ASCP Blood Bank Certification: Eligibility, Exam Preparation, and How to Get?

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) awards BB (ASCP) and SBB (ASCP) certifications in the blood banking domain for those candidates who want to add advancement in their skills and expertise.

With the power of ASCP blood bank credentials, candidates get better job opportunities with higher salaries. These certificates enhance candidates' experience many times more, and they are considered optimal for doing blood banking lab experiments.

To get an ASCP technologist and specialist blood bank certificate, you must have enough knowledge of blood banking, molecular and serologic testing, systems of blood groups, lab operation, transfusion practices, blood products, and physiology & immunology.

First and foremost, you must know whether you are eligible for this certificate or not. Furthermore, how can you get a specialist in blood banking and a technologist in blood banking certificates in your first sitting? In addition, exam content area and prep are essential to know before taking steps toward ASCP blood bank certification.

Here, we are going to explain all about the ASCP blood bank certification exam content areas, eligibility requirements, reading list resources, how to pass the ASCP blood bank test, and much more.

BB (ASCP) vs. SBB (ASCP)

The ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) grants two credentials for the blood banking field: BB ASCP technologist in blood banking and SBB ASCP specialist in blood banking.

Technologists in the blood bank (ASCP) determine the blood components and blood types and identify antibodies by performing specialized or routine tests in transfusion services and blood banking.

While a specialist in blood banking (ASCP) also identifies the antibodies and determines the blood type by performing all operations in transfusion services and blood banking, but they have advanced knowledge.

Specialists are lab managers and technical supervisors who are regarded as advisors, educators, and leaders.

Requirements for ASCP Blood Bank Certification

To meet at least one route requirement that is recommended by BOC for blood bank ASCP is vital before applying for the exam. ASCP BOC determines the different routes for technologist in blood bank ASCP and specialist in blood bank ASCP.

For Technologist in Blood Bank ASCP

• Route 1: Medical laboratory scientist ASCP certification and baccalaureate degree in a relevant field.

• Route 2: Baccalaureate degree from an approved institution in chemistry or biological science Or Baccalaureate degree with 30 semester hours combination in biology & chemistry. Besides this, full-time one year of blood banking clinical experience.

• Route 3: Chemistry or biological science baccalaureate degree or bachelor's degree in bio or chemistry with a combination of 30 semester hours. The blood bank structure program is offered by NAACLS.  

• Route 4: Immunology, microbiology, immunohematology, or other related field master's degree and six months of blood bank clinical experience from an approved lab

• Route 5: MLS program by NAACLS, Medical laboratory science bachelor's degree or bachelor's degree with the 30 semester hours combination in bio or chemistry

For Specialist in Blood Bank ASCP

• Route 1: Bachelor's degree from an accepted institution in biology & chemistry. SBB ASCP program by CAAHEP.

• Route 2: Medical lab scientist ASCP or blood bank ASCP certification. A baccalaureate degree. Three years of clinical blood bank experience.

• Route 3: Master’s degree in microbiology, immunology, or another associated field and blood banking clinical experience.

• Route 4: Doctorate in microbiology, medical laboratory science, or another associated field. Post-doctoral fellowship of two years in a blood bank in Canada or the U.S. Or blood banking clinical experience from an accepted lab.

• Route 5: Blood bank (ASCP) or medical lab scientist (ASCP) certification. A baccalaureate degree in an associated field. Three years of blood bank clinical experience as an academic educator.

• Route 6: Master’s degree in immunohematology, biology, or other relevant field. As an academic instructor, three years of clinical blood bank experience.

• Route 7: MLS ASCP or BB ASCP certification. Doctorate in medical laboratory science, immunology, or another related field. One year of blood bank clinical experience or blood bank clinical. 

Eligibility Check for ASCP Blood Bank

Determining your eligibility for ASCP technologist in blood bank and ASCP specialist in blood banking is the first step to entering the ASCP world.

Through BOC Eligibility Assistant, you can check your eligibility for the ASCP technologist in blood bank or ASCP specialist in blood bank exam.

First of all, you need to choose your ASCP blood bank certificate and reply to the eligibility concerns. It will determine your eligibility automatically.

Click here to find out all about the eligibility requirements for technologist in blood bank ASCP.

You can find detailed information about the specialist in blood bank ASCP exam requirements by visiting here.

Study Guide (Exam Content Area with Question Percentage) for ASCP Blood Bank Certification

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) determines the study guide for ASCP blood bank certification. To pass the BB (ASCP) or SBB (ASCP) exam, you must have a full grasp of the BOC-recommended exam content area.

Blood Products (BB: 15 – 20%, SBB: 10 – 15%)

Blood components, processing, donors, storage, and quality control of blood components. 

Lab Operation (BB: 5 – 10%, SBB: 10 – 15%)

Lab mathematics, safety, troubleshooting, laboratory administration, quality assessment, and lab instrumentation.

Transfusion Practices (BB: 15 – 20%, SBB: 15 – 20%)

Blood administration, transfusion adverse effects and indications, patient blood management, circulation, component therapy, and extracorporeal & apheresis.

Blood Group System (BB: 15 – 20%, SBB: 15 – 20%)

Blood Group's roles in transfusion, genetics, antigens, and Biochemistry.

Physiology and Immunology (BB: 10 – 20%, SBB: 15 – 25%)

Physiology, Immunology and Pathophysiology 

ASCP Exam for Blood Banking

The ASCP BOC exam for BB (ASCP) and SBB (ASCP) is not child play. You never pass it until you show proper dedication. ASCP blood bank technologist or specialist certificates are a result of your full-time hard work.

The exam content area for both exams contains 6 subjects that are categorized into topics and subtopics. Different percentages of exam questions are selected from every subject.

100 is a total question that you have to complete in a given time frame (2 hours & 30 minutes). You need to figure out all the questions that appear in front of you because there is no skip option. Whether you know the answer to a question or not, you have to solve it.

The ASCP blood bank test is designed based on computer adaptive testing that shows easy or tough questions by monitoring the answers to previous questions. The next question will be easy if your last answer is wrong, and vice versa.

Preparation for the ASCP Blood Bank Exam

Are you looking for a handy solution for ASCP blood bank certification exam preparation? MLSiACADEMY.com is an online platform that trains you for the ASCP blood bank exam.

This course is designed by ASCP experts who deliver valuable content, including unified study material, practice questions and answers, a question bank, live online classes, and recordings of classes up to your requirements.

Besides this, you will also get two mega bonuses: one free book (worth $9.99), and second, expert support until you get a blood bank certificate.

One amazing thing about the MLSIA technologist in blood bank ASCP Prep and specialist in blood bank ASCP prep courses is that they come with a 100% one-sitting success guarantee. No matter whether you have tried already or are trying for the first time, after getting MLSiACADEMY.com’s services, you shall become ASCP certified on your first attempt.

What is the contribution of MLSIA to make you ASCP blood bank certified?

Study Material for ASCP Blood Banking

ASCP BOC offers 35 preparation resources for BB ASCP technologists in blood banking and SBB ASCP specialists in blood banking. Getting information from this huge list is almost impossible.

Therefore, MLSIA organized these 35 resources into one unified study material as an all-in-one solution.

To eliminate your struggle for an ASCP technologist in blood bank and an ASCP specialist in blood bank, MLSi study material skips all unwanted content. It only focuses on the essential ones to save you time and effort.

Furthermore, this study material is explained with visual illustrations, so you can understand the content easily.

Exam Practice Questions for ASCP Blood Bank Certification

Are you looking for an effective tool that will help you address weak points in your exam preparation? MLSIA is offering the best. MLSiACADEMY prep bundle also comes with practice questions that help you overcome the exam syllabus easily.

These practice questions help to understand the real exam questions because they are closely related to the final exam questions for BB ASCP and SBB ASCP.

To shorten your way of becoming a technologist in blood banking or a specialist in blood banking, you must subscribe to the MLSIA BB ASCP and SBB ASCP prep bundles.

Flashcards For ASCP Blood Bank Certification

To memorize the content easily for a long time, there is no other effective strategy than using a flashcard. And there is no handy tool that MLSIA does not use to train you for ASCP blood bank certification.

Therefore, MLSIA technologist in blood bank ASCP and specialist in blood bank ASCP prep packages also offer flashcards in online classes for stress-free preparation.

To get 100% guaranteed success, you must book your seat at the MLSIA BB ASCP prep bundle.

Same as getting your dream job as a specialist in blood banking, go to MLSIA SBB ASCP prep to streamline your success.

Question Bank for ASCP Blood Bank

The question bank is a collection of extremely vital questions that appear in the final exam again and again. When you use a question bank for exam preparation, you will likely solve many questions in the final exam correctly. Hence, question banks are very efficient tools that increase your chances of success.

But where can you take questions bank, because BOC does not offer this type of help? MLSiACADMEY provides its students with a question bank (thousands of questions) to streamline their success in the first trial. Hence, getting ASCP blood bank certification is not difficult after interacting with MLSIA.

Books for ASCP Blood Bank Study

Every prep bundle must have one prominent feature that sets it apart from others. MLSIA also has.

MLSIA offers the ultimate book in PDF format that digests BOC's huge reading list, including journals, textbooks, and online associations.

This is not the first time MLSIA has offered its best; many blood bank technologists and specialists have also gotten ASCP blood bank certificates by trusting this book.

Some reference books (recommended by BOC) are given below that MLSIA explains in its study material.

Reference Books for ASCP Blood Banking

The ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) determines some reference books, associations, and journals for BB (ASCP) and SBB ASCP exam preparation. If you have ample time, you can select this book as a source of exam preparation. However, it is not sure that BOC chose exam questions from these resources.

Textbooks

Regulations

• AABB. (2022). Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services (33rd ed.). Bethesda, MD: AABB Press.
• AABB. (2022). Standards for Immunohematology Reference Laboratories (12th ed.). Bethesda, MD: AABB Press.

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

• Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Food and Drugs, Parts 600, 601,606, 607, 610, 660, 680. Washington D.C.: U.S.
• Government Publishing Office.
• Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42.493.Public Health—Laboratory Requirements. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Publishing Office.
• Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, Section 1910.1450 Occupational Safety and Health Standards Subpart Z – Toxic and
• Hazardous Substances, Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories. Washington D.C.: U.S.

General Immunohematology

• Cohn, C.S., et al. (Eds.). (2023). Technical Manual (21st ed.). Bethesda, MD: AABB Publications.
• Daniels, G. (2013). Human Blood Groups (3rd ed.). Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, Inc.
• Hamilton, J., et al. (Eds.). (2013). Antibody Identification: Art or Science? A Case Study Approach (1st ed.). Bethesda, MD:
• AABB Publications.
• Harmening, D.M. (2018). Modern Blood Banking and Transfusion Practices (7th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.
• Reid, M.E., Lomas-Francis, C., & Olsson, M.L. (2012). The Blood Group Antigen Facts Book (3rd ed.). San Diego, CA: Elsevier, Academic Press.
• Vege, S., Gannett, M., & Delaney, M. (2020). Introduction to Molecular Immunohematology. Bethesda, MD: AABB Press.

Hematology, HLA, Hemostasis, and Immunology

• Eisenbrey, A.B. (2021). HLA from Benchtop to Bedside (1st ed.). San Diego, CA: Elsevier, Academic Press.
• Keohane, E.M., Otto, C.N., and Walenga, J.M. (2019). Rodak’s Hematology: Clinical Principles & Applications (6th ed.).
• Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders Company.
• McKenzie, S.B., Landis-Piwowar, K., & Williams, L. (2019). Clinical Laboratory Hematology (4th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
• Miller, L.E. & Stevens, C.D. (2021). Clinical Immunology and Serology: A Laboratory Perspective (5th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.

Management & Education

• Cohn, C.S., et al. (Eds.). (2023). Technical Manual (21st ed.). Bethesda, MD: AABB Press.
• Doucette, L.J. (2021). Mathematics for the Clinical Laboratory (4th ed.) St. Louis: Elsevier.
• Harmening, D.M. (2020). Laboratory Management: Principles and Processes (4th ed.). St. Petersburg: D.H. Pub. & Consulting, Inc

Transfusion Practice

• Marquez, M., Schwartz, J., & Wu, Y. (Eds.). (2019). Transfusion Therapy: Clinical Principles and Practice (4th ed.).
• Bethesda, MD: AABB Press.
• Simon, T.S. et al. (Eds.). (2022). Rossi’s Principles of Transfusion Medicine (6th ed.). West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Journals

• Immunohematology. Published by Sciendo.
• Journal of Clinical Apheresis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
• Transfusion. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
• Transfusion Medicine. Published John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
• Transfusion Medicine Reviews. Published by Elsevier.
• Vox Sanguinis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Online Associations

• AABB
• Blood Bank Guy – Transfusion Medicine Education
• CAP Accreditation Checklists
• Indian Immunohematology Initiative
• International Society of Blood Transfusion
• Transfusion Medicine Questions

Pass Rate for ASCP Blood Bank Exam

Passing the technologist in Blood Bank ASCP and the specialist in Blood Bank ASCP has never been easy. Many candidates participate to pass this exam, but only a few get this certificate to ace it.

For instance, the passing percentage for BB ASCP was 75% in 1983; only 77 candidates passed the exam out of 103. While the SBB ASCP passing percentage was 55% in 1954, only 99 students succeeded in the exam out of 179.

The ASCP 2021 Exam Statistics from ASCP Site

Salary for ASCP Technologist in Blood Bank and ASCP Specialist in Blood Bank

Source	BB (ASCP)/ SBB (ASCP) Average Salary
Salary.com	$69,692-$86,414
ziprecruiter.com	$55,500-$106,500
PaySacale.com	$69,533–$86,214.

How To Get ASCP Blood Bank Certification?

Supply:

• ASCP Blood Bank Preparation Course

Tools:

• ASCP Blood Bank Live Classes
• ASCP Blood Bank Recording Of Classes
• ASCP Blood Bank One Unified Study Material
• ASCP Blood Bank Q&A

Materials: ASCP Blood Bank PDF Study Material ASCP Blood Bank Video Classes

FAQs for ASCP Blood Bank Certification