ASCP MLT Content Guidelines: Is it Exam Syllabus?
What does the ASCP Board of Certification explain in the ASCP MLT content guidelines?
Here, you will find all the subjects, topics, subtopics, question percentages, calculations, and reference ranges for ASCP medical laboratory technician exam preparation.
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ASCP MLT Content Guidelines: Deep Explanation
| Content Areas | Description | Question Percentages |
| Blood Banking | Blood group system, molecular testing, blood products, blood group immunology, transfusion practice, physiology, serological testing, and pathophysiology. | 15%-20% |
| Chemistry | Carbohydrates, enzymes, endocrinology, drug monitoring (therapeutic), heme derivatives, toxicology, nutrition, proteins and other nitrogen-containing compounds, acid-base determinations, electrolytes, and lipids. | 20%-15% |
| Hematology | Lab testing, disease states, physiology, hemostasis ( lab determinations, disease conditions, & physiology) | 20%-25% |
| Immunology | Test consequences, rules of immunology, serologic procedures, infectious disease serology, and transplantation. | 5%-10% |
| Microbiology | Postanalytical methodology, preanalytical process, analytical setup for bacteriology, and analytical methods for parasitology, mycobacteriology, mycology, and virology. | 15%20% |
| Lab Operation | Laboratory mathematics, quality assessment, automated methodology, instrumentation, manual methodology, and safety. | 5%-10% |
| Urine/Other Body Fluids | Chemical testing, physiology, microscopic analysis, physical testing, and disease states | 5%-10% |
ASCP MLT Content Guidelines: Calculations
- Manual hemocytometer counts
- Beer’s law
- %Transferrin saturation/UIBC/TIBC
- Timed urine calculations
- LDL/Friedewald equation/non-HDL
- Unconjugated/indirect bilirubin
- Red blood cell indices (MCHC, MCH, MCV, etc)
- Creatinine clearance calculations
- Corrected WBC counts when > 10 nRBCs present
- A/G ratio
- Absolute cell counts given the relative values (reticulocytes, WBCs, etc.)
ASCP MLT Content Guidelines: Reference Ranges
The following reference ranges in also vital to pass the ASCP MLT certification exam:
For Hematology
| Conventional Units | SI Units | |
| RBC | 4.00 – 6.00 x 106/μL | 4.00 – 6.00 x 1012L |
| HGB | 12.0 – 18.0 g/dL | 120 180 g/L |
| MCH | 26 – 34 fL | 76 – 100 fL |
| HCT | 35% – 50% | 0.35 – 0.50 L/L |
| RDW | 11.5 – 14.5% | 0.115 – 0.145 |
| MCHC | 32 – 36 g/dL | 320 – 360 g/L |
| Reticulocytes (absolute) | 0.5 – 2.5% | 0.005 – 0.025 |
| Platelets | 150-450 x 103/μL | 150-450 x 109/L |
| Reticulocytes (absolute) | 20-115 x 103/μl | 20-115 x 109/L |
| nRBCs | 0 nRBC/100 WBC | 0 nRBC/100 WBC |
| WBC (Total) | 3.6-10.6 x 103/μl | 3.6 – 10.6 x 109/L |
| Lymphocytes (absolute) | 1.0-3.2 x 103/μl | 1.0-3.2 x 109/L |
| Lymphocytes (relative) | 18-42% | 0.18-0.42 |
| Neutrophils (absolurte) | 1.7-7.5 x 103/μl | 1.7-7.5 x 109/L |
| Neutrophils (relative) | 50-70% | 0.50-0.70 |
| Monocytes (absolute) | 0.1-1.3 x 103/μl | 0.1-1.3 x 109/L |
| Monocytes (relative) | 2-11% | 0.02-0.11 |
| Basophils (absolute) | 0-0.2 x 103/μl | 0-0.2 x 109/L |
| Basophils (relative) | 0-2% | 0.00-0.02 |
| Eosinophils (absolute) | 0-0.3 x 103/μl | 0 – 0.3 x 109/L |
| Eosinophils (relative) | 1-3% | 0.01 – 0.03 |
For Chemistry
| Conventional Unit | SI Unit | |
| Sodium | 136 – 145 mmol/L | 136 – 145 mmol/L |
| Chloride | 98 – 107 mmol/L | 98 – 107 mmol/L |
| Potassium | 3.5 – 5.1 mmol/L | 3.5 – 5.1 mmol/L |
| Total CO2 | 22 – 33 mmol/L | 22 – 33 mmol/L |
| Blood urea nitogen (BUN) | 6 – 20 mg/dL | 2.1 – 7.1 mmol/L |
| Haptoglobin | 30 – 200 mg/dL | 0.3 – 2.0 g/L |
| pCO2 | 35 – 44 mmHg | 4.7 – 5.9 kPa |
| O2 saturation | >95% | >95% |
For Body Fluid
| Conventional Units | SI Units | |
| Cerebrospinal Fluids (CSF) | ||
| Protein | 15 – 45 mg/dL | 150 – 450 mg/L |
| Glocose | 50 – 80 mg/dL | 2.8 – 4.4 mmol/L |
| Seminal Fluid | ||
| Sperm concentration | >20 x 106/mL | >20 x 109/L |
| Volume | 2 – 5 mL | 2 – 5 mL |
It is vital to overcome the entire ASCP MLT content guidelines to earn the marks more than passing score (400).
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.
