ASCP BOC EXAM STUDY GUIDE
CORRECT 100%
When using an electronic cell counter, which of the following results can occur in the
presence of a cold agglutination? a) increased MCV and decreased RBC b) increased
MCV and normal RBC c) decreased MCV and increased MCHC d) decreased MCV and
RBC - ANSWER a) increased MCV and decreased RBC
Cerebrospinal fluid for glucose assay should be: a) refrigerated b) analyzed immediately
c) heated to 56 degree C d) stored at room temp after centrifugation - ANSWER b)
analyzed immediately
The major crossmatch will detect: a) group A patient mistyped as group O b)
unexpected red cell antibody in the donor unit c) Rh-neg donor unit mislabeled as Rh-
Pos d) recipient antibody directly against antigens on the donor red cells - ANSWER d)
recipient antibody directly against antigens on the donor red cells
The anion gap is useful for quality control of laboratory reselts for a) amino acids and
proteins b) blood gas anaylses c) sodium, potassium, chloride and total C02 d) calcium,
phosphorus and magnesium - ANSWER c) sodium, potassium, chloride and total C02
A common cause of respiratory alkalosis is a) vomitting b) starvation c) asthma d)
hyperventilation - ANSWER d) hyperventilation
Blood is diluted 1:200, and a platelet count is performed. 180 platelets were counted in
the center square millimeter on one side of the hemacytometer and 186 on the other
side/ The total platelet count is: a) 146 x 10³/μL (146 x 10 ⁹/L) b)183 x 10³/μL (183 x
10⁹/L) c)366 x 10³/μL (3666 x 10⁹/L) d)732 x 10³/μL (732 x 10 ⁹/L) - ANSWER c)366 x
10³/μL (3666 x 10⁹/L)
When staining acid-fast bacilli with Truant auramine-rhodamine stain, potassium
permanganate is used a a) decolorizing agent b) quenching agent c) mordant d) dye -
ANSWER b) quenching agent
A first morning sputum is received for culture of acid-fast bacilli. It is digested and
concentrated by the N-acetyl-L-cysteine alkali method. Two Sabouraud dextrose slants
are incubated in the dark at 35ºC with 5%-10% CO2. The smear reveal acid-fast bacilli,
but the slants show no growth after 8 weeks. The explanation is: a) improper media
used b) incorrect concentration procedure used c) improper specimen submitted d)
exposure to CO2 prevents growth - ANSWER a) improper media used
MacConkey media for screening suspected cases of hemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 must
contain: a) indole b) citrate c) sorbitol d) lactose - ANSWER c) sorbitol
, A patient with a B-cell deficiency will most likely exhibit: a) decreased phagocytosis b)
increased bacterial infections c) decreased complement levels d) increased
complement levels - ANSWER b) increased bacterial infections
Communication is enhanced by: a) a planned strategy that includes listening skills and
ensuring an understanding with questions b) relying on e-mail, memos and voice mail to
communicate new information c) formal, hierachical patterns instead of informal
networking patterns d) assumptions if there are questions about the intent of the
message - ANSWER a) a planned strategy that includes listening skills and ensuring an
understanding with questions
IgM antibodies are frequently hemolytic because of: a)the dimeric structure b) the
molecule's 5 antigen binding sites c) their sedimentation coefficient of 7-15 S d) their
coefficient ability to fix complement - ANSWER b) the molecule's 5 antigen binding sites
A community hospital microbiology laboratory is processing significant numbers of stool
cultures because of an outbreak of diarrhea following heavy rains and flooding in the
county. A media that should be incorporated in the plating protocol is: a) colistin nalidixic
acid for listeria b) MacConckey agar with sorbitol for Campylobacter c) mannitol salt
agar for Enterococcus speices d) thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose for Vibrio species -
ANSWER d) thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose for Vibrio species
80 grams of NaOH (MW=40) are how many moles? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4 - ANSWER b) 2
An electrode has a silver/silver chloride anode and a platinum wire cathode. It is
suspended in KCl solution and separated fro the blood to be analyzed by a selectively
permeable membrane. Such an electrode is used to measure which of the following? a)
pH b) PCO2 c) PO2 d) HCO2 - ANSWER c) PO2
The organism most commonly associated with neonatal purulent mentingitis is: a)
Neisseria meningitidis b) Streptococcus pneumoniae c) group B streptococci d)
Haemophilus influenzae - ANSWER c) group B streptococci
The volume of urine excreted in a 24-hour period by an adult patient was 300mL. This
condition would be termed: a) anuria b) oliguria c)polyuria d) dysuria - ANSWER b)
oliguria
Amniotic fluid is tested for the concentration of lamellar bodies. This test determines: a)
fetal lung maturity (FLM) b) hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) c) alpha-
fetoprotein (AFP) d) trisomy 21 - ANSWER a) fetal lung maturity
The purpose of testing with anti-A,B is to detect: a) anti-A¹ b) anti-A² c) subgroups of A
d) subgroups of B - ANSWER c) subgroups of A
CORRECT 100%
When using an electronic cell counter, which of the following results can occur in the
presence of a cold agglutination? a) increased MCV and decreased RBC b) increased
MCV and normal RBC c) decreased MCV and increased MCHC d) decreased MCV and
RBC - ANSWER a) increased MCV and decreased RBC
Cerebrospinal fluid for glucose assay should be: a) refrigerated b) analyzed immediately
c) heated to 56 degree C d) stored at room temp after centrifugation - ANSWER b)
analyzed immediately
The major crossmatch will detect: a) group A patient mistyped as group O b)
unexpected red cell antibody in the donor unit c) Rh-neg donor unit mislabeled as Rh-
Pos d) recipient antibody directly against antigens on the donor red cells - ANSWER d)
recipient antibody directly against antigens on the donor red cells
The anion gap is useful for quality control of laboratory reselts for a) amino acids and
proteins b) blood gas anaylses c) sodium, potassium, chloride and total C02 d) calcium,
phosphorus and magnesium - ANSWER c) sodium, potassium, chloride and total C02
A common cause of respiratory alkalosis is a) vomitting b) starvation c) asthma d)
hyperventilation - ANSWER d) hyperventilation
Blood is diluted 1:200, and a platelet count is performed. 180 platelets were counted in
the center square millimeter on one side of the hemacytometer and 186 on the other
side/ The total platelet count is: a) 146 x 10³/μL (146 x 10 ⁹/L) b)183 x 10³/μL (183 x
10⁹/L) c)366 x 10³/μL (3666 x 10⁹/L) d)732 x 10³/μL (732 x 10 ⁹/L) - ANSWER c)366 x
10³/μL (3666 x 10⁹/L)
When staining acid-fast bacilli with Truant auramine-rhodamine stain, potassium
permanganate is used a a) decolorizing agent b) quenching agent c) mordant d) dye -
ANSWER b) quenching agent
A first morning sputum is received for culture of acid-fast bacilli. It is digested and
concentrated by the N-acetyl-L-cysteine alkali method. Two Sabouraud dextrose slants
are incubated in the dark at 35ºC with 5%-10% CO2. The smear reveal acid-fast bacilli,
but the slants show no growth after 8 weeks. The explanation is: a) improper media
used b) incorrect concentration procedure used c) improper specimen submitted d)
exposure to CO2 prevents growth - ANSWER a) improper media used
MacConkey media for screening suspected cases of hemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 must
contain: a) indole b) citrate c) sorbitol d) lactose - ANSWER c) sorbitol
, A patient with a B-cell deficiency will most likely exhibit: a) decreased phagocytosis b)
increased bacterial infections c) decreased complement levels d) increased
complement levels - ANSWER b) increased bacterial infections
Communication is enhanced by: a) a planned strategy that includes listening skills and
ensuring an understanding with questions b) relying on e-mail, memos and voice mail to
communicate new information c) formal, hierachical patterns instead of informal
networking patterns d) assumptions if there are questions about the intent of the
message - ANSWER a) a planned strategy that includes listening skills and ensuring an
understanding with questions
IgM antibodies are frequently hemolytic because of: a)the dimeric structure b) the
molecule's 5 antigen binding sites c) their sedimentation coefficient of 7-15 S d) their
coefficient ability to fix complement - ANSWER b) the molecule's 5 antigen binding sites
A community hospital microbiology laboratory is processing significant numbers of stool
cultures because of an outbreak of diarrhea following heavy rains and flooding in the
county. A media that should be incorporated in the plating protocol is: a) colistin nalidixic
acid for listeria b) MacConckey agar with sorbitol for Campylobacter c) mannitol salt
agar for Enterococcus speices d) thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose for Vibrio species -
ANSWER d) thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose for Vibrio species
80 grams of NaOH (MW=40) are how many moles? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4 - ANSWER b) 2
An electrode has a silver/silver chloride anode and a platinum wire cathode. It is
suspended in KCl solution and separated fro the blood to be analyzed by a selectively
permeable membrane. Such an electrode is used to measure which of the following? a)
pH b) PCO2 c) PO2 d) HCO2 - ANSWER c) PO2
The organism most commonly associated with neonatal purulent mentingitis is: a)
Neisseria meningitidis b) Streptococcus pneumoniae c) group B streptococci d)
Haemophilus influenzae - ANSWER c) group B streptococci
The volume of urine excreted in a 24-hour period by an adult patient was 300mL. This
condition would be termed: a) anuria b) oliguria c)polyuria d) dysuria - ANSWER b)
oliguria
Amniotic fluid is tested for the concentration of lamellar bodies. This test determines: a)
fetal lung maturity (FLM) b) hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) c) alpha-
fetoprotein (AFP) d) trisomy 21 - ANSWER a) fetal lung maturity
The purpose of testing with anti-A,B is to detect: a) anti-A¹ b) anti-A² c) subgroups of A
d) subgroups of B - ANSWER c) subgroups of A
