Checked 25 September 2026. From the SCFHS 2024 laboratory blueprints (Laboratory – Technician is version V1.220901). SCFHS notes that percentages may vary by ±5% and that content can change; check the current blueprint before booking.
The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) publishes a separate blueprint for each laboratory classification exam. The technician and specialist exams covered here share one format — 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours — but the sections, weights and pass marks differ by title. This guide sets out each one from the official PDFs.
SCFHS laboratory blueprints, 2024.
Laboratory Technician (general)
| Section | Weight | ≈ Questions of 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Microbiology (bacteriology, virology, parasitology, mycology) | 20% | 30 |
| Clinical chemistry (general, hormones, urinalysis, body fluids) | 20% | 30 |
| Hematology | 20% | 30 |
| Blood bank | 20% | 30 |
| Immunology / serology | 15% | 23 |
| Histo / cyto techniques | 5% | 7 |
Question counts are our rounding of the published weights to a total of 150.
Four disciplines carry a fifth of the paper each — microbiology, clinical chemistry, hematology and blood bank — so there is no "small" core subject to skip. Immunology and serology adds 15%, and histology and cytology techniques 5%. Each section may vary by up to 5 percentage points. Pass mark: 55%, which on a 150-question paper is about 83 correct answers.
The two single-discipline technician exams
| Section | Biochemistry Technician |
|---|---|
| General chemistry / pre-analytical | 25% |
| Special chemistry | 15% |
| Hormones | 15% |
| Therapeutic drug monitoring / toxicology | 10% |
| Automation / instrumentation | 10% |
| Quality control / quality management | 10% |
| Point-of-care testing | 5% |
| Laboratory safety | 5% |
| Ethics | 5% |
| Section | Microbiology Technician |
|---|---|
| Bacteriology | 40% |
| Virology | 10% |
| Mycology | 10% |
| Parasitology | 10% |
| Immunology / serology | 10% |
| Quality control | 10% |
| Laboratory safety | 10% |
Both are 150 questions in 3 hours with a 55% pass mark. Note how much of each paper is not bench science: in the Biochemistry Technician exam, instrumentation, quality control, point-of-care testing, safety and ethics together are 35% of the paper.
The same weights as question counts
| Biochemistry Technician section | Weight | ≈ Questions |
|---|---|---|
| General chemistry / pre-analytical | 25% | 38 |
| Special chemistry | 15% | 23 |
| Hormones | 15% | 23 |
| Therapeutic drug monitoring / toxicology | 10% | 15 |
| Automation / instrumentation | 10% | 15 |
| Quality control / management | 10% | 15 |
| Point-of-care testing | 5% | 7 |
| Laboratory safety | 5% | 7 |
| Ethics | 5% | 7 |
And for the Microbiology Technician exam: bacteriology about 60 questions, and about 15 each for virology, mycology, parasitology, immunology/serology, quality control and laboratory safety. Counts are our arithmetic on the published weights, rounded to total 150.
What the ±5% variation means in questions
- Each section may be up to 5 percentage points above or below its weight. For a 20% section such as blood bank, that is 15–25% — roughly 22 to 38 questions out of 150.
- So do not plan to the exact weight. A section you have prepared lightly can turn out to carry 7–8 more questions than expected.
- The pass mark of 55% is about 83 correct answers out of 150, if all are scored.
Scoring a mock test against the blueprint
The weights also tell you what a mock-test result means. Suppose a practice paper built to the technician blueprint gives you these section scores. Multiply each by its weight and add them up:
| Section | Weight | Your score | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microbiology | 20% | 60% | 12.0 |
| Clinical chemistry | 20% | 65% | 13.0 |
| Hematology | 20% | 60% | 12.0 |
| Blood bank | 20% | 40% | 8.0 |
| Immunology / serology | 15% | 55% | 8.25 |
| Histo / cyto techniques | 5% | 50% | 2.5 |
| Total | 100% | — | 55.75% |
That is a pass by less than one percentage point — about 84 of 150 against the 83 needed — and one bad section away from failing. The same table shows where to work: lifting blood bank from 40% to 55% adds 3 percentage points overall, while lifting the 5% histology section by the same 15 points adds under 1. Spend the next fortnight on the heavy section you are weakest in, not on the one you enjoy.
The three specialist exams
| Specialist exam | Main discipline | Other sections | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Biochemistry | Clinical chemistry 50–60% | Immunology/serology 15–20%; urinalysis/body fluids, lab operations, patient safety/professionalism 5–10% each | 60% |
| Microbiology | Microbiology 60–70% | Urinalysis/body fluids, immunology, lab operations, patient safety 5–10% each | 60% |
| Hematology | Hematology 60–70% | Blood bank 15–20%; immunology, lab operations, patient safety 5–10% each | 60% |
Main discipline at the mid-point of its published range; "everything else" is shown as the remainder to 100, since the published ranges of the other sections do not add to an exact figure. Clinical Biochemistry is about half one discipline, Microbiology and Hematology about two-thirds.
SCFHS also publishes blueprints for related titles: Phlebotomy Technician (150 questions, pass 55%) and Genomic and Biotechnology Technician (150 questions, pass 50%). The "Medical Microbiology" blueprint is for physicians, not laboratory staff.
Technician, single-discipline technician or specialist?
Which exam you sit follows from how SCFHS classifies you, not from your preference. The general Laboratory Technician exam is the broad bench paper; the biochemistry and microbiology technician exams test one discipline plus quality, safety and — for biochemistry — instrumentation and point-of-care testing; the specialist exams test one discipline at depth with a 60% pass mark. If your classification lists a single-discipline technician exam, do not prepare from the general blueprint: 40% of the microbiology technician paper is bacteriology alone.
Other SCFHS laboratory-family exams
| Exam | Questions / time | Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory – Technician (general) | 150 / 3 h | 55% |
| Laboratory Biochemistry Technician | 150 / 3 h | 55% |
| Laboratory (Microbiology) Technician | 150 / 3 h | 55% |
| Clinical Biochemistry / Microbiology / Hematology Specialist | 150 / 3 h | 60% |
| Phlebotomy Technician | 150 / 3 h | 55% |
| Genomic and Biotechnology Technician | 150 / 3 h | 50% |
All from SCFHS's 2024 blueprints. Classification and registration fees on the exam track are SAR 860 for a technician and SAR 1,340 for a specialist in the SCFHS schedule; the Prometric seat fee is not published. Prometric's SCFHS FAQ (2022) describes three attempts in total for classification exams, with the eligibility period lasting about three months and SCFHS reactivating it for the final attempt.
The official reading list (general Laboratory Technician)
| Discipline | SCFHS-listed references |
|---|---|
| General / all | Cheesbrough, District Laboratory Practice in Tropical Countries; Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods; Fischbach and Dunning, A Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests; Turgeon, Clinical Laboratory Science |
| Clinical chemistry | Gunatillaka, Manual on SOPs, Sample Collection and Reference Ranges; Tietz Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry; Bishop, Clinical Chemistry |
| Hematology | Wintrobe's Clinical Hematology; Rodak and Carr, Clinical Hematology Atlas |
| Blood bank | Harmening, Modern Blood Banking and Transfusion Practices |
| Microbiology | Bailey and Scott's Diagnostic Microbiology |
| Immunology | Stevens, Clinical Immunology and Serology; Todd et al., Lecture Notes: Immunology |
| Histology | Bancroft's Theory and Practice of Histological Techniques |
This is the reference list in the general Laboratory – Technician blueprint. The single-discipline and specialist blueprints carry their own lists — for example Koneman and Bailey & Scott for microbiology, Rodak for hematology, the AABB Technical Manual for blood banking and the WHO laboratory quality management handbook — so use the list in the blueprint for your own exam. SCFHS states that each list is a study aid only, that it does not imply endorsement, and that questions are not necessarily taken from these books. You do not need all of them: one general text (Cheesbrough or Turgeon) plus Harmening for blood bank covers most of the technician paper.
Plan your hours by the blueprint
SCFHS Laboratory Technician study-hours planner
Choose your likely exam day and how many hours a week you can study. The planner counts the weeks left from today and splits your total hours across the paper.
Pick a target month-end and your weekly hours; the planner splits them by the official weights. SCFHS classification exams are booked within an eligibility period on your permit, so treat these dates as targets rather than fixed exam days.
SCFHS Laboratory Technician study checklist
The six groups are the official sections; the items under them are our study sub-topics, not blueprint headings. Tick each once you are scoring well on timed questions. Saved in this browser.
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Practise it, don't just read it
The library's eight quizzes cover all six sections of the general paper — parasitology sits inside microbiology and urinalysis inside clinical chemistry — plus the safety and quality-control material of the single-discipline papers.
The ProSyllabus lab-technician library has eight topic quizzes that line up with the Gulf blueprints: Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Clinical Microbiology, Blood Banking and Immunohematology, Immunology and Serology, Clinical Parasitology and Urinalysis, Histopathology and Cytology, and Laboratory Safety, Quality Control and Ethics. Each explains every option.
How many questions are in the SCFHS lab technician exam?
150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, according to the SCFHS Laboratory – Technician blueprint (2024). The same format applies to the biochemistry and microbiology technician exams and the specialist exams.
What is the passing score for the Saudi lab technician exam?
55% for the SCFHS technician exams (general Laboratory Technician, Biochemistry Technician, Microbiology Technician) and 60% for the specialist exams in clinical biochemistry, microbiology and hematology.
What is the SCFHS lab technician syllabus?
Microbiology 20%, clinical chemistry 20%, hematology 20%, blood bank 20%, immunology and serology 15% and histology/cytology techniques 5%, with each section able to vary by up to 5 percentage points.
Which books are recommended for the Saudi Prometric lab exam?
SCFHS lists references including Cheesbrough, Henry's, Gunatillaka, Tietz, Wintrobe, Harmening, Bailey and Scott, Stevens, Bancroft and Turgeon, and states the list is a study aid, not an endorsement.
How many attempts are allowed for SCFHS lab exams?
Prometric's SCFHS FAQ (February 2022) describes three attempts for classification exams, with the third requiring the eligibility number to be reactivated by SCFHS. Check the current rule on your permit.
How many correct answers do I need to pass the SCFHS lab technician exam?
With 150 questions and a 55% pass mark, about 83 correct answers, if all 150 are scored. Specialist exams pass at 60%, about 90 of 150.
Is there a separate SCFHS exam for phlebotomists?
Yes. SCFHS publishes a Phlebotomy Technician blueprint: 150 questions in 3 hours with a 55% pass mark.
Which book covers most of the SCFHS lab technician exam?
SCFHS lists many references and says none is endorsed. A general laboratory text such as Cheesbrough or Turgeon plus Harmening for blood bank covers most of the technician paper, with discipline texts for depth.
More in this series
- DMLT, B.Sc. MLT or M.Sc.: which Gulf lab title you get
- Dubai (DHA) lab exams: titles, codes and pass marks
- Eight Gulf lab licences compared
- What every Gulf lab exam tests — blueprints compared
- A 10-week lab exam study plan, with worked calculations
- Lab technician exam notice board — official updates
- Gulf nursing licences compared (for comparison)
Sources
- official — SCFHS Laboratory – Technician blueprint (2024)
- official — SCFHS Laboratory Biochemistry Technician blueprint (2024)
- official — SCFHS Laboratory (Microbiology) – Technician blueprint (2024)
- official — SCFHS Clinical Biochemistry Specialist blueprint (2024)
- official — SCFHS Laboratory – Microbiology (specialist) blueprint (2024)
- official — SCFHS Laboratory – Hematology (specialist) blueprint (2024)
- official — SCFHS classification exams list
- official — SCFHS fee schedule
- official — Prometric SCFHS FAQ (2022)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
