Barber Haircolor, Perms & Relaxers Practice Questions
Haircolor, Perms & Relaxers makes up 5 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest Barber practice test. Here are 10 of the 20 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Based on the NIC National Barber Theory Examination outline (bulletin effective June 1, 2025: 60 items, 50 scored, 90 minutes). Original questions. Some states use their own exam; check your board.
1. A patch test before an aniline derivative haircolor checks for:
- A.Final color result
- B.Allergic reaction
- C.Processing time
- D.Hair porosity
Answer: B. A predisposition (patch) test shows whether the client is allergic to the haircolor. A strand test shows timing and the color result.
2. How long before an aniline derivative haircolor service should a patch test be given?
- A.One week
- B.5 to 10 minutes
- C.1 to 2 hours
- D.24 to 48 hours
Answer: D. The patch test is applied behind the ear or inside the elbow and left 24 to 48 hours. Any redness, swelling or itching means no service.
3. A strand test is done before a chemical service to:
- A.Check timing and results
- B.Cleanse the scalp first
- C.Test for an allergy
- D.Measure hair density
Answer: A. The strand test shows how the hair will react, how long it needs to process and what the result will look like.
4. A client wants a color that will be gone after the next shampoo. Which type fits?
- A.Permanent color
- B.Lightener
- C.Temporary color
- D.Semipermanent color
Answer: C. Temporary color has large molecules that coat the cuticle and shampoo out. Semipermanent lasts several shampoos and permanent grows out.
5. Demi-permanent haircolor differs from semipermanent color because it:
- A.Coats only the cuticle
- B.Washes out in one shampoo
- C.Uses a low-volume developer
- D.Lifts four or more levels
Answer: C. Demi-permanent color is mixed with a low-volume developer and deposits without much lift. Semipermanent color needs no developer.
6. Red and green sit opposite each other on the color wheel, so they:
- A.Neutralize each other
- B.Mix to make yellow
- C.Make a warm red
- D.Intensify each other
Answer: A. Complementary colors cancel each other's tone, which is how green-based products correct unwanted red. Violet corrects yellow and blue corrects orange.
7. A client's natural hair is level 2. On the level system, that hair is:
- A.Light brown
- B.Very light
- C.Medium blonde
- D.Very dark
Answer: D. Levels run from 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde), so level 2 is very dark brown to near black. Level describes lightness or darkness, not tone.
8. The most common developer strength for gray coverage with permanent color is:
- A.40 volume
- B.20 volume
- C.10 volume
- D.30 volume
Answer: B. 20-volume (6 percent) hydrogen peroxide gives standard lift and full gray coverage. Higher volumes give more lift.
9. What is the main job of hair lightener?
- A.Seal in moisture
- B.Diffuse natural pigment
- C.Add warm tones to hair
- D.Close the cuticle layer
Answer: B. Lightener oxidizes and diffuses the melanin in the cortex, taking the hair through lighter stages. A toner adds tone afterward.
10. Wrapping lightened strands in foil mainly helps to:
- A.Shorten the hair
- B.Test for allergies
- C.Cool the lightener
- D.Isolate the strands
Answer: D. Foils keep the lightened or colored strands separate from the rest of the hair and from bleeding onto other sections.
Practice all 20 haircolor, perms & relaxers questions, and the rest of the 200-question bank, in the free Barber training sets. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
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