Wisconsin Esthetician Practice Test

All 91 answers rest on Wisconsin's own text, 35 of them on the Board's sanitation and safety chapter.

Facial towels are laundered at the establishment. What must the wash solution contain under Cos 4.02(6)?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Wisconsin Cosmetology Examining Board or the NIC. Bank checked October 16, 2026.

Next step Esthetician tests for other statesThe whole NIC outline: Washington esthetics test

All 91 questions

Scientific concepts: infection control 26

  • A licensee has a known contagious disease. Under Cos 2.02(4), what must be true before the licensee serves patrons? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.02(4)
  • A licensee is about to pierce a patron's ear. What does Cos 4.07 require of the earrings, needles and other piercing instruments? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.07(4)
  • A patron asks a Wisconsin aesthetician to name the skin disease behind a rash. What does Cos 2.02 say about diagnosing? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.02(1m)
  • A patron has open lesions on the skin. What does Cos 4.06(2) have the licensee use? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.06(2)
  • A reusable implement has been in direct contact with a client. Which two outcomes does Cos 4.01(3) allow once that client's service is over? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.01(3)
  • A steam sterilizer is used in a Wisconsin establishment. How hot must it run, at the least, under Cos 4.03? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.03(1)
  • A sterilizer is checked against the manufacturer's recommendations to see that it reaches the required temperatures. How often does Cos 4.03(2) ask for that check? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.03(2)
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Scientific concepts: infection control, continued

  • A Wisconsin licensee uses lancets for the lateral piercing of raised whiteheads. Which lancets does Cos 4.01(8) allow? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.01(8)
  • An aesthetician has weeping dermatitis on a forearm, and no dressing covers it effectively. What does Cos 4.06 require? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.06(1)
  • An aesthetician's hands are visibly soiled with mask product between patrons. What does Cos 4.01 require? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.01(2)
  • Brushes and other contact equipment have been cleaned and disinfected. Where does Cos 4.02(4) put them? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.02(4)
  • Cos 4.01 ends with the equipment and instruments it has not named one by one. What condition must they be in? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.01(7)
  • Cos 4.01(3r) names things that are thrown away once used. Which of these does it name? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.01(3r)
  • Cos 4.02(1) requires disinfection of personal care instruments before reuse on another patron, and leaves one kind of tweezers out. Which kind? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.02(1)
  • Facial towels are laundered at the establishment. What must the wash solution contain under Cos 4.02(6)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.02(6)
  • For how long must dry heat sterilization hold its minimum temperature under Cos 4.03? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.03(1)
  • How does Cos 1.01 define a disinfectant? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 1.01(6)
  • How does Cos 1.01 tell an infectious condition from a contagious one? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 1.01(3) and (8)
  • How often must the disinfectant used for decontamination be changed under Cos 4.02(5)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.02(5)
  • The note to Cos 1.01(6) gives a household measure for a bleach solution that counts as a disinfectant. What is it? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 1.01(6), Note
  • What does Cos 4.01 require for the head rest of an operating chair? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.01(6)
  • What is the first step of disinfecting tweezers under Cos 4.02(2), and what is it for? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.02(2)
  • What is the last step of disinfecting tweezers under Cos 4.02(2)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.02(2)
  • What strength of alcohol must a waterless hand washing agent have before Cos 4.01 accepts it for cleaning the hands? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.01(2)
  • Where the Board's rules call for sterilization, which equipment does Cos 4.03 accept? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.03(1)
  • Which products does Cos 4.01(4) say must be dispensed so that the unused portion is not contaminated? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.01(4)

Scientific concepts: safety, blood exposure and chemicals 15

  • A mobile aesthetics establishment is driving to its next stop. How must its hazardous substances be stored under Cos 4.11? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.11(4)
  • A patron's skin is nicked and bleeds during a service. How is the exposed area cleaned under Cos 4.05(1)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.05(1)(c)
  • An aesthetician applies makeup at a wedding venue under Cos 2.046. What must she have with her under Cos 4.04(3)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.04(3)
  • An aesthetician cuts her own finger during a facial, and the patron may be exposed to blood. After stopping the service, what does Cos 4.05(2) have her do next? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.05(2)(b)
  • In the licensee-injury procedure of Cos 4.05(2), when do the gloves go on? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.05(2)(g)
  • In what state must a mobile establishment be before services are provided in it, under Cos 4.11(1)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.11(1)
  • Poisonous substances are stored in a public area of an establishment. How must they be kept under Cos 3.01(6)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 3.01(6)
  • What containers does Cos 3.01(7) require for soiled linen? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 3.01(7)
  • What does Cos 4.06(3) have a licensee do with paper products contaminated with blood? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.06(3)
  • What is the last step of the patron-injury procedure in Cos 4.05(1) before the service resumes? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.05(1)(h)
  • What standard must an establishment's ventilation system meet under Cos 3.01(14)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 3.01(14)
  • Where does Cos 3.01(9) bar smoking in an establishment? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 3.01(9)
  • Where must an establishment post its written protocol for unintentional occupational exposure to bodily fluids? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.05(3)
  • Which of these does Cos 4.05 name as a disinfectant to provide to an injured patron? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.05(1)(d)
  • Which of these may a Wisconsin aesthetician not use when providing services, under Cos 4.045? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.045

Skin care and services: exfoliation, devices, wax and scope 28

  • A 16-year-old books laser hair removal at a Wisconsin establishment. On what terms does Cos 2.025(3) allow the device to be used? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(3)
  • A commercially available alpha hydroxy acid product is used by its label. Up to what strength does Cos 2.025(2)(c) leave it outside the delegated medical procedures? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2)(c)1.
  • A delegated procedure is contraindicated for a client. What must the licensee do under Cos 2.025(5)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(5)
  • At what angle to the skin is the blade held in dermaplaning, as Cos 2.01 defines it? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.01(2)
  • Before microdermabrasion, the licensee performs a pretreatment assessment. What does Cos 2.025(2r) require be done with the results? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2r)(f)
  • Before wax is applied, what does Cos 4.08(3) require on the skin of the area to be waxed? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.08(3)(a)
  • By the definition in Cos 2.01, the stratum corneum is usually made up of how many layers of dead cells? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.01(6)
  • Cos 4.08 asks two kinds of licensee to complete at least 8 training hours in depilation by waxing before performing it. Which two? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.08(1) and (2)
  • The definition of aesthetics includes massaging the skin. How does Cos 1.01 limit that word? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 1.01(11g)
  • During microdermabrasion without medical supervision, which protection does Cos 2.025(2r) require? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2r)(d)
  • Eyelash or eyebrow tinting that stays within the outermost skin layer is a delegated medical procedure unless the licensee has what? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2m)
  • How does Cos 2.025 class microneedling when a Wisconsin aesthetician performs it? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2)(d)
  • How far apart in time must microdermabrasion and a chemical exfoliation be kept under Cos 2.025(2r)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2r)(e)
  • Under 'general supervision' in Cos 1.01, how near to the licensee must the supervising physician be? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 1.01(7m)
  • Under Cos 2.025(3), delegated medical procedures may be undertaken only pursuant to what? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(3)
  • What does 'chemical process' mean in Cos 2.01? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.01(1)
  • What does Cos 4.08(3) require of the spatulas, wax and strips used in waxing? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 4.08(3)(b) and (c)
  • What is the strongest salicylic acid product Cos 2.025(2)(c) leaves outside the delegated medical procedures? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2)(c)2.
  • What must be posted in the immediate area where a delegated medical procedure is carried out? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(6)
  • What other name does Cos 2.01 give microneedling? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.01(5)
  • Which device design does Cos 2.025(2r) require before microdermabrasion may be done without medical supervision? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2r)(b)
  • Which FDA class of microdermabrasion machine may a licensee use without medical supervision? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2r)(a)
  • Which of these does Cos 1.01 count as mechanical exfoliation? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 1.01(11n)
  • Which of these must the client's written consent to microdermabrasion contain under Cos 2.025(2r)(g)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2r)(g)
  • Which procedure does Cos 2.01 define as a permanent makeup technique that cuts fine, short strokes into the skin to insert pigment? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.01(4)
  • Which procedure does Cos 2.025(2m) list only when it is performed by a licensed aesthetician? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.025(2m)(a)
  • Which service may a Wisconsin aesthetician provide only if she and the establishment both hold a separate department license for it? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.03(8)
  • Which tie to a licensed establishment must an aesthetician have before working at a client's home under Cos 2.046? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.046(1)(a)

Wisconsin license law 22

  • A licensee provides personal care services to a patient in a hospital. What does Cos 2.045 say about the place? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.045
  • A person will train in aesthetics inside a licensed establishment that is also licensed as a specialty school. What must the person obtain first under Wis. Stat. 454.06(9)? Wis. Stat. 454.06(9)
  • A store employee applies a cream to a shopper's face to demonstrate it, and the shopper pays nothing but the price of the product. How does Wis. Stat. 454.02 treat this? Wis. Stat. 454.02(3)(c)
  • After a notice of violation from an inspection, within how many days must a licensee tell the board of the correction or present a plan of correction, under Cos 3.05? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 3.05(2)
  • An aesthetician licensed and in good standing in another state applies for a Wisconsin license without examination. Which course does Cos 8.02(2) ask her to complete? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 8.02(2)
  • An aesthetics establishment is in the same building as a residence. What does Cos 3.01(11) require? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 3.01(11)
  • An applicant fails one part of the examination. Within how long may failed parts be retaken before the whole examination must be taken again, under Cos 7.09? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 7.09
  • Besides an aesthetician license, which current Wisconsin license lets its holder engage in aesthetics? Wis. Stat. 454.04(1)(b)
  • How long is one 'training hour' under Wis. Stat. 454.01(16)? Wis. Stat. 454.01(16)
  • How long, in training hours, is the aesthetics course that Wis. Stat. 454.06(4) asks of an applicant? Wis. Stat. 454.06(4)(b)1.
  • What does Cos 2.03(4) say about alcohol and controlled substances during practice? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 2.03(4)
  • What renewal fee does Wis. Stat. 454.06(8m) set for a license classified as inactive? Wis. Stat. 454.06(8m)(b)
  • What sets electrology apart from other hair removal in Wis. Stat. 454.01? Wis. Stat. 454.01(9)
  • When does an aesthetician's license come up for renewal under Cos 9.01? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 9.01
  • Where must a licensee's certificate be kept under Wis. Stat. 454.06(7)? Wis. Stat. 454.06(7)
  • Where must a mobile establishment's name, as shown on its license, be displayed under Cos 3.01(15)? Wis. Admin. Code Cos 3.01(15)(c)
  • Which conduct does Wis. Stat. 454.15(2) list as a ground for discipline? Wis. Stat. 454.15(2)(g)
  • Which hair removal method needs no license under subchapter I of chapter 454? Wis. Stat. 454.04(1m)
  • Which part of the body is the subject of aesthetics as Wis. Stat. 454.01 defines it? Wis. Stat. 454.01(2)
  • Which practices does an aesthetics establishment license authorize under Wis. Stat. 454.08(2)? Wis. Stat. 454.08(2)
  • Who may be issued a temporary permit to practice as an aesthetician under Wis. Stat. 454.06(10)? Wis. Stat. 454.06(10)(b)
  • Within what span of time must the aesthetics course of instruction be completed under Wis. Stat. 454.06(4)? Wis. Stat. 454.06(4)(b)

How this list was compiled: Examination: the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services asks an aesthetician applicant to pass the current state board examination, both written and practical, through its examination vendor (Licensure by Examination page, https://dsps.wi.gov/a-z-professions-list/aesthetician/licensure-by-examination/). The vendor's Wisconsin Aesthetician Candidate Handbook, revised March 2026 and effective April 1, 2026 (linked from https://www.dlroope.com/wisconsin_exam_information.cfm?state=10), lists the National NIC Esthetician Written Examination, 90 minutes, and the National NIC Esthetician Practical Examination, about 3 hours in six sections, asks a scaled score of 75.00 on each, and says the Wisconsin State Law questions are in English only. Outline of the written examination: the National Esthetics Theory Examination bulletin of the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) posted on the same page: 110 items, 100 of them weighted, Scientific Concepts 55 percent, Skin Care and Services 45 percent; NIC's bulletin effective September 1, 2025 prints the same figures. Facts: Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters Cos 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 (https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/cos) and subchapter I of chapter 454 of the Wisconsin Statutes (https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/454). 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

This unofficial Wisconsin esthetician practice test asks what the Board's rules and Wisconsin Statutes chapter 454 say. It is not affiliated with the Wisconsin Cosmetology Examining Board, the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) or its test administrator.

Read the full guide

What the written exam weighs

The written examination Wisconsin gives is NIC's. Its outline has two domains: Scientific Concepts, 55 percent of the items, and Skin Care and Services, 45 percent.

How the 91 questions divide

Forty-one sit under Scientific Concepts (infection control, safety, blood exposure and chemicals) and 28 under Skin Care and Services (exfoliation, devices, wax and scope). Twenty-two more ask Wisconsin license law.

  • Microdermabrasion without medical supervision takes an FDA Class I machine and is never done within 48 hours of a chemical exfoliation (Cos 2.025(2r)).
  • Disinfectant used for decontamination is changed daily and kept in a covered container (Cos 4.02(5)).
  • Pumice stones and credo razors may not be used in any service (Cos 4.045).

Questions and answers

How many questions are on the Wisconsin esthetician state board exam?

NIC's bulletin gives the written examination 110 items, 100 of them scored, in 90 minutes. The examiner's Wisconsin handbook asks a scaled score of 75 on the written and on the practical examination.

Does the Wisconsin esthetician exam have state law questions?

The examiner's handbook for Wisconsin lists two parts, a written and a practical examination, and adds that the Wisconsin State Law questions are in English only. It prints no count for those questions.

What is on the Wisconsin esthetician practical exam?

About 3 hours on a mannequin, in six sections: set up for a first client, a basic facial, set up for a second client, eyebrow hair removal by tweezing and simulated soft wax, facial makeup, and the blood exposure procedure.

Do these questions come from the real Wisconsin esthetician exam?

No. Each one is this site's own, written from the Board's Cos chapters and chapter 454 of the Statutes. Anatomy, skin disorders and chemistry are not here, since no Wisconsin text states them; the Washington esthetics test on this site asks them.

How many training hours does Wisconsin require for an aesthetician license?

At least 450, completed in not less than 11 weeks and not more than 30 weeks (Wis. Stat. 454.06(4)). The statutes spell the license aesthetician.

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