ASCP RECALL STUDY ACTUAL 2026 QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS
| GRADED A+
Procedure #1 detected 50/100 true positives & 100/100 true negatives.
Procedure #2 detected 80/100 true positives and 70/100 true negatives.
Procedure 2 is more sensitive (refers to % of true positives that are
accurately identified as positives). Specificity refers to # of true
negatives identified as negative.
TP/TP+FN=
Sensitivity
TN/TN+FP=
Specificity
What might the following indicate in urine: RBCs, WBCs, nitrite, and
bacteria?
Pyelonephritis (UTI); WBCs and nitrites in urine are classical indication of
bacterial infection (UTI)
Why is albumin the first protein to be detected in tests for renal failure?
It's molecular size is the smallest
Cortisol excess will result in:
Elevated glucose in blood; cortisol counteracts insulin
What is the reason for the following discrepency?
Anti A: 3+
Anti B: 3+
A1: 3+
B cells: 0
Patient may be A2B
,This spiral form organism is seen in urine and cultured on fletcher's
medium
Leptospira
Organism that gives off a bleach-like odor in culture:
Eikenella (GN pits agar)
Presence of Rheumatoid factor in blood may result in false positives for
what test?
VDRL; nonspecific screening test for syphillis
Disease associated with the following: increased TSH increased T3 and
increased FT4:
Pituitary tumor
If excess PTH is released, what woulde you find elevated amounts of in
serum?
Calcium
Mucoid pink colonies on plate that produce gase, indole positive,
yellow/yellow on TSI
Klebsiella oxytoca (Klebsiella pneumo is indole negative)
PAD positive, indole positive, organism stains gram negative. What is it?
Proteus vulgaris (p. mirabilis is indole negative)
Curved gram negative bacilli. Cultured form GI tract of persons with
ulcers. What test would you do to confirm its identity?
Test for Urease. Most likely H. pylori which is curved, infects GI tract, and
the urease activity can cause ulcers.
Enzyme controls run on a machine gives result around -3SD. Samples run
on the same machine give results <1 SD. What is the problem?
Controls were left @ room temperature for several days.
,HIV-1 and HIV-2 combination ELISA test is positive in a patient with
symptoms of immune deficiency. Western blot was inconclusive for HIV-1.
What do you do next?
DO HIV-2 western blot.
What are steps of PCR?
Denaturation, annealing, and transcription.
RAST test detects what?
IgE to particular antigens (RIST is for total IgE)
After collecting a blood sample in an EDTA tube for CBC you find that the
Hct is very high (68%). What should you do next?
Report results. Always use EDTA for CBC specimens.
When you conduct a procedure using fluorescence it is important to
protect yourself from:
Exciting light; high energy light produced by the machine
Blood was collected Nov. 1st then frozen with glycol on Nov. 5th. What is
the new expiration date?
Nov. 1 10 years from now.
A person was successfully treated for syphillis 12 years ago. he just came
in worried about being reinfected. what would you look for in his blood?
VDRL; TPA is not correct because it can remain active for the life of the
patient.
Patient demonstrates positive antibody screen. You suspect either Jk(a),
K or c. You know from previous history that the patient has Jk(a) antigen
on their red cells. You react the patients serum with cells positive for
certain antigens and see: K cells: 0, c cells: 4+. What can be concluded
You can rule out c antigen but cannot confirm absence or presence of K
antigen on patients red cells. Patient producing anti-c and therefore does
not have the c antigen. K did not react so patient either has K antigen or
, has never been exposed to K and therefore does not make antibodies to
K.
Urine protein chemistry dipstick detected no proteins by sulfosalicylic
acid (SSA) test did detect proteins. Why?
Bence-jones proteins in urine
Several immature granulocytes in PBS. What stain should be used to
figure this persons problem out?
LAP
Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretions (SIADH) would
result in what in blood?
Deficient in sodium
Fiber strands in urine resemble what under the microscope?
Hyaline casts
Which of the following regulates myocyte contraction
Cardiac troponins
HBA1C levels cannot always be used to monitor glucose levels in
conditions such as:
Sickle cell disease; any disorder that causes RBCs to die prematurely
(sickle cell, g6pd etc) will result in underestimation of HBA1C levels
Strentrophomonas:
Rapid oxidizers of maltose
Burr cells indicative of
Uremia
Stain used for Cryptosporidium parvum
Modified trichrome stain
Stomatocytes indicative of
| GRADED A+
Procedure #1 detected 50/100 true positives & 100/100 true negatives.
Procedure #2 detected 80/100 true positives and 70/100 true negatives.
Procedure 2 is more sensitive (refers to % of true positives that are
accurately identified as positives). Specificity refers to # of true
negatives identified as negative.
TP/TP+FN=
Sensitivity
TN/TN+FP=
Specificity
What might the following indicate in urine: RBCs, WBCs, nitrite, and
bacteria?
Pyelonephritis (UTI); WBCs and nitrites in urine are classical indication of
bacterial infection (UTI)
Why is albumin the first protein to be detected in tests for renal failure?
It's molecular size is the smallest
Cortisol excess will result in:
Elevated glucose in blood; cortisol counteracts insulin
What is the reason for the following discrepency?
Anti A: 3+
Anti B: 3+
A1: 3+
B cells: 0
Patient may be A2B
,This spiral form organism is seen in urine and cultured on fletcher's
medium
Leptospira
Organism that gives off a bleach-like odor in culture:
Eikenella (GN pits agar)
Presence of Rheumatoid factor in blood may result in false positives for
what test?
VDRL; nonspecific screening test for syphillis
Disease associated with the following: increased TSH increased T3 and
increased FT4:
Pituitary tumor
If excess PTH is released, what woulde you find elevated amounts of in
serum?
Calcium
Mucoid pink colonies on plate that produce gase, indole positive,
yellow/yellow on TSI
Klebsiella oxytoca (Klebsiella pneumo is indole negative)
PAD positive, indole positive, organism stains gram negative. What is it?
Proteus vulgaris (p. mirabilis is indole negative)
Curved gram negative bacilli. Cultured form GI tract of persons with
ulcers. What test would you do to confirm its identity?
Test for Urease. Most likely H. pylori which is curved, infects GI tract, and
the urease activity can cause ulcers.
Enzyme controls run on a machine gives result around -3SD. Samples run
on the same machine give results <1 SD. What is the problem?
Controls were left @ room temperature for several days.
,HIV-1 and HIV-2 combination ELISA test is positive in a patient with
symptoms of immune deficiency. Western blot was inconclusive for HIV-1.
What do you do next?
DO HIV-2 western blot.
What are steps of PCR?
Denaturation, annealing, and transcription.
RAST test detects what?
IgE to particular antigens (RIST is for total IgE)
After collecting a blood sample in an EDTA tube for CBC you find that the
Hct is very high (68%). What should you do next?
Report results. Always use EDTA for CBC specimens.
When you conduct a procedure using fluorescence it is important to
protect yourself from:
Exciting light; high energy light produced by the machine
Blood was collected Nov. 1st then frozen with glycol on Nov. 5th. What is
the new expiration date?
Nov. 1 10 years from now.
A person was successfully treated for syphillis 12 years ago. he just came
in worried about being reinfected. what would you look for in his blood?
VDRL; TPA is not correct because it can remain active for the life of the
patient.
Patient demonstrates positive antibody screen. You suspect either Jk(a),
K or c. You know from previous history that the patient has Jk(a) antigen
on their red cells. You react the patients serum with cells positive for
certain antigens and see: K cells: 0, c cells: 4+. What can be concluded
You can rule out c antigen but cannot confirm absence or presence of K
antigen on patients red cells. Patient producing anti-c and therefore does
not have the c antigen. K did not react so patient either has K antigen or
, has never been exposed to K and therefore does not make antibodies to
K.
Urine protein chemistry dipstick detected no proteins by sulfosalicylic
acid (SSA) test did detect proteins. Why?
Bence-jones proteins in urine
Several immature granulocytes in PBS. What stain should be used to
figure this persons problem out?
LAP
Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretions (SIADH) would
result in what in blood?
Deficient in sodium
Fiber strands in urine resemble what under the microscope?
Hyaline casts
Which of the following regulates myocyte contraction
Cardiac troponins
HBA1C levels cannot always be used to monitor glucose levels in
conditions such as:
Sickle cell disease; any disorder that causes RBCs to die prematurely
(sickle cell, g6pd etc) will result in underestimation of HBA1C levels
Strentrophomonas:
Rapid oxidizers of maltose
Burr cells indicative of
Uremia
Stain used for Cryptosporidium parvum
Modified trichrome stain
Stomatocytes indicative of
