The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP®) administers the Phlebotomy Technician exam for those pursuing PBT(ASCP) certification as a phlebotomy technician in the United States.
Click “Start Test” above to take a free Phlebotomy Technician practice test!
ASCP Phlebotomy Technician Exam Eligibility
ASCP offers seven routes of eligibility for this exam.
You must have a high school diploma or some equivalent, and you must have successfully completed a NAACLS-approved phlebotomy program within the last five years.
You must have a high school diploma or some equivalent, and you must have successfully completed a two-part structured phlebotomy program within the last five years. Within this program, you must have accumulated 40 hours of classroom training and 100 hours of clinical training.
You must have a high school diploma or some equivalent, and you must have successfully completed at least one year of full-time clinical experience as a phlebotomy technician within the last five years.
You must have a high school diploma or some equivalent, and you must have successfully completed RN, LPN, or other allied health professional education. You must also have performed at least 100 successful and unaided blood collections within the last five years.
You must hold a valid MLS(ASCP) or MLT(ASCP) certification.
You must hold a valid DPT(ASCP) certification, and you must have performed at least 100 successful and unaided non-donor blood collections within the last five years.
You must have a high school diploma or some equivalent, and you must have successfully completed a CDPH-approved phlebotomy program within the last five years.
ASCP Phlebotomy Technician Exam Outline
The Phlebotomy Technician exam contains 80 multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 2 hours.
The questions on the exam are theoretical, procedural, or some mixture of the two. The theoretical questions are used to assess your knowledge, while procedural questions are used to assess your skillset and technique.
The exam is split into six content areas:
I. Circulatory System (5%-10%)
- Structure and function of the circulatory system
- Composition and function of blood
- Terminology
II. Specimen Collection (45%-50%)
- Review and clarification of orders
- Patient communication, identification, assessment, and preparation
- Site selection
- Common tests
- Order of draw
- Considerations and complications
- Equipment and terminology
III. Specimen Handling, Transport, and Processing (15%-20%)
- Specimen types and suitability
- Accessioning
- Labeling
- Assess specimen quality
- Transportation and storage
- Equipment and terminology
IV. Waived and Point-of-care Testing (5%-10%)
- Urinalysis
- Hemoglobin
- Hematocrit
- Coagulation
- Glucose
- Kit tests
- Performance
- Operations
- Terminology
V. Non-blood Specimens (5%-10%)
- Physiology
- Patient preparation and collection
- Processing
- Handling
- Terminology
VI. Laboratory Operations (15%-20%)
- Quality control and improvement
- Interpersonal relations
- Professional ethics
- Regulatory applications
- Terminology
Check Out Mometrix's ASCP Phlebotomy Study Guide
Get practice questions, video tutorials, and detailed study lessons.
Top 3 Most Challenging Phlebotomy Questions
Now that you know more about the exam, try your hand at some targeted practice!
Over the last year, we’ve compiled the data from about 2,000 test-takers who tried their hand at the practice test at the top of this page. According to the data, around 65% of people answered these three questions incorrectly.
Answer each question and read through the answer explanation, whether you got the answer right or wrong. This will help you ensure you’ve got the topic mastered.
Whether you struggled with these questions or aced them on your first try, be sure to take the full practice test to get a better idea of how prepared you really are!
1. If the phlebotomist is collecting samples for blood cultures from an adult but only 12 mL can be collected, what is the correct procedure?
2. Which of the following substances that may be present in collection tubes is NOT an anticoagulant?
3. Blood is supplied to the myocardium (heart muscle) by the:
ASCP Phlebotomy Technician Exam Registration
To register for the Phlebotomy Technician exam, you should first clearly determine which route of eligibility you wish to take and ensure that you have all of the necessary documentation. You must then submit an online application, which includes your documentation, personal information, and a $155 application fee.
Once your application has been submitted, it will be reviewed by ASCP within 60 days. You will receive an email when your application’s status is ready to be reviewed, which you can do by logging in to your ASCP account. If your application was approved, you will be provided with instructions on how to schedule your exam.
Test Day
You should arrive at the test venue 30 minutes prior to your scheduled exam time. During check-in, Pearson VUE will collect your signature and photo and will ask for a valid form of government-issued photo ID. They will also use biometric technology to capture a palm-vein image, which ensures that each examinee only has a single record in the system to safeguard the integrity of the exam.
You will be asked to leave your personal belongings in a small locker outside the testing room, including your smartphone, smartwatch, or other such items. You are allowed to bring a non-programmable calculator.
How the ASCP Phlebotomy Technician Exam is Scored
The ASCP PBT exam is computer-adaptive, so depending on your performance, the difficulty of your test will increase or decrease as you go on.
Here’s a look at how it works:
The first question is judged to be of medium difficulty, and depending on your performance, the next question may be easier or harder. If you do well on the first question, the second question will be harder; conversely, if you do poorly on the first question, the second question will be easier.
Your score is based on the overall pattern of your responses throughout the exam, not simply the number of questions you answer correctly or the difficulty of your final question. ASCP converts your estimated ability to a scaled score ranging from 100 to 999.
To pass the exam, your final scaled score must be at least 400.
Receiving Your Scores
You’ll see a preliminary pass or fail result on the computer screen after completing the exam. ASCP will email you a notification to log in to your account and view your official score report within four business days after the exam, provided all required official transcripts have been received and processed.
Phlebotomy Online Prep Course
If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online Phlebotomy prep course designed to give you everything you need to succeed!
Here’s what you’ll find in the Phlebotomy course:
- 30 Review Lessons Covering Every Topic
- 600 Phlebotomy Practice Questions
- 300+ Digital Flashcards
- Money-back Guarantee
- Mobile Access
Everyone learns differently, so we’ve tailored the online prep course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for the Phlebotomy exam.
Click below to check it out!
Check Out Mometrix's ASCP Phlebotomy Study Guide
Get complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
FAQs
Q
How many questions are on the ASCP Phlebotomy Technician exam?
A
There are 80 multiple-choice questions on the exam.
Q
How long is the ASCP Phlebotomy Technician exam?
A
The time limit for this exam is 2 hours.
Q
What is the passing score for the ASCP Phlebotomy Technician exam?
A
To pass the exam, you must achieve a scaled score of at least 400.
Q
How much does the ASCP Phlebotomy Technician exam cost?
A
The application fee for the exam is $155.
ASCP is a registered trademark of American Society for Clinical Pathology, Inc., which is not affiliated with Mometrix Test Preparation and does not endorse this product.
