CMT Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CMT facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which evidence-based approach is most important when applying medical ethics and law principles? → Integrating current research with clinical expertise and patient values
2. Which immunoglobulin can cross the placenta? → IgG
3. Which viral infection is diagnosed using the rapid antigen test? → Influenza
4. Which serological test is used to detect syphilis? → RPR
5. What role does documentation play in medical ethics and law? → It is a critical legal and clinical requirement
6. What medium is used to culture Mycobacterium tuberculosis? → Lowenstein-Jensen medium
7. Which anticoagulant is commonly used for complete blood count (CBC) testing? → EDTA
8. In the context of Certified Medical Technologist, what is the primary goal of medical ethics and law? → Optimal patient outcomes and safety
9. Which Westgard rule is triggered when four consecutive QC values all fall on the same side of the mean beyond ±1 SD, indicating a systematic shift? → 4₁s rule
10. Which crossmatch technique detects most clinically significant alloantibodies that may cause hemolytic transfusion reactions? → Antihuman globulin (AHG) crossmatch
11. How should a practitioner handle an unexpected finding during treatment planning procedures? → Document it and follow established protocols for further evaluation
12. Which test is most useful in diagnosing and monitoring thyroid disorders? → TSH
13. Which method is used for bacterial identification through DNA amplification? → PCR
14. In laboratory quality management, what does 'accuracy' specifically refer to? → How close a measurement is to the true or accepted reference value
15. Which statistical measure describes the spread of data points around the mean in a quality control dataset? → Standard deviation
16. In laboratory management, what does 'turnaround time' (TAT) measure? → The total time from specimen collection to result reporting to the clinician
17. What role does documentation play in pharmacology basics? → It is a critical legal and clinical requirement
18. In the context of Certified Medical Technologist, what is the primary goal of pharmacology basics? → Optimal patient outcomes and safety
19. When differentiating a traumatic tap from true subarachnoid hemorrhage, which finding supports subarachnoid hemorrhage? → Uniform RBC count across all tubes
20. Which lab test is used to monitor heparin therapy? → aPTT
21. Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is primarily caused by: → Donor anti-HLA or anti-neutrophil antibodies reacting with recipient leukocytes
22. Which document provides the legally binding minimum quality standards for laboratory testing in the United States? → CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) regulations
23. A urine specific gravity of 1.035 most likely indicates: → Concentrated urine
24. Irradiation of blood products is performed primarily to prevent: → Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GvHD)
25. What does the coefficient of variation (CV) primarily assess in laboratory quality control? → Imprecision (random error) of an analytical method
26. Which urine color is most associated with myoglobinuria? → Red-brown
27. Which federal agency administers and enforces CLIA regulations for clinical laboratory quality standards in the United States? → Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
28. Which evidence-based approach is most important when applying treatment planning principles? → Integrating current research with clinical expertise and patient values
29. How should a practitioner handle an unexpected finding during patient safety protocols procedures? → Document it and follow established protocols for further evaluation
30. Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is indicated for: → Replacement of coagulation factors in a bleeding patient with multiple factor deficiencies