CST practice test
The Certified Surgical Technologist exam from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. 175 questions, 150 of them scored, in four hours.
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Want more than five?
- All 2,148 CST 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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Midway through a case, a surgical technologistSUR-jih-kul tek-NOL-uh-jistA member of the operating room team who prepares the sterile field and instruments and hands them to the surgeon.Full entry realizes it conflicts with a sincere moral belief. What is the BEST action?
Press Practice. That's the whole setup.
No question count to pick, no modes, no settings. The CST practice test decides what to ask you next.
- 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
Answer, then see why
Every answer shows the right one and the reason for it, so a wrong answer still teaches you something. Hard words are underlined in practice: tap one to see what it means.
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Sit the exam when your score is ready
Your score sits next to the 68% pass mark. When it stays over, sit the full exam: 175 questions in 4 hours.
What's on the CST 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.
The CST 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 CST Candidate Handbook
| What you need | Your book | This test |
|---|---|---|
| Explains the material | ||
| Asks you questions at your level | – | |
| Finds the areas you're weak in | – | |
| Times you like the real exam | – |
CST practice test questions, answered
Anything else, ask at the Help Desk. A surgical tech reads every question.
Ask a questionIs the CST practice test free?
Yes. Five new CST questions every day with the answers explained, the same five for everyone. No account needed. A free account keeps your days. Pro opens all 2,148 questions and the timed exam.
How many questions are on the CST exam?
The Certified Surgical Technologist 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 68% passes.
Does the CST practice test have answers and rationales?
Every question. 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.
Is there a CST practice test PDF?
No. The questions live online so the answer and its reason show the moment you answer, and practice can pick your next question from what you missed. A PDF can do neither. It works on any phone or computer, nothing to download.
Is it up to date for 2026?
Yes. It is built on the current CST content outline: its areas are the exam's own, shown above with the share of the exam each one takes.
Five a day gets you started. Pro gets you through.
All 2,148 CST 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.
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