Medical Laboratory Assistant Certification Process
CSMLS is proud to offer national certification for Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLAs). Although not mandatory in Canada, MLA certification is quickly gaining recognition as the standard requirement in the profession.
This voluntary national certification provides you with:
- A professional credential recognized by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science and the Council on National Certification
- Recognition of your competence to practice within a set of national standards
- The foundation for a national professional culture that promotes pride, excellence and recognition
The national certification examination is open to graduates of formal MLA programs. Programs can be from both educational institutions and hospital-based programs. Current practitioners who have no formal training can also challenge the exam providing they produce supporting documentation and with a letter from their employer/supervisor.
The MLA exam is a competency based examination. The required competencies for MLAs are available in the Competency Profiles.
Prior to applying to challenge the exam, the CSMLS encourages all potential candidates to complete the Personal Competency Rating Booklet.
All MLA examination candidates are required to read and complete the MLA Examination Handbook and Application.