I recently took the ASCP exam in order to acquire a state license in laboratory science. I’ve written this for folks seeking advice on a passing strategy. If you’re experiencing difficulty understanding the material or are anxious about what the exam entails, i’d like to help.
Who this is for:
Different strategies work for different folks. Some can pass an exam in two weeks, while others may require more than one attempt. I wished to make this strategy comprehensive so I have written this for folks taking the exam with only a rudimentary understanding of laboratory science. You know what an antibody is, but the fella who kept interrupting the professor made it impossible for you to learn anything else. Maybe your Professor exhausted his/her own own knowledge by this point. Perhaps you crammed for every exam in school, learning nothing substantive in the process. You may even be taking the exam after being out of school for several years. Whatever your situation, I’d like you to understand that you will pass this exam, by following a few simple steps.
About the exam:
You need to score 400 points out of 1000 in order to pass. That’s all you need – 400. Easy questions are worth 10 points; moderately difficult ones are worth more; difficult ones can be worth up to 25 points. All you need is 400. How do you know if you’re ready to score 400 on the real exam? Referring to labce.com, if you can score 75% + on subject tests; 65% + on 100 question review mode; or 55% + on computer adaptive testing mode, then you have a good shot at passing the ASCP exam. I’ve heard mentioned that if you’re still getting very difficult questions around #80, the computer is essentially throwing high value questions at you, hoping you can guess correctly and bring your score up to 400. If you’re getting very easy questions repeatedly, then you’ve already passed and the computer just wants you to go away.
Survival Kit (for those who aren’t sure what to get):
This is the survival gear you need. It is essential and comprehensive. I wouldn’t take this exam without the following: Polansky review cards (THE best resource) LabCE.com subscription – absolutely essential for questions and learning Success in Clinical Laboratory Science (Ciulla) – to be used as your reference textbook Clinical Lab Science Review (Harr) – for questions and learning
How much time do I need to study?
Very subjective. Depending on how hard you work on this, you will need more or less time to prepare. Two to three months is more than adequate if you have an extremely poor understanding of lab science.
Okay fine but what do I DO?!
Take a Labce practice test in 100 question test mode. Don’t look at any resources. Just finish it to see what score you would get. Randomly guess on everything if you need to. It’s Kewl – a blue legged squirrel would score 25% by random guessing so you’ll score around 25-35% if you learned the bare minimum in school. You may be worried about a horrendous score. Don’t be – trust me on this.
Separate your Polansky review cards by subject. Chemistry, Blood Bank, Hematology, Bacteriology and Urinalysis requires 95% of your attention because these subjects comprise 95% of your exam.
Open up the Harr Review book. Examine its organization. Each subject is subdivided further into subtopics (for example, Microbiology is divided into gram positive cocci; gram positive bacilli; anaerobes, enterobacteriaceae, etc). Your cards are organized in a similar manner. Notice that each ~50 question subtest in the review book corresponds to only a handful of review cards.
Each Harr question comes with an excellent explanation. If you don’t know a subject AT ALL, go through the entire individual set of questions for that subtopic – read each explanation – look up the pertinent facts in the few review cards you’re holding in your hands and mark it up. If it’s not there, then tell that fact to @!#*$ off because it’s not important. Do this for every question in that subtopic. By the end of that set of questions, you’ll have learned the entire subtopic and noted what you need to remember on your cards.
Do the above for every subtopic you have difficulties with. It took me 1-2 days per subtopic. Keep in mind that while there are many subtopics, only a few are important for the exam.
After you finish each subtopic (say you finish the enterobacteriacea questions in Harr), do a 50 question subject test in labce, corresponding to the subtopic you just completed (eg. do Bacteriology in labce if you finished enterobacteriacea in Harr: do Hematology in labce if you finished wbc disorders in Harr). Getting a poor score is okay. Most people score around 50%. But every question you get wrong is a new fact you’ve learned and underlined in your cards.
I attempted to do as many of the Labce questions as I could. A classmate did 100 every day – that’s phenomenal. Someone else did 300 every day – that’s wild. I did a thousand in total. Do as many as you can, and learn from every wrong answer. Highlight the facts you learn in your Polansky cards.
By the end of your study period, you’ll notice that only a certain percentage of your Polansky review cards are highlighted with facts you didn’t know. The more you know when you start studying, the less marked up your cards will be. Either way, it’s these highlighted facts that you need to review, ideally every few days.
Additional notes:
Don’t buy the BOC book. The explanations are not helpful. What’s the point of buying an inferior book with thousands of questions when you won’t even get to all the questions in the good review sources listed above (Labce and the book of questions from Harr)? The same goes for textbooks. You don’t need them for this exam.
In my opinion, class notes are utterly useless unless they’re diagrams or tables. Proper understanding requires that you create your own visual aids in between answering questions. Don’t waste time staring at monotonous text or reading the gibberish we tend to jot down in class. Those notes have a place and it rhymes with recycling bin.
Each day, try to recall all of the important information you learned that day. Some will also do this as part of a weekly group meet. I can’t stress enough how important it is to recall the information you’ve learned. If you understand something well and wait 2 weeks to think about it again, you’re liable to forget what you understood so well just a short while ago. Attempt to recall as you’re about to fall asleep every night and it will be fresh in your mind in the morning (an added bonus is that it may knock you out like a light). Therefore, review early in the morning, as well.
Picture the branches of bacteriological charts or certain key antigens in blood bank. If you can’t recall something, look it up immediately! Learning is all about layering knowledge. When you take the time to do several layers (learning, doing questions, drawing charts) your recall will be solid.
Use my high yield charts or make your own. But please know the relevant information!
Hi sohail! Thank you for your website. I took the exam for the second time today and failed. I am feeling very down. I am feeling like I can’t do it. I used lab ce is habitually. I was getting 50%+ on 5.12 difficulty. All other areas I was doing as suggested. 🙂 Also I used Polanski cards daily, I guess I didn’t completely memorized micro charts perhaps I should definitely do that this time. When I was taking the exam I really thought I was passing it the first time my score was 350, I am eager to see what it will be this time. Suggestions for me? So so heart broken and sad about it.
I am sorry to hear the bad news Kritika. But take heart – you are very close to passing. I would definitely suggest memorizing the micro charts (write them down over and over again from memory until you’ve got it – that’s how I memorized them) as you will be sure to nail most of the micro questions with that in mind. Don’t be too heart broken. I am certain you will pass but you just need to do more questions. Try doing 50-100 questions every day. Look up each answer choice for the questions you got wrong. Do the same for the questions you answered correctly. You’ll learn/reinforce 3 or 4 facts by the end of each question and layering that information in your mind is equivalent to REAL learning. I would also really recommend doing questions from the HARR book. That book takes a layered or programmed approach to learning. I GUARANTEE you will pass easily after a month or two of this type of active studying. Take heart!!
Anybody took MLT exam ? I see that most of the comments are re MT or MLS exam. I wonder if LabCE would be helpful in preparing for MLT exam as I don’t have much time and I don’t want to deal with questions I don’t have to…
Thanks.
I haven’t taken mine yet either but that is a good question. Do you know of anyone who has taken the MLT? I’m doing Labce right now but only the MLT ASCP questions. Let me know if you hear anything.
Thanks!
I have a quick question…
While studying do you recommend reading a review book (I have Success by Ciulla) or strictly answering questions like on Labce and Harr?
Thank you so much for your tips. I passed the MLS exam a week ago. I used almost all the books and the labce, but I didn’t use SUCCESS at all. Thank you again. I have a quick question for you: After certification how long do I have to wait until my license number will show in the nysed website? and: will my certification number the same for the license?
Hi ED , congratulation , I failed my exam 2 months ago:( i am taking imlt like you and i have no idea where to start. I need your advice please, you said you used BOC , you mean the study guid or online practice test ?
I passed the MLS ASCP exams on my second try with 515 points. One of the questions from this website was in the exam. My best advise to anyone is to practice Labce, if you can average 75 you will be confident to pass the ASCP. Thank you worsology !
I passed my ASCP MLS generalist test today. I had to take it three times this was my third time I was trying my best not to be discouraged !! First off I had chemistry a lot on my first test the first time I took it but over all I had questions from everytime the first two times every section lab management immunology serology bb heme coag micro myco parasitology just about everything and when I took it the second time I was late to my exam center(smdh!!)
However!
this time I swear to you all I had nothing but blooooood bank I had 2 chemistry questions 3 or 4 urinalysis questions maybe I had 3 mycology and some serology stuff with Ana testing I know I had 15 hematology and 15 microbiology but the rest was freaking blood bank they just kept comming luckly im OK in blood bank but I had every question in the book about blood bank I felt like I was taking a freaking specialist test I just found out about this website last night some of you all questions I actually saw in mine I promise you not I thought I was failing again I was so shocked when it said pass!!!! I can’t tell if my questions were hard or not i know some people say that once you get to question 80 and your still seeing charts you failed I can’t tell I had charts everywhereeee omg chart for coagulation with platelet studies with epinephrine and two other graphs(I forgot lmao) omg I still dunno how I passed because I know I studied well but goodness lmao! that was hard I have not gotten my scores back yet so I’m not sure how well I did passing but my goodness I was in shock how many blood bank questions I had I’m ok in blood bank I was trying to brace my self for chemistry I studied over my chemistry just to not even really have it on there which made me mad lol
My advice to everyone is study every topic my I first two times taking the test they pretty much had the same topics different questions but this time was different lol I used cilliua success book over and over lmao and I also used harr book the latest one I used quizlett as well I took two months to study from my last time I took it if I remember my questions when I get my score in going to post them I’m still in shock I passed I just got home in the door
Hi Marf, I just took the Chemistry (ASCP) exam and passed on May 20! It was definitely very hard. I couldn’t find many forums that had people who took the subject tests vs. the MLS test. (I had to due to my school background. BSc in Biology instead of MT). They asked a lot of general Chemistry questions regarding calculations, instrumentology, ect. Totally not what I was expecting. When I sat for the test I was scoring 95% on LabCE Chemistry section. Lab CE doesn’t really give you instrumentation or calculation questions–so I guess I had bad luck of the draw at the testing center!
I took the Hematology ASCP exam last year and thought it was hard, but this one took the cake 🙂
good luck! I definitely think this website, along with the harr, polansky and LabCE helps you get an overall study guide. Harr’s questions are a lot harder than LabCE, and I think the certification test was closer modeled to the Harr book.
Can’t thank wordsology enough for helping me pass both my tests. Coming from a different background and going the nontraditional MLS route, this website helped tremendously with it’s study techniques and words of wisdom 🙂
hi lisa i am planning to take chem (ascp) (c). could you help me out any review or test recall , or any idea please help. i try to take a test soon, thanks, appreciates. my email is hie10nguyen@yahoo.com
Good day everyone! I’m on my 1st month of my review for the ASCP exams. And I just would like to share with you the that the Polansky cards and harr can be downloadable online. I feel like I’m stressing out my eyes each day in answering questions from LABCE. And this prep tips really helped me a lot now I’m thinking that I’m on the right track I’m planning to take the test on the last week of July and I really hope to get back on my loved profession in a different country now and I wish all of the test takers who could read this would also pass. God bless us all.
My exam is in 11 days and im scoring a little better on labce now. What i do is go over every question and then look up more information about it online and i think its good but i wanted to ask you guys was labce helpful for you? I will let you guys know if i pass or not the day i take it and what i think. I hope someone can share their results with me
It was helpeful for me in that it was in a format (on the computer) that allowed me to do hundreds of questions without fatigue or carrying around books and papers, as the explanations for all questions are included.
Hi, I took my test on Tuesday and I failed. My score results are 391. I was wondering if anyone has ever payed the $25 for them to review the computer results and if it made a difference.
Thank you for this website! I am planning on taking the ASCP(C) exam and was wondering from the books listed (Harr and Ciulla) would you recommend just studying the chemistry chapters? Also, I am using Appelton and Lange’s Clinical Chemistry…. is this a useful book for this exam?
Again, thanks so much for this… I felt so lost before!
If you are only taking the chemistry exam, then sure! I thought Harr was actually very good and extensive for Chem questions. The Ciulla book is also very good for chemistry. I’m not familiar with the chem speciality exam but i’m sure everything in the Ciulla book would apply. I didn’t see very many reviews on the Appleton & Lange book but the few reviews I do see appear good.
Hi,
I didn’t schedule the test yet because i’m super nervous about it. This is my last chance to pass and every other time I was always extremely nervous even while studying for the test. I didn’t get above a 52 on adaptive on Labce and used Harr and success to study, but never finished the questions in either books. This time around i’m using Bottom line approach to review (extremely helpful) and using harr and success for questions, along with one adaptive exam on LabCe every other day (still in the 48-50 range). I have an 18 month old baby and struggle to find time to study.. and not to mention the motivation. Do you or anyone else here have any tips on how to overcome the anxiety and/or how to schedule time? I do a little everyday but feel i’m not doing enough and that adds onto my anxiety. I’d appreciate any help.
Hi Summer, i haven’t taken my exam yet, i take it on June 6th for the first time and i too have a baby around your baby’s age and its very hard to study and stay motivated but what have worked for me in every exam i took was to NOT be nervous because when i am it affects my score and i do very poorly even if i was very prepared. So i’ll tell you what im planning on doing and that is taking a deep breath and reading every question carefully then read the answers then re-read the question again and to try to put t for true and f for false for every answer and that usually helps me alot during exams. Also i have been doing a lot of labce and the notes from this blog to study and every time i get a question wrong even with the labce explanation i take the answer and i google it and i read up on it to get it to stick in my mind. Good luck and i truly hope you pass.
Thank you Jessica, I will definitely be giving your method a shot. How did your exam go? Hope you passed! What was your average on labce tests? …I’ve been feeling frustrated with how long it takes me to get a single question done. But with a kid, I guess its okay. Its best to know every question 100% before moving on rather than to just rush through and get nervous. Thanks for your help and hope to hear good news from you!
Hello, I want to give you advice. From my personal experience. You have a baby so that alone may make your studying time longer. But I know you can do it! So I also used the Bottom Line Approach book, it is awesome. I used it alone and passed. I forced myself to study everyday from 4-6 hours. At first I could only study for lk an hour BC it was so much information that I got in that one hour. But as I began retaining what I studied, it became easier to study longer. Everyday I would study one specific area of the book, hematology, chemistry etc. And I would just read it lk a book. From beginning of chapter to the end. Then all over. There were many times my mind wasn’t present as I read, but just bc my eyes skimmed the words, the information became familiar and I retained it. I gave myself breaks as I pleased, but only kept it at 15 min. Or less. If I took a long break it was harder to get back into focus after it. I also turned my TV off, and phone on silent. No interruptions bc then as I said, it breaks the focus you had. And it took me about two mos. To get familiar with all the info. And two mos. To get scores on Labce at or above 60%. Then after I began getting good scores I stopped studying with the book, and took one Labce exam a day. That went on for a month. Then I felt ready. I know the obstacle of having to study. You don’t want to, you don’t feel lk it bc it is boring. But I forced myself and once I got in focus during study, I began to enjoy it. So just get past the first 20 min. And you might actually enjoy it. Study hard but be kind to yourself. If you can’t study long, don’t worry. Do what your mind and body can handle. Rest, take breaks. I know you have a baby. Can you study while they nap? Can you find someone to watch them for a few hours?
Hi Mari, thanks for the advice! Unfortunately I don’t have anyone to help take care of the baby, but I have been getting up a few hours earlier than my baby and try to study during her nap time. But there are days where I’m simply just exhausted from lack of sleep or just chasing after her. Those days I don’t bother opening up my books and as a result, I end up back at square one. But its about discipline. I will use your methods of shutting all devices off and tell myself its just 20 minutes. This way I’ll not only be focused but I won’t go back to square one of skipping days. Thanks a bunch, I’m sure these methods will help stay on track!
I just take my exam today and I did not pass, I had a lot of urine questions and blood bank. I am extremely disappointed and I know I have to 3 months to take it, so I just ordered the review cards and the success to clinical laboratory science, I was studying every single day and I have no idea what happened. I have the LabCe but my scores was like 50% on every test. I guess I have to go at it again. 😩😩
Im sure next time around you’ll pass 🙂 I’m actually doing the same exact thing as you. i have anxiety taking this exam. but did labce really pay off when you took the exam?? you did take the ASCP exam right??
yes it was the ASCP MLT exam, LabCe did help, I went back that same day and a lot of labce questions kind of match what was on the exam, I’ve been studying the cards and the book that ordered and now I feel comfortable with taken the test again, I just break each subject down each week. I find out my scores and urinalysis was my big issue. My scores were like this; urine and body fluids 100, blood bank 254, chem 293, hemo 367, immunology 547, micro 450, and laboratory operations 505 which average to about 337. If someone can explain these scores that would be great, now I know my weakness and strength so I will focus on the lower scores first and then take it again in September. This website is great I just wish I looked for it before the exam, but everything happen for a reason. Also relax when you go in, I was so nervous the lady at the testing site had to tell me to take a deep breath.
Hey Lina I saw your scores posted and I’m pretty sure I was able to figure out HOW they got those numbers. Because each subject is supposed to account for a particular percentage, the subject scores are weighted according to their impact on the test. For example, BB, Heme, Micro, Chem are all ~17-22% of the test with Ur, and Lab ops being ~5-10%. Well take your scores from those subjects, times them by the percentage of your values then add those values and you’ll have that end score. You can’t just add them up and divide by 7 because each subject isn’t equal in terms of your overall score.
After studying for 3 months i failed! and it was the worst kind of failing because i accidentally clicked next before i saw the results and had to wait 4 days to find out that i failed!!! I am so disappointed, most of my questions were from urinalyis and chemistry (2 weakest subjects) i really feel that those 2 made up at least 60% of my exam. Here are some of my scores what do you think i should do next? Im an mlt and i used labce, your notes and some harr and the polosky flash cards as well as reading little things here and there. Blood bank 309 Urinalysis and body fluids 239 chemistry 254 hematology 489 laboratory operation 410 microbiology 338 immunology 319 im thinking i over studied because all the stuff on the exam was simplified stuff and not the hard stuff and all the formulas i studied. Any tips? I live in a small town and no hospital hires without a certification unless we do our internship there but my hospital wasnt hiring so i have been without work for the past few months
When I studied for the BOC I used the Polansky Cards, Success in CLS, and LabCE Exam Simulator. My score was in the top five percent. Coincidentally, I found this website after the exam and found that it suggests the same approach. As long as you’re using effective methods to study and putting in the time, this approach will not fail you.
what should my focus be for the last week of studying I’m taking the test for the second time. lab ce practice test i got 54% 5.68 difficulty. should i re- read the polansky cards? or just do questions ?
This might be too late to ask for tips on how to pass the exam. I will be taking my exam this June 18. What is the best thing to review,LabCe or Harr?
Thanks a lot guys!
hey guys so i haven’t applied to take the ASCP exam yet due to axiety haha but i decided to subscribe to labce stimulating exam. and i noticed that the difficulty level of my exams are only at a 4… but my percentage is at a 50%… what dos this mean?? because i read here that if your getting a 55% you have a high chance of passing but at what difficulty level??
Same advice I gave to everyone. I passed theASCP exam first try. Use the book by Robert Harr, the Polansky Cards and off course LabCe 100 questions MLS. Do that and you will pass with no problems. Then again very important Robert Harr book and the other two tools.
Hi wordsology. I will be taking the MLT (ASCP) exam. I graduated a few months back and was top of my class and without any study or looking I scored a 55% on the adaptive scoring test on labCE. I only have 2 weeks to study and will only be able to hit around 50-60 hours of study time. Do you think I will have a good chance here? I am kind of worried since I put the studying off and am down to such a short time. Any tips when 2 weeks is all I have to study?
I would absolutely suggest that you do as many questions as you can in those 2 weeks. If you are having trouble with a particular aspect of the exam, focus on THAT. For example, if you are having trouble answering micro questions, make sure you know the micro charts. If you are having trouble remembering tumor markers, try to memorize those. 2 weeks isn’t a lot of time but it’s plenty of time to do some 700 questions and go over their answers. It’s the best way to spend limited study time, in my opinion.
I forgot that I have the BOC practice registry app on my phone (I purchased it a while back while in school). Do we know what scores are recommended on those in order to pass the real test? I am currently scoring in the 76-84% range on random generated tests covering all areas.
Well… I take the exam tomorrow. I was able to learn 1,000 questions on LabCE so we will see if it was enough. I will update the forum when I have completed the registry.
Hi everyone, I passed my ASCP (i) Microbiology yesterday first try @ 38 wks preg and a first grader (for anyone that needs motivation). SUPER EXCITED & GRATEFUL.
I stumbled on this website on google search late last year and I’m very grateful for the information, people’s experiences, study guides, motivation etc…thanks to Wordsology and everyone for sharing their stories.
I relocated from UK, but ASCP staff weren’t really helpful for about 8 years till this year and was referred to their international evaluator who was super helpful. My previous UK lab manager signed my forms as I currently work in a nonclinical micro lab. (ASCP and ASCPi are same questions and took my exam in VA. ).
I used some of the study guide mentioned on this site, Polansky, Harr and lab.ce for my revision. I agree with LIsa’s comment above that the Harr’s questions were more similarly modeled to the real certification questions. Most of the questions were hard! Almost all sections in Micro were touched eg, Mycobacteria, Parasitology, Fungi, Virology, mycoplasma (one question), biochemicals, antibiotics, 2 questions on VITEK MS (a bit surprised about this).
I wish everyone all the best and GOOD LUCK.
Congrats k…I am going to take the same exam ASCPi microbiology and I need your advice. If you can recall some questions please? Regarding the lab operations and instruments can you give me any advice what should I know for this exam? Did u see any calculations ? Any tips will be appreciated.
Thanks Marwa.
No calculations.
Mycoplasma- why it doesn’t stain
Mycobacterium- kinyon stain, auramine stain sensitivity, fast/ slow growers, scotochtomogen definition.
campylobacter pic, it’s growth condition,
Enterobacteriaceae biochemicals
Parasitology pics
Common urine isolate
Antibiotics
Dimorphic fungi
Pork associated organism
Diff btw Proteus mirabilis& vulgaris
Gram pos cocci pics, other test if not agg pos.
Vitek ms definition, (can’t remember clearly but second question goes like – cannot differentiate btw s. Pneumo and given options)
Fungi pics
Hope these gives u clues and If I remember more I’ll post. I wish you all the best and good luck. Are you taking the exam in USA?
I am taking my ASCP (M) exam at the end of the month. Were you able to recall any additonal info? I am taking my exam in AZ. How confident were you going into the exam. CONGRATS BTW!
thank you K for sharing ur questions very appreciated
yes i am already in the USA
if u can recall any of the virology questions?
in the study guid for this exam there is part for laboratory operations and instruments, did u see any questions regarding this specific part, i don’t have any idea how to study for this part.
@Manders1….Sorry about the late reply….. it has been quite busy. As with any exam, you never know what to expect but I made sure I read the questions carefully because some questions can be misleading if not read carefully. You have probably done the exam and hopefully it is good news.
@Marwa…..Lab operations is one of my strong area as I have previous experience in it but I think HARR questions would be good study for lab operations, as mentioned above I got VITEK MS as instrument.
Well I just passed the MLT (ASCP) registry today. I had to cram so I did 1000 questions from LabCE and roughly 300 from the BOC ASCP book. I felt that the BOC practice questions were closer matching to the registry. The reasons given in the BOC guide are poor though so if you need any reasoning for answers then LabCE is definitely superior.
Here are my recalls from the test:
Thalassemias
Dimorphic fungi
Enterobacteriaciae biochems
Differentiating non-Lancefield streps
ABO discrepancies
G6PD deficiency
Transfusion testing requirements
Transfusion reactions
Elution, adsorption, absorption
Immunological testing types and methods
Pre, post, and hepatic jaundice (unconjugated, conjugated, bilirubinuria, urobilinogen, etc in each)
Gold standard chemistry tests, methods, and reagents used in them
DIC and MAHA characteristics and complications
Renin angiotensin system
Electrophoretic patterns
Type 1-4 hypersensitivity reactions
Cardiac markers
Coagulation studies and factor deficiencies
Inhibitors and what they inhibit in micro media
Urinary casts and associated conditions
ALL, AML, CML
Which preservatives are best for which stage of parasite and source of specimen.
Anyone have any advice on books to use to study for MLT exam? This will be my second time taking it. First time i took it i used labce and some harr and well as this websites and flash cards but i felt like the questions on the exam were much simpler than the ones in these books and that i over studied. Anyone have any tips please let me know. Non of the places in my town hire without an ASCP certificate unless you did your internship there (did my internship at a very small place thats not hiring) and i really need a job. Things at home are getting very tight, Thank you
I passed my ASCP exam today. The high yield notes helped! As well as the passing strategy posted. I used Lab Ce did about 1300 questions mainly scoring between 60-70 on the review mode and 52-60 on the adaptive mode.
I got mainly hematology and blood banking and just a few chemistry and about one lab management question.. To those who will be sitting the exam my Recall notes are;
Blood Bank
– make sure you know the antibody panel and how to identify the clinical significant ones I got about 2 panels. Use the one shown here in wordsology.
– make sure you know how to interpret ABO blood typing. I got a question asking if Anti A is pos and Anit B neg and A1 cell Pos and B cells Pos. what should the technologist report. Also I got a question asking what should the technologist do if Anti A is mixed feel and Anti B is Pos and A1 cell Pos how would you interpret it. Also got tuns of questions about ABO discrepancies. If there is a autoantibody reacting only at room temperature which would it be. ect
Clinical Chem
I was asked to calculate
– Molarity -creat clearance- osmolarity- anion gap, coefficient of variation, and I had to know the metabolic syndrome and the conditions that can cause them. LDL calculation as well.
Microbiology
– tons of questions!
know the different in distinguishing K.pnemoniae from K. oxytoca. know about the differential medias. Thanks to the high yield notes most of the questions surrounded them.
Hematology
know how to calculate MVC, MCHC, Manual differentials or wcb, rbc, and one of platelet was there too.know the different leukemia CML, ALL and lymphomas and how to distinguish them.
those are my recall in a nut shell. HIGH YIELD NOTES HELPED
I have a foreign bachelor in MLS. I need to take the test. I have 4-5 months to study. Also English is not my primary language and also I don’t have any work experience and I got my degree in 2013. I bought the Harr review and because it’s easy to study. I don’t know what to do with the cards. It’s very complicated for me. I don’t know how to study. Do you think that Labce and Harr questions are enough? If somebody who has had a similar experience wants to give me some tips, they can send a mail at erisshyti89@gmail.com or to reply on this comment. Thank you
I take my board for the first time in about 2 weeks. I have been scoring between a 57-63% on the Adaptive Testing for the ASCP MLS with an average difficulty level of 6.3. Does this mean I’m on the right track or what?? I’m starting to get very nervous and would appreciate some more helpful hints. I use LabCE, the Harr study book as well as the Polansky review cards. Any other suggestions would be awesome!
Just took the specialist in Micro (ascp) exam yesterday and failed 😦 I do not really know why but I did study with the books bottom line and harr (both excellent) and used the Labce and averaged about 80% and I did do over a 1,000 questions. Did not use the BOC study guide(maybe should have). I must say I did not study anything really on management or lab operations, and I did have the most questions on management. I also had quite a few questions on virology and cell cultures (which I never really worked with-now it is almost all PCR). Will have to probably try to take the test again-but this time spend more on studying management and lab operations and virology. Also had quite a few questions on antibiotic therapy. Will post questions that I can remember in a few days-but right now trying to get out of this depression.
I am sorry to hear this news. It sounds like you’ve identified the problem and know what to concentrate on the next time around. Don’t feel so bad – it sounds like a difficult exam. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to see theory and older methods of testing on the exam when you’re now using PCR!
Elaine I’m sorry to hear about your disappointment BUT realize that the test is DESIGNED to find your weakness. Be proud of yourself tor TAKING it!
i know I am overshooting to sit for the exam because I don’t know so much about anything but bacteriology bench BUT I am learning a lot just by studying AND HONESTLY I think JUST taking the exam is an accomplishment, passing would be great but I’m proud just to sit for it. I know MANY, MANY micro lab techs, good ones, that have never taken the specialist exam. Diagnostic micro is such a big topic with so many nuances and caveats.
My application with ASCP is ‘in process’ and I hope to be prepared by exam time. Email me and I’ll keep you posted. badyoga@yahoo.com
———note to Wordsology guy, I love your website! the enteric flowchart is great and the suggestion about the spreadsheet/chart to see patterns is very helpful. great info on this site.
wordsology 
I passed the ASCP! Thanks for the tips!!
I have a question: I have ASCP(C)
How do I transition to ASCP(MLS)?
Thank you!
I need some tips and advice and a recall for ascpi previous exam.Tnk you..
plenty of recalls posted here: https://wordsology.org/exam-recalls/
Why won’t this let me leave comments here?
Hi sohail! Thank you for your website. I took the exam for the second time today and failed. I am feeling very down. I am feeling like I can’t do it. I used lab ce is habitually. I was getting 50%+ on 5.12 difficulty. All other areas I was doing as suggested. 🙂 Also I used Polanski cards daily, I guess I didn’t completely memorized micro charts perhaps I should definitely do that this time. When I was taking the exam I really thought I was passing it the first time my score was 350, I am eager to see what it will be this time. Suggestions for me? So so heart broken and sad about it.
I am sorry to hear the bad news Kritika. But take heart – you are very close to passing. I would definitely suggest memorizing the micro charts (write them down over and over again from memory until you’ve got it – that’s how I memorized them) as you will be sure to nail most of the micro questions with that in mind. Don’t be too heart broken. I am certain you will pass but you just need to do more questions. Try doing 50-100 questions every day. Look up each answer choice for the questions you got wrong. Do the same for the questions you answered correctly. You’ll learn/reinforce 3 or 4 facts by the end of each question and layering that information in your mind is equivalent to REAL learning. I would also really recommend doing questions from the HARR book. That book takes a layered or programmed approach to learning. I GUARANTEE you will pass easily after a month or two of this type of active studying. Take heart!!
Hello . I have a question is it clinical lab science review book by Harr edition. 3rd?? Or is the medical lab science review by Harr edition 4th???
Anybody took MLT exam ? I see that most of the comments are re MT or MLS exam. I wonder if LabCE would be helpful in preparing for MLT exam as I don’t have much time and I don’t want to deal with questions I don’t have to…
Thanks.
I haven’t taken mine yet either but that is a good question. Do you know of anyone who has taken the MLT? I’m doing Labce right now but only the MLT ASCP questions. Let me know if you hear anything.
Thanks!
I took the MLT last week! It was a lot of information, and thought I was failing the whole time. I passed though!
Congrats Jodi!!! What studying tips can you give? Any suggestions?
thank you very much ive been pretty nervous and you put it more i to perspective for me
mlt is mls
I have a quick question…
While studying do you recommend reading a review book (I have Success by Ciulla) or strictly answering questions like on Labce and Harr?
Any suggestions would be of great help!!
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your tips. I passed the MLS exam a week ago. I used almost all the books and the labce, but I didn’t use SUCCESS at all. Thank you again. I have a quick question for you: After certification how long do I have to wait until my license number will show in the nysed website? and: will my certification number the same for the license?
Tatiana
I don’t know how long it would be before it appears on the website but I can’t imagine it would be very long.
hi i need assistance from anyone who has had a foreign bachelors in mls and done ASCP exams email is kristenjesh@gmail.com
Hi tatiana is it ok to ask for the recalls of your exam..if you dont mind that is..thank uou
I passed ASCP (IMLT). Thank you so much for your tips.I used Labce, Success,High yield notes and BOC
my score was 645 thank you so much wordsology
What IMLT stands for? Congratulations on passing the exam!
Where did you hear this acronym?
ED ..please info about MLT exam quation. thank you
excellent score! Congrats!
INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL LAB TECHNICIAN
Hi ED , congratulation , I failed my exam 2 months ago:( i am taking imlt like you and i have no idea where to start. I need your advice please, you said you used BOC , you mean the study guid or online practice test ?
BOC is a book you can buy with the questions and answers , and why they are the correct answer.
I passed the MLS ASCP exams on my second try with 515 points. One of the questions from this website was in the exam. My best advise to anyone is to practice Labce, if you can average 75 you will be confident to pass the ASCP. Thank you worsology !
Which question was on your test?
Hello . what edition of clinical laboratory science review by Harr .. is it the same as medical laboratory science review by Harr
Hello, having a harder time passing the
C (ascp) exam.
So what if I can usually narrow my answers down to 2 but most of the time I pick the wrong answer and my other one was correct?
I passed my ASCP MLS generalist test today. I had to take it three times this was my third time I was trying my best not to be discouraged !! First off I had chemistry a lot on my first test the first time I took it but over all I had questions from everytime the first two times every section lab management immunology serology bb heme coag micro myco parasitology just about everything and when I took it the second time I was late to my exam center(smdh!!)
However!
this time I swear to you all I had nothing but blooooood bank I had 2 chemistry questions 3 or 4 urinalysis questions maybe I had 3 mycology and some serology stuff with Ana testing I know I had 15 hematology and 15 microbiology but the rest was freaking blood bank they just kept comming luckly im OK in blood bank but I had every question in the book about blood bank I felt like I was taking a freaking specialist test I just found out about this website last night some of you all questions I actually saw in mine I promise you not I thought I was failing again I was so shocked when it said pass!!!! I can’t tell if my questions were hard or not i know some people say that once you get to question 80 and your still seeing charts you failed I can’t tell I had charts everywhereeee omg chart for coagulation with platelet studies with epinephrine and two other graphs(I forgot lmao) omg I still dunno how I passed because I know I studied well but goodness lmao! that was hard I have not gotten my scores back yet so I’m not sure how well I did passing but my goodness I was in shock how many blood bank questions I had I’m ok in blood bank I was trying to brace my self for chemistry I studied over my chemistry just to not even really have it on there which made me mad lol
My advice to everyone is study every topic my I first two times taking the test they pretty much had the same topics different questions but this time was different lol I used cilliua success book over and over lmao and I also used harr book the latest one I used quizlett as well I took two months to study from my last time I took it if I remember my questions when I get my score in going to post them I’m still in shock I passed I just got home in the door
Tremendous Congratulations to you. Take a breath though! I feel hyped after reading this!
What website did you find most of these questions …
Check the menu bar
Hii,,
I am planning to write ASCP chemistry technologist. I just subscribed to LabCE. Can anyone please share their experience..
Hi Marf, I just took the Chemistry (ASCP) exam and passed on May 20! It was definitely very hard. I couldn’t find many forums that had people who took the subject tests vs. the MLS test. (I had to due to my school background. BSc in Biology instead of MT). They asked a lot of general Chemistry questions regarding calculations, instrumentology, ect. Totally not what I was expecting. When I sat for the test I was scoring 95% on LabCE Chemistry section. Lab CE doesn’t really give you instrumentation or calculation questions–so I guess I had bad luck of the draw at the testing center!
I took the Hematology ASCP exam last year and thought it was hard, but this one took the cake 🙂
good luck! I definitely think this website, along with the harr, polansky and LabCE helps you get an overall study guide. Harr’s questions are a lot harder than LabCE, and I think the certification test was closer modeled to the Harr book.
Can’t thank wordsology enough for helping me pass both my tests. Coming from a different background and going the nontraditional MLS route, this website helped tremendously with it’s study techniques and words of wisdom 🙂
Very exciting news! Congratulations and thank you for the kind words.
hi lisa i am planning to take chem (ascp) (c). could you help me out any review or test recall , or any idea please help. i try to take a test soon, thanks, appreciates. my email is hie10nguyen@yahoo.com
Thank you … Appreciated…..
I have been getting this on labce 49 of 100 (49%), avg difficulty 3.2 i know its really bad, how should i study? im nervous my exam is in 2 weeks
Good day everyone! I’m on my 1st month of my review for the ASCP exams. And I just would like to share with you the that the Polansky cards and harr can be downloadable online. I feel like I’m stressing out my eyes each day in answering questions from LABCE. And this prep tips really helped me a lot now I’m thinking that I’m on the right track I’m planning to take the test on the last week of July and I really hope to get back on my loved profession in a different country now and I wish all of the test takers who could read this would also pass. God bless us all.
My exam is in 11 days and im scoring a little better on labce now. What i do is go over every question and then look up more information about it online and i think its good but i wanted to ask you guys was labce helpful for you? I will let you guys know if i pass or not the day i take it and what i think. I hope someone can share their results with me
It was helpeful for me in that it was in a format (on the computer) that allowed me to do hundreds of questions without fatigue or carrying around books and papers, as the explanations for all questions are included.
I cannot break past 53-59 percent on the Adaptive Test. What average difficulty level do I need to pass. My overall average is 5.23.
I read somewhere a 60% and level difficulty between 5.5-6.5 guarantees passing but im not sure
Hi, I took my test on Tuesday and I failed. My score results are 391. I was wondering if anyone has ever payed the $25 for them to review the computer results and if it made a difference.
Thank you for this website. I passed last May 25. I have used the high yield notes and as well as the recalls of the previous takers.
thank you
Thank you for this website! I am planning on taking the ASCP(C) exam and was wondering from the books listed (Harr and Ciulla) would you recommend just studying the chemistry chapters? Also, I am using Appelton and Lange’s Clinical Chemistry…. is this a useful book for this exam?
Again, thanks so much for this… I felt so lost before!
If you are only taking the chemistry exam, then sure! I thought Harr was actually very good and extensive for Chem questions. The Ciulla book is also very good for chemistry. I’m not familiar with the chem speciality exam but i’m sure everything in the Ciulla book would apply. I didn’t see very many reviews on the Appleton & Lange book but the few reviews I do see appear good.
Hi,
I didn’t schedule the test yet because i’m super nervous about it. This is my last chance to pass and every other time I was always extremely nervous even while studying for the test. I didn’t get above a 52 on adaptive on Labce and used Harr and success to study, but never finished the questions in either books. This time around i’m using Bottom line approach to review (extremely helpful) and using harr and success for questions, along with one adaptive exam on LabCe every other day (still in the 48-50 range). I have an 18 month old baby and struggle to find time to study.. and not to mention the motivation. Do you or anyone else here have any tips on how to overcome the anxiety and/or how to schedule time? I do a little everyday but feel i’m not doing enough and that adds onto my anxiety. I’d appreciate any help.
Hi Summer, i haven’t taken my exam yet, i take it on June 6th for the first time and i too have a baby around your baby’s age and its very hard to study and stay motivated but what have worked for me in every exam i took was to NOT be nervous because when i am it affects my score and i do very poorly even if i was very prepared. So i’ll tell you what im planning on doing and that is taking a deep breath and reading every question carefully then read the answers then re-read the question again and to try to put t for true and f for false for every answer and that usually helps me alot during exams. Also i have been doing a lot of labce and the notes from this blog to study and every time i get a question wrong even with the labce explanation i take the answer and i google it and i read up on it to get it to stick in my mind. Good luck and i truly hope you pass.
Thank you Jessica, I will definitely be giving your method a shot. How did your exam go? Hope you passed! What was your average on labce tests? …I’ve been feeling frustrated with how long it takes me to get a single question done. But with a kid, I guess its okay. Its best to know every question 100% before moving on rather than to just rush through and get nervous. Thanks for your help and hope to hear good news from you!
Hello, I want to give you advice. From my personal experience. You have a baby so that alone may make your studying time longer. But I know you can do it! So I also used the Bottom Line Approach book, it is awesome. I used it alone and passed. I forced myself to study everyday from 4-6 hours. At first I could only study for lk an hour BC it was so much information that I got in that one hour. But as I began retaining what I studied, it became easier to study longer. Everyday I would study one specific area of the book, hematology, chemistry etc. And I would just read it lk a book. From beginning of chapter to the end. Then all over. There were many times my mind wasn’t present as I read, but just bc my eyes skimmed the words, the information became familiar and I retained it. I gave myself breaks as I pleased, but only kept it at 15 min. Or less. If I took a long break it was harder to get back into focus after it. I also turned my TV off, and phone on silent. No interruptions bc then as I said, it breaks the focus you had. And it took me about two mos. To get familiar with all the info. And two mos. To get scores on Labce at or above 60%. Then after I began getting good scores I stopped studying with the book, and took one Labce exam a day. That went on for a month. Then I felt ready. I know the obstacle of having to study. You don’t want to, you don’t feel lk it bc it is boring. But I forced myself and once I got in focus during study, I began to enjoy it. So just get past the first 20 min. And you might actually enjoy it. Study hard but be kind to yourself. If you can’t study long, don’t worry. Do what your mind and body can handle. Rest, take breaks. I know you have a baby. Can you study while they nap? Can you find someone to watch them for a few hours?
Hi Mari, thanks for the advice! Unfortunately I don’t have anyone to help take care of the baby, but I have been getting up a few hours earlier than my baby and try to study during her nap time. But there are days where I’m simply just exhausted from lack of sleep or just chasing after her. Those days I don’t bother opening up my books and as a result, I end up back at square one. But its about discipline. I will use your methods of shutting all devices off and tell myself its just 20 minutes. This way I’ll not only be focused but I won’t go back to square one of skipping days. Thanks a bunch, I’m sure these methods will help stay on track!
hi guys! i dont have a copy of the BOc review book do you happen to have a pdf copy? im planning to take the exam 🙂 thanks!
following
I just take my exam today and I did not pass, I had a lot of urine questions and blood bank. I am extremely disappointed and I know I have to 3 months to take it, so I just ordered the review cards and the success to clinical laboratory science, I was studying every single day and I have no idea what happened. I have the LabCe but my scores was like 50% on every test. I guess I have to go at it again. 😩😩
Im sure next time around you’ll pass 🙂 I’m actually doing the same exact thing as you. i have anxiety taking this exam. but did labce really pay off when you took the exam?? you did take the ASCP exam right??
yes it was the ASCP MLT exam, LabCe did help, I went back that same day and a lot of labce questions kind of match what was on the exam, I’ve been studying the cards and the book that ordered and now I feel comfortable with taken the test again, I just break each subject down each week. I find out my scores and urinalysis was my big issue. My scores were like this; urine and body fluids 100, blood bank 254, chem 293, hemo 367, immunology 547, micro 450, and laboratory operations 505 which average to about 337. If someone can explain these scores that would be great, now I know my weakness and strength so I will focus on the lower scores first and then take it again in September. This website is great I just wish I looked for it before the exam, but everything happen for a reason. Also relax when you go in, I was so nervous the lady at the testing site had to tell me to take a deep breath.
Hey Lina I saw your scores posted and I’m pretty sure I was able to figure out HOW they got those numbers. Because each subject is supposed to account for a particular percentage, the subject scores are weighted according to their impact on the test. For example, BB, Heme, Micro, Chem are all ~17-22% of the test with Ur, and Lab ops being ~5-10%. Well take your scores from those subjects, times them by the percentage of your values then add those values and you’ll have that end score. You can’t just add them up and divide by 7 because each subject isn’t equal in terms of your overall score.
After studying for 3 months i failed! and it was the worst kind of failing because i accidentally clicked next before i saw the results and had to wait 4 days to find out that i failed!!! I am so disappointed, most of my questions were from urinalyis and chemistry (2 weakest subjects) i really feel that those 2 made up at least 60% of my exam. Here are some of my scores what do you think i should do next? Im an mlt and i used labce, your notes and some harr and the polosky flash cards as well as reading little things here and there. Blood bank 309 Urinalysis and body fluids 239 chemistry 254 hematology 489 laboratory operation 410 microbiology 338 immunology 319 im thinking i over studied because all the stuff on the exam was simplified stuff and not the hard stuff and all the formulas i studied. Any tips? I live in a small town and no hospital hires without a certification unless we do our internship there but my hospital wasnt hiring so i have been without work for the past few months
When I studied for the BOC I used the Polansky Cards, Success in CLS, and LabCE Exam Simulator. My score was in the top five percent. Coincidentally, I found this website after the exam and found that it suggests the same approach. As long as you’re using effective methods to study and putting in the time, this approach will not fail you.
what should my focus be for the last week of studying I’m taking the test for the second time. lab ce practice test i got 54% 5.68 difficulty. should i re- read the polansky cards? or just do questions ?
This might be too late to ask for tips on how to pass the exam. I will be taking my exam this June 18. What is the best thing to review,LabCe or Harr?
Thanks a lot guys!
hey guys so i haven’t applied to take the ASCP exam yet due to axiety haha but i decided to subscribe to labce stimulating exam. and i noticed that the difficulty level of my exams are only at a 4… but my percentage is at a 50%… what dos this mean?? because i read here that if your getting a 55% you have a high chance of passing but at what difficulty level??
test is in 5 days what should i focus on doing last few days?
why can’t i leave a comment?????????
Same advice I gave to everyone. I passed theASCP exam first try. Use the book by Robert Harr, the Polansky Cards and off course LabCe 100 questions MLS. Do that and you will pass with no problems. Then again very important Robert Harr book and the other two tools.
Do not waste your time and money with BOC book. There are two books that are excellent for the test ROBERT HARR, and SUCCESS
Ok. I have failed the ASCP MLS exam 3 times.
I definitely thought that I was ready but I struggled a lot with the chemistry questions.
Will this help me with the AMT as well?
I am really having a hard time with micro question on labce. I can’t seem to get over 55%. The questions are so hard. Any suggestions?
What are you having trouble with – in particular? Is it identifying the microoganism based on characteristic tests? Please give some detail. Thanks.
Hi wordsology. I will be taking the MLT (ASCP) exam. I graduated a few months back and was top of my class and without any study or looking I scored a 55% on the adaptive scoring test on labCE. I only have 2 weeks to study and will only be able to hit around 50-60 hours of study time. Do you think I will have a good chance here? I am kind of worried since I put the studying off and am down to such a short time. Any tips when 2 weeks is all I have to study?
I would absolutely suggest that you do as many questions as you can in those 2 weeks. If you are having trouble with a particular aspect of the exam, focus on THAT. For example, if you are having trouble answering micro questions, make sure you know the micro charts. If you are having trouble remembering tumor markers, try to memorize those. 2 weeks isn’t a lot of time but it’s plenty of time to do some 700 questions and go over their answers. It’s the best way to spend limited study time, in my opinion.
I forgot that I have the BOC practice registry app on my phone (I purchased it a while back while in school). Do we know what scores are recommended on those in order to pass the real test? I am currently scoring in the 76-84% range on random generated tests covering all areas.
Well… I take the exam tomorrow. I was able to learn 1,000 questions on LabCE so we will see if it was enough. I will update the forum when I have completed the registry.
what is the recommended score for the labce 100 q adaptive MLS exam before i take ascp?
Hi everyone, I passed my ASCP (i) Microbiology yesterday first try @ 38 wks preg and a first grader (for anyone that needs motivation). SUPER EXCITED & GRATEFUL.
I stumbled on this website on google search late last year and I’m very grateful for the information, people’s experiences, study guides, motivation etc…thanks to Wordsology and everyone for sharing their stories.
I relocated from UK, but ASCP staff weren’t really helpful for about 8 years till this year and was referred to their international evaluator who was super helpful. My previous UK lab manager signed my forms as I currently work in a nonclinical micro lab. (ASCP and ASCPi are same questions and took my exam in VA. ).
I used some of the study guide mentioned on this site, Polansky, Harr and lab.ce for my revision. I agree with LIsa’s comment above that the Harr’s questions were more similarly modeled to the real certification questions. Most of the questions were hard! Almost all sections in Micro were touched eg, Mycobacteria, Parasitology, Fungi, Virology, mycoplasma (one question), biochemicals, antibiotics, 2 questions on VITEK MS (a bit surprised about this).
I wish everyone all the best and GOOD LUCK.
That’s a very positive experience. Thank you so much “K”! This is great motivation for everyone, including myself.
Hi friends.. I am planning to give HAAD Exam (Health authority of abu dabhi). Anybody please suggest me some study materials for it..??
Congrats k…I am going to take the same exam ASCPi microbiology and I need your advice. If you can recall some questions please? Regarding the lab operations and instruments can you give me any advice what should I know for this exam? Did u see any calculations ? Any tips will be appreciated.
Thanks Marwa.
No calculations.
Mycoplasma- why it doesn’t stain
Mycobacterium- kinyon stain, auramine stain sensitivity, fast/ slow growers, scotochtomogen definition.
campylobacter pic, it’s growth condition,
Enterobacteriaceae biochemicals
Parasitology pics
Common urine isolate
Antibiotics
Dimorphic fungi
Pork associated organism
Diff btw Proteus mirabilis& vulgaris
Gram pos cocci pics, other test if not agg pos.
Vitek ms definition, (can’t remember clearly but second question goes like – cannot differentiate btw s. Pneumo and given options)
Fungi pics
Hope these gives u clues and If I remember more I’ll post. I wish you all the best and good luck. Are you taking the exam in USA?
I am taking my ASCP (M) exam at the end of the month. Were you able to recall any additonal info? I am taking my exam in AZ. How confident were you going into the exam. CONGRATS BTW!
thank you K for sharing ur questions very appreciated
yes i am already in the USA
if u can recall any of the virology questions?
in the study guid for this exam there is part for laboratory operations and instruments, did u see any questions regarding this specific part, i don’t have any idea how to study for this part.
@Manders1….Sorry about the late reply….. it has been quite busy. As with any exam, you never know what to expect but I made sure I read the questions carefully because some questions can be misleading if not read carefully. You have probably done the exam and hopefully it is good news.
@Marwa…..Lab operations is one of my strong area as I have previous experience in it but I think HARR questions would be good study for lab operations, as mentioned above I got VITEK MS as instrument.
Thank you k for your reply….. appreciated. god bless u.
Well I just passed the MLT (ASCP) registry today. I had to cram so I did 1000 questions from LabCE and roughly 300 from the BOC ASCP book. I felt that the BOC practice questions were closer matching to the registry. The reasons given in the BOC guide are poor though so if you need any reasoning for answers then LabCE is definitely superior.
Here are my recalls from the test:
Thalassemias
Dimorphic fungi
Enterobacteriaciae biochems
Differentiating non-Lancefield streps
ABO discrepancies
G6PD deficiency
Transfusion testing requirements
Transfusion reactions
Elution, adsorption, absorption
Immunological testing types and methods
Pre, post, and hepatic jaundice (unconjugated, conjugated, bilirubinuria, urobilinogen, etc in each)
Gold standard chemistry tests, methods, and reagents used in them
DIC and MAHA characteristics and complications
Renin angiotensin system
Electrophoretic patterns
Type 1-4 hypersensitivity reactions
Cardiac markers
Coagulation studies and factor deficiencies
Inhibitors and what they inhibit in micro media
Urinary casts and associated conditions
ALL, AML, CML
Which preservatives are best for which stage of parasite and source of specimen.
If I remember more I will add to it.
Congratulations and thank you for the excellent review, Charles
Anyone have any advice on books to use to study for MLT exam? This will be my second time taking it. First time i took it i used labce and some harr and well as this websites and flash cards but i felt like the questions on the exam were much simpler than the ones in these books and that i over studied. Anyone have any tips please let me know. Non of the places in my town hire without an ASCP certificate unless you did your internship there (did my internship at a very small place thats not hiring) and i really need a job. Things at home are getting very tight, Thank you
I passed my ASCP exam today. The high yield notes helped! As well as the passing strategy posted. I used Lab Ce did about 1300 questions mainly scoring between 60-70 on the review mode and 52-60 on the adaptive mode.
I got mainly hematology and blood banking and just a few chemistry and about one lab management question.. To those who will be sitting the exam my Recall notes are;
Blood Bank
– make sure you know the antibody panel and how to identify the clinical significant ones I got about 2 panels. Use the one shown here in wordsology.
– make sure you know how to interpret ABO blood typing. I got a question asking if Anti A is pos and Anit B neg and A1 cell Pos and B cells Pos. what should the technologist report. Also I got a question asking what should the technologist do if Anti A is mixed feel and Anti B is Pos and A1 cell Pos how would you interpret it. Also got tuns of questions about ABO discrepancies. If there is a autoantibody reacting only at room temperature which would it be. ect
Clinical Chem
I was asked to calculate
– Molarity -creat clearance- osmolarity- anion gap, coefficient of variation, and I had to know the metabolic syndrome and the conditions that can cause them. LDL calculation as well.
Microbiology
– tons of questions!
know the different in distinguishing K.pnemoniae from K. oxytoca. know about the differential medias. Thanks to the high yield notes most of the questions surrounded them.
Hematology
know how to calculate MVC, MCHC, Manual differentials or wcb, rbc, and one of platelet was there too.know the different leukemia CML, ALL and lymphomas and how to distinguish them.
those are my recall in a nut shell. HIGH YIELD NOTES HELPED
Congratulations and thank you so very much for posting this. You rock!
I have a foreign bachelor in MLS. I need to take the test. I have 4-5 months to study. Also English is not my primary language and also I don’t have any work experience and I got my degree in 2013. I bought the Harr review and because it’s easy to study. I don’t know what to do with the cards. It’s very complicated for me. I don’t know how to study. Do you think that Labce and Harr questions are enough? If somebody who has had a similar experience wants to give me some tips, they can send a mail at erisshyti89@gmail.com or to reply on this comment. Thank you
Hi there,
I take my board for the first time in about 2 weeks. I have been scoring between a 57-63% on the Adaptive Testing for the ASCP MLS with an average difficulty level of 6.3. Does this mean I’m on the right track or what?? I’m starting to get very nervous and would appreciate some more helpful hints. I use LabCE, the Harr study book as well as the Polansky review cards. Any other suggestions would be awesome!
Any info on ASCP specialist micro exam? I’m scared of the management and the mycology
Just took the specialist in Micro (ascp) exam yesterday and failed 😦 I do not really know why but I did study with the books bottom line and harr (both excellent) and used the Labce and averaged about 80% and I did do over a 1,000 questions. Did not use the BOC study guide(maybe should have). I must say I did not study anything really on management or lab operations, and I did have the most questions on management. I also had quite a few questions on virology and cell cultures (which I never really worked with-now it is almost all PCR). Will have to probably try to take the test again-but this time spend more on studying management and lab operations and virology. Also had quite a few questions on antibiotic therapy. Will post questions that I can remember in a few days-but right now trying to get out of this depression.
I am sorry to hear this news. It sounds like you’ve identified the problem and know what to concentrate on the next time around. Don’t feel so bad – it sounds like a difficult exam. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to see theory and older methods of testing on the exam when you’re now using PCR!
Elaine I’m sorry to hear about your disappointment BUT realize that the test is DESIGNED to find your weakness. Be proud of yourself tor TAKING it!
i know I am overshooting to sit for the exam because I don’t know so much about anything but bacteriology bench BUT I am learning a lot just by studying AND HONESTLY I think JUST taking the exam is an accomplishment, passing would be great but I’m proud just to sit for it. I know MANY, MANY micro lab techs, good ones, that have never taken the specialist exam. Diagnostic micro is such a big topic with so many nuances and caveats.
My application with ASCP is ‘in process’ and I hope to be prepared by exam time. Email me and I’ll keep you posted.
badyoga@yahoo.com
———note to Wordsology guy, I love your website! the enteric flowchart is great and the suggestion about the spreadsheet/chart to see patterns is very helpful. great info on this site.
That’s very true. And thanks!