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MLT(AAB) Generalist Examination practice questions

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MLT(AAB) Generalist Examination practice questions

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240
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2 years
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About these practice questions

These practice questions will help you prepare for the MLT(AAB) exam.

This practice test contains 240 practice questions covering the six sections of the MLT(AAB) exam:

  1. Chemistry
  2. Hematology
  3. Immunology
  4. Immunohematology
  5. Microbiology
  6. Basic Knowledge

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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Sample practice questions

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Section 1: Chemistry

1) Icterus is another word for:
  1. heart attack
  2. jaundice
    Icterus is another term for jaundice, the yellowing of the skin and eyes due to high bilirubin levels in the blood, often due to liver problems.
  3. seizure
  4. stroke
2) Which gland produces thyroid-stimulating hormone?
  1. Parathyroids
  2. Pituitary
    The pituitary gland produces thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH stimulates the thyroid gland to produce T3 and T4.
  3. Testes
  4. Thyroid
3) Which adrenal hormone increases renal sodium reabsorption?
  1. Aldosterone
    Aldosterone is an adrenal hormone, which means it is made by the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands. are on top of the kidneys. Aldosterone helps the kidneys retain sodium and remove potassium. This helps regulate blood volume and blood pressure.
  2. Angiotensin II
    Angiotensin II also helps the body retain sodium, but it is formed in the blood. It is not an adrenal hormone.
  3. Anti-diuretic hormone
  4. Renin
4) What does antidiuretic hormone stimulate the reabsorption of?
  1. Glucose
  2. Oxygen
  3. Potassium
  4. Water
    ADH signals the kidneys to conserve water and produce less urine.
5) Which hormone lowers blood glucose levels?
  1. FSH
  2. Glucagon
  3. Insulin
    Insulin lowers blood sugar, and glucagon raises it.
  4. Progesterone
6) At what time of day are cortisol levels generally highest?
  1. 8 AM
    In most people, cortisol levels are highest in the morning when they wake up, and lowest around midnight.
  2. 12 PM
  3. 4 PM
  4. 8 PM
7) Which of these hormones does the pituitary gland produce?
  1. Insulin
    Insulin is produced by the pancreas.
  2. Prolactin
    The pituitary gland is just below the brain and makes the following hormones:
    • thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
    • growth hormone
    • prolactin
    • adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
    • follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
    • luteinising hormone
  3. T4
    T4 is produced by the thyroid gland.
  4. TRH
    TRH, or thyrotropin-releasing hormone, is produced by the hypothalamus.
8) Which protein do helper T cells have on their surface?
  1. CD4
    Helper T cells have the CD4 protein on their surface.
  2. CD5
  3. CD7
  4. CD8
    CD8 is found on the surface of killer T cells.
9) How many fatty acids does a triglyceride molecule have?
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
    Triglycerides are made of three fatty acids and a glycerol backbone.
  4. 4
10) Which lipid group does cholesterol belong to?
  1. Phospholipid
  2. Steroid
    Cholesterol is a steroid. Steroids all have a core of 17 carbon atoms arranged in four rings.
  3. Triacylglycerol
  4. Wax
11) The PSA test is a screening tool for:
  1. liver disease
  2. poliomyelitis
  3. polycystic ovary syndrome
  4. prostate cancer
    The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is a screening test for prostate cancer. This blood test measures levels of PSA, a protein produced by the prostate gland. High PSA levels may be a sign of prostate cancer.
12) A patient has the following lipid panel results.
Test Result
Total cholesterol 160 mg/dL
LDL 100 mg/dL
HDL 40 mg/dL
Calculate the total cholesterol to HDL ratio.
  1. 0.25
  2. 4
    The equation to calculate the total cholesterol to HDL ratio is: Total cholesterol/HDL Inserting the values into the equation gives us: 160/40 = 4
  3. 50
  4. 150
13) Which of these is a liver function test?
  1. ALT test
    ALT is an enzyme primarily found in the liver. High levels may indicate liver injury.
  2. Creatine kinase test
    The creatine kinase test is mainly used to assess muscle injury.
  3. Creatinine test
    The creatinine test evaluates kidney disease.
  4. Troponin test
    The troponin test detects damage to the heart.
14) Which condition do estrogen and progesterone receptor tests assess?
  1. Breast cancer
    Estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER/PR) testing determines whether breast cancer cells have estrogen or progesterone receptors. If breast cancer cells do have these receptors, it means the cancer is likely to respond well to hormone therapy. This is a type of therapy that blocks the effects of estrogen and progesterone on cancer cells.
  2. Endometriosis
  3. Hepatoma
  4. Ovarian cancer
15) Which infection does the HCV antibody test screen for?
  1. HIV
  2. Hepatitis C
    The HCV antibody test is used to determine if someone has ever been infected with the hepatitis C virus.
  3. Hypothyroidism
  4. Shingles
16) What does the PKU test detect?
  1. Phenylketonuria
    A PKU test is a blood test given to newborns. PKU stands for phenylketonuria, a rare disorder that prevents the body from properly breaking down phenylalanine.
  2. Polycystic kidney disease
  3. Prader-Willi syndrome
  4. Pyloric stenosis
17) Which isoenzyme is elevated in muscle disease?
  1. ALT
    ALT is elevated in liver damage.
  2. CK-BB
    CK-BB is elevated in brain damage and tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.
  3. CK-MB
    CK-MB is elevated in myocardial infarction (heart attack).
  4. CK-MM
    CK-MM is the main CK isoenzyme in skeletal muscle. It increases when muscles are injured or diseased (e.g., dystrophy, myositis, rhabdomyolysis).
18) Which organ does the creatinine clearance test investigate?
  1. Heart
  2. Kidney
    The creatinine clearance test checks how fast the kidneys filter the waste product creatinine from the blood. A low creatinine clearance rate suggests the kidneys are ineffective at filtering creatinine out of the blood and indicates poor kidney function.
  3. Liver
  4. Stomach
19) What does creatinine clearance estimate?
  1. The glomerular filtration rate
    Creatinine clearance is a test used to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which is a measure of how well the kidneys are functioning. The GFR is the rate at which blood is filtered through the kidneys, and it is an important indicator of kidney function. Creatinine is a waste product produced by muscles and excreted by the kidneys. Therefore, creatinine measurements can estimate the GFR.
  2. The glomerular secretion of creatinine
  3. The renal glomerular and tubular mass
  4. The tubular secretion of creatinine
20) What is the primary screening test for thyroid dysfunction?
  1. Free T3 test
  2. Free T4 test
  3. TSH test
    The thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test is the primary screening test for thyroid dysfunction. It measures the level of TSH in the blood.
  4. Total T4 test

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About the MLT(AAB) exam

What is the MLT(AAB) exam?

The MLT(AAB) Generalist Examination is an exam for people who want to work as medical laboratory technicians. The American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB) sets the exam.

Exam dates

The exam is held three to four times a year. Check out the AAB website (www.aab.org) for the latest exam dates.

Applying to take the exam

Applications for the exam are online. There are seven steps to the application process:

  1. Create a profile through the AAB website (www.aab.org)
  2. Fill out your name and contact information
  3. Select the exam you want to take
  4. Enter your education details
  5. Enter your work experience
  6. Pay for your application by credit card. (At the time of writing, the exam fee is $185 and the initial certification application fee is $115.)
  7. Print, sign, and notarize the notary page, and then send it to the ABOR office at the address found at the bottom of the notary page.

You can take the exam in two states: California and Florida. If you want to take the exam in another state, then you can do so at any accredited college or university near you that has a testing center.

Exam day

On the exam day, you will need to turn up at the exam site on time. You will be taken into a room and given a pen or pencil to complete the test. No calculators are allowed.

The exam is 5 hours long. You will have 2.5 hours for the first three sections, then a break, then 2.5 hours for the last three sections.

In the first half of the exam, you will answer questions about basic lab knowledge, chemistry, and microbiology.

In the second half of the exam, you will answer questions about hematology, immunology, and immunohematology.

You will receive your result 4-6 weeks after the exam.

Passing the exam

The exam has six sections. To receive a passing grade, you will need to score:

  • at least 60% on the exam overall
  • and at least 60% on the Basic Knowledge section
  • and at least 50% on each of the other five sections

What if I fail the exam?

If you fail the exam a first time, you can retake it three months later.

If you fail the exam a second time, you will have to wait six months before you can retake the exam again. (Applicants for California licensure must wait one year.)

If you fail the exam a third time, you will have to wait two years before you can retake the exam again. Also, you will first have to reapply for certification.

Exam structure

There are six sections on the MLT(AAB) Generalist Examination. Each section has 40 questions, giving the exam 240 questions in total. The six sections are:

  1. Basic Knowledge
  2. Chemistry
  3. Microbiology
  4. Hematology
  5. Immunology
  6. Immunohematology

The next few pages will outline the content of each of the six sections.

1. Basic Knowledge

Basic Knowledge is the first section of the exam. It is also the most important section because it requires a grade of 60% to pass, compared to only 50% for the other five sections.

Basic Knowledge contains questions about:

  • General operations
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Patient confidentiality
  • Information security
  • Administration

2. Chemistry

The Chemistry section contains questions about:

  • Clinical chemistry
  • Urinalysis
  • Body fluids
  • Endocrinology
  • Heme derivatives
  • Toxicology
  • Therapeutic drug monitoring
  • Quality control, quality assurance, quality improvement, and laboratory compliance

3. Microbiology

The Microbiology section contains questions about:

  • Bacteriology
  • Parasitology
  • Mycology
  • Virology
  • Quality control, quality assurance, quality improvement, and laboratory compliance

4. Hematology

The Hematology section contains questions about:

  • Coagulation
  • Hematopoiesis
  • Laboratory methods in hematology
  • Special hematology procedures
  • Red blood cell morphology and disorders
  • White blood cell morphology and disorders
  • Platelets
  • Quality control, quality assurance, quality improvement, and laboratory compliance

5. Immunology

The Immunology section contains questions about:

  • Theory and principles of immunology
  • Immunology practices and laboratory methods
  • Immune disorders
  • Infectious disease serology
  • Tumor immunology
  • Transplant immunology
  • Quality control, quality assurance, quality improvement, and laboratory compliance

6. Immunohematology

The final section on the exam, Immunohematology, contains questions about:

  • Immunohematology basics
  • Blood donations
  • Blood components
  • The ABO system, the Rh blood group system, and other blood group systems
  • Blood banking procedures
  • Transfusion medicine
  • Quality control, quality assurance, quality improvement, and laboratory compliance