Help Centre
Guides for using PathologyLabTraining. Use the chat widget in the bottom-right of every page if you cannot find what you need, or email [email protected].
Using the App
- Taking Practice Tests
How to find practice tests by specialty and band, complete a test, and review your results.
- Using the Virtual Labs and LIMS Simulations
What the Virtual Lab and LIMS training modules are, how to start them, and how they map to NHS competencies.
- Using the AI Interview Coach
How to rehearse interview questions with the AI coach, what the feedback means, and how to use it with real interview prep.
- Building Your IBMS and HCPC Portfolio
How the portfolio tracker works, what evidence to attach, and how to map simulation results to competencies.
- Training Dashboard and Specialist Simulators
How to find and use the specialist simulators — what is listed on the Training Dashboard, what lives on its own page, and what is embedded inside a parent module (Transfusion Safety & Haemovigilance, Patient Blood Management, Virtual Lab).
- Interview Explorer, Specialty Explorer, Favorites, Study Groups, and Performance Analysis
How to find questions across the platform using Explorer tools, save what matters, study with peers, and track your performance over time.
- Result Interpretation training (per-specialty)
How to use the per-specialty Result Interpretation modules — Haematology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Blood Transfusion, Immunology, Virology, Coagulation, Genomics, Andrology — to drill case-based interpretation against scored cases.
- IBMS Registration Training Portfolio (v5) — step-by-step
How to start, structure, and submit the current IBMS Registration Training Portfolio v5 to qualify for HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist.
- IBMS Specialist Portfolio — Band 6 progression
How to complete the IBMS Specialist Portfolio per specialty (Haematology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Histology, Transfusion, Coagulation, Immunology, Virology, Genomics, Andrology) to evidence Band 6 competency.
- Using the platform on mobile and accessibility features
How PathologyLabTraining works on mobile devices, what features are mobile-friendly, accessibility (screen reader, keyboard, contrast, touch targets), and known limitations.
- QC Simulator — Westgard rules and Levey-Jennings practice
How to use the QC Simulator to practise Internal Quality Control workflows, Westgard rules interpretation, Levey-Jennings chart reading, and Six Sigma metrics.
- SHOT Cold Chain Simulator — transfusion safety practice
How to use the SHOT Cold Chain Simulator to practise blood-component cold-chain workflows, fridge-alarm handling, time-out-of-controlled-environment rules, and SHOT-reportable events.
- Major Haemorrhage Simulation — MHP activation under pressure
How to use the Major Haemorrhage Simulation to practise MHP activation, MTP pack delivery, coagulopathy management, analyser-failure backup workflows, and post-event review.
- Method Validation Simulator — verification, validation, and uncertainty of measurement
How to use the Method Validation Simulator to design and execute verification of new methods, calculate uncertainty of measurement, set limits of detection, and document evidence under ISO 15189:2022.
- EQA Investigation Training — handling External Quality Assessment failures
How to use the EQA Investigation training to work through a UK NEQAS performance failure — root cause, corrective action, communication, and re-verification.
- SOP Writing Simulator — drafting standard operating procedures
How to use the SOP Writing Simulator to draft, format, and submit a Standard Operating Procedure that meets ISO 15189:2022 document-control requirements.
- UKAS Audit Training — preparing for ISO 15189:2022 assessment
How to use the UKAS Audit Training simulator to prepare for an ISO 15189:2022 assessment visit, handle assessor questions, manage non-conformances, and close findings.
- ACDP Biosafety Simulator — Hazard Group 1-4 containment practice
How to use the ACDP Biosafety Simulator to practise organism classification, containment-level selection, and PPE workflow under the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens framework.
- POCT Device Simulator — Point-of-Care Testing workflows
How to use the POCT Device Simulator to practise POCT operator training, QC and EQA for POCT devices, connectivity, and ISO 15189:2022 Annex A compliance.
- Specimen Reception Simulator — accept/reject decisions and pre-analytical errors
How to use the Specimen Reception Simulator to practise sample acceptance, rejection criteria, pre-analytical error handling, identification checks, and minimum-information requirements.
- Root Cause Analysis Simulator — incident investigation methods
How to use the Root Cause Analysis Simulator to apply 5-whys, fishbone (Ishikawa), and bowtie methods to pathology incidents, and turn the analysis into a CAPA.
- Incident Reporting Simulator — Datix-style NHS incident workflows
How to use the Incident Reporting Simulator to practise classifying, logging, and escalating laboratory incidents through Datix or equivalent NHS systems.
- Communication of Critical Values Simulator — telephone protocols and escalation
How to use the Critical Values Simulator to practise telephone communication of critical results, read-back protocols, escalation pathways, and documentation.
- Sample Transport Simulator — UN3373, packaging, and time-critical samples
How to use the Sample Transport Simulator to practise UN3373 packaging, time-critical sample logistics, courier handover, and reception from remote sites.
- Clinical Advisory Simulator — handling clinician phone enquiries
How to use the Clinical Advisory Simulator to practise providing laboratory advice to clinicians — when to give it, how to scope it, when to defer to the on-call consultant.
- Sharps and Waste Simulator — sharps injury workflow and clinical waste streams
How to use the Sharps and Waste Simulator to practise sharps injury response, occupational health workflow, EPP rules, and clinical waste classification (UN1845, UN3291, etc.).
- Transfusion Reaction Simulator — recognising and investigating reactions
How to use the Transfusion Reaction Simulator to practise classification, investigation, and reporting of acute and delayed transfusion reactions including FNHTR, allergic, TACO, TRALI, AHTR, and DHTR.
- Cell Salvage Simulator — intraoperative blood salvage
How to use the Cell Salvage Simulator to practise intraoperative cell salvage device operation, indications, contraindications, processing, and reinfusion.
- Equipment Failure Simulator — analyser downtime and backup workflows
How to use the Equipment Failure Simulator to practise managing critical analyser failure, backup workflows, manual methods, contingency communication, and recovery.
- WBIT Detection Simulator — Wrong Blood In Tube prevention
How to use the WBIT Detection Simulator to practise detecting Wrong Blood In Tube events through historical-group checking, second-sample protocols, and discrepancy investigation.
- COSHH Safety Training — chemical hazards in pathology
How to use the COSHH Safety Training module to practise risk assessment for chemical hazards in the pathology lab — formalin, xylene, glutaraldehyde, ethanol, hydrochloric acid, methanol — under the COSHH 2002 Regulations.
- Equipment and Cold Storage Simulator — fridge, freezer, and ambient storage practice
How to use the Equipment and Cold Storage Simulator to practise fridge / freezer monitoring, alarm response, mapping, validation, and the 30-minute rule for blood components.
- Equipment Lab — analyser operation and maintenance training
How to use the Equipment Lab module to practise routine analyser operation, daily maintenance, calibration cycles, and troubleshooting common faults.
- Lab Safety Essentials — NHS pathology safety induction
How to use the Lab Safety Essentials module — a comprehensive NHS-aligned safety induction covering biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic, electrical, and fire safety in the pathology environment.
- Non-Conformance and GDPR Simulator — confidentiality breach and data-protection incidents
How to use the Non-Conformance and GDPR Simulator to practise classifying confidentiality breaches, GDPR/UK GDPR Article 33/34 reporting, ICO notifications, and patient-facing communications.
- Portfolio Assistant — AI-supported portfolio drafting
How to use the Portfolio Assistant to draft reflective entries, map evidence to competencies, identify gaps, and generate verifier-ready summaries for the IBMS Registration and Specialist Portfolios.
- Presentation Skills Trainer — Q&A simulator for interview presentations
How to use the Presentation Skills Trainer to prepare a Band 5-7 interview presentation, rehearse Q&A under realistic panel-style questioning, and refine slide structure.
- Workload Simulation — prioritisation, on-call, and shift-pressure scenarios
How to use the Workload Simulation to practise prioritisation under pressure — managing a routine shift with concurrent urgent samples, on-call calls, and competing service demands.
Account, Pricing & Access
- Premium Features, Pricing, and How to Upgrade
The complete list of Premium features, where to find each one in the app, pricing, how to upgrade from Free, and how to get Premium through your NHS Trust, hospital, university, or employer.
- Joining or Managing an Organisation
How to join your NHS trust or university on the platform, accept an invitation, and use SAML single sign-on.
- Account Security, Email Changes, 2FA, and Data
How to change your email address, reset your password, secure your account, export your data, delete your account, and where two-factor authentication is currently available.
- Organisation administration — inviting members, billing, custom questions
For NHS Trust, university, and training-provider administrators — how to invite members, manage seats, set up custom interview questions, see usage analytics, and manage billing.
- SAML Single Sign-On (SSO) setup for IT admins
How NHS Trust and university IT teams configure SAML SSO for PathologyLabTraining, including UK Access Management Federation, ACS / SLS URLs, certificate, and supported NameID formats.
- Billing, cancellations, refunds, and plan changes
How to change plans, cancel, get a refund, update payment method, view invoices, and handle subscription edge cases (failed payment, organisation transition, plan downgrade).
- Your data, GDPR rights, and exporting or deleting your account
What personal data we hold, how to exercise your GDPR rights (export, rectify, delete), how patient data is handled, and our data retention policy.
- Notifications, email preferences, and managing what we send you
How to subscribe or unsubscribe from newsletters, choose newsletter categories, control browser push notifications, and what counts as essential service mail you cannot opt out of.
- Profile, dark mode, signing out, and reporting bugs
Editing your name, what profile fields exist, dark/light theme toggle, how to sign out, what to do if your account was accessed from another device, and how to report a bug or request a feature.
Specialty Content
- Specialty Pages and Embedded Guides
How to use the 12 specialty interview pages, the 39 embedded specialty guides (thalassaemia screening, flow cytometry, PCR, etc.), and find content for your specialty and band.
- Blood Transfusion, NHSBT, and Haemovigilance Training
How to use the blood transfusion training modules — NHSBT systems, SHOT reporting, haemovigilance, major haemorrhage protocols, patient blood management, and cold-chain workflows.
- Histology Grading Modules
How to use the six histology grading practice modules — Gleason (prostate), HER2 (breast), Nottingham (breast), Bethesda (cervical), Breslow-Clark (melanoma), and staining quality.
- Haematology specialty on PathologyLabTraining
Where to find Haematology content — interview questions, embedded guides (thalassaemia screening, blood film, flow cytometry), the Haematology LIMS Virtual Lab, Result Interpretation, and the Specialist Portfolio.
- Clinical Biochemistry specialty on PathologyLabTraining
Where to find Biochemistry content — interview questions, analyser virtual lab, Result Interpretation for common panels, method validation simulator, and the Specialist Portfolio.
- Medical Microbiology specialty on PathologyLabTraining
Where to find Microbiology content — interview questions, EUCAST 2026 v16.0 sensitivity workflows, Microbiology Virtual Lab, Result Interpretation, and the Specialist Portfolio.
- Histology / Cellular Pathology specialty on PathologyLabTraining
Where to find Histology content — interview questions, the six grading modules (Gleason, HER2, Nottingham, Bethesda, Breslow-Clark, Staining Quality), tissue-processing guides, and the Specialist Portfolio.
- Blood Transfusion specialty deep-dive
Where to find Blood Transfusion content — interview questions, NHSBT systems training, SHOT and haemovigilance simulators, antibody panels, major haemorrhage workflow, and the Specialist Portfolio.
- Coagulation specialty on PathologyLabTraining
Where to find Coagulation content — interview questions, factor assays, thrombophilia workflows, anticoagulant monitoring, DIC investigation, and the Specialist Portfolio.
- Immunology specialty on PathologyLabTraining
Where to find Immunology content — interview questions, autoantibody panels, complement pathways, immunodeficiency, allergy testing, flow cytometry, and the Specialist Portfolio.
- Virology specialty on PathologyLabTraining
Where to find Virology content — interview questions, HIV/HBV/HCV testing algorithms, viral load monitoring, molecular diagnostics, and the Specialist Portfolio.
- Genomics and Molecular Pathology specialty on PathologyLabTraining
Where to find Genomics content — interview questions, NGS workflows, ACMG variant classification, NHS Genomic Medicine Service panels, and the Clinical Scientist day-in-life.
- Andrology specialty on PathologyLabTraining
Where to find Andrology content — interview questions, WHO 2021 semen analysis, sperm morphology and motility grading, HFEA-regulated workflows, and the Specialist Portfolio.
- Quality Management specialty on PathologyLabTraining
Where to find QM content — interview questions, ISO 15189:2022 audit, EQA investigation, root-cause analysis, SOP writing, and incident reporting.
- General Biomedical Science — for trainees and cross-discipline candidates
Cross-cutting content for Trainee Biomedical Scientists and BMSs who haven't specialised yet — career pathways, IBMS Registration, generic competencies, and how to choose a specialty.
Interview Preparation
- Interview Preparation Tools (STAR Builder, Person Spec, NHS Values, Mock EPA)
How to use the six interview-prep tools beyond the AI Coach — Person Specification generator, STAR Answer Builder, NHS Values training, Escalation scenarios, Mock End-Point Assessment, and the structured Interview Guide.
- NHS Application Support, Presentation Skills, and Result Interpretation
How to use NHS Application Support for personal statements and supporting answers, the Presentation Skills Trainer, and the per-specialty Result Interpretation training modules.
- NHS Application Support — drafting your supporting statement
Step-by-step guide to drafting a Band-appropriate NHS Jobs supporting statement, aligning it to the Person Specification and NHS Values, and saving multiple drafts for different roles.