A patron has a contagious scalp disease. What does SPS 50.200 say about serving that patron?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.200(2)
A patron's skin is cut and bleeds. Under SPS 50.290, what does the barber do after stopping and before washing the patron's wound?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.290(3)
A piece of contact equipment cannot be cleaned with soap or detergent and water. What does SPS 50.270 require?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.270(3)
A Wisconsin establishment sterilizes with steam. For how long must the heat be held at its minimum temperature?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.272(1)
How are scissors, razors and clipper blades disinfected under SPS 50.271?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.271(2)
How do the Wisconsin barber rules define sterilization?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.110(25)
How is laundry disinfected under SPS 50.271?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.271(6)
How must the disinfectant used for decontamination be kept in a Wisconsin barbering establishment?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.271(5)
How often must a sterilizer be checked to be sure it reaches the required temperatures?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.272(2)
SPS 50.270 has licensees wash their hands before serving each patron and at one other moment. Which?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.270(2)
Show all 60 questions (50 more)
Sanitation, disinfection and blood exposure, continued
What does SPS 50.270 require of shampoo bowls and basins?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.270(5)
What is the minimum temperature for dry heat sterilization under SPS 50.272?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.272(1)
What must be at every work station for use in case of injury?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.280(1)
What must every licensee working in a licensed Wisconsin establishment be supplied with?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.280(2)
What strength of isopropyl alcohol solution counts as a disinfectant under SPS 50.110?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.110(13)(b)
When may a waterless hand washing agent stand in for soap and running water in a Wisconsin barbering establishment?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.270(2)
When may a Wisconsin barber treat a disease of the skin?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.200(1)
Where does soiled contact equipment go until it has been cleaned and disinfected?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.271(4)
Which of these does SPS 50.110 class as personal care instruments?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.110(23)
Which strength of stabilized hydrogen peroxide does SPS 50.290 name as a topical antiseptic for a wound?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.290(2)
Which term do the Wisconsin rules define as a chemical that kills or inhibits the growth of organisms on skin or living tissue?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.110(1)
Wisconsin's barber rules count a solution of household bleach and water as a disinfectant on two conditions. Which are they?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.110(13)(a)
Scope and practice standards 9
A licensee learns that an unlicensed person is practicing barbering. What does SPS 50.211 require?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.211(2)
A Wisconsin barber cuts a patron's hair at the patron's home. What must the barber bring to that location?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.212(2)
An establishment does not post a list of the cost of its services. What must it display?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.220(2)
Chapter 454 leaves natural hair braiding outside barbering. Which of these is not natural hair braiding as the chapter defines it?Wis. Stat. 454.20(12m)(b)
What does SPS 50.210 say about smoking?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.210(5)
What must a Wisconsin barber obtain before providing a service to a patron?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.210(3)
Which of these is outside the statutory definition of barbering in Wisconsin?Wis. Stat. 454.20(2)
Who may use the title "barber" or "hairstylist" in Wisconsin?Wis. Stat. 454.22(2)
Wisconsin's definition of barbering covers work upon the hair of which parts of a person?Wis. Stat. 454.20(2)
The barbering establishment 10
A licensed barbering establishment changes owners. Who reports the change to the department, and how soon?Wis. Stat. 454.25(2)
A Wisconsin barbering establishment moves to a new address. How do the rules treat the move?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.260(2)
An individual who is not employed by the owner leases a chair in the owner's establishment. What does SPS 50.241 require of that lessee?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.241(2)
The department sends a notice of violation after an inspection. Within how long must the licensee respond?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.250(2)
For how long must an owner keep the records of apprentices, temporary permit holders and barbers?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.230(3)
How many hours a week is "full time" under SPS 50.110, if the establishment is open at least that long?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.110(17)
May a person who is neither a licensed barber nor a licensed cosmetologist own a licensed barbering establishment in Wisconsin?Wis. Stat. 454.25(4)
When may a department inspector enter and inspect a licensed barbering establishment?Wis. Stat. 454.28(2)
Which other business may not be run inside a licensed barbering establishment in Wisconsin?Wis. Stat. 454.25(7)
Whom must the owner of a licensed barbering establishment employ as its manager?Wis. Stat. 454.25(5)
License, training and examination 14
A barber licensed in another state applies in Wisconsin and has never been disciplined. Which course does section 454.27 ask for?Wis. Stat. 454.27(1)(a)
A former Wisconsin barber applies to restore a license 5 years or more after it expired. What does SPS 50.410 require?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.410
An applicant fails the Wisconsin written examination. How may it be retaken?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.330(7)
Besides the form and the fee, what must a Wisconsin barber certify in order to renew?Wis. Stat. 454.23(5)
By what date is a Wisconsin barber license renewed?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.400
For how long is a Wisconsin temporary permit to practice as a barber valid?Wis. Stat. 454.23(7)(b)
How is a Wisconsin barbering apprenticeship divided between practical training and school instruction?Wis. Stat. 454.26(2)
How long before the examination must an applicant file the application under section 454.24?Wis. Stat. 454.24(4)
How many training hours must a barbering course of instruction have for a Wisconsin barber license?Wis. Stat. 454.23(2)(d)
How often must examinations for barber licenses be conducted under section 454.24?Wis. Stat. 454.24(1)
What does SPS 50.340 say about a barber whose license is inactive?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.340(3)(a)
What must a person practicing under a temporary permit do before performing any barbering service?Wis. Stat. 454.285
Who may supervise an apprentice in barbering in Wisconsin?Wis. Stat. 454.26(3)(a)
Within how long must a Wisconsin barbering apprenticeship be completed?Wis. Stat. 454.26(2)
Discipline and penalties 5
A credential holder mails in the forfeiture named in a citation. How do the rules treat that payment?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.530
A licensee is served with a citation for a forfeiture and wants a hearing. Within how long must the plea be entered?Wis. Admin. Code SPS 50.540(1)
Under section 454.29, how is each day of a continued violation counted?Wis. Stat. 454.29(3)
What is the largest forfeiture the department may assess for each separate offense under section 454.29?Wis. Stat. 454.29(3)
Which of these is a ground for discipline listed in section 454.29?Wis. Stat. 454.29(2)(e)
How this list was compiled: Exam facts: the Wisconsin Barber (NIC Barber Stylist) Candidate Handbook, revised July 2026 and effective September 1, 2026, and the National Barber Styling Theory Examination bulletin effective September 1, 2026, both linked from the examination page the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services sends candidates to (https://www.dlroope.com/wisconsin_exam_information.cfm?state=10). Questions: subchapter II of chapter 454 of the Wisconsin Statutes (https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/454) and chapter SPS 50 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code (https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/sps/professional_services/050/50). Each question names its section and links to it. Read 2026-10-14. Licence: Own work. Every question, wrong choice and explanation was written for this site from the statute and rules named. Nothing comes from the examination, from a textbook, a prep course or a question pool.
How it works
This unofficial Wisconsin barber practice test asks our own questions on chapter SPS 50, the state's barber rules, and on the barbering statute. It is not affiliated with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services or NIC.
Read the full guide
What the Wisconsin barber written exam is
Wisconsin's written test is the National Barber Styling Theory Examination (bulletin effective September 1, 2026; opened October 14, 2026). Scientific concepts are 35 percent, implements and equipment 10, hair care services 40, facial hair and skin care 15.
What this page practices
That outline lists no state law, so this bank does not follow it. It asks Wisconsin's own text: chapter SPS 50 on disinfection, sterilization, blood exposure and establishments, and subchapter II of chapter 454. The candidate handbook also mentions Wisconsin state law questions, in English only, without a count.
A bleach solution counts as a disinfectant only if made fresh each day, at 500 parts per million available chlorine (SPS 50.110).
Steam: 250 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 minutes. Dry heat: 340 degrees for at least 60 (SPS 50.272).
School route: 1,000 training hours. Apprenticeship: 1,712 practical hours and 288 of instruction (sections 454.23 and 454.26).
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the Wisconsin barber written exam?
The national bulletin gives 110 items, 100 of which count toward the score, and 90 minutes. A round on this page is shorter and asks Wisconsin's own rules.
What is the passing score on the Wisconsin barber exam?
The candidate handbook asks for a scaled score of 75.00 on the written and on the practical examination. A scaled score is not a share of questions right.
Are these the real Wisconsin barber exam questions?
No. Each was written for this page from subchapter II of chapter 454 of the Wisconsin Statutes and chapter SPS 50 of the Administrative Code, with the section under each answer. Nothing comes from the examination or a textbook.
How long is a Wisconsin barber temporary permit good for?
Six months, and it may not be renewed (section 454.23). The holder must tell each person served that the permit is temporary and that only the examination remains (section 454.285).
Can you retake only part of a failed Wisconsin barber exam?
A failed written or practical examination is retaken on its own, but only in its entirety (SPS 50.330). The handbook adds that no pass or fail is decided on single content areas.