Examination Content Guidelines & Topic Outlines 

Examination content guidelines and topic outlines are available on the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP BOC) website for all ASCP BOC credentials. These free resources can be accessed when you select your credential of interest and click on the specific Examination Resources link.  

The content guidelines and topic outlines are developed and reviewed by ASCP BOC examination committees and work groups. They provide a detailed breakdown of the examination content organized by main content area and the percentage of questions on the examination from each main content area. Examination questions are administered according to the main content area percentages.  

The examination content guidelines and topic outlines are intended to serve as resources for examination preparation. You are strongly encouraged to use the content guideline or topic outline for your examination to help guide your studies and assist you in identifying areas of understanding or weakness. To be successful on an examination, you should be knowledgeable on all topics on the content guideline or topic outline even if you do not currently perform those tasks in your professional role. 

Examination Reading Lists 

Examination reading lists are available on the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP BOC) website for all ASCP BOC credentials. These free resources can be accessed when you select your credential of interest and click on the specific Examination Resources link.  

The reading lists provide suggested references that may be useful in examination preparation. They are developed and reviewed by ASCP BOC examination committees and work groups, and references on the reading lists are available to these subject matter experts (SMEs) during examination development activities.  

The reading list for your examination includes suggested textbooks, journals, and websites that may be useful for your studies. These references are optional, and other suitable study materials may be available that are not listed. You do not need to purchase or review every reference on the list. Instead, you should select references based on your needs and study plan to be successful on the examination.