Kentucky Surgical Technologist Certification
Examination
1. Which organization administers the national certification examination for surgical technologists?
A) American Medical Association (AMA)
B) National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA)
C) Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML)
D) Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
Answer: B
Rationale: The NBSTSA administers the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) examination.
2. What is the primary purpose of the NBSTSA certification examination?
A) To ensure surgical technologists can perform surgical procedures independently
B) To determine if an individual has acquired both theoretical and practical knowledge of surgical
technology
C) To license surgical technologists to practice in Kentucky
D) To evaluate the quality of surgical technology education programs
Answer: B
Rationale: The purpose of the NBSTSA is to determine, through examination, if an individual has
acquired both theoretical and practical knowledge of surgical technology or surgical first assisting.
3. Which Kentucky statute addresses the application and eligibility requirements for surgical
technologist certification?
A) KRS 311.870
B) KRS 311.878
C) KRS 314.011
D) KRS 216B.105
Answer: B
,Rationale: KRS 311.878 establishes the application process and eligibility requirements for surgical
technologist certification in Kentucky.
4. Under KRS 311.878, which certification organizations are recognized for surgical technologists in
Kentucky?
A) Only the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA)
B) The National Commission for the Certification of Surgical Assistants (NCCSA) and the NBSTSA
C) Only the American Medical Technologists (AMT)
D) The Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) only
Answer: B
Rationale: To be eligible for certification, a person must hold and maintain certification by either the
NCCSA or the NBSTSA.
5. What educational requirement must a surgical technologist applicant meet under KRS 311.878?
A) Graduation from any surgical technology program
B) Graduation from a program approved by CAAHEP or a United States Military program that
emphasizes surgical assisting
C) Completion of an associate degree in any field
D) Graduation from a Kentucky-based program only
Answer: B
Rationale: The applicant must document graduation from a program approved by CAAHEP or graduation
from a United States Military program that emphasizes surgical assisting.
6. How many hours of full-time work experience must a surgical technologist applicant demonstrate
under KRS 311.878?
A) 400 hours
B) 600 hours
C) 800 hours
D) 1,000 hours
Answer: C
,Rationale: The applicant must demonstrate completion of full-time work experience consisting of at
least eight hundred (800) hours of performance as an assistant in surgical procedures.
7. Within what timeframe must the 800 hours of surgical assisting experience be completed under KRS
311.878?
A) One year preceding the date of application
B) Two years preceding the date of application
C) Three years preceding the date of application
D) Five years preceding the date of application
Answer: C
Rationale: The 800 hours must be completed for the three (3) years preceding the date of the
application.
8. Under whose supervision must the surgical assisting experience be performed under KRS 311.878?
A) Any healthcare professional
B) A registered nurse
C) A physician licensed in this country
D) A surgical technologist preceptor
Answer: C
Rationale: The experience must be performed under the direct supervision of a physician licensed in this
country.
9. What is the current passing score for the CST examination as of January 1, 2024?
A) 90 correct answers
B) 95 correct answers
C) 98 correct answers
D) 100 correct answers
Answer: C
Rationale: Effective January 1, 2024, candidates must correctly answer 98 questions to pass the CST
examination.
, 10. How many total questions are on the CST examination?
A) 150 questions
B) 175 questions
C) 200 questions
D) 250 questions
Answer: C
Rationale: The CST examination consists of 200 questions.
11. How many of the questions on the CST examination are scored?
A) 100 questions
B) 150 questions
C) 175 questions
D) 200 questions
Answer: C
Rationale: The CST examination consists of 200 questions, 175 of which are scored.
12. How many questions on the CST examination are pretest (unscored) items?
A) 10 questions
B) 15 questions
C) 20 questions
D) 25 questions
Answer: D
Rationale: The 25 pretest items (unscored) are randomly distributed throughout the examination.
13. How much time is allowed to complete the CST examination?
A) 2 hours
B) 3 hours
C) 4 hours
Examination
1. Which organization administers the national certification examination for surgical technologists?
A) American Medical Association (AMA)
B) National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA)
C) Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML)
D) Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
Answer: B
Rationale: The NBSTSA administers the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) examination.
2. What is the primary purpose of the NBSTSA certification examination?
A) To ensure surgical technologists can perform surgical procedures independently
B) To determine if an individual has acquired both theoretical and practical knowledge of surgical
technology
C) To license surgical technologists to practice in Kentucky
D) To evaluate the quality of surgical technology education programs
Answer: B
Rationale: The purpose of the NBSTSA is to determine, through examination, if an individual has
acquired both theoretical and practical knowledge of surgical technology or surgical first assisting.
3. Which Kentucky statute addresses the application and eligibility requirements for surgical
technologist certification?
A) KRS 311.870
B) KRS 311.878
C) KRS 314.011
D) KRS 216B.105
Answer: B
,Rationale: KRS 311.878 establishes the application process and eligibility requirements for surgical
technologist certification in Kentucky.
4. Under KRS 311.878, which certification organizations are recognized for surgical technologists in
Kentucky?
A) Only the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA)
B) The National Commission for the Certification of Surgical Assistants (NCCSA) and the NBSTSA
C) Only the American Medical Technologists (AMT)
D) The Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) only
Answer: B
Rationale: To be eligible for certification, a person must hold and maintain certification by either the
NCCSA or the NBSTSA.
5. What educational requirement must a surgical technologist applicant meet under KRS 311.878?
A) Graduation from any surgical technology program
B) Graduation from a program approved by CAAHEP or a United States Military program that
emphasizes surgical assisting
C) Completion of an associate degree in any field
D) Graduation from a Kentucky-based program only
Answer: B
Rationale: The applicant must document graduation from a program approved by CAAHEP or graduation
from a United States Military program that emphasizes surgical assisting.
6. How many hours of full-time work experience must a surgical technologist applicant demonstrate
under KRS 311.878?
A) 400 hours
B) 600 hours
C) 800 hours
D) 1,000 hours
Answer: C
,Rationale: The applicant must demonstrate completion of full-time work experience consisting of at
least eight hundred (800) hours of performance as an assistant in surgical procedures.
7. Within what timeframe must the 800 hours of surgical assisting experience be completed under KRS
311.878?
A) One year preceding the date of application
B) Two years preceding the date of application
C) Three years preceding the date of application
D) Five years preceding the date of application
Answer: C
Rationale: The 800 hours must be completed for the three (3) years preceding the date of the
application.
8. Under whose supervision must the surgical assisting experience be performed under KRS 311.878?
A) Any healthcare professional
B) A registered nurse
C) A physician licensed in this country
D) A surgical technologist preceptor
Answer: C
Rationale: The experience must be performed under the direct supervision of a physician licensed in this
country.
9. What is the current passing score for the CST examination as of January 1, 2024?
A) 90 correct answers
B) 95 correct answers
C) 98 correct answers
D) 100 correct answers
Answer: C
Rationale: Effective January 1, 2024, candidates must correctly answer 98 questions to pass the CST
examination.
, 10. How many total questions are on the CST examination?
A) 150 questions
B) 175 questions
C) 200 questions
D) 250 questions
Answer: C
Rationale: The CST examination consists of 200 questions.
11. How many of the questions on the CST examination are scored?
A) 100 questions
B) 150 questions
C) 175 questions
D) 200 questions
Answer: C
Rationale: The CST examination consists of 200 questions, 175 of which are scored.
12. How many questions on the CST examination are pretest (unscored) items?
A) 10 questions
B) 15 questions
C) 20 questions
D) 25 questions
Answer: D
Rationale: The 25 pretest items (unscored) are randomly distributed throughout the examination.
13. How much time is allowed to complete the CST examination?
A) 2 hours
B) 3 hours
C) 4 hours
