Phlebotomy Technician Certification
Specimen handling and processing: practice questions
Our Phlebotomy bank has 24 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
How should tubes be transported to the lab?
- Lying flat in a cardboard box, with ice touching all of the tubes directly
- Upright, in a sealed biohazard bag, with paperwork in the outer pocket
- With requisitions inside the bag with the blood
- Loose in a pocket
Show the answer
B. Upright, in a sealed biohazard bag, with paperwork in the outer pocket — Upright tubes clot properly and reduce hemolysis.
Question 2
Which specimen must be protected from light?
- Potassium
- Glucose
- CBC
- Bilirubin
Show the answer
D. Bilirubin — Wrap in foil or use an amber tube.
Question 3
When must specimen tubes be labelled?
- At the nurses' station later, once all draws are done
- Before collection
- At the patient's side immediately after collection
- At the lab
Show the answer
C. At the patient's side immediately after collection — Pre-labelling can lead to wrong-patient errors.
Question 4
How should a specimen be handled if it requires 'chill' or 'on ice'?
- Place it on dry ice directly
- Keep it at room temperature
- Freeze it solid
- Place it in a mixture of ice and water (slurry) immediately after collection
Show the answer
D. Place it in a mixture of ice and water (slurry) immediately after collection — A slurry cools evenly.
Question 5
What does a lipemic specimen look like?
- Cloudy or milky serum or plasma, often from a recent fatty meal
- Red
- Clear
- Dark yellow
Show the answer
A. Cloudy or milky serum or plasma, often from a recent fatty meal — Fasting reduces lipemia.