Phlebotomy Plan

Processing: practice questions

3 original questions · 3 editor-approved · every choice explained.

Practice this topic

Blueprint-mapped questions with full rationales for every choice.

Start practice
ProcessingDifficulty 3/5

Which work does the test plan specifically associate with chain of custody requirements?

  1. APoint-of-care glucose and urine pregnancy testing
  2. BForensic studies and blood alcohol collection
  3. CBlood culture collection and metabolic screening
  4. DCoagulation testing and complete blood counts
Show answer and rationale

Correct: B. Task 5C names forensic studies and blood alcohol. Chain of custody documents an unbroken record of who held the specimen and when, without which a legally significant result is unusable.

  • C — These are clinical collections without the legal handling requirement.
  • D — Routine haematology and coagulation work carries no chain of custody obligation.
  • A — Point-of-care testing has quality control requirements but not chain of custody.
ProcessingDifficulty 3/5

A correctly collected and labelled specimen is left under bright light for an hour before processing. What kind of error is this?

  1. AA post-analytical error, because the result was reported to the wrong provider
  2. BNo error at all, because the collection and labelling were performed correctly
  3. CA pre-analytical error, because handling requirements were not observed
  4. DAn analytical error, because the instrument measured the specimen incorrectly
Show answer and rationale

Correct: C. Task 5B requires maintaining specimen integrity against temperature, light and time requirements. Core Knowledge statement k9 names the impact of pre-analytical errors on test results, which is what this domain exists to prevent.

  • D — The instrument measured the specimen it was given; the specimen itself had degraded.
  • A — Post-analytical errors concern reporting and distribution, which had not yet happened.
  • B — A flawless draw does not protect a specimen from being destroyed afterwards.
ProcessingDifficulty 2/5

What distinguishes a critical value from an ordinary abnormal result?

  1. AIt falls outside the reference range published by the laboratory
  2. BIt was produced by point-of-care rather than by laboratory testing
  3. CIt requires the specimen to be re-collected before it can be reported
  4. DIt requires immediate notification rather than routine reporting
Show answer and rationale

Correct: D. Task 5G is to recognise and report critical values for point-of-care and CLIA-waived testing. The defining feature is urgency of notification, not simply that the number is abnormal.

  • A — Many results fall outside the reference range without being critical values.
  • B — Critical values arise from both laboratory and point-of-care testing.
  • C — Re-collection is a separate task at 5I and is not what defines a critical value.

Primary references

  1. NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) — Test Plan for the CPT Exam — National Healthcareer Association (NHA) · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22