SCFHS Biochemistry Technician Exam MCQs

Exam Parameter

Details

Exam Title

Saudi Laboratory Biochemistry Technician Prometric Exam

Authority

Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS)

Delivery Mode

Prometric Computer-Based Test (CBT)

Exam Code

LAB-BCH / BCHEM-TECH

Question Format

Multiple-Choice (Single Best Answer)

Number of MCQs

100 to 150 questions

Exam Duration

2.5 to 3 hours (150 to 180 minutes)

Passing Score

55% to 60%

Negative Marking

None

Language

English

Score Result

Pass / Fail outcome reflected on the Mumaris+ portal within 7 to 10 working days

Score Validity

5 years

Specialty Module

Core Topics

Key Focus Areas & Clinical Scenarios

Pre-Analytical Phase & Specimen Integrity

Phlebotomy tube selection (order of draw), anticoagulants (heparin, EDTA, citrate, fluoride-oxalate), sample labeling, specimen rejection criteria, and centrifuge protocols.

Identifying falsely elevated potassium and AST caused by in vitro hemolysis, recognizing spurious glucose drops in unseparated serum tubes, handling lipemic interference, and preserving light-sensitive analytes like bilirubin.

Quality Control & Laboratory Statistics

Westgard multirules (1-2s, 1-3s, 2-2s, R-4s, 4-1s, 10x), Levey-Jennings charts, systematic vs. random errors, calibrators vs. controls, and coefficient of variation (CV%).

Troubleshooting an out-of-control run after a 1-3s or 2-2s violation, deciding whether to recalibrate or open fresh reagents, identifying gradual calibration drift vs. sudden pipette volume shifts, and calculating standard deviations.

Electrolytes & Blood Gas Analysis (ABG)

Ion-selective electrodes (ISE: direct vs. indirect), sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, pH, pCO2, pO2, base excess, and the anion gap.

Spotting pseudo-hyponatremia on indirect ISE caused by hyperproteinemia or severe hypertriglyceridemia, evaluating air bubble artifacts in heparinized blood gas syringes, and calculating high anion gap metabolic acidosis.

Renal Function & Urinalysis Chemistry

Serum creatinine (Jaffe reaction vs. enzymatic), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), eGFR calculation basics, uric acid, urine dipstick chemistry, and 24-hour urine protein measurements.

Identifying bilirubin and ketone interference in alkaline picrate Jaffe creatinine assays, calculating BUN-to-creatinine ratios to distinguish prerenal azotemia from intrinsic renal damage, and measuring microalbuminuria.

Liver Function Tests & Enzymology

ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), GGT, total/direct bilirubin (diazo reaction), total protein (biuret method), and albumin (bromocresol green/purple).

Differentiating hepatocellular injury from biliary obstruction patterns using ALT/AST and GGT/ALP ratios, managing over-range bilirubin samples with saline dilutions, and recognizing falsely elevated albumin readings from dye-binding timing errors.

Carbohydrate Metabolism & Diabetes Monitoring

Fasting plasma glucose (glucose oxidase vs. hexokinase), oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT), HbA1c (HPLC vs. immunoassay), and urine ketones (nitroprusside reaction).

Checking capillary-versus-venous glucose discrepancies, evaluating falsely lowered HbA1c in patients with hemoglobinopathies or active hemolytic anemia, and alerting clinical teams immediately for critical hypoglycemia (<45 mg/dL).

Lipid Profiles & Cardiac Markers

Total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C (Friedewald equation limitations), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTnI/T), CK-MB, and myoglobin.

Spotting when the Friedewald formula fails due to triglycerides exceeding 400 mg/dL, managing cloudy lipemic sera via ultracentrifugation, and fast-tracking serial cardiac troponin turnaround times for emergency departments.

Endocrine & Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM)

Thyroid panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4), beta-hCG, serum cortisol, therapeutic drugs (digoxin, vancomycin, phenytoin, lithium), and peak/trough timing.

Verifying trough sample timing relative to antibiotic dose infusions, recognizing hook effects in high-titer beta-hCG specimens, and distinguishing diurnal variation patterns when processing morning vs. evening cortisol draws.

Laboratory Instrumentation, Safety & Waste

Spectrophotometry (Beer-Lambert law), turbidimetry, nephelometry, chemiluminescence (CLIA), biohazard safety cabinets, chemical spills, and autoclave decontamination.

Calculating unknown analyte concentrations using absorbance and molar absorptivity, cleaning clogged ISE probe tips, neutralizing benchtop acid or base spills, and disposing of hazardous biohazard reagents according to SFDA rules.

Ethics, Critical Alerting & Saudi Lab Standards

Critical value reporting logs, patient record confidentiality, turnaround time (TAT) compliance, chain of custody for drug screens, and SCFHS regulations.

Executing closed-loop telephone read-backs with ward nurses for critical panic values, safeguarding patient diagnostic records, documenting analyzer maintenance logs, and preserving specimens for medicolegal toxicological audits.