Washington Nail Technician Practice Test

59 questions on Washington's safety and sanitation rule: foot spas, single-use nail tools, paraffin, blood spills and the manicurist license.

Which of these goes home with the client or into the trash after one Washington pedicure?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Washington State Department of Licensing or the NIC. Bank checked October 16, 2026.

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All 59 questions

Nail tools, paraffin and foot spas 18

  • A manicure ends in a Washington salon. Where do the nail clippings go, and when? WAC 308-20-110(1)(m)
  • A manicurist lifts paraffin from the pot with one dedicated spatula and spreads it with a second. What must the first spatula never touch? WAC 308-20-110(3)(b)
  • A nail file is not approved by its maker for disinfection and reuse. Besides discarding it, what does Washington let a manicurist do with it? WAC 308-20-110(6)(a)
  • A paraffin treatment is over. What happens to the wax that touched the client, under WAC 308-20-110? WAC 308-20-110(3)(c)
  • A pedicure is given in a simple basin with no circulation. What does Washington have the drained basin scrubbed with? WAC 308-20-110(10)(e)
  • A salon uses reusable liners in its foot basins. Which procedure does WAC 308-20-110 apply to them? WAC 308-20-110(10)(e)
  • An electric file handpiece cannot be soaked. Once the dust is off, what does Washington have it disinfected with? WAC 308-20-110(8)
  • How does WAC 308-20-110 define a "foot spa"? WAC 308-20-110(10)(a)
  • How must a paraffin bath be kept when no paraffin treatment is under way in a Washington salon? WAC 308-20-110(3)(a)
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Nail tools, paraffin and foot spas, continued

  • How often do the filter screen and inlet jets of a Washington foot spa come out so that trapped debris can be cleaned away? WAC 308-20-110(10)(c)
  • The nightly disinfection of an air-jet foot basin is done and the basin is drained and rinsed. What is it then left to do? WAC 308-20-110(10)(c)
  • The removable parts of a foot spa are out of the basin. What does Washington's rule have them scrubbed with? WAC 308-20-110(10)(c)
  • What must a Washington salon write down about the nightly cleaning and disinfecting of its foot spas? WAC 308-20-110(10)(d)
  • Which of these goes home with the client or into the trash after one Washington pedicure? WAC 308-20-110(6)(a)
  • Which pedicure tool does WAC 308-20-110 list under prohibited instruments or practices? WAC 308-20-110(16)
  • Which two nail products does WAC 308-20-110 prohibit by name? WAC 308-20-110(15)
  • Who may ask to see a Washington salon's foot spa cleaning and disinfecting records? WAC 308-20-110(10)(d)
  • Whose specifications decide whether a Washington nail tool may be disinfected and used again? WAC 308-20-110(6)(a)

Infection control and safety 26

  • A client sits down for a Washington manicure. What may take the place of washing her hands with soap and warm water? WAC 308-20-110(1)(l)
  • A manicurist cuts her own finger, in a spot a glove can cover. After the bandage, what must she wear? WAC 308-20-110(17)(e)
  • A manicurist keeps cleaned and disinfected nippers in an ultraviolet sterilizer. What does Washington allow that device to do? WAC 308-20-110(6)(c)
  • A manicurist pours acetone into a smaller bottle for her station. What does Washington's rule require of every bottle and container? WAC 308-20-110(1)(h)
  • A manicurist unpacks a box of new nippers. How does Washington's rule have new and disinfected tools stored? WAC 308-20-110(9)(a)
  • A manicurist wore disposable gloves for a pedicure and her next client is waiting. What does Washington's rule say of the gloves? WAC 308-20-110(6)(f)
  • A metal cuticle pusher is cleaned after a Washington manicure. In what order does WAC 308-20-110(7) put the steps? WAC 308-20-110(7)(a)
  • A pedicure client has a visible open sore on one foot. What does Washington's rule say of the service? WAC 308-20-110(1)(e)
  • A Washington salon has a stack of freshly laundered manicure towels. Where does the state rule have them kept? WAC 308-20-110(14)
  • Besides being changed daily and kept at the recommended strength, what does Washington ask of a salon's disinfecting solutions? WAC 308-20-110(6)(d)
  • Between two nails, a manicurist tucks her cuticle nipper into an apron pocket. What does WAC 308-20-110(7) say of that? WAC 308-20-110(7)(c)
  • Disinfected nippers are dry and ready for the next Washington client. What kind of container does the rule name for storing them? WAC 308-20-110(6)(c)
  • For which chemical products must a Washington nail salon have safety data sheets at hand in the immediate working area? WAC 308-20-110(4)(b)
  • Leftover liquid monomer and used acetone are harmful waste. How does Washington have a salon dispose of them? WAC 308-20-110(5)(b)
  • Nippers drew blood during a manicure. What does Washington's blood spill procedure say of tools that touched it? WAC 308-20-110(17)(g)
  • Oxidizers, catalysts and solvents could react with one another. How does Washington have such chemicals stored? WAC 308-20-110(4)(d)
  • Used nippers wait to be cleaned at a Washington manicure table. What must the drawer or container that holds them have? WAC 308-20-110(9)(b)
  • What condition does Washington's rule set for the walls, floors and ceilings of a salon? WAC 308-20-110(12)
  • What does the blood spill kit inside a Washington salon's first-aid kit contain? WAC 308-20-110(18)
  • What must a Washington salon provide for customers who wash their hands before a manicure? WAC 308-20-110(1)(c)
  • When must a sealable rigid container for sharp objects be on hand in a Washington salon? WAC 308-20-110(5)(e)
  • When must a Washington salon's waste containers be emptied? WAC 308-20-110(5)(c)
  • Where must the restroom available to a Washington salon be? WAC 308-20-110(19)
  • Which cosmetic products may a Washington salon or school not have on the premises at all? WAC 308-20-110(15)
  • Which three harms does Washington's rule on storing chemicals name? WAC 308-20-110(4)(e)
  • Which waste container in a Washington salon may go without a cover? WAC 308-20-110(5)(a)

Scope and license law (extra) 15

  • A licensed manicurist serves place-bound clients in their homes. What does WAC 308-20-520 say of a location license? WAC 308-20-520(3)
  • A manicurist leases a station inside someone else's Washington salon. Which licenses does WAC 308-20-520 require of her? WAC 308-20-520(1)
  • A room is used as a Washington nail salon. What does RCW 18.16.175 say about living in it? RCW 18.16.175(1)
  • A Washington nail school enrolls a new class. How many hours does the manicurist curriculum run? RCW 18.16.020(12)(a)
  • A Washington salon takes part in a state-approved apprenticeship program. What must its notice in the reception area tell consumers? RCW 18.16.180(2)
  • An applicant is removed from a Washington examination site for breaking the code of conduct. For how long is testing then denied? WAC 308-20-121(3)
  • Besides licenses and the consumer notice, what must a Washington salon post in direct public view? WAC 308-20-550(1)
  • How much public liability insurance must a Washington salon/shop certify that it carries? RCW 18.16.175(1)
  • How old must a person be to count as a "student" in a licensed Washington school? RCW 18.16.020(35)
  • What does Washington's minimum instruction rule for manicuring say about mannequins? WAC 308-20-080(4)
  • What is a "personal services" license in Washington's cosmetology chapter? RCW 18.16.020(27)
  • Where must a Washington salon/shop license be posted? RCW 18.16.175(7)
  • Which artificial nail materials does the manicuring curriculum in WAC 308-20-080 name beside acrylic, gel and powder? WAC 308-20-080(4)
  • Which nail service does Washington's definition of cosmetology leave out and its definition of manicuring include? RCW 18.16.020(29) and (31)
  • With no complaint on file, how often at the least is an existing Washington salon/shop inspected? RCW 18.16.175(4)

How this list was compiled: Examination: WAC 308-20-120 asks a license applicant to pass a written and a performance examination with a scaled score of 75. The candidate bulletin of the Department of Licensing's examination provider (https://provexam.com/test-information/washington-department-of-licensing) lists Manicurist Written at 110 questions, 10 of them unscored pilot questions, 90 minutes, passing score 75, and Manicurist Practical at 149 minutes, passing score 75. Outline of the written examination: the National Nail Technology Theory Examination bulletin of the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC), effective September 1, 2025 (https://prov-testing.github.io/nic_cib/nail_technology_national_theory_english_2025.html): eight domains, from infection control and safety practices (15 percent) to nail enhancement services (20 percent). Facts: chapter 308-20 WAC, last updated 7/2/26 (https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=308-20), and chapter 18.16 RCW (https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.16). Each question names its section and links to it. Read 2026-10-16. Licence: Own work. Every question, wrong choice and explanation was written for this site from the public texts named. Nothing comes from a real examination, the sample questions in a bulletin, a practice product, a textbook or a prep course.

How it works

Unofficial practice for Washington's manicurist (nail technician) license, written from chapter 308-20 WAC and chapter 18.16 RCW. Not affiliated with the Washington State Department of Licensing, the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) or its examiner.

Read the full guide

The exam behind the license

Washington asks a manicurist to pass a written and a performance examination. The written one is NIC's nail technology theory test, where infection control and safety practices hold 15 percent of the items and nail service tools 13. WAC 308-20-110 is the state's rule on both.

How the questions divide

Eighteen follow nail tools, paraffin and the foot spa procedures. Twenty-six follow the section's other safety and sanitation standards. Fifteen are scope and license law. Nail anatomy, disorders, product chemistry and enhancement steps are in no Washington text; the national manicure theory test on this site carries them.

  • Nightly, a foot spa's filter screen and inlet jets come out, and the cleaning's date and time are recorded on the spot (WAC 308-20-110(10)).
  • A cosmetology license covers manicures and pedicures but not artificial nails; a manicurist license covers both (RCW 18.16.020).
  • An operator who leases space needs an operator license and a salon/shop license for that location (WAC 308-20-520).

Questions and answers

How many questions are on the Washington manicurist exam?

The examination provider's bulletin lists Manicurist Written at 110 questions, 10 of them unscored, in 90 minutes, and Manicurist Practical at 149 minutes. WAC 308-20-120 sets the minimum passing score for both at a scaled score of 75.

Is a nail technician called a manicurist in Washington?

Yes. Chapter 18.16 RCW licenses a manicurist, and the practice of manicuring covers the nails of the hands or feet and the application and removal of sculptured or otherwise artificial nails.

How many hours is manicurist school in Washington?

The school curriculum for a manicurist is 600 hours (RCW 18.16.020). Examination results count toward a first license for three years from the date of the examination (WAC 308-20-120).

Does Washington have a state law test for manicurists?

The provider's bulletin lists two manicurist examinations, written and practical, and no law test. NIC's outline has no state law part, so the fifteen scope and license law questions here are extra practice.

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