NATIONAL BARBER WRITTEN EXAMINATION

CANDIDATE INFORMATION BULLETIN

Please visit www.nictesting.org for the most current bulletin prior to testing. The National Barber examination is the national licensure examination for Barbers, which is developed and administered by the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC). This Candidate Information Bulletin includes the content outline covered by the NIC National Barber examination, sample questions and answers. The time allowed for the Barber written examination is 90 minutes.

SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS Electricity and Light • Preparing the facial • Thermal styling 40% ◊ Types of electric current hair for service • Wet-hair styling ◊ Safety devices • Positions and strokes ◊ Head shaving ◊ Electrotherapy Infection Control and Safe ◊ Mustaches and beards • Preparation • Modalities (e.g., high Practices • Design • Safety frequency, faradic) ◊ Bacteriology • Procedures ◊ Hairpieces • Light therapy • Types of bacteria • Materials (i.e., human or synthetic) • Growth and HAIR CARE SERVICES reproduction Skin Histology • Sizing ◊ Anatomy of the skin 20% • Attachment methods ◊ Viruses • Layers of the skin • Styling • Types • Glands of the skin Client Consultation • Maintenance • Transmission • Types of nerves in the ◊ Scalp analysis ◊ Immunity skin ◊ Hair analysis Treatment of the Hair and ◊ Parasites • Skin color • Texture Scalp ◊ Shampoo service ◊ Methods of infection ◊ Functions of the skin • Density control ◊ Disorders of the skin • Porosity • Product selection • Sterilization • Elasticity • Procedures • Color • Disinfection Hair and Scalp ◊ Scalp treatments • Sanitation ◊ Structure and growth of the • Resistant hair • Product selection hair ◊ Federal Regulations and • Equipment ◊ Disorders of the hair Draping Procedures Universal Precautions • Procedures ◊ Disorders of the scalp Related to Shampooing

Tools, Implements and and Haircutting Equipment FACIAL AND SHAVING CHEMICAL SERVICES ◊ Safe usage SERVICES Haircutting and Styling 24% ◊ Care and maintenance 16% ◊ Basic principles Draping Procedures Related • Facial shapes to Chemical Services Anatomy and Physiology Draping Procedures • Head forms ◊ Cells Related to Facial and ◊ Elements of design Safety Procedures Related to ◊ Tissues Shaving Services Chemical Services ◊ Organs • Shape • Line ◊ Physiological systems Facial Treatments Performing Client • Wave pattern/texture ◊ Massage manipulations Consultation • Skeletal system • Proportion and ◊ Equipment ◊ Scalp analysis • Muscular system balance ◊ Facials ◊ Hair analysis • Nervous system • Color • Circulatory system • Preparing the client • Texture ◊ Haircutting methods and • Skin types • Density procedures • Skin analysis • Porosity Chemistry • Products • Shears • Elasticity ◊ Water • Procedures • Clippers • Color ◊ Shampoos and • Razor • Resistant hair conditioners • Tapering and fading Shaving Procedures and ◊ Record keeping ◊ Chemical agents (e.g. • Blending and

chemical waving, chemical Facial Hair Design texturing

relaxing, hair coloring) ◊ Tools and equipment • Outline/neck shave ◊ Styling aids ◊ Facial shaving ◊ Hair styling methods • Blow-dry styling Revised 06/2008 C. Revised 03/2008 NIC BARBER WRITTEN EXAMINATION CANDIDATE INFORMATION BULLETIN

Chemical Texture Services 3. Prior to a shaving service 8. Before sodium hydroxide ◊ Chemical waving (e.g. the headrest must be processing, hair should be permanent waving) analyzed to determine its a. washed and dried. • Procedures b. disinfected and a. acidity. • Products covered. b. alkalinity. ◊ Reformation curls c. washed and removed. c. texture, porosity and elasticity. • Procedures d. sanitized and sterilized. d. density, color and • Products end bonds. ◊ Chemical hair relaxing 4. To avoid damage to • Procedures muscle tissue, the Answers • Products movements of a 1. c 4. b 7. b 2. b 5. d 8. c massage are directed 3. b 6. d Haircolor and Lightener

◊ Color theory a. away from the origin

of the muscle. • Law of color b. toward the origin of • Tone the muscle. BARBER • Level c. around the origin of REFERENCES ◊ Haircoloring the muscle. d. above the origin of • Procedures Milady’s Standard Textbook of the muscle. • Products Professional Barbering, 2006

◊ Hair Lightener 5. Which of the following can Milady 5 Maxwell Drive • Procedures permanently relieve split Clifton Park, NY 12065 • Products ends? (800) 347-7707 ◊ Mustaches and beards www.Milady.com • Procedures a. Applying oil to the ends • Products Milady’s Standard Textbook of b. Using a styling gel on Professional Barber-Styling

the ends Rev. Ed., 1999 SAMPLE QUESTIONS c. Moistening the ends Milady d. Cutting the ends 5 Maxwell Drive The following sample questions Clifton Park, NY 12065 are similar to those on the NIC (800) 347-7707 6. The diameter of a single Barber Written Examination. www.Milady.com strand of hair is also called Each question is followed by four answer choices. Only one NIC Health and Safety a. growth pattern. choice is correct. Correct Standards answers are listed following the b. porosity. NIC, Inc., October 2002 sample questions. c. density. d. texture. www.nictesting.org

. Anthrax and tetanus bacilli 1 7. What should be performed form which of the FIRST before applying following types of spore? permanent hair color?

a. Mitosis a. Strand test b. Flagella b. Patch test c. Spherical c. Curl test d. Infectious d. Texture test

2. All French style shears

a. are cobalt metal. b. have a finger brace. c. are made in France. d. have tight pivots.

2 Revised 06/2008 C. Revised 03/2008