MLA ASCP Exam Content Guidelines Per ASCP BOC
Like other ASCP certification examinations, ASCP BOC demonstrates the MLA ASCP exam content guidelines for medical lab assistants (MLA).
Some facts about the MLA ASCP exam:
- It possesses 100 questions (MCQs with one correct answer) that are derived from patient registration & specimen collection, specimen preparation & processing, support for clinical testing, waived and point-of-care testing, and laboratory operations.
- The board gives 2.5 hours to end this exam.
- The exam is established by using the CAT (Computer Adaptive Testing).
- You need to earn 400 out of 999 to qualify for the certificate.,
The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) conducts its exam every year around the world.
MLA ASCP certificate is designed for medical laboratory assistants who can perform multiple lab tasks, including collecting samples, registering patients, etc.
Obtaining the MLA ASCP has never been easy, so the ASCP determines MLA ASCP exam content guidelines to streamline your preparation journey.
Getting the knowledge from this guideline is necessary to ace the exam.
The content guidelines comprise the exam content areas, descriptions of main topics, and question percentages, that you must grasp before sitting in the ASCP exam.
Here, we will explain the MLA ASCP exam content guidelines per ASCP BOC that will help you understand the exam content regarding ASCP medical assistants.
Patient Registration & Specimen Collection of MLA ASCP Exam Content Guidelines
Patient registration & specimen collection are related to blood and other specimen types.
It is specified to ace the 20-25% of questions for the MLA ASCP exam.
The area that the patient registration & specimen collection cover:
- Labeling of specimen
- Identification of patient
- Techniques for collections (respiratory, urine, phlebotomy, etc.)
- Orders verification, clarification, and reviews
- Considerations and complications (hematoma, edema, etc.)
- Coding and billing approaches
- Particular Processes like fetal-maternal medicine, forensics, alcohol, chain-of-custody, etc.)
- Communication with patients (Post and pre-collection instructions)
Specimen Preparation & Processing of MLA ASCP Exam Content Guidelines
30-35% of questions are concluded from specimen preparation & processing.
You need to focus on this content area because it is vital to pass the MLA ASCP due to its highest question percentages.
The areas that the specimen preparation & processing cover are:
- Storage: Pre- and post-testing
- Testing acceptability: Add-on requests, Initial testing
- Specimen distribution and prioritization
- Transport: Pneumatic tube system, shipment, and packaging to external
- Installation
- Superior Handling Considerations: Light, Temperature, Time
- Processing (aliquoting, centrifugation, etc.)
Support for Clinical Testing of MLA ASCP Exam Content Guidelines
The ASCP BOC obtained 20-25% of questions from support and clinical testing.
If you get full command of the support and clinical testing content area, you can easily solve the 25 questions that push you toward success.
Here you need to cover the following topics:
- Analytical Instrumentation: specimen dilution, performance, test initiation, analytical and technical error reporting and recognition, Calibration, loading (specimens, controls, reagents), test initiation, etc.
- Inventory management.
- Reporting and result retrieval
- STAT results/critical values reporting and recognition.
- Quality Control: troubleshooting/evaluation, performance
Waived and Point-of-Care Testing of MLA ASCP Exam Content Guidelines
Waived and point-of-care testing contribute 10% of questions out of 100% for medical lab assistant ASCP.
The classification of its exam content area is:
- Reporting and results evaluation
- Operation/performance: Point-of-care testing (coagulation, glucose, etc.,), waived testing (urine dipstick, pregnancy, glucose).
Laboratory Operation of MLA ASCP Exam Content Guidelines
The lab operation concentrates all the lab processes that you need to learn, including instrument safety, etc.
10-15% of questions are chosen from this content area.
The following are the main topics on which the lab operation focuses:
- Laboratory Equipment: Environmental (thermometers, incubators, refrigerators, etc.); Basic (glassware, balances, microscopes, centrifuges, pipettes, etc.)
- LIS (Laboratory Information System)
- Ethics and professionalism: Customer service and support, patient confidentiality.
- Regulations (CDC, TJC, OSHA, CLSI, etc.)
- Waste Disposal: Hazardous and Biological.
- Infection Control and Safety: Equipment, Personal, Patient, and hospital/lab (radiation, biological, electrical, chemical/SDS, fire, etc.)
FAQs for MLA ASCP Exam Content Guidelines
What is the meaning of MLA ASCP exam content guidelines?
The MLA ASCP exam content guidelines are the BOC-determined exam syllabus for medical lab assistant's exam preparation.
What is the duration to ace the MLA ASCP exam?
It takes 2 hours to complete the MLA ASCP exam.
Which types of questions may appear in the ASCP medical lab assistant exam?
The MLA ASCP exam is composed of 80 questions. All questions are MCQs.
Are all MLA ASCP exam content guidelines necessary to cover?
Yes, of course, the MLA ASCP is an MCQ exam, so even a little piece of information may be important.
Abdelhalim Elshawadfy is an ASCP certified Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS ASCP), Specialist in Microbiology (SM ASCP), and Molecular Biology Technologist (MB ASCP) with a distinguished career marked by expertise, continuous learning, and a commitment to elevating the standards of clinical laboratory science. As an ASCP Certification Expert and American Board Certification Expert, Abdelhalim Elshawadfy continues to make invaluable contributions to the field, leaving a lasting impact on the medical community.
Resources: ASCP BOC.