How is the timed exam built?

The timed exam on CSTSetup is built to sit like the real one: the same number of questions, the same time limit and the same pass mark as the certifying body's exam.

Dealt by the official outline

Every certifying body publishes how much of its exam comes from each area of its content outline. The timed exam takes each area's share from that outline, not from how many questions the bank happens to hold. NBSTSA gives Intraoperative Procedures 68 of the CST's 150 scored questions, so it is the largest share of the CST timed exam too. Instrument photo questions count toward the area where the real exam asks them.

The same difficulty for everyone

Practice is aimed at you. The timed exam isn't. Its questions are drawn around the middle of the measured difficulty, the same target for every student, so a score on the timed exam means the same thing whoever earns it. See How does the practice test choose my questions?

Like the real thing

• Skip a question to come back to it. Skipped questions come back after all the others.
• Flag for review marks a question on this exam's review screen.
• Go back to any question and change your answer, until you hand the exam in.
• Answers are not shown until you Submit. Then you can review every question with its explanation.

The clock

You can pause, and the clock stops while the exam is paused. If time runs out, the exam is handed in and scored on what you answered, with unanswered questions counted wrong, the way the real exam ends.

Leaving one open

You have one thing open at a time. An exam you leave open shows Continue on the exam's page. Choosing Start over, or starting a practice test, ends the open exam without a score. The answers you gave on it still count toward your score.

Your results

Every exam you hand in is listed under Your exams on the exam's page. See What does my score mean?