TN Cosmetology study guide
TN Cosmetology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Tennessee Cosmetology Licensing Examination is the assessment a candidate must pass to be licensed as a cosmetologist by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. It is built for students nearing the end of an approved cosmetology program and for licensed professionals from other jurisdictions seeking Tennessee licensure. The TN Cosmetology study guide has 8 sections and about 2,790 words.
01Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety Practices
Infection control questions almost always ask you to identify a contaminant and then pick the process that matches it. Learn the ladder: cleaning (soap and water, removes visible debris), sanitizing (reduces bacteria to a safe level), disinfecting (kills most bacteria, fungi and viruses on hard, nonporous surfaces), sterilizing (destroys all microbial life including spores; autoclave only).
312 words, about 2 min02Scientific Fundamentals: Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, and Disorders
Cells build tissues, tissues build organs, organs build the eleven body systems. Focus on the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous and circulatory systems.
296 words, about 1 min03Haircutting and Hair Design
Every haircut answer reduces to four decisions: where the section is taken, what line it follows, what elevation the hair is held at, and how the hair is distributed. Reference points anchor everything - apex, parietal ridge, occipital bone, nape, four corners, crown.
296 words, about 1 min04Hairstyling, Blow-Drying, Thermal, and Wet Styling
Wet styling rests on three parts of a curl: the base (the section's attachment to the scalp), the stem (the arc between base and circle) and the circle (the curl itself). Base placement decides volume - on-base gives maximum lift, half-base moderate, off-base the least, and indentation base creates a deliberate dip.
322 words, about 2 min05Hair Coloring and Lightening
Levels run 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde); level describes depth, tone describes warmth or coolness. Primary colors are red, yellow and blue; secondaries are orange, green and violet; complementary pairs neutralize - blue cancels orange, green cancels red, violet cancels yellow.
306 words, about 2 min06Chemical Texture Services: Permanent Waving and Relaxing
The chemistry is simple and heavily tested: permanent waving and relaxing break disulfide bonds with a reducing agent; the neutralizer rebuilds them in the new shape by oxidation. Anything that reduces must be neutralized, or the hair stays weak.
313 words, about 2 min07Nail Care and Skin Care Services
Nail anatomy: plate, bed, matrix (the lunula is the visible part of the matrix), cuticle, eponychium, hyponychium, sidewalls, free edge and mantle. The matrix makes the plate, so pressure or injury there shows up later as a ridge or spot.
292 words, about 1 min08Salon Business, Professional Practices, and Tennessee Laws and Rules
Business questions reward the candidate who separates revenue from profit. Gross income is what comes in; net profit is what remains after product, rent, payroll, taxes, insurance and marketing.
653 words, about 3 min