Histotechnician Licensing Exam Practice Questions & Answers 2026 — ASCP HT/HTL Prep PDF

State Histotechnician Licensing Examinat
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ion Practice Questions And Correct Answe
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rs (Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
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v Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
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1. Which fixative is most commonly used for routine light microscopy in
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v histology?
A. Zenker's solution v




B. Bouin’s solution v




C. 10% neutral buffered formalin
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D. Carnoy’s solution v




10% neutral buffered formalin is widely used because it preserves tissu
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e morphology and is compatible with most staining techniques.
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2. What is the primary purpose of dehydration in tissue processing?
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A. Remove paraffin v

, B. Remove water from tissue v v v




C. Enhance staining v




D. Fix tissue proteins
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Dehydration removes water from tissue to allow infiltration with paraf
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fin or other embedding media.
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3. During paraffin embedding, what is the role of clearing agents such as x
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ylene?
A. Harden tissue v




B. Remove alcohol and make tissue miscible with paraffin
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C. Stain tissue v




D. Dehydrate tissue v




Clearing agents replace alcohol in the tissue and prepare it for paraffin
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infiltration.

4. Which microtome type is typically used for routine paraffin sections?
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A. Cryostat
B. Rotary microtome v




C. Ultramicrotome
D. Vibratome
A rotary microtome allows precise, thin sections from paraffin blocks f
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or routine histology.
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5. What is the recommended thickness for paraffin sections for light
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microscopy?
A. 1–2 mm v

, B. 10–15 μm v




C. 4–6 μm v




D. 0.5 μm v




Sections 4– v




6 μm thick provide optimal resolution for most histologic staining.
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6. Which staining method is used specifically for detecting collagen fi
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bers?
A. PAS
B. Hematoxylin & Eosin v v




C. Masson’s trichrome v




D. Oil Red O v v




Masson’s trichrome differentiates collagen (blue/green) from muscle a
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nd cytoplasm.
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7. What is the purpose of antigen retrieval in immunohistochemistry?
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A. Fix tissue proteins
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B. Dehydrate tissue v




C. Expose antigenic sites masked during fixation
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D. Embed tissue in paraffin v v v




Formalin fixation can mask antigens; retrieval restores their immunore
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activity.

8. Which cryostat temperature is most appropriate for cutting frozen ti
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ssue sections?
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A. -5°C

, B. 0°C
C. 10°C
D. -20°C
Frozen tissue sections are optimally cut around -
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20°C to preserve morphology and enzymatic activity.
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9. What is the main purpose of using a mordant in special stains?
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A. Dehydrate tissue v




B. Bind dye to tissue components
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C. Clear tissue v




D. Fix tissue
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Mordants enhance staining by forming a bridge between dye and tissu
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e structures.
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10. In Hematoxylin & Eosin staining, what does hematoxylin
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primarily stain? v




A. Cytoplasm
B. Collagen
C. Nuclei
D. Lipids
Hematoxylin is a basic dye that binds to acidic components, primarily n
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ucleic acids in nuclei.
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11. Which of the following is a rapid method for tissue fixation?
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A. Zenker's solution v




B. Microwave fixation v