Hello All! I am getting ready to take the SBB exam in April. Any recent information or updates about the test would be appreciated. How hard was the test? Thank you .

When I took it it was BB trivial pursuits.

And some of the questions were obscure trivial.

I thought it was a difficult exam but I passed without difficulty in spite of not doing an SBB program. Study, study, study! And good luck.

Edited February 15, 20169 yr by AMcCord

I just took it this past October and passed.  It was crazy hard.

Study everything; the last two weeks, identify your weak areas and dig into them.  The test is very intuitive, quickly identifies your weak areas and tailors your test to torture you. 

My test was all molecular, complement, and HLA.  I had only one calculation and one question about panels.  A few of my classmates took the test: one had all donor stuff (her weakness), someone had a lot of calculations (his weak area).

If you can get a hold of the AABB Annual Meeting SBB review, I would recommend memorizing what's on there.

Wishing you the best!  If you want any specific details about the format of the exam, etc, private message me.

Congratulations Terri!

Lots of blood group trivia for sure!  I had a lot of coag on my test, but I took it a few years ago.  Good luck!!

29 minutes ago, DPruden said:

Lots of blood group trivia for sure!

Dianna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  There is NO such thing as blood group trivia!!!!!!!!! Everything about blood groups is massively important - at least, that's what I tell my bank manager! 

22 hours ago, Malcolm Needs said:

Dianna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  There is NO such thing as blood group trivia!!!!!!!!! Everything about blood groups is massively important - at least, that's what I tell my bank manager! 

Hydatid cyst fluid?  Really?  THAT is trivia! 

5 minutes ago, tbostock said:

Hydatid cyst fluid?  Really?  THAT is trivia! 

Anyone ever use this?

37 minutes ago, David Saikin said:

Anyone ever use this?

Ummm yes, but many many moons ago now.

52 minutes ago, tbostock said:

Hydatid cyst fluid?  Really?  THAT is trivia! 

One of my favourites is the anti-B (or was it B substance?) found in untinned celeocanths (reported in Race and Sanger, 6^th edition)!

I've never used that!

What is an untinned celeocanth? (not one of those antediluvian fish pulled out off the African coast?)

53 minutes ago, David Saikin said:

What is an untinned celeocanth? (not one of those antediluvian fish pulled out off the African coast?)

Yes.

1 hour ago, David Saikin said:

What is an untinned celeocanth? (not one of those antediluvian fish pulled out off the African coast?)

It was anti-B (rather than B substance).  The exact quote (from page 58 of Race RR, Sanger Ruth.  Blood Groups in Man. 6^th edition, 1975, Blackwell Scientific Publications) is:

"(Here we cannot resist noting the not very practical finding by (Patricia) Tippett and (Phyllis) Teesdale of an anti-B-like agglutinin in the plasma of one of the two, untinned, coelacanths they tested)." and the reference is Tippett Patricia and Teesdale Phyllis.  Limited blood group tests on samples from two coelacanths (Latimeria chalumnae).  Vox Sanguinis 1973; 24: 175-178.

Being a blood group antigen nerd, I am still to be convinced that even this is trivia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least I now know how to spell the name of the fish!  No knowledge is wasted knowledge.

I have that book - I'll have to check it out!  That is those prehistoric fish (I think)!

 

 

 

 

Oh yes, it is!

How on Earth Patricia and Phyllis got hold of them is another thing entirely - and I also wasn't aware that you could get them tinned - I thought it was only things like sardines, tuna, salmon, etc.

Edited February 19, 20169 yr by Malcolm Needs

But if I remember things like untinned coelacanths, I forget my phone number...

Like Terri I took my exam in January and passed.  Knowing the test format helps a lot, so you know what to expect and relieve some stress.  When you first get in the room, they give you a dry erase board to write on.  I wrote down AB comp. frequencies, sensitivity and specificity, relative risk formula, enzyme and DTT treatment, p² + 2pq + q² = 1.  At the top of the board, I left that area blank so I could write down question numbers that I wanted to review.  Plus I utilized the flag feature to review questions.  Don't exactly remember how long the test was, but I had about 25 minutes left to review, so take your time.  I made note cards of the entire SBB exam reviewer and read over the Gulf Coast last chance.  Both are very good sources of information.  A few things I vaguely remember.  But who knows what will be on your exam.  Also the wording of the questions is ridiculous and much more situational questions, like case study or patient scenarios. 

What is the effect on pH for a left shift?

What cell type is CD19 located on?

Of the scenarios below, (HTLV, HIV, HEP, etc.), which donor is eligible for future donations?What is Adenine used for with CPDA and AS-4 during blood storage conditions?

How should the blood product be labeled for intraoperative blood salvage? - List 4 different labeling requirements and only one is correct.

What is the expiration time for an intraoperative blood salvage procedure?

What factors are reduced for thawed plasma? 

What is HES used for?

Two questions about inheritance patterns.

What secretor substances would be present in saliva?  You are given ABO reactions.

I was given a panel that looked like an anti-G.  Then given the elution study results which was negative for anti-C but positive for anti-D.  So my answer was Anti-G and Anti-D

Question about Lewis and H or hh and secretors and Lewis structure.

Which glycoprotein is HPA-1a located on?

Which disease state lacks FcyRIII?

Hope this helps give you an idea as to how in-depth the exam is.  Study hard, you will do fine. 

Glad I took it the same year as David (1986). Good luck!

I guess I'm somewhat comforted that a fish, thought to be extinct for millennia, was actually plentiful enough to tin up. Hopefully, that is still the case 41 years after Patricia and Phyllis pointed them in line to the anti-B factory.

Hello ! I was wondering if anyone still holds a copy of " Passing the First Time" Blood bank exam review guide by Steven Woeste. Its not available for purchase anywhere. I am eager to either purchase or borrow from you. Thanks for considering.

Study what you have. 

I looked at the book and it was overwhelming and i did not think it was going to help me so I did not study the book and return it to my friend.

Good Luck...

Yeah, skip this book.  Was not helpful to me at all.