Laboratory Operations Practice Questions (ASCP MLS and MLT)
5–10% of the MLT exam · 5–10% of the MLS exam, in ASCP’s content guidelines
100 questions across all seven content areas in 2 hours 30 minutes, with a score for Laboratory Operations so you know where you stand.
Free Laboratory Operations drillWho is responsible for point-of-care testing quality in a hospital?
Laboratory Operations on the ASCP exams
Laboratory Operations is 5–10% of both exams. It covers quality assessment and troubleshooting, safety, laboratory mathematics and instrumentation; the MLS outline adds basic management and education principles.
- Share of the exam
- MLT 5–10% (7 of 100 on our MLT mock) · MLS 5–10% (7 of 100 on our MLS mock)
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 36 laboratory operations questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
What Laboratory Operations questions test
- Quality: Levey-Jennings charts and Westgard rules, random versus systematic error, delta checks, point-of-care testing, competency assessment and proficiency testing under CLIA
- Safety: bloodborne pathogens, PPE, biosafety cabinets, safety data sheets, specimen shipping, needlesticks, chemical splashes and fire response
- Laboratory math: dilutions, molarity and normality, standard curves, mean, median and mode, CV, sensitivity, specificity and predictive values
- Instrumentation: spectrophotometry, osmometry, nephelometry, electrochemistry, PCR, mass spectrometry and flow cytometry
- MLS only: budgets, cost-benefit analysis, root cause analysis, CLIA personnel roles and teaching methods
Sit the full exam under the real clock
100 questions across all seven content areas in 2 hours 30 minutes, with a score for Laboratory Operations so you know where you stand.
Free Laboratory Operations drillHow to study it
- Practice reading control charts: which rule, which kind of error, what to do next.
- Do the dilution and molarity problems with units written out until you stop making unit errors.
- MLS candidates: review basic budgeting, quality management and Bloom’s taxonomy.
Common questions
What is in Laboratory Operations on the MLS but not the MLT?
ASCP’s MLS outline adds basic management principles, education principles and chromatography to the topics both exams share: quality assessment, safety, laboratory mathematics and instrumentation.
How many laboratory operations questions are on the mocks?
Seven on each mock, inside ASCP’s 5–10% range for both exams.
100 questions across all seven content areas in 2 hours 30 minutes, with a score for Laboratory Operations so you know where you stand.
Free Laboratory Operations drillThe other content areas
Sources
- ASCP BOC: MLT and MLS Examination Content Guidelines (revised June 9, 2026)
- ASCP BOC: About the Examination (format, CAT, scoring, field test questions, calculator)
- ASCP BOC: Medical Laboratory Technician, MLT(ASCP): eligibility routes and $235 fee
- ASCP BOC: Medical Laboratory Scientist, MLS(ASCP): eligibility routes and $260 fee
- ASCP BOC: Examination Results
- ASCP BOC: After the Examination (re-applying, five attempts per route, 30-day wait)
- ASCP BOC: Schedule or Reschedule Your Examination (Pearson testing centers)
- ASCP BOC: MLS and MLT Credential Maintenance Program requirements (36 points, three years)
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to the ASCP BOC MLT and MLS Examination Content Guidelines (revised June 9, 2026), not ASCP exam questions. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), the ASCP Board of Certification or Pearson VUE.