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CSMLS MLA Certification Exam: Practice Test 1

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CSMLS MLA Certification Exam: Practice Test 1

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182
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About these practice questions

These practice questions will help you prepare for the CSMLS MLA exam.

This practice test contains 182 practice questions covering the eight sections of the CSMLS MLA exam:

  1. Safe Work Practices
  2. Data and Specimen Collection and Handling
  3. Pre-analytical Procedures
  4. Reagent Preparation
  5. Communication and Interaction
  6. Quality Management
  7. Professional Practice
  8. Critical Thinking

All questions have been carefully designed to reflect the questions on the real exam, to help you prepare and get a passing grade.

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Section 1: Safe Work Practices

1) A lab assistant finds a bottle of stain reagent without a label. What should the lab assistant do?
  1. Discard it down the sink
  2. Treat it as hazardous
    If a chemical is unlabelled, you cannot be certain what it is, so you should assume it is dangerous and treat it as hazardous.
  3. Use it if the colour looks normal
  4. Use it only on non-urgent specimens
2) What are class 7 hazardous materials?
  1. Corrosive
  2. Flammable or combustible
  3. Poisonous or infectious
  4. Radioactive
    Class 7 materials are radioactive substances.
3) What is the correct action to take if an unknown chemical has no label?
  1. Apply a new label
    You cannot apply a new label until you know what the chemical is.
  2. Pour it down the drain
    The chemical may not be safe to pour down drains.
  3. Treat it as hazardous and report it
    You should treat unknown substances as hazardous and report them to a supervisor.
  4. Try to identify the chemical by smell
    Trying to identify the chemical by smell could cause respiratory damage or poisoning.
4) Which chemical is best for neutralizing weak acid spills?
  1. Acetic acid
  2. Boric acid
  3. Sodium bicarbonate
    Weak acid spills should be neutralized with sodium bicarbonate (which is a weak base) and then cleaned up with a paper towel or sponge.
  4. Sodium hydroxide
    Sodium hydroxide is also an alkaline and therefore also neutralizes acids. However, sodium hydroxide is a strong alkaline and could cause injury. Therefore, sodium hydroxide should not be used to neutralize acid spills. Weak bases like sodium bicarbonate are safer.
5) What is the first step when a biological spill occurs outside a biosafety cabinet?
  1. Alert people nearby
    The first step is to alert people nearby to prevent others from entering or walking through the spill area. After this, you should put on PPE and cover the spill with absorbent material.
  2. Cover the spill with paper towels
  3. Fill in an incident report form
  4. Put on PPE
6) Where are internal sterilization indicators placed in an autoclave?
  1. Close to the air exhaust valve
  2. Inside each pack
    Internal sterilization indicators are placed inside each package to show that heat and steam have penetrated the package and reached the items being sterilized.
  3. On the bottom shelf of the autoclave
  4. On the outside of each pack
7) What is the greatest risk when opening an autoclave immediately after a cycle finishes?
  1. Burns from hot steam
    When an autoclave cycle is finished, superheated steam is still inside the autoclave. Opening the door too soon allows this steam to escape, which can severely burn your skin, face, and eyes. Always check that the pressure gauge reads “0” before opening the door of an autoclave.
  2. Electrical shock
  3. Exposure to carbon monoxide
  4. Radiation exposure
8) Where should you discard used needles?
  1. Biohazard sharps container
    Used venipuncture needles are considered biohazardous sharps. Therefore, they must be discarded into a designated sharps container. This helps prevent needle-stick injuries.
  2. Glass disposal bucket
  3. Glass recycling bin
  4. Regular garbage
9) Where should you discard microtome blades?
  1. Biohazard autoclave bag
  2. Recycling bin
  3. Regular garbage
  4. Sharps container
    Microtome blades are extremely sharp. You must discard used microtome blades in a sharps container, a heavy-duty container made of rigid plastic that prevents sharp objects from piercing through the sides.
10) What are Class B fire extinguishers for?
  1. Electrical equipment
  2. Flammable liquids or gases
    Class A fires involve ordinary combustible materials, such as cloth, wood, paper, rubber, and plastics. Class B fires involve flammable liquids or flammable gases. Class C fires involve electrical equipment. Class D fires involve certain flammable metallic substances such as sodium and potassium.
  3. Ordinary combustibles
  4. Reactive metals
11) Why is mercury hazardous?
  1. It forms an explosive precipitate on standing
  2. It is flammable
  3. It reacts violently with water
  4. It releases toxic vapours
    Mercury is hazardous primarily because it can form toxic vapours at room temperature, which can be inhaled and cause serious health problems.
12) When mixing acid and water:
  1. add the acid quickly to the water
  2. add the acid slowly to the water
    Always add acid to water, and never the reverse. Adding water to acid can make the solution splatter violently, causing acid burns to your skin or eyes.
  3. add the water quickly to the acid
  4. add the water slowly to the acid
13) Where should you handle chemicals that produce harmful vapours?
  1. Autoclave
  2. Biological safety cabinet
  3. Fume hood
    Some chemicals produce harmful vapours. The best way to limit your exposure to chemical vapours is with a fume hood. A fume hood is a ventilated enclosure that captures and removes vapours.
  4. Sealed room
14) What does this pictogram mean?
  1. Acute toxicity
    The skull-and-crossbones symbol indicates a substance is acutely toxic, meaning it can quickly cause death or poisoning. The symbol is used to label poisons and other dangerous chemicals.
  2. Biohazard
  3. Carcinogenicity
  4. Germ cell mutagenicity
15) What is the correct way to lift a heavy object?
  1. Bend at the knees, not at the waist
    Bend at your knees and keep your back straight. This allows your leg muscles, which are your strongest muscles, to do the work.
  2. Hold the object away from your body
  3. Let your back do the lifting
  4. Use your arm muscles to do the lifting
16) What type of filter in biological safety cabinets removes airborne particles such as bacteria and viruses?
  1. Electrostatic
  2. Fibreglass
  3. HEPA
    Biological safety cabinets generally use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. These filters are highly effective at removing airborne particles, including most bacteria, viruses, and other biological agents. However, they do not remove chemical vapours.
  4. UV light
17) On fume hoods with a vertical rising sash, you should work with the sash in the _____________ position.
  1. highest practical
  2. lowest practical
    On hoods where sashes open vertically, you should work with the hood sash in the lowest possible position that is practical to work with. This is generally elbow height.
  3. middle
  4. most comfortable
18) Which of these situations is unsafe for laboratory workers?
  1. A damaged sharps container
    Sharps containers are designed for the disposal of used needles, lancets, and other sharp objects. If a sharps container is damaged, this increases the risk of a sharps injury (e.g., a needlestick).
  2. A mislabeled specimen
    A mislabeled specimen is mainly a patient safety issue.
  3. A patient who does not speak English
    This is a communication barrier, not a safety issue.
  4. A patient who refuses a needle draw
    A patient refusing a needle draw is a matter of patient rights, not worker safety.
19) How should you pick up an item of hot glassware?
  1. By pouring cold water on it to cool it down
  2. With a rag or paper towels
    A rag or paper towels can be ineffective and dangerous.
  3. With tongs
    Hot glassware should always be handled with tongs to avoid burns.
  4. With your hands

Section 2: Data and Specimen Collection and Handling

1) You are a new phlebotomist. An anxious patient says she’s afraid of needles. What should you do?
  1. Ask a more experienced phlebotomist to perform the draw
    If a patient is anxious and you lack experience, it is best to ask an experienced phlebotomist to perform the blood draw for you. This ensures the procedure is done efficiently and will help reduce the patient's anxiety.
  2. Explain that you will use a small needle that barely hurts
  3. Tell her that she shouldn't be afraid
  4. Use an ice pack to numb the site first

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About the CSMLS MLA exam

What is the CSMLS MLA exam?

The CSMLS MLA Certification Exam is a national exam for medical laboratory assistants (MLAs) in Canada. It tests the basic knowledge and skills needed to work as an MLA.

If you pass the exam, you become certified by the CSMLS. This can help show employers that you have the knowledge to work as an MLA. The exam is not required by law, but many employers may ask for it or prefer it.

The exam is set by the CSMLS (Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science).

Who can take the CSMLS MLA exam?

There are four routes to qualify for the CSMLS MLA exam:

  1. Route 1 is for people who have completed a Canadian MLA educational program. This program must be EQual-accredited and you must take the CSMLS exam within twelve months of graduating from the program. If you graduated more than twelve months ago, then you will need to complete a prior learning assessment (PLA).
  2. Route 2 is for people who have completed the CSMLS prior learning assessment (PLA) process. The PLA process will assess your eligibility for the exam based on your education, clinical training, and work experience. For more details on the PLA process, go to the CSMLS website (www.csmls.org).
  3. Route 3 is for people who are already certified as MLAs in British Columbia by the BCSLS or in Ontario by the MLPAO. You must have been certified by BCSLS or MLPAO within the last 5 years.
  4. Route 4 is for certain internationally-educated General MLT candidates recognised by CSMLS or CAMLPR. These candidates must have tried an MLT route but failed the MLT exam.

You must take the CSMLS MLA exam in Canada, regardless of the eligibility route and testing method (in-person or remotely).

How do I apply for the CSMLS MLA exam?

To apply for the exam, you will need to fill out the exam application form on the CSMLS website.

The CSMLS MLA exam is held several times each year, typically in February, June, August, and October. The registration deadline is around two months before each exam. Check the current exam schedule on the CSMLS website at www.csmls.org.

How much does the CSMLS MLA exam cost?

For Canadian residents, the exam fee is:

  • $235 for CSMLS members
  • $435 for non-members

For non-Canadian residents, the exam fee is:

  • $315 for CSMLS members
  • $595 for non-members

(These fees are correct for the 2026 exams. See www.csmls.org for the latest fees.)

Note there is a late fee if you book the exam within the last two weeks of registration. The late fee is $140 for CSMLS members and $145 for non-members.

A CSMLS Student MLA Membership costs just $26 and reduces the cost of the CSMLS MLA exam by $200.

What is the format of the CSMLS MLA exam?

The CSMLS MLA exam is a computer-based test. It has a 10-minute introduction, followed by 103 minutes to answer the questions. There are 115 questions, which means you have less than a minute to answer each question.

You can take the exam either:

  • in-person at a test centre
  • remotely at home
Aim to spend about 50 seconds per question. If a question is taking too long, make your best choice and move on so you have time to answer the other questions.

What grade do I need to pass the CSMLS MLA exam?

The passing grade is usually 67–68% (see the following table). However, the passing grade differs from exam to exam depending on the difficulty of each exam. Therefore, there is no way to know the passing grade in advance.

Scores required to pass recent CSMLS MLA exams
Exam date Score needed to pass
February 2024 67.2%
June 2024 68.0%
August 2024 67.2%
October 2024 67.2%
February 2025 68.0%
June 2025 67.2%
August 2025 67.2%
October 2025 67.1%
February 2026 67.3%