Certification, C'ertiJication Mnintainance Program (CMP), Licensure and QunIiJicntion

United 5tates Certi)cation

http://www.ascp.org/certification

To apply for a Cer tificat ion Exa minat ion follow these step-by-step instructions:
1 Ident if y the examination you are apply ing for and determine you r elig ibil ity.
2 Gather your requ ired education and ex per ience doenment at ion.
3 Apply for t he examination. We offer 2 opt ions:
a. Apply on l ine and pay by credit card.
b. O r dow nload an application, pay by credit card, check or money order and ma i1 to:
ASCP Board of Cer tification
3335 Eagle Way
C h icago, IL 60678 —1033
4 Schedule your exam ination at a Pearson Profess tonal Center. Visit the Pearson site (http://iv we'.pearsonv
ue. com/ascp) to identify a locat ion and time that is convenient for you to ta ke your ASCP
examination.

International Certification
http://www.ascp.org/certification/International

ASCP offers its gold standard credentials in the form of inter national cer tification (ASCP') to eligible
individuals. The ASCP' credential ce rtifies professional competency among new and practicing
laboratory personnel in an effort to contribute globally to the highest standards of patient safety.
Graduates of medical laboratory science programs outside the United States are challenged with
content that mirrors the standards of excellence established by the US ASCP exams. The ASCP i
credential carries the weight of 80 years of expertise in clinical laboratory professional cer tification.
Please visit the website to view the follow ing:
1 Website information translated into a specific language.
2 Current listing of international cer tifications.
3 Eligibility guidelines.
4 Step-by-step instructions to apply for international cer tific ation.

State Licensure
http://www.ascp.org/licensure

State Licensure is the process by which a state grants a license to an indiv idual to practice their
profession in the specified state. The individual must meet the state’s licensing requirements, which
may include examination and/or experience. It is important to identify the state and examination to
determine your eligibility and view the steps for licensure and/or cer tification. For a list of states that
require licensure, please go to the website. (http://www.ascp.org/statelicensureagencies)

The ASCP Board of Cer tification (BOC) examinations have been approved for licensure purposes by
the states of California and New York. The BOC examinations also meet the requirements for all other
states that require licensure.

Qualification
http://www.ascp.org/qualihcation

A quali fication from the Board of Cer tification recognizes the competence of individuals in specific
technical areas. Qualifications are available in laboratory informatics, immunohistochemist ry
and flow cytomet r y. To receive this credential, candidates must meet the eligibility requirements
and successfully complete an examination (QC YM, QIHC) or a work sample project (QLI). Candidates
who complete the Qualification process will receive a Cer tificate of Qualification, which is valid for
5 years. The Qualification may be reva lidated every 5 years upon receipt of completed application and
fee. (Documentation of acceptable continuing education may be requested.)

H The Board of Certification Study Guide

About the Examination

Preparing(or and Taking the BOC Certi fication Examination

Begin early to prepare for the Cer tification Examination. Because of the broad range of knowledge
and skills tested by the examination, even applicants with college education and those completing
formal laboratory education training programs will find that review is necessary, although the exact
amount u ill vary from applica nt to applicant. Generally, last-minute cramming is the least effective
method for preparing for the examination. The earlier you begin, the more time you will have to
prepare; and the more you prepare, the better your chance of successfully passing the exam ination
and scoring well.

Study (or the Test

Plan a course of study that allows more time for your weaker areas. Although it is important to study
your areas of weakness, be sure to allow enough time to review all areas. It is better to spend a short
time studying every day than to spend several hours every week or 2. Setting aside a regular time and
a special place to study will help ensure studying becomes a part of your daily routine.

Study Resources
http://www.ascp.org/studymateriaIs

Competenc y Statements and Content Guidelines

http://www.ascp.org/contentguidelines

The Board of Certification has developed competency statements and content guidelines to delineate
the content and tasks included in its tests. Current Content Guidelines for the Medical Laboratory
Scientist (MLS) and Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) examinations as well as other cer tification
examinations offered by the ASCP BOC are available.

Study Guide
The questions in this study guide are in a format and style similar to the questions on the Board of
Cer tification examinations. The questions are in a multiple choice format with l best answer. Work
through each chapter and answer all the questions as presented. Next, review your answers against
the answer key. Review the answer explanation for those questions, that you answered incorrectly.
Lastly, each question is referenced if you require further explanation.

Textbooks
The references cited in this study guide (see pp 481-484) identify many useful textbooks. The most
current reading lists for most of the examinations are available on the ASCP’s website (http://www.
ascp.org/readinglists). Textbooks tend to cover a broad range of knowledge in a given field. An added
benefit is that textbooks frequently have questions at the end of the chapters that you can use to test
yourself should you need further clarification on specific subject matter.

Online practice tests

http://www.ascp-practice.com

The online practice test is a subscription product. It includes 90-day online access to the practice
tests, comprehensive diagnostic scores, and discussion boards. If you are an institutional purchaser
that would like to pay by check or purchase order (minimum of 20 tests to use a check or purchase
order), please download the order form from the website. Content-specific online practice tests can be
purchased online.
About the Examination

Taking the Certification Examination

The ASCP Board of Certification (BO C) uses computer adaptive testing (CAT), which is criterion
referenced. With CAT, provided you answer the question correctly, the next examination question
has a slightly higher level of d ifficulty. The difficulty level of the questions presented to the examinee
continues to increase until a question is answered incorrectly. At this point, a slightly easier question
is presented. The importance of testing in an adaptive format is that each test is individually tailored
to your ability level.

Each question in the examination pool is calibrated for difficulty and categorized into a subtest area,
which corresponds to the content guideline for a particular examination. The weight (value) given
to each question is determined by the level of di fficulty. All examinations (with the exception of
phlebotomy ( PBT) and donor phlebotomy (DPT)) are scheduled for 2 hours and 30 minutes and
have 100 questions. The PBT and DPT examinations are scheduled for 2 hours and have 80
questions.
Your preliminary test results (pass/fail) will appear on the computer screen immediately upon
completio n of your examination. Detailed exam ination scores will be mailed within 10 business days
after your examination, provided that the BOC has received all required application documents.
Examination results cannot be released by telephone under any circumstances.

Your official detailed examination score report w ill indicate a “pass” or “fail” status and the specific
scaled score on the total examination. A scaled score is statistically derived (in part) from the raw
score (number of correctly answered questions) and the difficulty level of the questions. Because
each examinee has taken an individualized examination, scaled scores are used so that all
examinations may be compared on the same scale. The minimum passing score is 400. The highest
attainable score is 999.

If you were unsuccessful in passing the examination, your scaled scores on each of the subtests will be
indicated on the report as well. These sub test scores cannot be calculated to obtain your total score.
These scores are provided as a means of demonstrating your areas of strengths and weaknesses in
comparison to the minimum pass score.
1: Blood Banff | Blood Products Questions

BIoodBank
The (ollowing items have been identi5ed generally as appropriate (or both entry level medical laboratory
scientists and medical laboratory technicians. Items that are appropriate (or medical laboratory scientists only
are marked with an “MLV ONLY.”

1 Questions
S2 Answers with Explnnntions
1 Blood Products
53 Blood Products
8 Blood Group Systems
SS Blood C roup Systems
17 Physiology and Pathophysiolog y
S9 Physiology and Patfiopfiysio/ogy
24 Serolog y
62 Serolog y
42 TrnnsJsiort Practice
69 Transfusion Practice

Blood Products
l The minimum hemoglobin concentration in a fingerstick from a male blood donor is:
a 12.0 g/dL (120 g/L)
b 12.5 g/dL (125 g/L)
c 13.5 g/dL (135 g/L)

Ali The Board of Certification Study Guide

 d 15.0 g/dL (150 g/L)
A cause for permanent deferral of blood donation is:
ONLY
a diabetes
b residence in an endemic malaria
region c history of jaundice of uncertain
cause d history of therapeutic rabies
vaccine
Which of the following prospective donors would be accepted for donation?
a 32-year-old woman who received a transfusion in a complicated delivery 5 months previously
b 19-year-old sailor who has been stateside for 9 months and stopped taking his anti-malarial
medication 9 months previously
c 22-year-old college student who has a temperature of 99.2°F (37.3°C) and states that he feels
well, but is nervous about donating
d 45-year-old woman who has just recovered from a bladder infection and is still taking
antibiotics
4 Which one of the following constitutes permanent rejection status of a donor?
a a tattoo 5 months previously
b recent close contact with a patient with viral hepatitis
c 2 units of blood transfused 4 months previously
d confirmed positive test for HBsAg 10 years previously
According to AABB standards, which of the following donors may be accepted as a blood donor?
a traveled to an area endemic for malaria 9 months previously
b spontaneous abortion at 2 months of pregnancy, 3 months previously
c resides with a knovm hepatitis patient
d received a blood transfusion 22 weeks previously

Clinical £aboracory Certiflcation Examinations i

1: Blood Baxzk | Blood Products Questions
6 Below are the results of the history obtained from a prospective female blood donor: Ho
age: 16 w
temperature: 99.0°F (37.2°C) ma
Hct: 36%
history: tetanus toxoid immunization 1 week previously ny
of
the
abo
ve
res
ult
s
exc
lud
es
thi
s
do
nor
fro
m
givi
ng
blo
od
for
a
rou
tin
e
tra
nsf
usi
on?
a
no
ne

c 2
d 3
For
O apheresis
N
L
donors who
Y donate
platelets
more
frequently
than every 4
weeks, a

2 The Board o£Cextifzcatiozz Study Guide

p ount must be performed prior to the procedure and be at least: M
l
a Neo
a d
to'/ML (iso
t
io’/L) b 200
e x to'/ML a
l (200 « 10’/L) n
e c 250 103 / t
t pL (250 x i
10’/L) -
c d 300 x lo'/ML (300 x 10’/L) H
B
8 Prior to blood donation, the intended venipuncture site must be e
cleaned with a scrub solution containing:
12 T
a hypochlorite
b isopropyl alcohol c l09o h
e
a
c
e
W
t
o e
n
s
e
d PVP iodine complex t
9 All donor blood e
testing must r
include: a n
complete Rh
phenotyping b
b anti-CMV testing
c direct antiglobulin test l
d serological test for syphilis
o
10 During the preparation of Platelet Concentrates from Whole Blood, the
t
blood should be: a cooled towards 6’C
b cooled
towards i
20°—
24°C c s
warmed
to 37°C
d heated to 57°C a
The most common cause of posttransfusion hepatitis can be detected in
donors by testing for: a anti-HCV c
b HBsAg
c o
a n
n
t f
i
i
-
H r
A
V m
a
I
g t
Clinical £aborarory Certiflcation Bxaminntiona 3
 s
ory test for the presence of: a CMV
a
antibody m
b anti-HIV-1 e
c HBsAg
d serum protein abnormalities d
a
13 The test that is currently used to detect donors who are infected with y
the AIDS virus is: a anti-HBc
b c

a 8
n
t A
i M
-
H t
I h
V e

1 n
, e
2 x
t
c
m
H o
B r
s n
A i
g n
d ALT g
d the
1: Blood Banii | Blood Products Questio original
ns date of
14 A commonly used screening method for anti-HIV-1
the
detection is: a latex agglutination unsplit
b radioimmunoassay (RIA) unit
c thin-layer-chromatography (TLC) 17 A
d enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
unit
1 of
Rejuvenation of a unit of Red Blood Cells is a Red
fi
ON method used to: a remove antibody attached Blo
BY od
to RBCs Cell
b inactivate viruses and bacteria s
c restore 2,3-DPG and ATP expi
to normal levels d filter ring
blood clots and other in
debris 35
16 A unit of packed cells is split into 2 aliquots under closed sterile conditions at 8 day
AM. The expiration time for each aliquot is now: s is
split
a 4 into
PM on 5
the sma
same ll
day b aliq
8 PM uots
on the usin
2 The Board o£Cextifzcatiozz Study Guide
 g a sterile pediatric quad set and a sterile connecting device. Each aliquot must o
be labeled as expiring in: u
r
a 6 hours
b 12 hours 19 W
c 5 days
h
d 35 days
i
18 When platelets are stored on a rotator set on an open bench top, the ambient
air temperature must be recorded: c
a h

o
n o
c
e f

a
t
d
h
a
y e

b
f
t
w o
i l
c
e l
o
a
w
d
a i
y n
c
g
e
v
e i
r
s
y

4
t
h h
o
u e
r
s
c
d o
e r
v
r
e
r e
y
c
h
Clinical £aborarory Certiflcation Bxaminntiona 3
 t storage temperature for the componeo t listed? a
Cryoprecipitated AHF, 4‘C
b Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), —20‘C
c Red Blood
Cells, Frozen,
—40‘C d
Platelets, 37°C
20 A unit of Red Blood Cells is issued at 9:00 AM. At 9:10 AM the unit is returned to
the Blood Bank. The container has not been entered, but the unit has not been
refrigerated during this time span. The best course of action for the technologist is
to:
a culture the unit for
bacterial contamination b
discard the unit if not used
within 24 hours c store the
unit at room temperature
d record the return and place the unit back into inventory
The optimum storage temperature for Red
Blood Cells, Frozen is: a —80‘C
b —20‘C
c —l2‘C
d 4°C

2 The Board o£Cextifzcatiozz Study Guide

1: Blood Bank | Blood Products Questions
22 The optimum storage temperature for Red Blood Cells is: 23 If the
seal
a —80’C is
b -20’C enter
c —12’C ed
d 4’C on a
unit
of
Red
Bloo
d
Cells
store
d at
1°C
to
6°C,
what
is the
maxi
mum
allow
able
stora
ge
perio
d, in
hour
s?
a 6
b 24
c 48
d 72
24 T
h
e

o
p
t
i
m
u
m

s
t
o
r
 age temperature 29 C
for r
cryoprecipitated y
AHF is: a —20°C o
b—
t p
2 r
°
C e
c
4
° i
C p
d 22°C
i
25 Cr yoprecipitated AHF must be transfused
within what period of time following t
thawing and pooling? a
a 4hours t
b 8 hours
c 12 hours e
d 24 hours d
26 Platelets prepared in a polyole fin type
container, stored at 22°-24°C in 50 mL of
plasma, and gently agitated can be used for up A
to: H
a 24 hours F
b 48 hours
c 3 days ,
d 5 days
27 The optimum storage temperature for platelets is: i
a
f
—20°C
b
m
—
1 a
2
° i
C n
4
° t
C a
2
2 i
° n
C
e
28 According to AABB standards, Fresh Frozen
Plasma must be infused within what period of time d
following thawing?
a 24 hours
i
b 36 hours
c 48 hours n
d 72 hours

4 The Board of Certification Study Guide

 the frozen state at —18°C or below, has a shelf
life of: a 42 days
b 6 months l2

m
o
n
t
h
s
d 36 months
1: Blood Bank | Blood Products Questions
30 Once thawed, Fresh Frozen Plasma must be t ransfused within: 31
MCA
S
a 4hours ONL
b 8hours Y
n
c 12
hours
d 24 hours i
m
p
o
r
t
a
n
t

d
e
t
e
r
m
i
n
a
n
t

o
f

p
l
a
t
e
l
e
t

v
 y
i lity following storage is: a
t
a plasma potassium e
s
b concentration
b plasma pH c
i
c prothrombin time
d activated partial thromboplastin time r
e
32 In the liquid state, plasma must be stored at:
d
a l-6’C
b 22’C c
c 37’C e
d S6’C l
l
During storage, the concentration of 2,3- s
diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) decreases in a unit of: a d
platelets
Platelets
37 Plas
b Fresh Frozen Plasma
tic
c Red Blood Cells
bag
d Cryoprecipitated AHF
over
34 Cryoprecipitated AHF: wra
O
ps
N a is indicated for fibrinogen deficiencies are
L b should be
Y reco
stored at 4°C mm
prior to end
administratio ed
n c will not whe
n
tha
transmit win
hepatitis B g
virus unit
s of
d is indicated for
FFP
the treatment of in
37°
hemophilia B C
Which apheresis wat
er
platelets product bath
should be s
bec
irradiated? aus
e
a autologous unit collected prior to surgery
they
b random stock unit going to a patient with DIC
pre
c a directed donation given by a mother for her son vent
d a directed donation given by an unrelated family friend :
36 Irradiation of a unit of Red Blood Cells is a
done to prevent the replication of donor: a
t
granulocytes
h
b
e
l
F
y
m F
p P
h
o b
c a
 g from cracking when it
contacts the warm
water b water from
slowly dialyzing across
the bag membrane
c the entry ports from becoming contaminated with water
d the label from peeling off as the water circulates in the bath
38 Which of the following blood components must be
prepared within 8 hours after phlebotomy? a Red Blood
Cells
b Fresh Frozen Plasma
c
R
e
d

B
l
o
o
d

C
e
l
l
s
,

F
r
o
z
e
n

C
r
y
o
p
r
e
c
i
p
i
t
a
t
e
d

A
H

F
1: Blood Bazz* I Blood Products Questions
39 Cryoprecipitated AHF contains how many units of Factor Vl 4
II? Which of
0
M the
°‘" a 40 ON
followin
LY
b 80 g blood
c 130 compon
d 250 ents
contains
the most
Factor
VIII
concentr
ation
relative
to
volume?
a

S
i
n
g
l
e
-
D
o
n
o
r

P
l
a
s
m
a

C
r
y
o
p
r
e
c
i
p
i
t
a
t
e
d

A
H P a
F l
a P
c s l
m a
F a s
r m
e d a
s
h P P
l r
F a o
r t t
o e e
z l i
e e n
n t
s
F
41 The most effective component to treat a patient with r
fibrinogen deficiency is: a
O
c
N a t
L i
Y
F o
r n
e
s b
h
C
F
r
r
y
o
o
z
p
e
r
n
e
c
P
i
l
p
a
i
s
t
m
a
a
t
e
b
d
P
l A
a H
t F
e c
l
e F
t a
s c
c Fresh Whole Blood t
d Cryoprecipitated AHF o
r
42 A blood component prepared by thawing Fresh Frozen Plasma
at refrigerator temperature and I
removing the fluid portion is: X
6 33se Board of Cectifscatioa Study Guide
 p t
C e h
r e
o u
m n u
p i n
l t i
e i t
x n s
9t
d 5e
%s
F t
P o e
2 f d
4 46 Which
43 Upon inspection, a unit of platelets is noted to have of
visible clots, but otherwise appears normal. The
technologist should: the
a issue without concern follo
b filter to remove the clots win
c centrifuge to express off the clots
d quarantine for Gram stain and culture g is
According to AABB Standards, at least 909o of all Apheresis pro
Platelets units tested shall contain a minimum of how many
per
pro
platelets?
h 6.5 x 10! 0 ced
c ure
3 for
.
0 pre
par
x
atio
1
0 n of
*
* Plat
elet
d
s
5
. fro
0 m
10
1
Wh
1
ole
45 According to AABB Standards, Platelets prepared from Whole
Blood shall have at least: Blo
O od?
N a 5.5 x l0 *0 platelets per
L unit in at least 909o of the a
Y
units tested b 6.5 x 1110 ligh
platelets per unit in 909o of
the units tested t
c 7.5 x 10*’ platelets
per unit in l00'7o of spin
the units tested d
follo
8.5 x 1010 platelets
 wed by a hard spin
b

l
i
g
h
t

s
p
i
n

f
o
l
l
o
w
e
d

b
y

h
a
r
d

s
p
i
n
s

l
i
g
h
t

s
p
i
n
s
d hard spin followed by a light spin

6 33se Board of Cectifscatioa Study Guide

1: Blood Bank | Blood Products Questions
47 According to AABB standards, what is the minimum pH required for Platelets at the end of the y
%py storage period?
a 6.0
b 6.2
c 6.8
d 7.0
According to AABB standards, Platelets must be:
a gently agitated if stored at room temperature
b separated within 12 hours of Whole Blood collection
c suspended in sufficient plasma to maintain a pH of 5.0 or lower
d prepared only from Whole Blood units that have been stored at 4°C for 6 hours
49 A unit of Whole Blood-derived (random donor) Platelets should contain at least: a
1.0 x 1010 platelets
b. 5.5 x 1010 platelets
c 5.5 x 101* platelets
d 90% of the platelets from the original unit of Whole Blood
50 Platelets prepared by apheresis should contain at least: a
l x 1010 platelets
b 3 x 10*0 platelets
c 3 x 1011 platelets
d 5 x 1011 platelets
Leukocyte-Reduced Red Blood Cells are ordered for a newly diagnosed bone marrow candidate.
What is the best way to prepare this product?
a crossmatch only CMV-seronegative units
b irradiate the unit with 1,500 rads
c wash the unit with saline prior to infusion
d transfuse through a Log' leukocyte-removing filter
52
M LS Of the following blood components, which one should be used to prevent HLA alloimmunization
Of'iL
Y of the recipient?
a Red Blood Cells
b Granulocytes
c Irradiated Red Blood Cells
d Leukocyte—Reduced Red Blood Cells
53 A father donating Platelets for his son is connected to a continuous flow machine, which uses the
principle of centrifugation to separate Platelets from Whole Blood. As the Platelets are harvested,
all other remaining elements are returned to the donor. This method of Platelet collection is
known as:
a apheresis
b autologous
homologous
d fractionation
54 To qualify as a donor for autologous transfusion a patient’s hemoglobin should be at least:
a 8 g/dL (80 g/L)
b 11 g/dL (110 g/L)
c 13 g/dL (130 g/L)
d 15 g/dL (150 g/L)

Clinical Laboratory Certi flc‹ition Bxaminations 7