MATSEC SEC Hairdressing and Beauty exam-day guide
MATSEC SEC Hairdressing and Beauty · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID and your MATSEC statement of entry
Bring the original document (Maltese ID card or passport) together with your statement of entry showing your index number. Photocopies are normally not accepted and candidates without the required ID may not be admitted - confirm the exact list of accepted documents with your school's examinations officer weeks before the practical.
Salon-standard uniform and closed-toe, non-slip shoes
Clean tunic or the top-and-trousers combination your centre specifies, with closed-toe shoes you can stand in for several hours. Hair tied back off the face, short clean nails, no nail varnish, no dangling jewellery, no strong perfume. Dress codes are applied strictly at the door - check the exact wording with your lecturer. needs_review.
Your full tool kit, checked against the syllabus list
Typically tail comb, cutting comb, brush, sectioning clips, pins, water spray, and a hairdryer only if the centre allows it. Confirm whether the centre supplies tools and consumables or whether you must bring everything yourself, because the two arrangements are very different on the day. needs_review.
PPE and hygiene supplies
Apron or gown, disposable gloves, hand sanitiser and, if your centre expects you to sanitise your own tools, a small disinfectant jar or spray. Hygiene is normally a marked criterion, so have these visible and in use from the first minute.
At least two clean towels, labelled
Put your index number on the care label so nothing goes astray. Some centres provide linen - confirm before you carry extra weight. needs_review.
A confirmed model, if the practical requires one
Many hairdressing and beauty practicals are carried out on a live model whose hair length and condition must suit the set tasks. Confirm with your lecturer whether a model is required, whether a consent form must be signed, and what the hair must be like on the day. needs_review. Always line up a backup model.
Written instructions for your model
Give arrival time, where to wait, what to wear, and the request to arrive with clean, product-free hair and no fresh colour, perm or relaxer in the preceding week. Confirm by phone 24 hours before, and remind them that they cannot help or prompt you during the test.
Any paperwork the centre collects separately
Model consent form, portfolio, photographic evidence or reflective journal if these are submitted around the practical. Confirm format and deadline with your teacher well in advance. needs_review.
Water in a sealed bottle, a light snack and any medication
Practical sessions can run for several hours. Eat before you go in; keep the snack for after the session. Tell your lecturer in advance about any medical condition or medication the centre should know about so that arrangements can be made.
A travel plan and saved contact numbers
Aim to arrive 45-60 minutes early; check bus, ferry and parking arrangements and save the school's number so you can call immediately if you are delayed.
Plan the day
Confirm venue, date, reporting time and what you are expected to bring with your lecturer in writing. Re-read the practical task list and the published marking criteria, then do one full timed run-through of the task you find hardest, noting exactly where you lose minutes.
Phone your model to reconfirm. Check hair length, condition and scalp, and make sure no colour, perm or relaxer is booked in the week before. Brief the backup model now, not on the morning.
Launder and iron the uniform, check the shoes, then lay out the whole tool kit against the syllabus list. Replace broken clips, split combs or empty spray bottles now - not at the venue.
Pack the bag completely: ID, statement of entry, uniform, kit bag, towels, PPE, water and snack. Charge your phone but plan to keep it switched off from the moment you enter the centre. Confirm transport and set two alarms.
No new products on your own hair or skin and no late-night cramming. Eat properly and sleep seven to eight hours; practical marks reward steady hands and calm timing, not last-minute revision.
Eat breakfast, dress fully in uniform before leaving and arrive 45-60 minutes early. Report to the sign-in desk, present your ID, and find out where you wait and where your model should be directed.
Set up your station: sanitise the surface, lay tools out in the order you will use them, check that equipment works, and set out towels. Count your tools and report anything missing to the invigilator immediately rather than borrowing from another candidate.
Listen to the invigilator and read the entire task sheet before touching your model's hair. Note the finishing time for each task and build in 5-10 minutes at the end for clean-down and a final check.
Work in a logical salon sequence, keep the station tidy, sanitise tools between stages and speak to your model politely and professionally. If a task overruns, stop, tidy up and move on - a completed, neat job scores better than an unfinished ambitious one. Ask the invigilator if an instruction is unclear; never guess.
Clean down, pack tools away, check the finished look from every angle and leave the station at the standard you were taught. Do not leave the room until you are dismissed.
Rules to check
Bring and show the ID documents the centre requires. If you arrive without them you may be refused entry - confirm the accepted documents with your school's examinations officer rather than relying on what other candidates say.
Mobile phones, smart watches and earphones must be switched off and out of reach for the whole session. Photographing the task sheet, your work or your model is treated as malpractice.
Work only on your own model, with your own tools, unless the invigilator directs otherwise. Do not accept help, hints or products from teachers, relatives, other candidates or your model - the assessed work must be entirely yours.
Follow the centre's health and safety and hygiene rules at all times: no running, no trailing cables, spills wiped immediately, sharps counted and accounted for, tools sanitised between stages. An unsafe candidate can be stopped and marked accordingly.
Breaks are taken only when the invigilator authorises them and normally under supervision; timing is usually not stopped for you. Confirm the break arrangements with your centre before the day. needs_review.
If you are delayed, telephone the school as soon as you know. Admission after the start is at the centre's discretion and extra time is not normally granted - confirm the late-arrival cut-off with the provider.
Marks come from the published criteria, typically covering technique and accuracy, finish and presentation, hygiene and safety, use of time, and professional communication with the model. Make sure each criterion is visibly demonstrated rather than assumed.
Pre-prepared work, leaving the room without permission, communicating with other candidates during the test or any other form of malpractice can lead to disqualification for the paper.