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NBSTSA · Certification exam

CSFA practice test

The Certified Surgical First Assistant exam from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. 175 questions, 150 of them scored, in four hours.

1,201questions to practice
4 htimed exam, 175 questions
66%passes

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CSFA practice test · today’s five, done

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  • All 1,201 CSFA questions, in sets as long as you like, easy first
  • The timed exam: 175 questions in 4 hours, like the real one
  • Your score by area, weakest first, so you know what to fix
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Today’s five
Question 1 of 5 · Surgical Pharmacology

The tumescent solution infiltrated before liposuction contains:

Press Practice. That's the whole setup.

No question count to pick, no modes, no settings. The CSFA practice test decides what to ask you next.

  1. 1

    Press Practice

    You get 10 questions picked for you. Keep going for 5 more as long as you like, or stop whenever. Nothing is lost.

  2. 2

    Answer, then see why

    Every answer shows the right one and the reason for it, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  3. 3

    Sit the exam when your score is ready

    Your score sits next to the 66% pass mark. When it stays over, sit the full exam: 175 questions in 4 hours.

What's on the CSFA exam

NBSTSA publishes how much of the exam comes from each area. Our timed exam deals its questions in the same shares, so it feels like the real one.

Instrument photo questions count toward Intraoperative Procedures, where the real exam asks them.

NBSTSA CSFA content outlineShare of the exam
Perioperative Care 55%
Intraoperative Procedures45%
Postoperative Procedures5%
Preoperative Preparation5%
Advanced Science 31%
Advanced Anatomy and Physiology24%
Microbiology3%
Surgical Pharmacology3%
Ancillary Duties 14%
Equipment Sterilization and Maintenance10%
Administrative and Personnel4%

The CSFA isn’t written from a single book.

“The Certification Examination Reference Lists contain the texts used to develop the questions for the certification examinations.”NBSTSA, 2025 CSFA Candidate Handbook
What you needYour bookThis test
Explains the material
Asks you questions at your level–
Finds the areas you're weak in–
Times you like the real exam–
What our 1,140 written questions citeEvery answer prints its source
Alexander's Care of the Patient in Surgery762
Frey, Surgical Technology for the Surgical Technologist633
Kotcher Fuller, Surgical Technology: Principles and Practice429
Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary172
Tortora and Derrickson, Principles of Anatomy and Physiology96
AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice89
Howe and Burton, Pharmacology for the Surgical Technologist71
AST Standards and Guidelines45
CDC infection control guidelines41

CSFA practice test questions, answered

Anything else, ask at the Help Desk. A surgical tech reads every question.

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Is the CSFA practice test free?

Yes. Five new CSFA questions every day, the same five for everyone, with the answers explained. No account needed. A free account keeps your days. Pro opens all 1,201 questions and the timed exam.

How many questions are on the CSFA exam?

The Certified Surgical First Assistant exam from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. 175 questions, 150 of them scored, in four hours. Our timed exam matches it: 175 questions in 4 hours, and 66% passes.

Do the questions come with answers?

Every one. After each answer you see the right one and the reason for it, in practice and on today's five. On the timed exam you see them all when you hand it in, the way you would want to review a real one.

How is this different from a question bank?

A question bank hands you a list and lets you pick. This one picks for you: questions at your level, more from the areas you are weakest in, and your misses back when you are ready. You just press Practice.

How do I know when I'm ready?

Watch one number: your score, which counts each question by your first answer to it. When it stays over 66%, take the full exam. Pass that, and you have done it at full length on the real clock.

CSTSetup Pro

Five a day gets you started. Pro gets you through.

All 1,201 CSFA questions in sets as long as you like, the timed exam on the real clock, and your score by area so you know what to fix before you walk in.

Every 4 weeksStudying for your exam? Cancel when you pass.
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Cancel any time from your account. Not worth it? Email us within 30 days of a charge for a refund, one per customer. Already have Pro? Sign in