Page |1
NCCT CERTIFICATION EXAM 2025 COMPLETE WITH
RATIONALES EXAM| BRAND NEW EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH 100% CORRECT SOLUTIONS | GUARANTEED
SUCCESS| ACE YOUR GRADES.
Which of the following urine samples should be used for a cortisol level?
A. timed
B. 24 hour
C. random
D. clean catch - Correct Answer-24 hour
Rationale
Cortisol is a hormone produced in the adrenal glands that helps to regulate
glucose, blood pressure and other metabolic processes. It exhibits diurnal
variation - meaning the results are affected by the time of day the specimen
is collected. By collecting all urine for 24 hours, a more comprehensive
result is obtained. A timed or random specimen would only give a snapshot
of cortisol level at the time it was collected. Clean catch specimens are
used for urine cultures to help diagnose the cause of a UTI (urinary tract
infection).
After a tiger top tube was centrifuged the phlebotomist noticed that the
serum was milky white. Which of the following conditions does this
indicate?
A. diabetes
B. anemia
, Page |2
C. icterus
D. lipemia - Correct Answer-lipemia
Rationale
A milky appearance of serum or plasma indicates lipemia. This condition
may result after ingestion of a fatty diet. Lipids are not water soluble and
can remain in the blood stream for 12 hours. This is why patients are asked
to fast for a period of time before having a lipid panel drawn. In addition,
many other laboratory tests cannot be accurately measured until the lipid is
cleared for the plasma. Although diabetic patients may experience lipemia,
the condition is not usually associated with the disease. Icteric samples
have an excess of bilirubin, an indication of liver disease. Anemia is the
abnormal reduction of red blood cells in the circulating blood.
A phlebotomist has just drawn a chemistry tube on an inpatient at the
hospital. The tube has been spun down and opened so that an aliquot
could be taken from the sample. A request for a blood alcohol level has
been ordered on the same patient. Which of the following should the
phlebotomist do?
A. Add the test to the aliquot.
B. Draw a new chemistry tube on the patient
C. Call for permission to add the test to the aliquot.
D. Allow the patient sufficient time before drawing a new tube. - Correct
Answer-Draw a new chemistry tube on the patient.
Rationale
It is not uncommon for additional testing to be requested on blood
specimens that have already been drawn. However, if alcohol had been
used to clean the venipuncture site, an alcohol level should not be run on
this specimen. Since the tube's cap had already been removed, the alcohol
level would not be accurate because this analyte is a volatile substance
, Page |3
and subject to evaporation. The proper step to take is redraw the patient for
the alcohol level.
A phlebotomist in central processing discovers an unspun glucose
specimen in a gray top tube kept at room temperature for four hours after it
was collected. The phlebotomist should
A. transfer the specimen to the chemistry department for testing.
B. transfer the specimen to the centrifuge to be spun down.
C. reject the specimen due to the delay in processing.
D. reject the specimen because the temperature requirement was not met.
- Correct Answer-transfer the specimen to the centrifuge to be spun down.
Rationale
Glucose specimens drawn in gray top tubes (sodium fluoride / potassium
oxalate) are stable at room temperature for 24 hours. Therefore, the
phlebotomist was correct in centrifuging the specimen for testing. If the
chemistry department is responsible for processing the blood, it would be
accepted and not rejected.
A specimen processor receives a lipemic glucose specimen, a clotted
HCG, a moderately hemolyzed electrolyte panel specimen, and an icteric
bilirubin specimen. Which of the following is likely to be rejected for
analysis?
A. glucose and bilirubin
B. glucose and electrolytes
C. HCG and bilirubin
, Page |4
D. HCG and electrolytes - Correct Answer-glucose and electrolytes
Rationale
Specimens are rejected when they are deemed unsuitable for accurate
analysis by laboratory personnel. In this case, a lipemic sample for glucose
measurement cannot be used because the cloudiness of the serum or
plasma interferes with the instrument's test method. Electrolytes consist of
sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate. Hemolysis in these samples
will cause a false elevation of potassium and possible mistreatment of the
patient. Serum from a clotted blood sample is used for the HCG and the
level of bilirubin in an icteric sample is an indication of liver disease.
Which of the following laboratory departments should a Pap smear be
delivered to?
A. Hematology
B. Immunology
C. Microbiology
D. Cytology - Correct Answer-Cytology
Rationale
Pap smears sent to the lab for cancer screening are delivered to the
Cytology department. Hematology counts levels of blood cells, Immunology
checks for levels of antibodies and Microbiology assesses specimens for
pathogenic bacteria.
Which of the following specimens is likely to be considered STAT?
A. therapeutic drug levels
B. lactic acid
NCCT CERTIFICATION EXAM 2025 COMPLETE WITH
RATIONALES EXAM| BRAND NEW EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH 100% CORRECT SOLUTIONS | GUARANTEED
SUCCESS| ACE YOUR GRADES.
Which of the following urine samples should be used for a cortisol level?
A. timed
B. 24 hour
C. random
D. clean catch - Correct Answer-24 hour
Rationale
Cortisol is a hormone produced in the adrenal glands that helps to regulate
glucose, blood pressure and other metabolic processes. It exhibits diurnal
variation - meaning the results are affected by the time of day the specimen
is collected. By collecting all urine for 24 hours, a more comprehensive
result is obtained. A timed or random specimen would only give a snapshot
of cortisol level at the time it was collected. Clean catch specimens are
used for urine cultures to help diagnose the cause of a UTI (urinary tract
infection).
After a tiger top tube was centrifuged the phlebotomist noticed that the
serum was milky white. Which of the following conditions does this
indicate?
A. diabetes
B. anemia
, Page |2
C. icterus
D. lipemia - Correct Answer-lipemia
Rationale
A milky appearance of serum or plasma indicates lipemia. This condition
may result after ingestion of a fatty diet. Lipids are not water soluble and
can remain in the blood stream for 12 hours. This is why patients are asked
to fast for a period of time before having a lipid panel drawn. In addition,
many other laboratory tests cannot be accurately measured until the lipid is
cleared for the plasma. Although diabetic patients may experience lipemia,
the condition is not usually associated with the disease. Icteric samples
have an excess of bilirubin, an indication of liver disease. Anemia is the
abnormal reduction of red blood cells in the circulating blood.
A phlebotomist has just drawn a chemistry tube on an inpatient at the
hospital. The tube has been spun down and opened so that an aliquot
could be taken from the sample. A request for a blood alcohol level has
been ordered on the same patient. Which of the following should the
phlebotomist do?
A. Add the test to the aliquot.
B. Draw a new chemistry tube on the patient
C. Call for permission to add the test to the aliquot.
D. Allow the patient sufficient time before drawing a new tube. - Correct
Answer-Draw a new chemistry tube on the patient.
Rationale
It is not uncommon for additional testing to be requested on blood
specimens that have already been drawn. However, if alcohol had been
used to clean the venipuncture site, an alcohol level should not be run on
this specimen. Since the tube's cap had already been removed, the alcohol
level would not be accurate because this analyte is a volatile substance
, Page |3
and subject to evaporation. The proper step to take is redraw the patient for
the alcohol level.
A phlebotomist in central processing discovers an unspun glucose
specimen in a gray top tube kept at room temperature for four hours after it
was collected. The phlebotomist should
A. transfer the specimen to the chemistry department for testing.
B. transfer the specimen to the centrifuge to be spun down.
C. reject the specimen due to the delay in processing.
D. reject the specimen because the temperature requirement was not met.
- Correct Answer-transfer the specimen to the centrifuge to be spun down.
Rationale
Glucose specimens drawn in gray top tubes (sodium fluoride / potassium
oxalate) are stable at room temperature for 24 hours. Therefore, the
phlebotomist was correct in centrifuging the specimen for testing. If the
chemistry department is responsible for processing the blood, it would be
accepted and not rejected.
A specimen processor receives a lipemic glucose specimen, a clotted
HCG, a moderately hemolyzed electrolyte panel specimen, and an icteric
bilirubin specimen. Which of the following is likely to be rejected for
analysis?
A. glucose and bilirubin
B. glucose and electrolytes
C. HCG and bilirubin
, Page |4
D. HCG and electrolytes - Correct Answer-glucose and electrolytes
Rationale
Specimens are rejected when they are deemed unsuitable for accurate
analysis by laboratory personnel. In this case, a lipemic sample for glucose
measurement cannot be used because the cloudiness of the serum or
plasma interferes with the instrument's test method. Electrolytes consist of
sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate. Hemolysis in these samples
will cause a false elevation of potassium and possible mistreatment of the
patient. Serum from a clotted blood sample is used for the HCG and the
level of bilirubin in an icteric sample is an indication of liver disease.
Which of the following laboratory departments should a Pap smear be
delivered to?
A. Hematology
B. Immunology
C. Microbiology
D. Cytology - Correct Answer-Cytology
Rationale
Pap smears sent to the lab for cancer screening are delivered to the
Cytology department. Hematology counts levels of blood cells, Immunology
checks for levels of antibodies and Microbiology assesses specimens for
pathogenic bacteria.
Which of the following specimens is likely to be considered STAT?
A. therapeutic drug levels
B. lactic acid
