TheoryFree Phlebotomy Practice Test
Take a free Phlebotomy practice test for 2026 with questions, answers, explanations, PDF download and timed mock exam links.
Phlebotomy Questions
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Q1A phlebotomist is about to perform a venipuncture on a patient with no known infections. Which of the following PPE items is the MINIMUM required by Standard Precautions for this procedure?
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✓ Correct answer: Gloves only
Standard Precautions require gloves for any anticipated contact with blood or body fluids; additional PPE such as masks and gowns are added based on risk of splash or spray, not routine venipuncture.
Q2Immediately after activating the safety device on a used needle, the phlebotomist should place it in which container?
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✓ Correct answer: A puncture-resistant sharps container
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) requires that contaminated sharps be immediately placed in a closeable, puncture-resistant, leak-proof sharps container.
Q3A phlebotomist draws blood from a patient, then removes her gloves and applies hand sanitizer before moving to the next patient. The soap and water dispenser nearby is empty. According to CDC hand hygiene guidelines, which situation would have REQUIRED soap and water instead of an alcohol-based hand rub?
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✓ Correct answer: After caring for a patient on Contact Precautions for Clostridioides difficile (C. diff)
The CDC specifies that soap and water must be used when hands are visibly soiled or after caring for patients with C. difficile or norovirus, because alcohol-based rubs are not effective against C. diff spores.
Q4During a blood draw, a phlebotomist sustains a needlestick injury from a needle used on an HIV-positive patient. Which action should she take FIRST?
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✓ Correct answer: Immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water
The first priority after a needlestick or sharp injury is immediate first aid — washing the wound with soap and water — before any administrative or follow-up steps are initiated.
Q5A phlebotomist notices the sharps container in the patient's room is filled to the maximum-fill line. What is the correct course of action?
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✓ Correct answer: Seal the container and request a replacement before continuing procedures
Sharps containers must be replaced when they reach the manufacturer's fill line (typically three-quarters full) to prevent overfilling, which risks needlestick injuries during disposal.
Q6Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, an employer is required to offer the hepatitis B vaccine series to which category of workers?
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✓ Correct answer: All employees who have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM)
29 CFR 1910.1030 requires employers to make the hepatitis B vaccine series available at no cost to all employees with occupational exposure (reasonably anticipated skin, eye, or mucous membrane contact with blood or OPIM), not just certain departments.
Q7A phlebotomist is collecting blood from a patient under Droplet Precautions for influenza. Which PPE combination is specifically indicated by Droplet Precautions when working within 3 feet of the patient?
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✓ Correct answer: Surgical mask, gloves, and gown
Droplet Precautions require a surgical mask (not an N95) when within 3 feet of the patient, along with gloves and gown; an N95 is reserved for Airborne Precautions (e.g., tuberculosis, measles).
Q8Which of the following is classified as 'Other Potentially Infectious Material' (OPIM) under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard?
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✓ Correct answer: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
OSHA's OPIM list includes cerebrospinal fluid, synovial, pleural, pericardial, peritoneal, and amniotic fluids; urine, sweat, and nasal secretions are not included unless they contain visible blood.
Q9A phlebotomist accidentally splashes blood into her eye while removing a tube from the holder. After immediately flushing the eye, she should report the exposure. Within what time frame should post-exposure evaluation and prophylaxis ideally begin to be most effective for HIV exposure?
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✓ Correct answer: Within 2 hours, and no later than 72 hours
CDC guidelines state that HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is ideally initiated within 2 hours of exposure and must begin within 72 hours to be considered effective; delays beyond 72 hours make PEP non-recommended.
Q10A phlebotomist working in an outpatient clinic finds a used needle on the floor near a patient chair. The correct action is to pick it up using which method?
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✓ Correct answer: Mechanical means such as forceps or a needle-retrieval device, never by hand
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard prohibits recapping or handling contaminated needles by hand; mechanical means (forceps, tongs, or a scoop) must be used to pick up dropped sharps.
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