Normal values and key cut-offs: an MCCQE quick reference

Common lab and vital sign values in SI units, and the cut-offs MCCQE questions use.

Quick reference for MCCQE, about 3 minutes to read. Canadian practice, checked against current guidelines as of November 2026.

Written to help you answer exam questions. Before treating a patient, check the current guideline and local policy. Medical disclaimer

The exam gives normal values in the question when they matter. Knowing the usual ranges and cut-offs saves time. Labs differ slightly, so use the range a question gives you.

Blood count

Hemoglobin: about 120 to 160 g/L in women, 135 to 175 g/L in men.
White cells: about 4 to 11 x 10^9/L. Platelets: about 150 to 400 x 10^9/L.
MCV: about 80 to 100 fL. Low suggests iron deficiency or thalassemia; high suggests B12 or folate deficiency, alcohol or liver disease.
Ferritin: under 30 ug/L supports iron deficiency (higher in inflammation).

Electrolytes and kidneys

Sodium: 135 to 145 mmol/L. Potassium: 3.5 to 5.0 mmol/L. Chloride: about 98 to 106 mmol/L. Bicarbonate: about 22 to 28 mmol/L.
Anion gap: sodium minus (chloride plus bicarbonate), normally about 8 to 12.
Creatinine: about 50 to 110 umol/L (depends on muscle mass). eGFR: CKD below 60 for 3 months or more.
Urine albumin to creatinine ratio: 3 mg/mmol or above is raised.
Calcium (total): about 2.10 to 2.60 mmol/L; correct for albumin.

Glucose and diabetes (Diabetes Canada)

Diabetes: fasting glucose 7.0 mmol/L or more, A1c 6.5% or more, 2-hour glucose 11.1 or more on a 75 g test, or a random 11.1 or more with symptoms.
Prediabetes: fasting 6.1 to 6.9, or A1c 6.0 to 6.4%.
Usual target A1c: 7.0% or less for most adults.
Gestational diabetes (preferred approach): 50 g challenge at 24 to 28 weeks; 7.8 to 11.0 needs a 75 g test (5.3 fasting, 10.6 at 1 hour, 9.0 at 2 hours, any one diagnoses); 11.1 or more on the challenge diagnoses it.
Hypoglycemia: below 4.0 mmol/L in adults with diabetes; newborns, treat below 2.6.

Liver, heart and lipids

ALT: under about 40 U/L. Bilirubin: under about 20 umol/L.
Albumin: about 35 to 50 g/L.
Troponin: use the lab's 99th percentile and the change between two samples.
LDL on a statin after a heart attack or with other atherosclerotic disease: add ezetimibe, then a PCSK9 inhibitor, if it stays at 1.8 mmol/L or more.

Thyroid

TSH: about 0.4 to 4.0 mU/L. High TSH with low free T4: primary hypothyroidism. Low TSH with high free T4 or T3: hyperthyroidism.

Blood gases

pH: 7.35 to 7.45. PaCO2: 35 to 45 mmHg. Bicarbonate: 22 to 28 mmol/L.
Oxygen target in COPD with CO2 retention: 88 to 92%.

Blood pressure (Hypertension Canada)

Hypertension: 130/80 or higher on standardized automated office readings (the average of three), confirmed at home or by 24-hour monitoring where possible.
Medication: start at 140/90 or higher, or at a systolic of 130 to 139 with high cardiovascular risk.
Pregnancy: 140/90 or higher is hypertension; 160/110 or higher is severe, treated within 30 to 60 minutes.

Children and newborns

Fever under 90 days: a rectal temperature of 38.0 or higher.
Newborn weight: up to 10% loss in the first days is normal; birth weight is back by 10 to 14 days.
Jaundice: in the first 24 hours it is always pathological.

Drug levels

Lithium: 0.6 to 1.0 mmol/L for maintenance.
Acetaminophen overdose: take the level at 4 hours after ingestion and plot it on the nomogram.

Normal values and key cut-offs