PA (ASCP) Certification Exam Questions and Answers Updated 2026

PA (ASCP) Certification Exam
Questions and Answers Updated
2026
HypertrophyM-
MAnswerMIncreasedMcellMandMorganMsize,MoftenMinMresponseMtoMincreasedMworkload:Mi
nducedMbyMmechanicalMstressMandMbyMgrowthMfactors;MoccursMinMtissueMincapableMof
McellMdivision



HyperplasiaM-
MAnswerMIncreasedMcellMnumbersMinMresponseMtoMhormonesMandMotherMgrowthMfactor
s;MoccursMinMtissuesMwhoseMcellsMareMableMtoMdivide



AtrophyM-
MAnswerMDecreasedMcellMandMorganMsize,MasMaMresultMofMdecreasedMnutrientMsupplyM
orMdisuse:MassociatedMwithMdecreasedMsynthesisMandMincreasedMproteolyticMbreakdownM
ofMcellularMorganelles



MetaplasiaM-
MAnswerMChangeMinMphenotypeMofMdifferentiatedMcells,MoftenMaMresponseMtoMchronic
MirritationMthatMmakesMcellsMbetterMableMtoMwithstandMtheMstress



HypoxiaM-
MAnswerMOxygenMdeficiencyMwhichMinterferesMwithMaerobicMoxidativeMrespirationsMandM
isManMextremelyMimportantMandMcommonMcauseMofMcellMinjuryMandMdeath



IschemicM-
MAnswerMLossMofMbloodMsupplyMinMaMtissueMdueMtoMimpededMarterialMflowMorMreduc
edMvenousMdrainage



CoagulativeMnecrosisM-
MAnswerMAMformMofMtissueMnecrosisMinMwhichMtheMcomponentMcellsMareMdeadMbutM
theMbasicMtissueMarchitectureMisMpreservedMforMatMleastMseveralMdays



LiquefactiveMnecrosisM-
MAnswerMAMformMofMnecrosisMseenMinMfocalMbacterialMorMoccasionallyMfungalMinfection
sMbecauseMmicrobesMstimulateMtheMaccumulationMofMinflammatoryMcellsMandMtheMenzy
mesMofMleukocytesMdigestMtheMtissue

,CaseousMnecrosisM-
MAnswerMAMformMofMnecrosisMencounteredMmostMoftenMinMfociMofMtuberculousMinfecti
ons



FatMnecrosisM-
MAnswerMTermMreferringMtoMfocalMareasMofMfatMdestruction,MtypicallyMresultingMfromMr
eleaseMofMactivatedMpancreaticMlipasesMintoMtheMperitonealMcavity



FibrinousMnecrosisM-
MAnswerMAMspecialMformMofMnecrosisMusuallyMseenMinMimmuneMreactionsMinvolvingMbl
oodMvessels



AutophagyM-MAnswerMLysosomalMdigestionMofMtheMcell'sMownMcomponents



ApoptosisM-
MAnswerMAMpathwayMofMcellMdeathMthatMisMinducedMbyMaMtightlyMregulatedMsuicideM
programMinMwhichMtheMcellsMdestinedMtoMdieMactivateMenzymesMcapableMofMdegrading
MtheMcellsMownMnuclearMDNA



SteatosisM(fattyMchange)M-
MAnswerMRefersMtoManyMabnormalMaccumulationMofMtriglyceridesMwithinMparenchymalMc
ellsMItMisMmostMoftenMseenMinMtheMliver



DystrophicMcalcificationM-
MAnswerMDepositionsMofMcalciumMatMsitesMofMcellMinjuryMandMnecrosis



MetastaticMcalcificationM-
MAnswerMDepositionMofMcalciumMinMnormalMtissues,McausedMbyMhypercalcemiaM(usually
MaMconsequenceMofMparathyroidMhormoneMexcess)



InflammationM-
MAnswerMAMprotectiveMresponseMintendedMtoMeliminateMtheMinitialMcauseMofMcellMinjur
yMasMwellMasMtheMnecroticMcellsMandMtissuesMresultingMfromMtheMoriginalMinsult

,AcuteMinflammationM-
MAnswerMAMrapidMresponseMtoMinjuryMorMmicrobesMandMotherMforeignMsubstanceMthat
MisMdesignedMtoMdeliverMleukocytesMandMplasmaMproteinsMtoMsitesMofMinjury



SerousMinflammationM-MAnswerMFluidMinMaMserousMcavity



SerousMinflammationMisMmarkedMbyMfluidMtransudates,MreflectingMmoderatelyMincreasedM
vascularMpermeability.MSuchMaccumulationsMinMtheMperitoneal,Mpleural,MandMpericardialMc
avitiesMareMcalledMeffusions;



EffusionM-MAnswerMFluidMinMaMserousMcavityM,



FibrinousMinflammationM-
MAnswerMInflammationMoccurringMasMaMconsequenceMofMmoreMsevereMinjuries,Mresulting
MinMgreaterMvascularMpermeabilityMthatMallowsMlargeMmoleculesM(suchMasMfibrinogen)Mt
oMpassMtheMendothelialMbarrier



AbscessM-
MAnswerMFocalMcollectionsMofMpusMthatMmayMbeMcausedMbyMseedingMofMpyogenicMorg
anismsMintoMaMtissueMorMbyMsecondaryMinfectionsMofMnecroticMfoci



UlcerM-
MAnswerMAMlocalMdefectMorMexcavationMofMtheMsurfaceMofManMorganMorMtissueMthat
MisMproducedMbyMnecrosisMofMcellsMandMsloughingMofMinflammatoryMnecroticMtissue



CytokinesM-
MAnswerMPolypeptideMproductsMofMmanyMcellMtypesMthatMfunctionMasMmediatorsMofMin
flammationMandMimmuneMresponses



ChronicMinflammationM-
MAnswerMProlongedMinflammationMinMwhichMactiveMinflammation,MtissueMinjury,MandMhe
alingMproceedMsimultaneously



GranulomatousMinflammationM-
MAnswerMAMdistinctiveMpatternMofMchronicMinflammationMcharacterizedMbyMaggregatesMo
fMactivatedMmacrophagesMthatMassumeManMepithelioidMappearance

, RepairM-MAnswerMTheMrestorationMofMtissueMarchitectureMandMfunctionMafterManMinjury



RegenerationM-
MAnswerMTheMprocessMofMreplacingMdamagedMtissueMcomponentsMandMessentiallyMretur
ningMtoMaMnormalMstate



FibrosisM-
MAnswerMTheMextensiveMdepositionMofMcollagenMthatMoccursMinMtheMlungs,Mliver,Mkidn
eyMandMotherMorgansMasMaMconsequenceMofMchronicMinflammation



AngiogenesisM-
MAnswerMAMcriticalMprocessMinMhealingMatMsitesMofMischemiaMwhereMaMpreexistingMve
sselMsendsMoutMcapillaryMsproutsMtoMproduceMnewMvessels



KeloidM-
MAnswerMAMprominentMraisedMscarMcausedMbyMtheMaccumulationMofMexuberantMamoun
tsMofMcollagen



EdemaM-MAnswerMSignificantMincreasedMfluidMinMtheMinterstitialMtissueMspaces



AnasarcaM-
MAnswerMSevereMandMgeneralizedMedemaMwithMprofoundMsubcutaneousMtissueMswelling



HyperemiaM-
MAnswerMAMlocalMincreaseMinMbloodMvolumeMthatMisManMactiveMprocessMfromMaugme
ntedMbloodMflowMdueMtoMarteriolarMdilation



CongestionM-
MAnswerMAMlocalMincreaseMinMbloodMvolumeMthatMisMaMpassiveMprocessMresultingMfro
mMimpairedMvenousMreturnMoutMofMaMtissue



HematomaM-
MAnswerMTheMaccumulationMofMbloodMconfinedMwithinMaMtissueMafterMaMhemorrhage



NormalMhemostasisM-
MAnswerMAMtightlyMregulatedMprocessMthatMmaintainsMbloodMinMaMfluid,Mclot-