Preparing for the Master Esthetician Test
Guest Blogger Master Esthetics Instructor Holly Judd
Holly is a Licensed Master Esthetician, Holistic Health Practitioner, and Licensed Massage Therapist.
What is one thing that we all hate? Anxiety. Anxiety is very natural before we take a step into the unknown, whether it be test taking, new job, or even a date. So, what is the best preparation for any or all of those subjects? Research, study, know your basics and communicate. I’m going to dive into each one of those a little bit and help ease those restless nights, snappy days and/or tears. A lot of the NIC Examination is going to be similar to your basic exam, but there are more questions on medical terminology, medical conditions, advanced spa, laser treatments, anatomy and physiology.
Research- I remember the days when the encyclopedias in the living room were the answer to anything and everything! Now the internet gives us access to books, articles, research and everything else you can imagine. When you are studying for the NIC Exam, online tools provide a wealth of resources. Practice tests, flashcards, books, forums from other students or estheticians that have moved to a different state and need to take exam all are great resources to help you prepare. All of these tricks of the trade can help tremendously.
Study- Start as soon as possible. If you are a student, start your first day. When I say that I mean pay attention in class, takes notes, and read your chapters. We teachers have all been through it. We don’t teach to trick, we teach to assist. In my class we play games and give assignments with subjects that I know are on the test or simply test questions. Make flash cards and have your friends or family quiz you. Remember this is something that is only going to help you as you advance in your career. Make it fun, it’s only a small fraction of your life that you need to buckle down for.
Know the basics– Remember the Utah NIC Exam is the only test Utah students take. There are basic questions from the first 600 hours of school, ie. electricity, chemistry, basic ingredients, basic skin disorders, anatomy and physiology. If you want extra practice, there are a lot of different quiz websites, books and information online that can help.
Communicate- Talk to others that have taken the NIC Exam. If you are not a student with other classmates that have taken it look online. There are numerous forums that have estheticians from other states moving to certain places that require the NIC Exam.
Last but not least remember to breathe, take deep breaths and don’t cram for the test!