Medical Laboratory Scientist ASCP Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Study Guide

A biomarker with high sensitivity is characterized by its ability to accurately identify the presence of a disease, which means it minimizes the occurrence of false negatives. In clinical practice, a highly sensitive test is particularly valuable because it ensures that individuals who have the disease are correctly diagnosed, reducing the risk of missed cases. This is particularly crucial in conditions where early detection significantly impacts treatment outcomes.

On the other hand, options that suggest a low rate of false positives, broad ranges, or the need for multiple tests either focus on different aspects of test performance or indicate that the biomarker does not prioritize sensitivity. Therefore, while those choices may relate to other parameters of diagnostic testing, they do not specifically define high sensitivity in a biomarker context. High sensitivity is primarily concerned with accurately detecting the disease rather than ruling it out or assessing its presence through indirect means.