CSMLS MLA Exam study plan

Map the full pre-analytical pathway (requisition review, patient identification, collection, labelling, transport, accessioning, storage) and write the critical failure point at each step

Order the blood collection tubes by additive class and state the correct order of draw with the rationale for each position

List the specimen types, minimum volumes, and transport temperatures for the most common tests (CBC, chemistry panel, coagulation, blood culture, urinalysis)

Explain the effect of prolonged tourniquet time, haemolysis, and delayed processing on common analytes

Demonstrate and describe aseptic technique for venepuncture and capillary puncture, including site selection and skin antisepsis dwell time

Identify the personal protective equipment and hand-hygiene moments required before, during, and after a collection procedure

Classify the main routes of transmission and match each to a control measure used in a specimen collection area

Describe safe handling and disposal of sharps and the immediate response to a needlestick or splash exposure

Apply the chain of infection to three laboratory scenarios and state where the chain is broken by a specific control

Differentiate routine, contact, droplet, and airborne precautions and the PPE add-ons for each

Identify chemical hazards in the laboratory (fixatives, solvents, disinfectants) and locate the information needed from a safety data sheet

Describe spill clean-up and waste segregation for biological and chemical waste streams

Explain the principles of hand hygiene and the correct sequence for donning and doffing PPE

Outline the workflow of a specimen from receipt to result release and name the role responsible at each handoff

Describe the quality-control concepts used in the pre-analytical and analytical phases (control materials, acceptance criteria, out-of-range action)

Explain the difference between calibration, verification, and maintenance and when each is performed

Identify the main laboratory information system functions relevant to accessioning, result entry, and critical value reporting

Describe how a laboratory recognises and corrects a specimen labelling error before analysis

Apply the concepts of confidentiality and consent to three realistic requests for patient information

Distinguish the assistant's scope of practice from tasks that must be referred to a technologist or supervisor

Describe how to report a critical result and confirm receipt by the requester

Explain the elements of informed consent for specimen collection and how to proceed when a patient refuses

Identify the professional obligations around competence, continuing education, and honest reporting of errors

Adapt communication for a patient with low health literacy, a language barrier, or a hearing impairment during a collection

Describe de-escalation steps for an anxious, angry, or needle-phobic patient

Explain how to handle a complaint or a patient who questions a result

Identify the correct use of an interpreter and the limits of using a family member to interpret

Describe documentation standards for consent, refusals, and incidents

Rehearse the full sequence for a difficult draw (fragile veins, paediatric capillary collection) and list fallback options in order

Explain special handling requirements for timed collections, cold-chain specimens, and light-sensitive analytes

Describe infection-control considerations specific to point-of-care testing and shared collection areas

Review the rejection criteria that most often cause a recollect and state the prevention for each

Complete a timed 100-question mixed mock examination across all four domains and record the score per domain

Analyse every missed question by root cause (knowledge gap, misread, or unfamiliar wording) and rank the gaps

Re-study the two weakest areas identified by the mock and retest only those areas

Build a one-page final review sheet of high-yield facts for each domain

Confirm exam-day logistics and set a study stop date to protect rest before the exam