What the Medical Technology (MTLE) or MedTech board exam covers, from PRC's TOS: 6 subjects, 100 items each, and the item count for every topic.
Mariano Luiz King
Published November 5, 2026 ยท Updated November 9, 2026
The Medical Technology (MTLE) board exam, officially the Medical Technologists Licensure Examination and often just called the MedTech board exam, has six subjects of 100 items each, given over two days. Four subjects carry 20% and two carry 10%. This post shows the item count PRC assigns to every topic, so you can see where the points really are.
Where this coverage comes from: Everything here comes from PRC's own documents, not forum posts. The topics and item counts are from the Board of Medical Technology's Enhanced Table of Specifications (Resolution No. 13, s. 2023, with TOS sheets dated November 2022), which applies from the August 2023 exam onward. The schedule and weights are from PRC's program for the August 2026 exam. I checked both in November 2026.
A Table of Specifications (TOS) is the blueprint the Board writes questions from. It sets the topics and how many items each one gets.
As of the August 15 and 16, 2026 exam:
| Detail | What PRC says |
|---|---|
| Subjects | 6, three per day |
| Items per subject | 100 (from the TOS) |
| Time per subject | 2 hours |
| Difficulty mix | 30% easy, 50% moderate, 20% difficult (from the TOS) |
| Calculators | One non-programmable calculator from PRC's approved list |
| To pass | 75% general average, no major subject below 50% (RA 5527) |
| Day | Time | Subject | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:00 to 10:00 AM | Clinical Chemistry | 20% |
| 1 | 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM | Microbiology and Parasitology | 20% |
| 1 | 2:00 to 4:00 PM | Clinical Microscopy | 10% |
| 2 | 8:00 to 10:00 AM | Hematology | 20% |
| 2 | 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM | Blood Banking and Serology | 20% |
| 2 | 2:00 to 4:00 PM | Histopathologic Techniques, MedTech Laws and Ethics | 10% |
Every subject has 100 items, but they don't count equally. A point in Clinical Microscopy is worth half a point in Hematology toward your average.
| Topic | Items |
|---|---|
| Metabolic Blood Tests | 50 |
| Scientific and Technical Components of Lab Testing | 16 |
| Quality Assurance and Laboratory Safety | 15 |
| Endocrine Function Tests | 10 |
| Drug Testing, Toxicology and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring | 6 |
| Blood Gas Analysis | 3 |
Metabolic blood tests is half the subject: electrolytes, NPN compounds, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, liver function, and enzymes.
| Topic | Items |
|---|---|
| Bacteriology | 45 |
| Parasites (epidemiology, life cycle, morphology) | 22 |
| Virology | 8 |
| Quality Control, Quality Assurance and Biosafety | 6 |
| Parasitologic Techniques | 5 |
| Mycology | 4 |
| Molecular Tests | 3 |
| Parasitology Quality Control | 3 |
| Equipment and Instrumentation | 2 |
| Epidemiology, Prevention and Control | 2 |
Bacteriology alone is 45 items. Parasitology, including techniques and QC, adds up to 30.
| Topic | Items |
|---|---|
| Urine | 57 |
| Specimen Collection, Preservation and Handling | 10 |
| Seminal Fluid | 6 |
| Quality Assurance and Laboratory Safety | 6 |
| CSF | 5 |
| Microscope, Automation and Other Instruments | 5 |
| Serous Fluids | 4 |
| Feces | 3 |
| Amniotic Fluid | 2 |
| Synovial Fluid | 2 |
Urinalysis is 57 of 100 items: kidney physiology, macroscopic, chemical, and microscopic exams, and renal diseases.
| Topic | Items |
|---|---|
| Scientific and Technical Components of Lab Testing | 37 |
| Blood Cell Production, Structure, Metabolism and Function | 20 |
| Coagulation | 20 |
| Routine Lab Evaluation of Blood Cells | 9 |
| Blood Disorders | 9 |
| Quality Assurance and Laboratory Communication | 5 |
The biggest chunk is about how tests are done: specimen collection, manual methods, automation, and special procedures like flow cytometry.
| Topic | Items |
|---|---|
| Immunity | 20 |
| Serologic Tests | 20 |
| Blood Processing | 15 |
| Blood Group Systems | 14 |
| Blood Bank Procedures | 10 |
| Quality Management | 6 |
| Hemolytic Diseases | 5 |
| Transfusion | 4 |
| Transplantation Immunology | 3 |
| Molecular Tests | 3 |
Immunology and serology (immunity plus serologic tests) are 40 items. That's more than the blood bank topics many people focus on.
| Topic | Items |
|---|---|
| Histopathologic Techniques and Procedures | 40 |
| MT Laws (RA 5527) | 10 |
| Related Laws | 10 |
| Cytologic Techniques and Procedures | 10 |
| Laboratory Management and Research | 10 |
| Histology and General Pathology | 8 |
| Quality Control and Quality Assurance | 5 |
| Code of Ethics, including Bioethics | 5 |
| Principles of Autopsy | 2 |
RA 5527 sets three conditions:
Some rules for failing:
If you don't pass, the retake rules are in what happens if you fail the board exam. Recent results are in board exam passing rates.
Four subjects are worth 20%, so start there. Within them, I'd go after the biggest topics first: metabolic blood tests (50 items), bacteriology (45), and lab testing techniques in hematology (37). Don't leave Clinical Microscopy for the end because it's "only 10%". Urinalysis alone is 57 items you can master with focused review.
Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology and Parasitology, Hematology, and Blood Banking and Serology (20% each), plus Clinical Microscopy and Histopathologic Techniques, MedTech Laws and Ethics (10% each).
600 in total, 100 per subject, based on PRC's Table of Specifications.
A general average of at least 75%, with no major subject below 50%, under RA 5527.
In its August 2026 results announcement, PRC said those who failed but got a general rating of at least 70% can register as Medical Laboratory Technicians.
You need to complete a 12-month refresher course before you can take the exam again, under RA 5527 and Board Resolution No. 7 (s. 2024).
Ready to test yourself? Try the free MedTech board exam reviewer. I built prepPH, so I'm biased, but every question there comes with an explanation. For a study plan, read how to review for the PRC board exam. When you're ready to apply, see how to apply for the PRC board exam online (LERIS) and how much the PRC board exam costs. To plan your weeks, see how long to review for the MTLE board exam, and to decide on a review center, see can you pass the MTLE board exam with self-review? and MTLE review center fees.
Practice Medical Technology (MTLE) Board Exam questions
Try free mock questions for every Medical Technology (MTLE) Board Exam subtest, with full explanations.
Try the free questions
.jpg){kind=link}