A concentrate is mixed and poured into a spray bottle. What does 201 KAR 12:100 require of the bottle?201 KAR 12:100
A Kentucky salon disinfects with household bleach. Besides not being expired, what must be true of the bleach?201 KAR 12:100
A nail technician in Kentucky was told by a doctor that she has a communicable disease. What lets her serve clients again?201 KAR 12:100
A product's label gives no contact time for disinfecting. What does Kentucky's regulation conclude?201 KAR 12:100
A service is over and the disposable gloves come off. What becomes of them, by OSHA?OSHA, Health Hazards in Nail Salons: Biological Hazards
After cleaning and rinsing, how does 201 KAR 12:100 say implements are dried?201 KAR 12:100
An implement has been put in the container labeled "dirty". When may it be taken out again?201 KAR 12:100
Before a metal nipper is disinfected in Kentucky, what is it cleaned with?201 KAR 12:100
By EPA's definitions, how does sanitizing differ from disinfecting?EPA, What's the difference between products that disinfect, sanitize, and clean surfaces?
For how long are an autoclave's spore test results kept onsite under 201 KAR 12:100?201 KAR 12:100
Show all 68 questions (58 more)
Safety and infection control, continued
How does Kentucky's regulation define the word disinfect?201 KAR 12:100
How is a styptic applied in Kentucky to stop bleeding?201 KAR 12:100
How may product be taken from a multi-use tub or jar in a Kentucky salon?201 KAR 12:100
How must the container that holds disinfected implements be labeled in Kentucky?201 KAR 12:100
In 201 KAR 12:100, contact time is met while the item or surface stays in which condition?201 KAR 12:100
In EPA's definitions, what does cleaning do?EPA, What's the difference between products that disinfect, sanitize, and clean surfaces?
In Kentucky's regulation, which three properties must an approved EPA-registered disinfectant have?201 KAR 12:100
The injury is on the client. After putting on gloves and cleaning the area, what does the licensee do next under 201 KAR 12:100?201 KAR 12:100
Kentucky's laundering rule names two pieces of storage. Where do soiled towels and linens go?201 KAR 12:100
Kentucky's regulation defines cleaning, then adds what cleaning does NOT do. What is that?201 KAR 12:100
Under KRS 317A.130, when may a towel used on one patron be used on another?KRS 317A.130
Under Section 17 of 201 KAR 12:100, what makes a service stop at once?201 KAR 12:100
When does OSHA advise nail salon workers to wash their hands?OSHA, Health Hazards in Nail Salons: Biological Hazards
When must a Kentucky licensee cleanse his or her hands?201 KAR 12:100
Where does Kentucky's chemical safety rule say chemicals are stored?201 KAR 12:100
Which clients does OSHA advise a nail salon worker to avoid, to protect the worker's own health?OSHA, Health Hazards in Nail Salons: Biological Hazards
Which federal standard covers exposure to blood in workplaces, nail salons included?OSHA, Health Hazards in Nail Salons: Biological Hazards
Which of these is NOT allowed for carrying or storing an implement, by 201 KAR 12:100?201 KAR 12:100
Which three chemicals does OSHA say are sometimes called the "toxic trio"?OSHA, Health Hazards in Nail Salons: Chemical Hazards
Which word does 201 KAR 12:100 define as the eradication of all microbial life?201 KAR 12:100
Client consultation and nail analysis 11
A client asks whether her plaque psoriasis can spread to you. Can it?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Psoriasis
A client dropped a weight on a toe and a dark patch shows under the nail. What is a subungual hematoma?Wikipedia, Subungual hematoma
A dark band runs down the length of a client's nail. What does the word melanonychia mean?Wikipedia, Melanonychia
A Kentucky client has redness and a rash where the service would be done. What lets the service go ahead?201 KAR 12:100
Kentucky's chemical safety rule says chemicals are mixed and applied as the manufacturer's label instructs. Which test does it name as part of that?201 KAR 12:100
Kentucky's code of ethics requires a licensee to follow which procedures before a product is applied?201 KAR 12:230
Of the two types of contact dermatitis, which do most cases belong to?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Contact dermatitis
Onychogryphosis, the ram's horn nail, has several causes. Which is the most frequent?Wikipedia, Onychogryphosis
Onychomycosis is a nail infection caused by a fungus. By what other name is it known?Wikipedia, Onychomycosis
What is onychia?Wikipedia, Nail disease
Which term names brittle nails that break easily?Wikipedia, Onychorrhexis
Skin care 6
A client wants thick calluses cut away. Which tools does 201 KAR 12:100 prohibit?201 KAR 12:100
How are powders and lotions dispensed for a hand or foot service in Kentucky?201 KAR 12:100
How is paraffin wax handled between clients under 201 KAR 12:100?201 KAR 12:100
How often is a towel warmer disinfected in a Kentucky salon, and how is it left afterward?201 KAR 12:100
Six clean towels sat in the warmer all day and were never used. What does 201 KAR 12:100 require?201 KAR 12:100
Which layer of the skin is the outermost, the one that protects the body from the environment?National Cancer Institute, SEER Training Modules, Layers of the Skin
Nail care 13
A pedicure bowl has a whirlpool effect. In Kentucky's steps for cleaning it after each use, what is done with the disinfectant?201 KAR 12:100
A salon wants to offer a pedicure in which small fish nibble the feet. What does Kentucky's regulation say?201 KAR 12:100
Before each service, how is a nail table cleaned in Kentucky?201 KAR 12:100
Besides MMA, which monomer does 201 KAR 12:100 list among prohibited items?201 KAR 12:100
How does Kentucky's regulation say drill bits are treated after each use?201 KAR 12:100
How is a nail drill cleaned and disinfected after each use, under 201 KAR 12:100?201 KAR 12:100
How often are the surfaces of nail stations disinfected under 201 KAR 12:100?201 KAR 12:100
In a manicure, which part of the nail is usually filed and shaped?Wikipedia, Manicure
KRS 317A.130 bars liquid nail enhancement product containing monomeric methyl methacrylate. By what other name does the statute call it?KRS 317A.130
What is a nail tip?Wikipedia, Artificial nails
What is the first step in Kentucky's procedure for cleaning a pedicure station after a client?201 KAR 12:100
What must a nail client be offered before a service in Kentucky?201 KAR 12:100
Which nail files does 201 KAR 12:100 treat as single use, to be thrown away after each client?201 KAR 12:100
Kentucky licence law (extra) 8
How many hours is the nail technician course of study that KRS 317A.050 requires for a license?KRS 317A.050
Is there a cap on attempts at the examinations for a Kentucky nail technician license?KRS 317A.120
Kentucky nail technicians must practice in a licensed establishment. Which client may be served outside one?KRS 317A.155
KRS 317A.120 sets a waiting time after a failed theory test or practical demonstration. How long is it?KRS 317A.120
Of the 450 hours in Kentucky's nail technician course, how many are on Kentucky statutes and administrative regulations?201 KAR 12:082
The owner of a Kentucky nail salon holds no license. Who must manage the salon at all times?KRS 317A.050
What is the minimum passing grade on Kentucky's nail technician theory test and practical demonstration?201 KAR 12:030
Which of these does Kentucky's definition of a nail technician include?KRS 317A.010
How this list was compiled: Outline: the Nail Technician Candidate Bulletin for the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology (version 1.3, effective 9/8/2026, published by PSI Services LLC; linked from the Board's exams page, https://kbc.ky.gov/exams/Pages/default.aspx): the theory test is the PSI National Manicurist test, 60 scored questions and 5 unscored, 90 minutes, 70 percent to pass, in four topics of 50, 18, 10 and 22 percent. Facts: 201 KAR 12:100 (effective December 2, 2025), 12:030, 12:082 and 12:230 and KRS Chapter 317A on the Kentucky General Assembly's site (https://apps.legislature.ky.gov), the OSHA nail salon pages, EPA, the SEER Training Modules of the National Cancer Institute, MedlinePlus and Wikipedia articles. 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 real examination, a testing vendor, a textbook or a prep course.
How it works
This unofficial Kentucky nail technician practice test follows the outline of the theory test Kentucky uses, the PSI National Manicurist test. It is not affiliated with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology or PSI Services LLC, and no question comes from the test.
Read the full guide
What the Kentucky theory test covers
The Board's Nail Technician Candidate Bulletin (version 1.3, effective September 8, 2026) weights four topics: Safety and Infection Control 50 percent, Client Consultation and Nail Analysis 18, Skin Care 10 and Nail Care 22. Eight more questions here cover Kentucky's licence law, which the outline does not list.
Kentucky rules to know cold
201 KAR 12:100 bans MMA, IBMA, credo blades and rasps, makes every file that is not metal or glass single use, and has drill bits soaked in acetone, scrubbed and disinfected after each client.
Disinfected implements sit in a covered container labeled disinfected or ready to use; dirty ones stay covered and labeled dirty (201 KAR 12:100, Section 3).
Bleach must be 5.25 percent or stronger, unexpired and made less than six months before use (201 KAR 12:100, Section 1).
Offer hand sanitizer before every nail service and disinfect the station's surfaces between clients (201 KAR 12:100, Section 7).
Questions and answers
Is this a KY nail technician practice test for the theory exam?
Yes, for the theory part. Kentucky uses a national manicurist theory test, and this bank follows its four topics. The practical demonstration, done on a mannequin hand, is not covered.
How many questions are on the Kentucky nail technician theory test?
The bulletin gives 60 scored questions and 5 unscored experimental ones, 90 minutes, and 70 percent to pass, the mark 201 KAR 12:030 also sets. Exam mode here draws 60 questions in 90 minutes.
Are these the real Kentucky nail tech exam questions?
No. Every question is our own, written from 201 KAR 12:100, KRS Chapter 317A and public pages such as OSHA's and MedlinePlus, each named under its answer. It is free, with nothing taken from the test.