Page 1 of 130
NHA PHLEBOTOMY CERTIFICATION 2026
EXAM QUESTIONS LATEST VERSION
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
NHA Phlebotomy Exam
A phlebotomy tech is preparing to store a blood specimen. At which
temperature should the tech store the specimen?
A. 37° to 39° C (98.6° to 102.2° F)
B. 15° to 30° C (59° to 86° F)
C. 2° to 8° C (35.6° to 46.4° F)
D. -20° to -10° C (-4° to 14° F
C. 2° to 8° C (35.6° to 46.4° F)
A phlebotomy tech is processing a semen specimen. Which of the following
actions should the tech take?
A. Refrigerate the specimen
B. Transport the specimen at room temperature
C. Pour the specimen into a clean condom for transport
D. Deliver the specimen to the lab within 2 hours
D. Deliver the specimen to the lab within 2 hours
Which of the following actions should a phlebotomy tech take to maintain
compliance with HIPAA?
A. Discard test results into the office trash can
B. Leave patient information next to the printer
C. Clear numbers from the fax machine
D. Share passwords with other facility staff
C. Clear numbers from the fax machine
, Page 2 of 130
A patient who has diabetes states that he prefers to be drawn on the inside of
his wrist. Which of the following actions should the phlebotomy tech take?
A. Draw from the inside of the patient's wrist
B. Warm the ventral side of the hand to enhance vein location prior to the draw
C. Perform the draw on his foot
D. Attempt to draw from the antecubital region
D. Attempt to draw from the antecubital region
A phlebotomy tech is using the syringe method to obtain a blood culture
specimen from an adult patient. Which of the following actions should the tech
take?
A. Scrub the insertion site with isopropyl alcohol for 60 seconds
B. Withdraw the blood into a sterile safety syringe
C. Collect a total of 10 ml of blood from the patient
D. Transfer blood to the aerobic culture bottle first
B. Withdraw the blood into a sterile safety syringe
A phlebotomy tech should identify that which of the following is the first step
in the blood collection procedure? (duplicate question)
A. Test requisition
B. Preparing equipment
C. Test accession
D. Vein location
A. Test requisition
For which of the following reasons should a phlebotomy tech examine the
antecubital areas in both of a patient's arms?
A. The median cubital vein could be more accessible on one side than the
other
B. The medial cubital vein on the dominant arm tends to be anchored better
C. The medial cubital vein in the nondominant arm tends to be inaccessible
D. The median cubital vein could bruise more easily on one side than the other
A. The median cubital vein could be more accessible on one side than the other
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For which of the following reasons should a phlebotomy tech centrifuge a
serum specimen before transport to an outside reference lab?
A. Cells must be separated from the serum
B. Cells will hemolyze
C. Platelets must be separated from the serum
D. White blood cell levels will be elevated
A. Cells must be separated from the serum
A patient asks a phlebotomy tech to use her finger for blood work. In which of
the following situations can the tech collect blood from the patient's finger?
A. The ordered test can be performed on a capillary specimen
B. The patient's provider has preapproved the finger stick
C. The ordered test is a PTT
D. The patient states that she is taking warfarin
A. The ordered test can be performed on a capillary specimen
A phlebotomy tech is preparing to collect a specimen for a blood alcohol level
test. Which of the following antiseptics should the tech use to clean the
venipuncture site?
A. Isopropyl alcohol
B. Soap and water
C. Ethyl alcohol
D. Glutaraldehyde
B. Soap and water
A phlebotomy tech should select a tube that has which of the following
additives when collecting a blood specimen for a CBC? (duplicate question)
A. SST
B. EDTA
C. Lithium heparin
D. Sodium citrate
B. EDTA
, Page 4 of 130
A patient states that he is a "difficult draw" and requests a skin puncture. The
test ordered is a PTT. Which of the following should a phlebotomy tech
perform?
A. A capillary draw into a light blue microtainer
B. A capillary draw into a lavender microtainer
C. A syringe draw into a lavender vacuum tube
D. A syringe draw transferred into a light blue vacuum tube
D. A syringe draw transferred into a light blue vacuum tube
A phlebotomy tech is informing a patient about how to enter a basal state for a
blood collection. The tech should inform the patient not to consume food for
how many hours prior to blood collection?
A. 12 hr.
B. 6 hr.
C. 24 hr.
D. 15 hr.
A. 12 hr.
A phlebotomy tech should select a tube that has which of the following
anticoagulants to collect a sample for a PT/PTT test?
A. EDTA
B. Sodium citrate
C. Potassium oxalate
D. Heparin
B. Sodium citrate
A phlebotomy tech is updating a quality control record while performing daily
point-of-care tests. Which of the following information should the tech
include?
A. Patient's name
B. Expiration date
C. Ordering provider
D. Diagnosis code
NHA PHLEBOTOMY CERTIFICATION 2026
EXAM QUESTIONS LATEST VERSION
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
NHA Phlebotomy Exam
A phlebotomy tech is preparing to store a blood specimen. At which
temperature should the tech store the specimen?
A. 37° to 39° C (98.6° to 102.2° F)
B. 15° to 30° C (59° to 86° F)
C. 2° to 8° C (35.6° to 46.4° F)
D. -20° to -10° C (-4° to 14° F
C. 2° to 8° C (35.6° to 46.4° F)
A phlebotomy tech is processing a semen specimen. Which of the following
actions should the tech take?
A. Refrigerate the specimen
B. Transport the specimen at room temperature
C. Pour the specimen into a clean condom for transport
D. Deliver the specimen to the lab within 2 hours
D. Deliver the specimen to the lab within 2 hours
Which of the following actions should a phlebotomy tech take to maintain
compliance with HIPAA?
A. Discard test results into the office trash can
B. Leave patient information next to the printer
C. Clear numbers from the fax machine
D. Share passwords with other facility staff
C. Clear numbers from the fax machine
, Page 2 of 130
A patient who has diabetes states that he prefers to be drawn on the inside of
his wrist. Which of the following actions should the phlebotomy tech take?
A. Draw from the inside of the patient's wrist
B. Warm the ventral side of the hand to enhance vein location prior to the draw
C. Perform the draw on his foot
D. Attempt to draw from the antecubital region
D. Attempt to draw from the antecubital region
A phlebotomy tech is using the syringe method to obtain a blood culture
specimen from an adult patient. Which of the following actions should the tech
take?
A. Scrub the insertion site with isopropyl alcohol for 60 seconds
B. Withdraw the blood into a sterile safety syringe
C. Collect a total of 10 ml of blood from the patient
D. Transfer blood to the aerobic culture bottle first
B. Withdraw the blood into a sterile safety syringe
A phlebotomy tech should identify that which of the following is the first step
in the blood collection procedure? (duplicate question)
A. Test requisition
B. Preparing equipment
C. Test accession
D. Vein location
A. Test requisition
For which of the following reasons should a phlebotomy tech examine the
antecubital areas in both of a patient's arms?
A. The median cubital vein could be more accessible on one side than the
other
B. The medial cubital vein on the dominant arm tends to be anchored better
C. The medial cubital vein in the nondominant arm tends to be inaccessible
D. The median cubital vein could bruise more easily on one side than the other
A. The median cubital vein could be more accessible on one side than the other
, Page 3 of 130
For which of the following reasons should a phlebotomy tech centrifuge a
serum specimen before transport to an outside reference lab?
A. Cells must be separated from the serum
B. Cells will hemolyze
C. Platelets must be separated from the serum
D. White blood cell levels will be elevated
A. Cells must be separated from the serum
A patient asks a phlebotomy tech to use her finger for blood work. In which of
the following situations can the tech collect blood from the patient's finger?
A. The ordered test can be performed on a capillary specimen
B. The patient's provider has preapproved the finger stick
C. The ordered test is a PTT
D. The patient states that she is taking warfarin
A. The ordered test can be performed on a capillary specimen
A phlebotomy tech is preparing to collect a specimen for a blood alcohol level
test. Which of the following antiseptics should the tech use to clean the
venipuncture site?
A. Isopropyl alcohol
B. Soap and water
C. Ethyl alcohol
D. Glutaraldehyde
B. Soap and water
A phlebotomy tech should select a tube that has which of the following
additives when collecting a blood specimen for a CBC? (duplicate question)
A. SST
B. EDTA
C. Lithium heparin
D. Sodium citrate
B. EDTA
, Page 4 of 130
A patient states that he is a "difficult draw" and requests a skin puncture. The
test ordered is a PTT. Which of the following should a phlebotomy tech
perform?
A. A capillary draw into a light blue microtainer
B. A capillary draw into a lavender microtainer
C. A syringe draw into a lavender vacuum tube
D. A syringe draw transferred into a light blue vacuum tube
D. A syringe draw transferred into a light blue vacuum tube
A phlebotomy tech is informing a patient about how to enter a basal state for a
blood collection. The tech should inform the patient not to consume food for
how many hours prior to blood collection?
A. 12 hr.
B. 6 hr.
C. 24 hr.
D. 15 hr.
A. 12 hr.
A phlebotomy tech should select a tube that has which of the following
anticoagulants to collect a sample for a PT/PTT test?
A. EDTA
B. Sodium citrate
C. Potassium oxalate
D. Heparin
B. Sodium citrate
A phlebotomy tech is updating a quality control record while performing daily
point-of-care tests. Which of the following information should the tech
include?
A. Patient's name
B. Expiration date
C. Ordering provider
D. Diagnosis code
