Now comes the tough part. You need to study and prepare for your examination. NCA is committed to excellence and therefore expects the best from our constituents.  An NCA credential serves as a testament to the hard work that you’ve put forward.  We are looking forward to you joining us and to help you out, we've pulled together some useful resources to simplify your preparation. Good luck!

The Day of Examination | Study Materials

The following are study aides to assist with NCA examinations. Preparing can be done several ways, either through downloading content outlines, self-assessment examinations and self-scoring practice examinations.

NCA Content Outlines

To begin your preparation in an informed and organized manner, you should know what to expect from the actual exam in terms of content.  The content outline will give you a general impression of the exam and, with closer inspection, can give you specific study direction by revealing the relative weight given to each content area.  An outline also reveals the kind of complexity to expect from an exam.  Educators, laboratory supervisors and managers, and examination candidates may all find the content outlines valuable. Click on the links below to find specific content information about your exam. 
Clinical Laboratory Specialist in Cytogenetics [CLSp(CG)]
Certified Laboratory Specialist in Molecular Biology [CLSp(MB)]
Phlebotomy (CLPlb)

Clinical Laboratory Technician (CLT)

Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS)

Clinical Laboratory Scientist/Categoricals
(Chemistry/Urinalysis, Hematology, Immunohematology, Microbiology)

Clinical Laboratory Immunology Catagorical
Clinical Laboratory Director
Clinical Laboratory Supervisor

Online Practice Examinations

• Clinical Laboratory Specialist in Cytogenetics [CLSp(CG)] - $30
• Clinical Laboratory Specialist in Molecular Biology [CLSp(MB)] - $30
• NCA Clinical Laboratory Director and Supervisor Practice Exam - $35
• Phlebotomy Practice Exam [CLPlb] - $25
• Clinical Laboratory Scientist Practice Exam [CLS] - not available * 9*
• Clinical Laboratory Technician Practice Exam [CLT] - not available *
• *The Board is reviewing the potential of updating this product in the future.

To order the examinations, please visit the LXR e-store at http://store.lxr.com/dept.aspx?id=58.

NCA Review Book for Clinical Laboratory Sciences Fourth Edition

The Fourth Edition offers a variety of incomparable features:

• Updated questions and answers reflecting the most recent NCA exams, NCA job analyses, and current entry-level practice.
• Chapter review questions and practice tests - complete with answers and explanations - for both CLT and CLS
• Color images of microorganisms in the microbiology section
• A CD-ROM with 500 practice questions - allowing users to generate CLS and CLS exams.
• Charts, graphs, and current references, serving as a guide for further study.

To order the NCA Review for the Clinical Laboratory Sciences contact Lippencott, Williams & Wilkins at 1-800-638-3030 or online at www.LWW.com.

Tips and Guidance

Study Advice:
Determine how you study best.  Some candidates learn faster by hearing the information, while others need to see it written or illustrated, and still others prefer to discuss material with colleagues.  A combination of these alternatives can often produce the most effective study pattern.  If you had success in lecture courses with little outside review, it may be you need to hear information for best retention.  If you find you prefer to read material, then you might consider jotting down important facts on an index card.  You can refresh your memory by periodically reviewing these cards.  This technique is especially effective if you write the material thoughtfully and concisely, allowing time to digest the material through both reading and writing.  You may wish to organize a study group or find a study partner.  Once you decide on the method most effective and comfortable for you, focus on that preference and use other techniques to complement it. 

Plan your study schedule well in advance.  Use learning techniques, such as reading or audio visual aids.  Be sure you find a quiet place to study where you will not be interrupted.  We suggest you concentrate your study efforts on a few carefully chosen textbooks. 

Test Taking Advice:
Read all instructions carefully.
The computer monitors the time you spend on the examination.  The exam will terminate if you exceed the amount of time allotted for the exam.  You may click on the “Time” box in the lower right portion of the screen or select the “TIME” key to monitor your time.  A digital clock indicates the time remaining for you to complete the exam.  The time feature may be turned off if you would like.
Pace yourself by periodically checking your progress.  This will allow you to make any necessary adjustments.  The more questions you answer, the better your chances of achieving a passing score.  

Be sure to select an answer for each question, even the ones of which you are uncertain.  It is better to guess than to leave a question unanswered.  You can temporarily leave a question blank you wish to reconsider and return to later.