TN Barber study plan
TN Barber · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety Practices
Describe the chain of infection and identify the specific point in a barbershop workflow where each link is broken.
Sequence and rehearse hand washing, glove changes, and client draping before and after every service step on a mannequin.
Sort 20 common shop items into single-use, porous-reusable, and non-porous-reusable categories and assign the correct cleaning, disinfection, or disposal step to each.
Distinguish cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization, and match each term to the correct product type (soap, EPA-registered disinfectant, autoclave).
Explain safe handling and disposal of blood-contaminated items and the steps to take after an accidental cut.
Your checkpoint
One-page disinfection decision chart covering 20 shop items, self-scored against your textbook at 90% or better.
Haircutting, Tapering, and Styling
Identify the basic haircut forms, sectioning patterns, and guideline types, and state which elevation each requires.
Demonstrate correct body position, hand position, and tension while cutting on a mannequin.
Execute shear-over-comb and clipper-over-comb techniques on a mannequin without gouging or leaving ridges.
Cut a graduated taper and a fade using a consistent guideline and blended transition.
Explain how to correct an uneven line or over-blended area.
Your checkpoint
Two finished mannequin cuts (one graduated taper, one fade) each paired with a written step-by-step procedure and a self-check list of blending and line quality.
Tennessee Barber Law, Board Rules, and Regulations & Implements, Equipment, and Shop Management
Outline Tennessee barber licensing requirements, scope of practice, and renewal rules using the official Board of Barber Examiners materials.
List the sanitation, equipment, and facility requirements a Tennessee shop must meet to pass inspection.
Describe the disciplinary actions the Board can impose and the conduct that triggers them.
Categorize barbering implements and equipment by function and state the care and maintenance routine for each.
Draft shop-management basics: record keeping, client safety logs, and inventory of disinfection supplies.
Your checkpoint
A 40-card flashcard deck on Tennessee barber law and shop requirements, plus a closed-book 25-question self-quiz scored at 90% or higher.
Chemical Services: Coloring, Permanent Waving, and Relaxing
Explain hair color theory, developer volumes, mixing ratios, and the purpose of a patch test and strand test.
Write out the full procedure for a virgin relaxer application, a relaxer retouch, and neutralizing, including timing and safety checks.
Describe permanent wave wrapping patterns, processing checks, and the cause and correction of an under-processed or over-processed wave.
List contraindications and client-screening questions that rule out a chemical service.
Match each chemical service to the correct aftercare instructions.
Your checkpoint
Three laminated procedure cards (color, relaxer, permanent wave) with timelines and safety checkpoints, validated by scoring 80% or higher on a 30-question mixed quiz covering Domains 1 through 5.
Shaving, Beard Design, and Facial Hair Services & Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety Practices
Set up a straight razor shave station with correct lather, towel, and razor handling, then perform the standard shave stroke order on a mannequin.
Demonstrate stropping, razor disinfection, and blade disposal as a continuous routine with no skipped step.
Design and outline a beard shape, explaining how to choose lines that fit face shape and growth pattern.
List skin and hair conditions that contraindicate shaving or beard service and the referral you would make.
Re-audit your Week 1 disinfection chart and correct any steps that do not match blood-exposure protocol.
Your checkpoint
A timed straight razor shave demonstration on a mannequin scored against a 20-point sanitation-and-technique checklist, with every sanitation point passed.
Hair and Scalp Analysis, Treatment, and Skin Care & Anatomy and Physiology Relevant to Barbering
Label a diagram of the head and face showing bones, muscles, and the main nerves and blood vessels relevant to barbering.
Analyze hair texture, porosity, density, and elasticity and record findings for three different hair samples.
Diagnose 10 scalp and skin scenarios (dandruff, dryness, oiliness, irritation, fungal suspicion) and state whether to treat, adjust service, or refer.
Select and sequence a scalp treatment, massage, and facial service appropriate to each diagnosed condition.
Explain why nerve and blood supply knowledge matters when performing massage or facial services.
Your checkpoint
A labeled head-and-face anatomy diagram plus a 10-case scalp and skin analysis log with recommended action for each case.
Tennessee Barber Law, Board Rules, and Regulations & Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety Practices & Haircutting, Tapering, and Styling & Chemical Services: Coloring, Permanent Waving, and Relaxing
Take a timed practice set for each of Domains 1, 2, 3, and 5 and record every missed item with the correct answer and reason.
Re-study only the sub-topics behind your misses and re-test those sub-topics until you clear 85%.
Recite the disinfection sequence and the Tennessee licensing rules from memory with no notes.
Rehearse one haircut and one chemical procedure end to end while narrating each safety checkpoint aloud.
Your checkpoint
A written error log of every missed question from Week 7 with corrections, and a re-test score of 85% or higher on each weak domain.
Tennessee Barber Law, Board Rules, and Regulations & Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety Practices & Haircutting, Tapering, and Styling & Shaving, Beard Design, and Facial Hair Services & Chemical Services: Coloring, Permanent Waving, and Relaxing & Hair and Scalp Analysis, Treatment, and Skin Care & Anatomy and Physiology Relevant to Barbering & Implements, Equipment, and Shop Management
Complete two full-length timed simulations covering all eight domains under exam conditions.
Review every missed item and confirm you can state the correct answer without prompts.
Drill final flashcards on Tennessee law numbers, sanitation products, and anatomy terms.
Write a one-page pre-exam checklist covering test-day logistics and last-minute review items.
Your checkpoint
Final timed simulation completed at 85% or higher overall with no domain below 75%.
Milestones
Week 2: Two mannequin haircuts completed and self-scored against a blending and line-quality checklist, with no sanitation steps skipped during either cut.
Week 4: 30-question mixed quiz across Domains 1 through 5 scored at 80% or higher, and three chemical procedure cards finished.
Week 6: Anatomy diagram fully labeled from memory and 10-case scalp and skin log complete with correct treat-versus-refer decisions.
Week 8: Full-length timed simulation scored at 85% or higher overall, with every domain at 75% or higher.