A method of analyzing a biological sample for the presence or absence of a genetic mutation in a gene of interest comprising the steps of: a. selecting one or more primers to amplify an exon of the gene of interest and performing an amplification reaction on the exon using the selected one or more primers; b. performing a thermal melt analysis on the amplified exon; c. comparing the observed melting temperature to an expected melting temperature to determine whether the thermal melt analysis results of step (b) indicate the presence or absence of a mutation or common variant in the amplified exon, wherein exons without mutations are filtered out; i. if the comparison of step (c) is indicative of the presence of a mutation in the amplified exon, then 1. selecting one or more primers to amplify at least one portion of the exon from step (a), wherein the at least one amplified portion includes the site of one or more known mutations or common variants; 2. performing an amplification reaction on_the exon using the primers from step; 3. performing a thermal melt analysis on the amplification products of step; 4. comparing the observed melting temperature to an expected melting temperature to determine whether the thermal melt analysis results of step indicate the presence or absence of a mutation or common variant; ii. optionally stopping the analysis if a known mutation or common variant is found; d. repeating steps (a) through (c) for each exon in the gene of interest, until the earlier of (i) each exon has been amplified and subjected to thermal melt analysis, or (ii) the analysis is optionally stopped in step (c)(ii). a. selecting one or more primers to amplify an exon of the gene of interest and performing an amplification reaction on the exon using the selected one or more primers; b. performing a thermal melt analysis on the amplified exon; c. comparing the observed melting temperature to an expected melting temperature to determine whether the thermal melt analysis results of step (b) indicate the presence or absence of a mutation or common variant in the amplified exon, wherein exons without mutations are filtered out; i. if the comparison of step (c) is indicative of the presence of a mutation in the amplified exon, then 1. selecting one or more primers to amplify at least one portion of the exon from step (a), wherein the at least one amplified portion includes the site of one or more known mutations or common variants; 2. performing an amplification reaction on_the exon using the primers from step; 3. performing a thermal melt analysis on the amplification products of step; 4. comparing the observed melting temperature to an expected melting temperature to determine whether the thermal melt analysis results of step indicate the presence or absence of a mutation or common variant; ii. optionally stopping the analysis if a known mutation or common variant is found; i. if the comparison of step (c) is indicative of the presence of a mutation in the amplified exon, then 1. selecting one or more primers to amplify at least one portion of the exon from step (a), wherein the at least one amplified portion includes the site of one or more known mutations or common variants; 2. performing an amplification reaction on_the exon using the primers from step; 3. performing a thermal melt analysis on the amplification products of step; 4. comparing the observed melting temperature to an expected melting temperature to determine whether the thermal melt analysis results of step indicate the presence or absence of a mutation or common variant; 1. selecting one or more primers to amplify at least one portion of the exon from step (a), wherein the at least one amplified portion includes the site of one or more known mutations or common variants; 2. performing an amplification reaction on_the exon using the primers from step; 3. performing a thermal melt analysis on the amplification products of step; 4. comparing the observed melting temperature to an expected melting temperature to determine whether the thermal melt analysis results of step indicate the presence or absence of a mutation or common variant; ii. optionally stopping the analysis if a known mutation or common variant is found; d. repeating steps (a) through (c) for each exon in the gene of interest, until the earlier of (i) each exon has been amplified and subjected to thermal melt analysis, or (ii) the analysis is optionally stopped in step (c)(ii).