why is the area to be shaved wetted with warm water before a wet shave?Wikipedia, Shaving (Wet shaving)
Facial hair and skin care services 9
A towel covers the client for a shave. How many times may it be used before laundering under Connecticut's guidelines?Connecticut DPH, Salon Infection Control Guidelines (Laundered Items)
In facial hair design, for what is a very narrow 3/8 straight razor mostly used?Wikipedia, Straight razor (Design criteria)
Left untreated over time, what can pseudofolliculitis barbae (razor bumps) cause in the beard area?Wikipedia, Pseudofolliculitis barbae
Tapotement is the percussion movement of a facial massage. Which form of it uses the edge of the hand on the little-finger side?Wikipedia, Tapotement
Tinea barbae in the beard area looks like barber's itch. What kind of organism causes it?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Folliculitis
What is another name for light therapy?Wikipedia, Light therapy
Which current does a galvanic facial treatment apply?Wikipedia, Cosmetic electrotherapy (Galvanic treatment)
Which point shape of straight razor is advised for an inexperienced user?Wikipedia, Straight razor (Design criteria)
Why do preparations for electric, or dry, shaving hold a high amount of alcohol?Wikipedia, Shaving cream
Connecticut barber law 6
How often is a Connecticut master barber license renewed?Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-239
May a licensed Connecticut hairdresser and cosmetician work in a barber shop?Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-248
What do the Connecticut General Statutes require of a barber school course before a license?Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-236(a)
Where must a Connecticut barber post the license card?Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-238(a)
Which of these may not be allowed in a Connecticut barber shop under section 20-244?Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-244
Who sits on Connecticut's nine-member Examining Board for Barbers, Hairdressers and Cosmeticians?Conn. Gen. Stat. 20-235a
How this list was compiled: Outline: the Barber Styling Candidate Information Bulletin in the Connecticut Barber and Cosmetology Handbook that Prometric publishes for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, version 7.2024 (https://www.prometric.com/exams/connecticut/). Facts: Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 386 (https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_386.htm); the Department's Salon Infection Control Guidelines for barbers and other practitioners (https://portal.ct.gov/dph/practitioner-licensing--investigations/saloninspection/salon-infection-control-guidelines); the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard; public pages of the CDC, MedlinePlus and the NCI SEER training modules; public pages of the American Academy of Dermatology; and Wikipedia articles on hair, barber tools, shaving, hair chemistry, massage and electrotherapy. Each question names its section or page and links to it. Read 2026-10-12. Licence: Own work. Every question, wrong choice and explanation was written for this site from the public texts named. Nothing comes from the examination, from the sample questions printed in the handbook, from a textbook, a prep course or a question pool.
How it works
A barbering state board practice test for Connecticut, unofficial and free: our own questions on the four domains of the National Barber Styling Theory Examination, the written test the state uses. It is not affiliated with the Connecticut Department of Public Health or Prometric.
Read the full guide
What Connecticut's written barber exam is
The Department of Public Health's testing handbook (version 7.2024; opened October 12, 2026) prints the outline: scientific concepts 35 percent, implements and equipment 10, hair care services 40, facial hair and skin care services 15.
Connecticut's own rules, on top
Fifteen answers come from the Department's infection control guidelines for barbers. Six more questions ask Chapter 386 of the General Statutes, the barber law, which the outline does not list.
Alcohol by itself is not acceptable for disinfecting; the product must be EPA-registered for hospital use (Department guidelines).
Disinfectant solution is made daily and discarded at the end of the day, or at once if debris shows.
A styptic pencil, a hair duster and lump alum may not be kept in a barber shop (C.G.S. 20-244).
Questions and answers
Is this a barbering state board practice test for Connecticut?
For the written theory examination, yes. Connecticut licenses barbers through the Department of Public Health, with its examining board, and this bank follows the outline in the Department's testing handbook.
How many questions are on the Connecticut barber exam?
The handbook gives 110 items, of which 100 are weighted and count toward the score, and allows 90 minutes. A score of 70 percent or above is required to pass.
Are these the real Connecticut barber exam questions?
No. Each was written for this page from Connecticut's statutes and guidelines, OSHA rules and public pages of the CDC, MedlinePlus, the National Cancer Institute, the American Academy of Dermatology and Wikipedia. None repeats a sample question printed in the handbook.
What does this Connecticut barber practice test leave out?
Outline lines that no public source states: the shaving strokes, head shaving, cutting and outlining technique, facial massage sequence and keratin treatments. Hot towels are left out too, because the statute and the Department's guidelines read differently.