Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
NABL and CAP accreditation: what they mean for your genetic test | CION Cancer Clinics
NABL and CAP accreditation mean a laboratory's staff, equipment and processes have been inspected against a demanding standard. They do not mean every result is right, and they only cover the tests listed in the lab's scope. This page explains what each badge checks, how to confirm it yourself, and what accreditation cannot tell you about a genetic test. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists review your family history with you and guide you to the right genetic counselling and testing.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What do NABL and CAP accreditation actually mean?
- NABL, CAP and ISO 15189: how are they different?
- How can you check a laboratory's accreditation?
- What do the terms on an accreditation certificate mean?
- What accreditation checks, and what it does not
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families assume about accredited labs
- Common questions about lab accreditation
The short answer
What do NABL and CAP accreditation actually mean?
Both are independent checks that a laboratory runs its tests properly. NABL is India's national accreditation body for laboratories. CAP is an American accreditation that some Indian laboratories also hold. Neither tells you a single result is right. They tell you the lab's systems have been inspected against a demanding standard.
What an inspector looks at
Whether staff are qualified for the tests they run. How samples are labelled and tracked from arrival to report. Whether equipment is checked and maintained. How errors are recorded and corrected. And whether the lab takes part in outside accuracy checks, where unknown samples are sent to see if it gets the right answer.
Why it matters more for a genetic test
An inherited result can shape decisions for a whole family. It is often done once in a lifetime, so a sample mix-up or a missed variant is hard to catch later. Accreditation is one of the few things a family can check from the outside, before the sample is sent.
Accreditation is about the laboratory's process. It says nothing about price, speed or how clear the report will be.The labels you will see
NABL, CAP and ISO 15189: how are they different?
Laboratory websites show several logos. Only some of them tell you anything about testing accuracy.
NABL
The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, part of the Quality Council of India. Medical laboratories are assessed against the international standard for medical labs.
Look for
- A certificate number
- A scope document listing the tests covered
- Validity dates that are current
CAP
The College of American Pathologists runs an accreditation programme built on on-site inspections by practising laboratory professionals and regular accuracy testing. A smaller number of Indian labs hold it, often those that also test samples from abroad.
ISO 15189
The international standard for the quality and competence of medical laboratories. NABL accreditation for a medical lab is granted against it, so seeing ISO 15189 usually means the same accreditation described another way.
ISO 9001
A general quality management certificate used by many kinds of organisation. It is useful, but it does not check whether a laboratory gets the right answer on a test.
For medical testing, look for accreditation, not only certification.Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistChecking it yourself
How can you check a laboratory's accreditation?
Ask for the certificate number
Ask the laboratory or your doctor for it. A genuine lab gives it without hesitation.
Look it up with the accreditor
The NABL website lets you search accredited laboratories. CAP publishes its own directory of accredited labs. A logo on a website or a brochure is not proof on its own.
Read the scope, not just the name
A lab can be accredited for routine blood tests and not for its genetic panel. The test you are buying, or the method it uses, should appear in the scope.
Check the dates
Accreditation is time-limited and is reassessed. Make sure it is current, not only valid when the website was last updated.
Ask where the test is run
Some labs collect samples in one city and test them in another, or abroad. The accreditation that matters belongs to the lab that actually runs your test.
On a certificate
What do the terms on an accreditation certificate mean?
- Accreditation
- Formal recognition by an independent body that a lab is competent to perform specific tests.
- Certification
- A statement that an organisation follows a management system. It is broader, and says less about testing accuracy.
- Scope
- The list of tests the accreditation covers. Anything not on the list sits outside it.
- Proficiency testing
- Unknown samples sent by an outside body to check whether the lab gets the right answer. Also called external quality assessment.
- Surveillance assessment
- A follow-up inspection between full assessments, to confirm standards are still being kept.
- Sample ID
- The unique number linking your sample to your report. How well this is tracked is one of the first things inspectors check.
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Side by side
What accreditation checks, and what it does not
What accreditation checks
What it does not tell you
Staff are qualified for the tests they run
Whether the price is fair
Equipment is checked and maintained
How quickly your report will come back
Samples are tracked from arrival to report
Whether this test was the right one for your family
The lab takes part in outside accuracy checks
How an unclear variant will be followed up later
Errors are recorded and corrected
Whether the report is easy to understand
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which laboratory to use. Accreditation is one filter among several. The genes on the panel, how variants are classified, whether data is looked at again later, the price and the counselling that comes with it all matter too.
It cannot vouch for a named lab
Accreditation status changes. Check the accreditor's own website on the day you decide, rather than a certificate image on a lab's site. What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test, whichever lab ran it.
Who this does not apply to
Most people do not need a genetic test, so most people never need to choose a genetics lab. If your oncologist has not suggested testing, and your family history shows no pattern of young or repeated cancers, this question may simply not arise for you.
If a lab cannot tell you its accreditation number, or which of its sites runs your test, ask your doctor about alternatives.Commonly believed
Four things families assume about accredited labs
"An accredited lab cannot make a mistake."
Accreditation lowers the chance of error and makes sure mistakes are caught and corrected. It does not make a lab perfect. If a result does not fit the family history, your counsellor may still ask for it to be checked.
"CAP is better than NABL because it is American."
Both assess against demanding standards and both inspect on site. An Indian lab whose NABL scope covers your test is a sound choice. CAP matters most for labs that also serve patients abroad.
"If the hospital is NABL accredited, the genetic test is too."
The hospital's own lab may be accredited for routine tests while the genetic test goes to a different lab entirely. Ask which lab runs your test and check that lab's scope.
"An ISO 9001 logo means the same thing."
It is a general quality certificate used by all kinds of organisations. It does not assess whether a lab gets the right answer on a test. For medical testing, look for accreditation against ISO 15189.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about lab accreditation
What does NABL stand for?
The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. It is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India and India's national body for accrediting laboratories. For medical labs, including genetics labs, it assesses against the international standard ISO 15189.
What is CAP accreditation?
Accreditation from the College of American Pathologists, a professional body in the United States. Its programme uses on-site inspections by practising laboratory professionals and requires regular accuracy testing. Some Indian labs hold it alongside NABL, often because they also test samples sent from other countries.
Does a genetic testing lab need both?
No. NABL accreditation that covers the specific test is a sound baseline for a lab in India. CAP is an extra mark some labs choose to hold. What matters more than the number of logos is that the test you are buying sits inside an accreditation scope.
How do I check if a lab is NABL accredited?
Ask for its certificate number, then search for the laboratory on the NABL website. Open the scope document and look for the test you are having, or the method it uses. Check the validity dates. A logo on a website is not enough on its own.
Does accreditation mean the report will be good?
Not by itself. Accreditation checks that the lab's processes are sound. The report still needs to be clear, to explain how each variant was classified, and to say what the result means for relatives. A counsellor should go through it with you whichever lab you use.
My sample is being sent abroad. Does NABL still matter?
What matters is the accreditation of the lab that actually runs the test. If that lab is abroad, ask which accreditation it holds there. A local collection centre's accreditation covers the collection, not the sequencing or how the result is interpreted.
Are cheaper labs less likely to be accredited?
Not necessarily. Price reflects the panel size, the technology, the counselling included and the lab's own costs. Some affordable labs are well accredited, and some expensive ones are not accredited for every test they sell. Check the scope rather than judging by price.
Who can help me compare laboratories?
Your oncologist or genetic counsellor can tell you which labs they trust and why. Take any quote you have been given to that conversation. Call the CION helpline if you are not sure where to start, and someone will point you to the right clinic.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
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Sources
- National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories — NABL — official website
- College of American Pathologists — Laboratory Accreditation Program
- International Organization for Standardization — ISO 15189:2022 Medical laboratories — Requirements for quality and competence
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
How to choose a genetic testing laboratoryAccreditation is one filter; here are the othersQuestions to ask a laboratory before testingA checklist to take with you before the sample goesDoes a cheaper test mean a worse test?What price does and does not tell you about qualityTurnaround times by test typeHow long each kind of test usually takes to come back
Talk to us
Not sure whether a lab's accreditation covers your test?
Tell us which laboratory and which test you have been offered. We will help you check what its accreditation covers and whether the test suits your family. One helpline serves every CION centre.