MELE study guide
MELE · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Medical Laboratory Evaluation (MELE) is a multiple-choice examination used to assess the knowledge and problem-solving skills expected of a medical laboratory professional. Candidates typically encounter it as part of a certification or competency pathway for technologists, technicians, and other laboratory personnel who want independent evidence that they can handle the breadth of routine and specialized testing. The MELE study guide has 9 sections and about 2,695 words.
01Blood Banking / Immunohematology
This domain tests ABO/Rh typing, antibody detection and identification, compatibility testing, and the resolution of serologic discrepancies - the decision points that determine whether a unit can be released. The indirect antiglobulin test (IAT) detects IgG red cell antibodies in plasma; the direct antiglobulin test (DAT) detects antibody and/or complement already bound to the patient's cells in vivo.
325 words, about 2 min02Clinical Chemistry
This domain tests spectrophotometry, enzyme-based assays, electrolyte and acid-base calculations, and recognition of analytic interference - the reasoning behind a chemistry result rather than the instrument's menu. Beer-Lambert law: absorbance is proportional to concentration and path length.
303 words, about 2 min03Hematology
This domain tests complete blood count interpretation, red cell indices, reticulocyte Response, and coagulation testing - translating numbers into a mechanism. Indices: MCV = Hct/RBC × 10; MCH = Hb/RBC; MCHC = Hb/Hct × 100.
297 words, about 1 min04Microbiology
This domain tests specimen adequacy, stain interpretation, organism identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility reporting - the path from Gram stain to a clinically useful result. Gram stain reporting includes shape, arrangement, and Gram reaction; neutrophils with intracellular organisms in a normally sterile site are significant.
279 words, about 1 min05Immunology / Serology
This domain tests immunoassay design, antibody-antigen reaction principles, and the statistical meaning of a serologic result - why a positive test is not the same as a diagnosis. Sensitivity = TP/(TP + FN); specificity = TN/(TN + FP).
287 words, about 1 min06Urinalysis and Body Fluids
This domain tests chemical dipstick interpretation, microscopic sediment analysis, and body fluid cell counts, including the corrections that separate true disease from artifact. Dipstick protein reacts mainly with albumin; a positive protein with a benign sediment warrants a sulfosalicylic acid test for Bence Jones protein.
285 words, about 1 min07Laboratory Operations / Quality Management
This domain tests quality control rules, method validation, and regulatory documentation - the system that proves a reported result is trustworthy. Levey-Jennings charts plot QC values against established mean and SD; Westgard rules define rejection.
293 words, about 1 min08Molecular Diagnostics
This domain tests amplification chemistries, interpretation of real-time PCR data, sequencing workflows, and contamination control - the controls that make a molecular result defensible. PCR cycles: denaturation (~95 °C), annealing (~50–65 °C, primer-dependent), extension (~72 °C for Taq).
292 words, about 1 min09Laboratory Safety
This domain tests exposure control, chemical hygiene, and emergency response - the practices an inspector verifies and that protect staff from the hazards of the specimens they handle. Standard precautions treat all blood and body fluids as infectious.
334 words, about 2 min