ASCP MLS Certification Renewal: Expand Skill with Latest Knowledge

The American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Education (BOC) not only offers ASCP MLS credentials but expands the candidates' skills with the latest knowledge through the ASCP MLS Certification Renewal Program. After three years of earning a certificate, you have to participate in CMP (Credential Maintenance Program). 

The CMP program updates your certificate for the next three years. The process of expiration and updating the credential will continue lifelong.

In this article, we will offer detailed information about the ASCP MLS certification renewal process. You will know the importance of the CMP program, its requirements, and the application process.

What is the ASCP MLS Certification Renewal Process?

The ASCP MLS Certification renewal process is developed by ASCP BOC to add perception into ASCP medical lab certification.  This is a Credential Maintenance Program (CMP). It is a great opportunity to stay current in your medical lab scientist career.

The CMP helps you stay in touch with advanced technologies. Furthermore, it presents a wide variety of learning skills and experiences enough to add perfection and make you stand out.

The purpose of the Credential Maintenance Program is to make an ASCP MLS-certified lifelong learner. If the ASCP Board of Certification does not develop the ASCP MLS certification renewal, the candidate experience will never expand. Therefore, ASCO BOC offers this program so that you will learn advanced technology in the medical sector.

ASCP Medical Laboratory Scientist CMP Requirements

36 is the total point that you need to get for your ASCP MLS certification renewal. Following is the point distribution.

• 2 points: hematology, blood banking, microbiology, and chemistry
• 1 point:  Patient safety or laboratory work (quality control/assurance)
• 1 point:  medical ethics
• 26 points: molecular diagnostics, education, lab specialty, immunology, management and other lab-related area

To manage your CMP process, including requirements, certification expiration date, tracking progress requirements completion, submitting declarations when your credential expiration closes, and much more. BOC offers a tool in the MY Account dashboard once you login to the ASCP official account.

What is the CMP Application Fee?

You must participate in the ASCP MLS certification renewal process before certificate expiration. The CMP application cost is $ 95.

But if you cannot participate in the Credential Maintenance Program due to any reason and your certificate has expired. Then you have to take part in the CMP Reinstatement Program, for which the application fee is $125.

You will get a reduced fee of $15 for multiple certifications. if they have the same expiration date or if the expiration date falls within three months for every certificate. To get a reduced fee, you must submit declarations for every certificate on the same business day.

You cannot use the ASCP MLS credential after expiration. Candidates with expired certificates of 10 years or more have to retake the exam and pass it to update their certificate.

ASCP BOC has announced that CMP fees for all ASCP credentials, including ASCP MLS, will go up by $5 starting July 1, 2024. MLS ASCP CMP reinstatement fees will also rise by $10 beginning July 1, 2024.

How To Apply for ASCP MLS Certification Renewal

Following is a step-by-step guide

• First and foremost, you need to login to your ASCP account.
• After this, click on “Check Progress” under “My Education” to check your ASCP medical lab scientist certificate expiration date and status.
• Allocate self-recorded non-ASCP credits or completed ASCP CE credits.
• An alert will show on your dashboard to submit a declaration for BOC review once all requirements have been assigned.
• You must submit a declaration three month before your credential expiration to get time for completion.
• You must keep all original certificates or other required documents for auditing. Here you have to fill out two forms one is the “Employer Assessment Form” and the second is the “Clinical Teaching Documentation Form”.
• After meeting all the processes, you will receive a notification of credential renewal for three years.

Process of Track the ASCP Credits

• The first step is logging into the account (the ASCP account).
• Go to “My Education” and press “Check Progress” to see your ASCP credits (CE).
• ASCP records all education completion progress automatically in your ASCP transcript that you get from it.
• Getting the ASCP credits (CE) in the required area is necessary to meet the requirements of CMP.

Process to Track Non-ASCP CE Credits

• Logging is the basic way to enter the ASCP.
• Press “Check Progress” under “My Education” to view the credits.
• Add all the information about each credit activity, including the date, activity types, title, and credits awarded.
• You can view the non-ASCP CE points of specific areas by using the drop-down menu.

Process of Determining the Credential Status, or Expiration Date

You receive CMP reminder notifications via email from the ASCP Board of Certification within three years of the period. To maintain your certificates, it is your own responsibility to check your expiration date and send a declaration. Following is a step-by-step guide to determining your credential status.

• First, you need to login to your ASCP account.
• Second, open the “My Education” part and click “Check Progress.”
• After this, you need to click on “Track progress for” and select your credential from the menu.
• Here you can see your CMP cycle with an expiration date.
• In the CMP cycle, you will know about the time of your CMP declaration.

Timeframe for Handling CMP Points

You must earn the required points to update your ASCP MLS certificate renewal before the end of your three-year period.

For instance, if your credential expiration date is end July 2022. You must complete CE credits between July 1019 and July 2022. You must submit your declaration for audit one month before credential expiration.

Best Time Submit a CMP Declaration

Once you have met all the education requirements for the declaration, you can submit it. You must submit your complete CMP declaration with fees one month before your credential expiration date.

You have to submit a reinstatement fee with application fees if you submit it after the expiration date. To reduce fees on multiple credentials, you must submit a declaration for all on the same business day.

Failure of the Audit or CMP Point

If you fail to get the required CMP point (36) for your ASCP MLS certificate renewal credential or are unable to submit the documents for audit due to some reason. You must submit a letter to appeal to the ASCP Board of Certification.

This letter of appeal must explain the strong reasons behind your inability to take part in the ASCP MLS certification renewal process. The factors that are accepted by the ASCP board may be your severe illness or hard military work where you cannot access an online workshop. The period of this compulsion must be more than one year.

Failure to meet the required CMP point (36) for your ASCP MLS credential or inability to submit audit documents requires a letter of appeal to the ASCP Board of Certification. The appeal letter should provide a detailed explanation for the inability to participate in the ASCP MLS certification renewal process, such as severe illness or military obligations that prevent access to online workshops. The period of this constraint must exceed one year.

Remember, if you cannot complete and send your CMP declaration due to family or financial problems, your letter of appeal will not be acceptable.

FAQs for ASCP MLS Certification Renewal