QQI Level 5 Hairdressing common mistakes
QQI Level 5 Hairdressing · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
When asked to describe a client consultation, candidates list the questions they would ask but never record the client's answers, the hair and scalp analysis findings, or the agreed outcome, so the consultation has no documented result.
Consultation is taught as a talking step, so candidates rehearse a script of questions and treat the response as the end point. They have not practised converting what the client says into a written record that drives the service plan.
What to do instead
Practise writing a one-page consultation record for every client: hair type, porosity, elasticity, scalp condition, density, previous chemical history, lifestyle and time commitment, the client's own words about the desired look, any contraindications, and the agreed plan with the products and timings to be used. In exam answers, present consultation as analysis leading to a decision, and always state the conclusion drawn, not just the questions asked.
In colouring answers, candidates state a target shade and developer strength but omit the starting point: the natural depth and tone, the percentage of white hair, the previous colour history, and the underlying pigment exposed at the target level.
Candidates memorise developer volumes and processing times as isolated facts and skip the diagnostic step. Without a starting level, no formula can be judged correct, so the answer reads as a guess.
What to do instead
Use a fixed written sequence for every colour answer: natural level and tone, white hair percentage, previous products and dates, porosity and elasticity results, target level and tone, then the formula, developer, application order, development time and aftercare. State the level numbers explicitly (for example a natural base 5 going to a target 7) so the assessor can see the reasoning.
Candidates describe the cutting or styling procedure step by step but never state the sectioning pattern, the elevation and projection used, the distribution of the hair, or the resulting shape and balance, and cannot explain why one method was chosen over another.
Practical classes emphasise doing the cut, and candidates reproduce hand movements in words. They have not been taught to name the technical variables that make a cut repeatable or to link them to the client's features and hair characteristics.
What to do instead
For each cut, write a short specification before practising: head shape and hair characteristics, sectioning, subsection size, elevation, finger angle, tension, tool and blade, and how the perimeter and balance were checked. In answers, always connect the technique to the finished shape and to the client's suitability, and name at least one alternative method with the reason it was rejected.
In perming and chemical texture answers, candidates give a winding pattern and a development time but omit the pre-perm test, the porosity and elasticity findings, the lotion strength chosen and why, the neutralising procedure including rod rinsing and processing, and the post-service advice.
Candidates reduce perming to a recipe and treat the chemical assessment as background reading. The irreversible nature of the service and the need for recorded test results are not drilled into their answers.
What to do instead
Structure every perming answer around the four stages: pre-consultation and tests, winding and blocking, chemical processing with checks, and neutralising and aftercare. For each stage state the product, strength or time, the check performed, and the action taken if the result is not as expected. Include the recorded results of the pre-perm test and a strand test, and finish with specific home-care and return-interval advice.
Candidates list hygiene rules as general statements such as 'keep the salon clean' rather than naming the specific procedure, frequency, product dilution or disposal route for tools, surfaces, towels and chemical waste.
Health and safety is revised as a list of headings rather than as procedures with measurable standards. Candidates have not learned the difference between cleaning, sanitising and sterilising, or which method applies to which item.
What to do instead
Build a table linking each item (combs, brushes, clippers, scissors, towels, capes, bowls, trolleys, floors, bins) to its cleaning method, the product and dilution, the contact time, the storage after treatment, and the responsible person. Learn the legal and insurance reasons behind each step, and in answers give the actual dilution ratio, contact time and disposal route rather than an adjective.
Candidates describe shampooing and conditioning as a single routine and do not adapt the massage, water temperature, product type or technique to the scalp and hair condition found, nor do they mention the scalp and hair analysis that should come first.
Shampooing is treated as a basic, low-status task learned early and rarely revisited. Candidates do not connect product selection and massage technique to diagnosed conditions such as dryness, oiliness, sensitivity or flaking.
What to do instead
Practise a full shampoo and scalp treatment routine with a written analysis first: scalp type and condition, hair condition, any contraindications, then the product chosen and why, water temperature, massage movements and their purpose, rinsing standard, conditioning method and towel technique. In answers, name the specific massage movement and its effect, and state how the service would change for at least two different diagnosed conditions.
In long hair and upstyling answers, candidates describe a finished look but do not explain the preparation of the hair, the sectioning and pinning method, the balance and anchor points, or how the style will hold and be removed safely.
Upstyling is often learned by copying a finished image, so candidates remember the appearance and not the construction. They also underestimate the tension and weight problems that cause discomfort or damage.
What to do instead
For each upstyle, write a construction plan: hair preparation and product, parting and sectioning, base and anchor points, pin placement and direction, balance and symmetry checks, finishing and hold, and the safe removal sequence. Include how the style is adapted for fine, short or very long hair, and how tension is checked with the client before the style is completed.
Candidates answer business, customer service and employability questions with generic claims such as 'good service keeps clients' instead of naming concrete measures, records, legal duties or communication behaviours.
These topics are seen as common sense and revised last. Candidates have not learned the specific instruments of salon practice, such as consultation records, client cards, patch test records, complaints procedures, data protection duties, pricing structures and retail targets.
What to do instead
Learn a small set of concrete tools and be able to describe each one: the client record card and what it must contain, the patch test record and retention period, the complaints log and escalation route, the consultation and rebooking process, and how retail and rebooking rates are measured. For employability, prepare specific examples of teamwork, punctuality, initiative and handling feedback from your own experience, and state the outcome of each.
Candidates describe their work experience placement as a list of tasks performed and do not explain what they learned, how they were supervised, what they would do differently, or how the placement linked to their course and career plan.
Work experience is recorded as attendance and duties, and candidates are not prompted to reflect. They also avoid mentioning mistakes or feedback because they fear it looks bad.
What to do instead
Keep a weekly log with three columns: what I did, what I learned or found difficult, and what I will change next time. Ask your supervisor for one specific piece of feedback each week and record it with your response. In the exam, present at least one concrete incident where you received feedback or made an error, and explain the change you made and the result.
Candidates give the same answer for every hair type and client situation, for example recommending the same shampoo, the same blow-dry technique or the same aftercare regardless of whether the hair is fine and limp, coarse and porous, relaxed, or chemically damaged.
Revision is organised by topic rather than by client variable, so candidates learn one default answer per service. They have not practised adapting a plan to changing hair characteristics or client constraints.
What to do instead
For each service, prepare a comparison of at least three client profiles (for example fine and oily, coarse and porous, and chemically damaged) and state how the product, technique, timings and aftercare change for each. In answers, explicitly name the hair characteristics you are responding to, so the assessor can see that the recommendation is reasoned rather than memorised.