ABSA EXAM / AMERICAN BOARD OF SURGICAL
ASSISTANT (ABSA) ACTUAL EXAM 2026/2027 PREP
QUESTIONS COMPLETE ACCURATE EXAM
APPROVED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES (100%
CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS) LATEST UPDATED
VERSION 2026 EDIT
Question 1
A patient is undergoing an abdominal hysterectomy. The surgeon isolates the dense vascular pedicles of
the uterus and requests an instrument designed to crush and occlude these structures. Which
instrument is MOST appropriate?
A) Right-angle Mixter clamp
B) Straight Kelly clamp
C) Heaney clamp
D) Babcock clamp
Correct Answer: C) Heaney clamp
Rationale: The Heaney clamp is specifically engineered with heavy, toothed jaws designed to crush and
secure dense pelvic ligaments and vascular pedicles. A Mixter clamp is used for passing sutures around
vessels but lacks the heavy jaw architecture. A Kelly clamp lacks specialized longitudinal serrations for
thick pedicles. A Babcock clamp is atraumatic for delicate structures like fallopian tubes or bowel.
Question 2
A 68-year-old male with severe urinary retention secondary to a chronic, narrowed urethral stricture
requires dilation. Which device combination is FIRST indicated?
A) Rigid cystoscope with metallic Van Buren sounds
B) Filiforms and followers
C) Large-bore Foley catheter with rigid stylet
D) S-curved coaxial dilators without guidewire
Correct Answer: B) Filiforms and followers
Rationale: Filiforms and followers are the standard, safest approach for progressive urethral dilation in
the presence of stricture. The filiforms are thin, flexible guides that can navigate the stricture, and
progressively larger followers are attached to dilate the lumen.
,Question 3
The Mayo scissors are primarily designed for:
A) Delicate tissue dissection
B) Heavy tissue cutting (fascia, muscle)
C) Suturing
D) Clamping vessels
Correct Answer: B) Heavy tissue cutting
Rationale: Mayo scissors have sturdy, curved blades designed for cutting dense tissue like fascia and
muscle. Metzenbaum scissors are used for delicate tissue dissection. Needle holders are for suturing,
and hemostats are for clamping vessels.
Question 4
Which instrument is used to hold a needle during suturing?
A) Hemostat
B) Needle holder
C) Retractor
D) Tissue forceps
Correct Answer: B) Needle holder
Rationale: Needle holders are specifically designed with serrated jaws to securely grasp surgical needles
during suturing. Hemostats may damage needles due to their crushing design.
Question 5
A Babcock clamp is used to:
A) Clamp blood vessels
B) Grasp tissue without causing damage
C) Retract the abdominal wall
D) Cut suture material
Correct Answer: B) Grasp tissue without causing damage
Rationale: A Babcock clamp is a non-crushing, atraumatic clamp used to grasp delicate structures like
the bowel, fallopian tubes, or appendix.
Question 6
During carpal tunnel decompression, which nerve is at risk of injury?
A) Radial nerve
B) Ulnar nerve
,C) Median nerve
D) Musculocutaneous nerve
Correct Answer: C) Median nerve
Rationale: The median nerve is the primary structure compressed in carpal tunnel syndrome and must
be protected during decompression. The ulnar and radial nerves are not in the carpal tunnel proper.
Question 7
Which instrument would the surgeon request to grasp the gallbladder fundus during a laparoscopic
cholecystectomy?
A) Kocher clamp
B) Babcock clamp
C) Allis clamp
D) Laparoscopic grasper
Correct Answer: D) Laparoscopic grasper
Rationale: In laparoscopic surgery, specialized laparoscopic graspers are used to manipulate organs.
While a Babcock is the open equivalent, the laparoscopic grasper is the correct instrument for this
minimally invasive procedure.
Question 8
A patient has a bleeding vessel in the deep pelvis that requires ligation. The surgeon requests a clamp
with an angled tip to reach around the vessel. Which instrument is appropriate?
A) Kelly clamp
B) Mixter (right-angle) clamp
C) Crile clamp
D) Rochester-Pean clamp
Correct Answer: B) Mixter (right-angle) clamp
Rationale: The Mixter (right-angle) clamp has a 90-degree angled tip, making it ideal for passing sutures
around vessels in deep or difficult-to-reach areas where straight clamps cannot access the tissue.
Question 9
Which retractor is commonly used for self-retaining abdominal wall retraction?
A) Richardson retractor
B) Army-Navy retractor
C) Bookwalter retractor
D) Senn retractor
, Correct Answer: C) Bookwalter retractor
Rationale: The Bookwalter is a self-retaining retractor system used for large abdominal incisions. It holds
the abdominal wall open without requiring an assistant. Richardson and Army-Navy retractors are
handheld.
Question 10
The correct instrument for removing a skin staple is:
A) Adson forceps
B) Splinter forceps
C) Staple remover
D) Hemostat
Correct Answer: C) Staple remover
Rationale: A specialized staple remover is designed to safely extract surgical staples from the skin with
minimal trauma to the surrounding tissue.
Question 11
A surgeon needs to cut a heavy suture such as a #2 silk. Which scissors would be MOST appropriate?
A) Metzenbaum scissors
B) Suture scissors (e.g., Strabismus)
C) Mayo scissors
D) Tenotomy scissors
Correct Answer: B) Suture scissors
Rationale: Suture scissors are specifically designed with slightly angled blades to cut suture material
cleanly without pulling or damaging the knot. Mayo scissors are too heavy for fine suture cutting.
Question 12
Which of the following groups of instruments should be on a setup for transurethral prostatic resection?
A) Resectoscope, Bakelite sheaths, cutting electrodes
B) Cystoscope, biopsy forceps, stone basket
C) Urethrotome, filiforms, followers
D) Cystoscope, Foley catheter, guidewire
Correct Answer: A) Resectoscope, Bakelite sheaths, cutting electrodes
Rationale: Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) requires the resectoscope with its sheath and
a cutting/coagulating electrode (the "loop") to remove prostatic tissue.
ASSISTANT (ABSA) ACTUAL EXAM 2026/2027 PREP
QUESTIONS COMPLETE ACCURATE EXAM
APPROVED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS WITH DETAILED RATIONALES (100%
CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS) LATEST UPDATED
VERSION 2026 EDIT
Question 1
A patient is undergoing an abdominal hysterectomy. The surgeon isolates the dense vascular pedicles of
the uterus and requests an instrument designed to crush and occlude these structures. Which
instrument is MOST appropriate?
A) Right-angle Mixter clamp
B) Straight Kelly clamp
C) Heaney clamp
D) Babcock clamp
Correct Answer: C) Heaney clamp
Rationale: The Heaney clamp is specifically engineered with heavy, toothed jaws designed to crush and
secure dense pelvic ligaments and vascular pedicles. A Mixter clamp is used for passing sutures around
vessels but lacks the heavy jaw architecture. A Kelly clamp lacks specialized longitudinal serrations for
thick pedicles. A Babcock clamp is atraumatic for delicate structures like fallopian tubes or bowel.
Question 2
A 68-year-old male with severe urinary retention secondary to a chronic, narrowed urethral stricture
requires dilation. Which device combination is FIRST indicated?
A) Rigid cystoscope with metallic Van Buren sounds
B) Filiforms and followers
C) Large-bore Foley catheter with rigid stylet
D) S-curved coaxial dilators without guidewire
Correct Answer: B) Filiforms and followers
Rationale: Filiforms and followers are the standard, safest approach for progressive urethral dilation in
the presence of stricture. The filiforms are thin, flexible guides that can navigate the stricture, and
progressively larger followers are attached to dilate the lumen.
,Question 3
The Mayo scissors are primarily designed for:
A) Delicate tissue dissection
B) Heavy tissue cutting (fascia, muscle)
C) Suturing
D) Clamping vessels
Correct Answer: B) Heavy tissue cutting
Rationale: Mayo scissors have sturdy, curved blades designed for cutting dense tissue like fascia and
muscle. Metzenbaum scissors are used for delicate tissue dissection. Needle holders are for suturing,
and hemostats are for clamping vessels.
Question 4
Which instrument is used to hold a needle during suturing?
A) Hemostat
B) Needle holder
C) Retractor
D) Tissue forceps
Correct Answer: B) Needle holder
Rationale: Needle holders are specifically designed with serrated jaws to securely grasp surgical needles
during suturing. Hemostats may damage needles due to their crushing design.
Question 5
A Babcock clamp is used to:
A) Clamp blood vessels
B) Grasp tissue without causing damage
C) Retract the abdominal wall
D) Cut suture material
Correct Answer: B) Grasp tissue without causing damage
Rationale: A Babcock clamp is a non-crushing, atraumatic clamp used to grasp delicate structures like
the bowel, fallopian tubes, or appendix.
Question 6
During carpal tunnel decompression, which nerve is at risk of injury?
A) Radial nerve
B) Ulnar nerve
,C) Median nerve
D) Musculocutaneous nerve
Correct Answer: C) Median nerve
Rationale: The median nerve is the primary structure compressed in carpal tunnel syndrome and must
be protected during decompression. The ulnar and radial nerves are not in the carpal tunnel proper.
Question 7
Which instrument would the surgeon request to grasp the gallbladder fundus during a laparoscopic
cholecystectomy?
A) Kocher clamp
B) Babcock clamp
C) Allis clamp
D) Laparoscopic grasper
Correct Answer: D) Laparoscopic grasper
Rationale: In laparoscopic surgery, specialized laparoscopic graspers are used to manipulate organs.
While a Babcock is the open equivalent, the laparoscopic grasper is the correct instrument for this
minimally invasive procedure.
Question 8
A patient has a bleeding vessel in the deep pelvis that requires ligation. The surgeon requests a clamp
with an angled tip to reach around the vessel. Which instrument is appropriate?
A) Kelly clamp
B) Mixter (right-angle) clamp
C) Crile clamp
D) Rochester-Pean clamp
Correct Answer: B) Mixter (right-angle) clamp
Rationale: The Mixter (right-angle) clamp has a 90-degree angled tip, making it ideal for passing sutures
around vessels in deep or difficult-to-reach areas where straight clamps cannot access the tissue.
Question 9
Which retractor is commonly used for self-retaining abdominal wall retraction?
A) Richardson retractor
B) Army-Navy retractor
C) Bookwalter retractor
D) Senn retractor
, Correct Answer: C) Bookwalter retractor
Rationale: The Bookwalter is a self-retaining retractor system used for large abdominal incisions. It holds
the abdominal wall open without requiring an assistant. Richardson and Army-Navy retractors are
handheld.
Question 10
The correct instrument for removing a skin staple is:
A) Adson forceps
B) Splinter forceps
C) Staple remover
D) Hemostat
Correct Answer: C) Staple remover
Rationale: A specialized staple remover is designed to safely extract surgical staples from the skin with
minimal trauma to the surrounding tissue.
Question 11
A surgeon needs to cut a heavy suture such as a #2 silk. Which scissors would be MOST appropriate?
A) Metzenbaum scissors
B) Suture scissors (e.g., Strabismus)
C) Mayo scissors
D) Tenotomy scissors
Correct Answer: B) Suture scissors
Rationale: Suture scissors are specifically designed with slightly angled blades to cut suture material
cleanly without pulling or damaging the knot. Mayo scissors are too heavy for fine suture cutting.
Question 12
Which of the following groups of instruments should be on a setup for transurethral prostatic resection?
A) Resectoscope, Bakelite sheaths, cutting electrodes
B) Cystoscope, biopsy forceps, stone basket
C) Urethrotome, filiforms, followers
D) Cystoscope, Foley catheter, guidewire
Correct Answer: A) Resectoscope, Bakelite sheaths, cutting electrodes
Rationale: Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) requires the resectoscope with its sheath and
a cutting/coagulating electrode (the "loop") to remove prostatic tissue.
