Lab Values — Free Reference for NP Boards
Every AANP test-taker hits the same wall: you know the big ranges cold, but the board still surprises you with the weirder ones — RDW on a CBC, anion gap, TIBC on an iron workup, the gender-specific ranges on HDL. So we built this reference the way we wish ours had worked when we sat the exam.
Every lab on this page is free. No sign-up, no gate, no “14-day trial to see the rest.” Scroll, search, and bookmark what you need. The tables show male and female reference ranges side-by-side so you’re not math-ing the difference in your head at 11 p.m. the week before your exam.
How to use it: If you want a specific value, hit the search box or click into the detail page — each lab has its own page with a deeper walkthrough of what the result actually means for NP practice and what the AANP likes to test about it. If you want to browse, the categories below mirror how the exam blueprint groups them: CBC, BMP, CMP, lipids, thyroid, coags, UA, cardiac markers, and the grab-bag of “other common values” that tend to show up as one or two questions per exam.
When you’re ready to practice these in question form, the full NPBoardSlay question bank has 1,500+ AANP-style questions — including dozens on every category below — with clinical rationales that explain why an abnormal result matters, not just which answer is correct. Free trial, no card.
CBC / Hematology
| Name | Male | Female | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBC White Blood Cell count | 4,500–11,000 | 4,500–11,000 | /μL | ↑ infection, inflammation, leukemia; ↓ bone marrow suppression |
| RBC Red Blood Cell count | 4.7–6.1 million | 4.2–5.4 million | /μL | |
| Hemoglobin (Hgb) | 14–18 | 12–16 | g/dL | ↓ anemia; ↑ polycythemia |
| Hematocrit (Hct) | 42–52% | 37–47% | % | Roughly 3x hemoglobin |
| Platelets | 150,000–400,000 | 150,000–400,000 | /μL | ↓ risk of bleeding; ↑ risk of clotting |
| MCV Mean Corpuscular Volume | 80–100 | 80–100 | fL | ↓ microcytic (iron def); ↑ macrocytic (B12/folate def) |
| MCH Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin | 27–33 | 27–33 | pg | |
| MCHC Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration | 32–36 | 32–36 | g/dL | |
| RDW Red Cell Distribution Width | 11.5–14.5 | 11.5–14.5 | % | ↑ in iron deficiency anemia, mixed anemias |
BMP (Basic Metabolic Panel)
| Name | Male | Female | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sodium (Na) | 136–145 | 136–145 | mEq/L | ↓ hyponatremia (SIADH, diuretics); ↑ hypernatremia (dehydration) |
| Potassium (K) | 3.5–5.0 | 3.5–5.0 | mEq/L | ↓ muscle weakness, arrhythmias; ↑ peaked T waves, cardiac arrest |
| Chloride (Cl) | 98–106 | 98–106 | mEq/L | |
| CO2 (Bicarbonate) | 23–30 | 23–30 | mEq/L | ↓ metabolic acidosis; ↑ metabolic alkalosis |
| BUN Blood Urea Nitrogen | 7–20 | 7–20 | mg/dL | ↑ dehydration, renal disease, high protein diet |
| Creatinine | 0.7–1.3 | 0.6–1.1 | mg/dL | Best indicator of renal function; ↑ kidney damage |
| Glucose (fasting) | 70–100 | 70–100 | mg/dL | ≥126 = diabetes; 100–125 = prediabetes |
| Calcium (Ca) | 8.5–10.5 | 8.5–10.5 | mg/dL | ↑ hyperparathyroidism, malignancy; ↓ hypoparathyroidism |
CMP / Hepatic Panel
| Name | Male | Female | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AST (SGOT) Aspartate Aminotransferase | 10–40 | 10–40 | U/L | ↑ liver damage, MI, muscle injury |
| ALT (SGPT) Alanine Aminotransferase | 7–56 | 7–56 | U/L | More specific to liver than AST |
| ALP Alkaline Phosphatase | 44–147 | 44–147 | U/L | ↑ bile duct obstruction, bone disease, pregnancy |
| Total Bilirubin | 0.1–1.2 | 0.1–1.2 | mg/dL | ↑ jaundice, hemolysis, liver disease |
| Direct Bilirubin | 0–0.3 | 0–0.3 | mg/dL | ↑ obstructive jaundice |
| Albumin | 3.5–5.0 | 3.5–5.0 | g/dL | ↓ liver disease, malnutrition, nephrotic syndrome |
| Total Protein | 6.0–8.3 | 6.0–8.3 | g/dL | |
| GGT Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase | 9–48 | 9–48 | U/L | ↑ alcohol use, bile duct disease |
Lipid Panel
| Name | Male | Female | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Cholesterol | <200 | <200 | mg/dL | 200–239 borderline; ≥240 high |
| LDL Low-Density Lipoprotein | <100 | <100 | mg/dL | Primary target for therapy; <70 for high-risk patients |
| HDL High-Density Lipoprotein | >40 | >50 | mg/dL | Protective; ≥60 is optimal |
| Triglycerides | <150 | <150 | mg/dL | ≥500 risk of pancreatitis |
Thyroid Panel
| Name | Male | Female | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSH Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone | 0.4–4.0 | 0.4–4.0 | mIU/L | First-line thyroid screen; ↑ hypothyroid, ↓ hyperthyroid |
| Free T4 Free Thyroxine | 0.8–1.8 | 0.8–1.8 | ng/dL | ↓ hypothyroid; ↑ hyperthyroid |
| Free T3 Free Triiodothyronine | 2.3–4.2 | 2.3–4.2 | pg/mL | ↑ early hyperthyroidism (T3 thyrotoxicosis) |
| Total T4 Total Thyroxine | 5.0–12.0 | 5.0–12.0 | μg/dL | Affected by TBG levels (pregnancy, OCP) |
Coagulation
| Name | Male | Female | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PT Prothrombin Time | 11–13.5 | 11–13.5 | seconds | Monitors warfarin therapy (extrinsic pathway) |
| INR International Normalized Ratio | 0.8–1.1 | 0.8–1.1 | — | Therapeutic on warfarin: 2.0–3.0 (mechanical valve: 2.5–3.5) |
| aPTT Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time | 25–35 | 25–35 | seconds | Monitors heparin therapy (intrinsic pathway) |
| D-dimer Fibrin Degradation Fragment | <0.50 | <0.50 | μg/mL | ↑ DVT, PE, DIC; high sensitivity, low specificity |
Urinalysis
| Name | Male | Female | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 4.5–8.0 | 4.5–8.0 | — | Average ~6.0; ↑ UTI (urease organisms), ↓ metabolic acidosis |
| Specific Gravity | 1.005–1.030 | 1.005–1.030 | — | ↑ dehydration; ↓ overhydration, DI |
| Protein | Negative | Negative | — | + in nephrotic syndrome, preeclampsia, UTI |
| Glucose | Negative | Negative | — | + when blood glucose >180 (renal threshold) |
| WBC (urine) White Blood Cells in urine | 0–5 | 0–5 | /HPF | ↑ UTI, interstitial nephritis |
| RBC (urine) Red Blood Cells in urine | 0–3 | 0–3 | /HPF | ↑ stones, glomerulonephritis, malignancy |
| Nitrites | Negative | Negative | — | + gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) |
| Leukocyte Esterase | Negative | Negative | — | + pyuria (WBCs in urine) |
Cardiac Markers
| Name | Male | Female | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troponin I | <0.04 | <0.04 | ng/mL | Gold standard for MI; rises 3–6 hrs, peaks 12–24 hrs |
| BNP B-type Natriuretic Peptide | <100 | <100 | pg/mL | ↑ heart failure; >400 likely HF |
| NT-proBNP N-Terminal pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide | <300 | <300 | pg/mL | Age-adjusted cutoffs; longer half-life than BNP |
| CK-MB Creatine Kinase — Myocardial Band | <5 | <5 | ng/mL | ↑ MI; less specific than troponin |
Other Common Values
| Name | Male | Female | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HbA1c Hemoglobin A1c (glycated hemoglobin) | <5.7% | <5.7% | % | 5.7–6.4% prediabetes; ≥6.5% diabetes; reflects 2–3 month avg |
| ESR Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate | 0–15 | 0–20 | mm/hr | Nonspecific inflammation marker; ↑ with age |
| CRP C-Reactive Protein | <1.0 | <1.0 | mg/dL | ↑ acute inflammation, infection |
| hs-CRP High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein | <1.0 low risk | <1.0 low risk | mg/L | 1.0–3.0 moderate; >3.0 high cardiovascular risk |
| Uric Acid | 3.4–7.0 | 2.4–6.0 | mg/dL | ↑ gout, renal disease, tumor lysis |
| Iron (serum) | 65–175 | 50–170 | μg/dL | ↓ iron deficiency anemia |
| Ferritin | 20–250 | 10–120 | ng/mL | Best initial test for iron deficiency; also acute phase reactant |
| TIBC Total Iron-Binding Capacity | 250–370 | 250–370 | μg/dL | ↑ iron deficiency; ↓ chronic disease |
| Vitamin D (25-OH) | 30–100 | 30–100 | ng/mL | <20 deficient; 20–29 insufficient |
| Vitamin B12 | 200–900 | 200–900 | pg/mL | ↓ macrocytic anemia, neuropathy |
| Folate | 2.7–17.0 | 2.7–17.0 | ng/mL | ↓ macrocytic anemia, neural tube defects |
| Magnesium | 1.7–2.2 | 1.7–2.2 | mg/dL | ↓ arrhythmias, tremor, seizures |
| Phosphorus | 2.5–4.5 | 2.5–4.5 | mg/dL | Inverse relationship with calcium |
| PSA Prostate-Specific Antigen | 0–4.0 | N/A | ng/mL | Screening controversial; ↑ BPH, prostatitis, cancer |
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