MT (AMT) - Medical Technologist

American Medical Technologists (AMT) is a national agency that certifies healthcare personnel. Its Medical Technologist (MT) certification exam evaluates the competence of entry-level med techs. AMT is an accredited member of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, a division of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence.

In 2023, the AMT transitioned the MT designation to Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS). See the AMT website for more information.

Eligibility

There are four paths to become eligible for certification as an MT. Applicants must meet all requirements for one of these pathways. 

Path 1: Education

• Must possess a baccalaureate degree and present transcripts from a program or institution accredited by a regional agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education, Council for Higher Education Accreditation or AMT

  • Acceptable baccalaureate degrees include:

    • Medical technology

    • Clinical laboratory science

    • Medical laboratory science

  • Programs must include clinical rotation through laboratory sections that include blood banking, microbiology, chemistry and hematology testing

• Must present documentation of 1 year of full-time, 40-hour weekly work experience or its equivalent within the last five years in a laboratory that performs the chemical, physical or biological examination of human body fluids and tissues, if graduation was more than five years prior MT exam application

Path 2: Alternate Education

• Must have a baccalaureate degree:

• From a program or institution accredited by a regional agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education, Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or AMT

• Foreign institutions must provide an equivalent degree as certified by a foreign transcript evaluation agency approved by AMT

• Documentation of completion required.

• Must complete at least 35 semester hours of coursework across various subjects related to the clinical laboratory sciences, such as microbiology, biological science, organic chemistry, biochemistry and mathematics.

• Must present transcripts of educational preparation

• Must possess one of the following:

  • Minimum of 1 year of full-time, 40-hour weekly work experience or equivalent within the past 5 years with clinical rotation through laboratory sections that include blood banking, microbiology, chemistry and hematology testing.

  • Must complete a post-baccalaureate medical technology training program and present transcripts from a program or institution accredited by a regional agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education, Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or AMT

Path 3: Military

• Must possess a baccalaureate degree and present transcripts from a program or institution accredited by a regional agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education, Council for Higher Education Accreditation or AMT

• Must have minimum of 1 year of full-time, 40-hour per week work experience or the equivalent of approved clinical laboratory experience within the last 5 years in a laboratory that performs the chemical, physical or biological examination of human body fluids and tissues

• Must supply copy of college transcripts showing completion of a baccalaureate degree

• Must supply copy of Joint Services Transcript showing graduation from a formal training program

• Must have completed one of the following:

  • An accredited medical laboratory technician (MLT) program

  • A 50-week U.S. military medical laboratory training program

  • Military applicants with degrees from foreign institutions must present an approved evaluation report of the foreign transcript

Path 4: Other recognized program completion

• Must have a baccalaureate degree from a program or institution accredited by a regional agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education, Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or AMT

• Foreign institutions must provide an equivalent degree as certified by a foreign transcript evaluation agency approved by AMT

  • Acceptable education includes:

    • BS in Medical Technology

    • BS in Clinical Laboratory Science

    • BS in Medical Laboratory Science

    • BS with completion of at least 35 semester hours across various subjects related to the clinical laboratory sciences

  • College transcripts required

• Minimum of 1 year of full-time, 40-hour weekly work experience or the equivalent of approved clinical laboratory experience within the last 5 years in a laboratory that performs the chemical, physical or biological examination of human body fluids and tissues

• Must have passed a generalist MT exam given by another certification organization or state licensure agency approved by AMT

• Must provide:

  • Documentation confirming passing result in the assessment

  • Original examination score and current certificate card from another certification agency or the  issuing agency

• No exam required

Completion Time: Candidates have 3.5 hours to complete the MT exam

Cost

• Exam fee: $235

• Exam fee for candidates residing outside of North America: $225

• Retest fee: $125

Exam Format

The MT exam includes 210 multiple-choice questions. Exam topics include:

• General Laboratory (14.3%)

  • Quality

  • Laws and regulations

  • Safety

  • Instrumentation, maintenance, and principles of operation

  • Laboratory Mathematics

  • Microscopy

  • Phlebotomy and specimen collection, handling, and integrity

  • Patient identification

  • Waived testing

• Chemistry (21.4%)

  • General knowledge

  • Instrumentation

  • Renal and hepatic function tests

  • Carbohydrate metabolism

  • Protein analysis

  • Enzymology

  • Endocrinology

  • Lipids

  • Water and electrolytes

  • Acid-base balance

  • Cerebrospinal fluid

  • Other chemistry procedures

• Hematology (15.2%)

  • General knowledge

  • Erythrocyte, leukocyte, and thrombocyte procedures

  • Special procedures

  • Automated instrumentation

• Coagulation and Hemostasis (7.1%)

  • General knowledge

  • Coagulation procedures

• Immunology and Serology (3.8%)

  • General knowledge

  • Serological tests for syphilis

  • Analytic procedures

  • Special procedures

• Immunohematology (10.5%)

  • General knowledge

  • Blood typing

  • Immune response

  • Compatibility testing principles and procedures

  • Rh immune globulin

  • Special tests

• Blood Banking and Transfusion Services (8.1%)

  • General knowledge   

  • Blood banking practices

• Microbiology (14.8%)

  • Bacteriology

  • Media quality control, techniques, and cultures

  • Bacterial identification

  • Special tests

  • Virology

  • Parasitology

  • Mycology

• Urinalysis and Body Fluids (4.8%)

  • General knowledge

  • Renal function

  • Urinalysis procedures

  • Special tests

Test Dates

Pearson VUE administers the MLT certification exam for AMT. Applicants may schedule to take their test any day of the year, excluding Sundays and national holidays at Pearson VUE test sites nationwide.

• Satisfy prerequisites

• Submit application to AMT along with $235 exam fee

• Provide supporting documents

• Schedule the examination after Authorization to Test arrives

• Take the MT exam

To maintain their MT, applicants must: 

• Pay annual renewal fees of $110

• Submit required information for any state licenses or governmental agency privileges

• Accumulate and document 45 Certification Continuation Program (CCP) points every 3 years.

Applicants can also renew by retaking the AMT Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) certification exam.

Renewal Fee: 

• Annual membership fee: $110

• Recertification by Exam: $310

• Recertification by CCP: $310

MLTs that choose to recertify by earning 45 CCP points every 3 years may use the following questions to evaluate whether an activity qualifies for CCP: 

Does the activity do one or more of the following:

• Relate to an item on the exam content outline

• Enable MTs to do their jobs better 

• Increase MTs’ knowledge in the healthcare field

• Prepare MTs for a degree in advanced management, healthcare administration or another program of study in healthcare

Categories for CCP include:

• Professional Education (No maximum points)

• AMT Online Continuing Education Courses

• Inservice education

• CPR training

• Seminars and conferences

• Volunteer work

• EPIC courses

• Formal education (45 points maximum)

• College courses related to healthcare and care management

• Professional Authorship (No maximum points)

• Professional Presentations (No maximum points)

• Professional organizational activities (9 points maximum)

Refer to the CCP Guidance Document for complete information on accepted activities.

AMT offers the following resources:

• AMT Learning Center

• Reference list 

• Online MT Practice Exam - $40 (2 attempts)

• AMT Candidate Handbook

• ASCP Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT)

• Molecular Diagnostics Technologist (MDT)

• AMT Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) 

• ASCP Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA)

• AMT Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA)

• AMT Certified Laboratory Consultant (CLC)

• ASCP Technologist in Blood Banking (BB) 

• AMT Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS)

• Clinical Laboratory Scientist-California DPH (CLS)

• ASCP Cytotechnologist (CT)

• ASCP Diplomate in Laboratory Management (DLM)

• ASCP Technologist in Hematology (H)

• ASCP Histotechnician (HT)

• ASCP Histotechnologist (HTL)

• ASCP Technologist in Microbiology (M)

• ASCP Technologist in Molecular Biology (MB)

• AMT Molecular Diagnostic Technician (MDT)

• ASCP Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS)

• ASCP Medical Laboratory Technician (MT)

• ASCP Pathology Assistant (PA)

• ASCP Specialist in Blood Banking (SBB)

• ASCP Specialist in Chemistry (SC)

• ASCP Specialist in Cytotechnology (SCT)

• ASCP Specialist in Hematology (SH)

• ASCP Specialist in Microbiology (SM)

• ASCP Specialist in Molecular Biology (SMB)