CSMLS MLA Certification Exam: Practice Test 1 - Paperback

by The Examelot Team (Author)

This is a book of 180 multiple-choice practice questions for the CSMLS Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA) certification exam.

Just like the real exam, the questions are drawn from eight competency areas:

• Safe Work Practices
• Data and Specimen Collection and Handling
• Pre-analytical Procedures
• Reagent Preparation
• Communication and Interaction
• Quality Management
• Professional Practice
• Critical Thinking

All questions have been carefully designed to reflect the real CSMLS MLA certification exam, making this book the ideal tool to prepare for the exam.

To give you an idea of what the questions are like, below are seven questions from the book:

1) SAFE WORK PRACTICES
The TLV-C is the concentration of a substance that:
a. a worker can be exposed to over a working lifetime without adverse effects
b. a worker can be exposed to up to 4 times per day
c. makes half of human test subjects sick
d. should never be exceeded
Answer: d) should never be exceeded
TLV-C stands for Threshold Limit Value Ceiling Limit. It is the exposure limit that should not be exceeded at any time.

2) DATA AND SPECIMEN COLLECTION AND HANDLING
Agglutination is the:
a. breakdown of gluten
b. clumping together of blood cells
c. decrease in red cell pigment
d. increase of red cell size
Answer: b) clumping together of blood cells

3) PRE-ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES
The main use of a buffer is to:
a. keep a solution neutral
b. make a solution more acidic
c. make a solution more basic
d. minimize changes in pH
Answer: d) minimize changes in pH
A buffer is a solution that resists changes in pH when acid or alkali is added to it. Its purpose is to keep a solution within the desired pH range.

4) REAGENT PREPARATION
Which of these is a 1/8 dilution of urine?
a. 1 part urine and 7 parts water
b. 1 part urine and 8 parts water
c. 1 part water and 7 parts urine
d. 1 part water and 8 parts urine
Answer: a) 1 part urine and 7 parts water
A 1/8 dilution factor means the final volume of the solution is 8 times the volume of the solute. To create a 1/8 dilution, you would add 7 parts of solvent (usually water) to 1 part of solute. This results in a total volume of 8 parts.

5) COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION
Your laboratory employs people from many different backgrounds and cultures. Which teamwork skill would be most relevant for increasing team cohesiveness?
a. Accept criticism
b. Be dependable
c. Be tolerant
d. Compromise
Answer: c) Be tolerant
Tolerance is having an open mind in your interactions with others and making an effort to understand their backgrounds and beliefs.

6) QUALITY MANAGEMENT
A technique that has demonstrated its superiority over other techniques over time is known as the:
a. benchmark
b. best practice
c. business case
d. gap analysis
Answer: b) best practice

7) PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
What are standards of practice?
a. A definition of competent behaviour for professionals
b. Measures to ensure work is accurate
c. Rules for how organizations must treat their employees
d. Rules for students on work placements
Answer: a) A definition of competent behaviour for professionals