Question 1: What is the primary purpose of the Sterile Processing Department (SPD) in
a healthcare facility?
A. To provide medication to patients.
B. To clean, disinfect, and sterilize reusable medical instruments and equipment.
C. To diagnose patient illnesses.
D. To perform surgical procedures.
CORRECT ANSWER: B. To clean, disinfect, and sterilize reusable medical instruments
and equipment.
Rationale: The main role of the SPD is to ensure that all reusable medical instruments
and equipment are properly cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized to prevent infection .
Question 2: The Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (CSPDT)
certification is administered by which organization?
A. International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management
(IAHCSMM).
B. Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD).
C. Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).
D. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution
(CBSPD).
Rationale: The CSPDT certification is o ered by the CBSPD, while the CRCST
certification is o ered by HSPA (formerly IAHCSMM) .
Question 3: According to the CSPDT exam guide, how many scored questions are on
the exam?
A. 100.
B. 125.
C. 150.
D. 200.
CORRECT ANSWER: B. 125.
Rationale: The CSPDT certification exam includes 125 scored questions. It also
includes 25 unscored questions for a total of 150 items. The exam takes 3 hours to
complete .
,Question 4: What is the passing scaled score required for the CSPDT certification
exam?
A. 50.
B. 70.
C. 80.
D. 90.
CORRECT ANSWER: B. 70.
Rationale: The CSPDT exam requires a scaled score of 70 to pass .
Question 5: Which of the following is considered a biohazardous waste in the SPD?
A. Clean, unused gauze.
B. Sterile gloves.
C. Blood-soiled surgical instruments.
D. Unopened sterile instrument trays.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Blood-soiled surgical instruments.
Rationale: Instruments contaminated with blood or bodily fluids are biohazardous and
require special handling, including appropriate PPE and containment .
Question 6: What is the first step in the instrument reprocessing cycle?
A. Sterilization.
B. Inspection and assembly.
C. Point-of-use treatment.
D. Packaging.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Point-of-use treatment.
Rationale: The complete instrument reprocessing cycle begins with point-of-use
treatment, followed by decontamination, inspection, assembly, sterilization, storage,
and distribution .
Question 7: The Spaulding Classification system determines the required level of
processing for devices based on:
A. The cost of the device.
B. The manufacturer of the device.
,C. The risk of infection from the device's use.
D. The size of the device.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. The risk of infection from the device's use.
Rationale: The Spaulding Classification system categorizes devices into critical, semi-
critical, and non-critical based on the risk of infection and determines the required level
of processing (sterilization, high-level disinfection, or low-level disinfection) .
Question 8: A "critical" device, according to the Spaulding Classification, requires:
A. Low-level disinfection.
B. High-level disinfection.
C. Sterilization.
D. Cleaning only.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Sterilization.
Rationale: Critical devices are those that enter sterile tissue or the vascular system and
must be sterile. Examples include surgical instruments and implants .
Question 9: Which of the following is a federal agency that regulates medical device
reprocessing?
A. AAMI.
B. AORN.
C. FDA.
D. HSPA.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. FDA.
Rationale: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates medical device
reprocessing and sets requirements for manufacturers' instructions for use (IFUs) .
Question 10: Under OSHA standards, what is the primary hazard communication
requirement for the SPD?
A. Ensuring all instruments are sterilized.
B. Providing safety data sheets (SDS) for all hazardous chemicals.
C. Maintaining a clean environment.
D. Using sterile gloves.
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Providing safety data sheets (SDS) for all hazardous chemicals.
, Rationale: OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard requires that safety data sheets
be readily available for all hazardous chemicals used in the workplace, including
cleaning agents and disinfectants .
Question 11: The concept of "bioburden" refers to:
A. The number of microorganisms on a surface before cleaning.
B. The weight of an instrument.
C. The size of a surgical tray.
D. The temperature of a sterilizer.
CORRECT ANSWER: A. The number of microorganisms on a surface before cleaning.
Rationale: Bioburden is the number of viable microorganisms on a medical device
before it is cleaned. Reducing bioburden is a key goal of the decontamination process .
Question 12: The chain of infection includes all of the following components EXCEPT:
A. Infectious agent.
B. Reservoir.
C. Portal of entry.
D. Sterilization indicator.
CORRECT ANSWER: D. Sterilization indicator.
Rationale: The chain of infection consists of an infectious agent, reservoir, portal of
exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. Sterilization indicators
are used to monitor the sterilization process, not a component of the chain of infection .
Question 13: Which of the following is an example of a "non-critical" device?
A. Surgical scalpel.
B. Endoscope.
C. Stethoscope.
D. Pacemaker.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Stethoscope.
Rationale: Non-critical devices come into contact with intact skin. Stethoscopes and
blood pressure cu s are examples of non-critical devices and require low-level
disinfection .
a healthcare facility?
A. To provide medication to patients.
B. To clean, disinfect, and sterilize reusable medical instruments and equipment.
C. To diagnose patient illnesses.
D. To perform surgical procedures.
CORRECT ANSWER: B. To clean, disinfect, and sterilize reusable medical instruments
and equipment.
Rationale: The main role of the SPD is to ensure that all reusable medical instruments
and equipment are properly cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized to prevent infection .
Question 2: The Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (CSPDT)
certification is administered by which organization?
A. International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management
(IAHCSMM).
B. Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD).
C. Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).
D. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution
(CBSPD).
Rationale: The CSPDT certification is o ered by the CBSPD, while the CRCST
certification is o ered by HSPA (formerly IAHCSMM) .
Question 3: According to the CSPDT exam guide, how many scored questions are on
the exam?
A. 100.
B. 125.
C. 150.
D. 200.
CORRECT ANSWER: B. 125.
Rationale: The CSPDT certification exam includes 125 scored questions. It also
includes 25 unscored questions for a total of 150 items. The exam takes 3 hours to
complete .
,Question 4: What is the passing scaled score required for the CSPDT certification
exam?
A. 50.
B. 70.
C. 80.
D. 90.
CORRECT ANSWER: B. 70.
Rationale: The CSPDT exam requires a scaled score of 70 to pass .
Question 5: Which of the following is considered a biohazardous waste in the SPD?
A. Clean, unused gauze.
B. Sterile gloves.
C. Blood-soiled surgical instruments.
D. Unopened sterile instrument trays.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Blood-soiled surgical instruments.
Rationale: Instruments contaminated with blood or bodily fluids are biohazardous and
require special handling, including appropriate PPE and containment .
Question 6: What is the first step in the instrument reprocessing cycle?
A. Sterilization.
B. Inspection and assembly.
C. Point-of-use treatment.
D. Packaging.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Point-of-use treatment.
Rationale: The complete instrument reprocessing cycle begins with point-of-use
treatment, followed by decontamination, inspection, assembly, sterilization, storage,
and distribution .
Question 7: The Spaulding Classification system determines the required level of
processing for devices based on:
A. The cost of the device.
B. The manufacturer of the device.
,C. The risk of infection from the device's use.
D. The size of the device.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. The risk of infection from the device's use.
Rationale: The Spaulding Classification system categorizes devices into critical, semi-
critical, and non-critical based on the risk of infection and determines the required level
of processing (sterilization, high-level disinfection, or low-level disinfection) .
Question 8: A "critical" device, according to the Spaulding Classification, requires:
A. Low-level disinfection.
B. High-level disinfection.
C. Sterilization.
D. Cleaning only.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Sterilization.
Rationale: Critical devices are those that enter sterile tissue or the vascular system and
must be sterile. Examples include surgical instruments and implants .
Question 9: Which of the following is a federal agency that regulates medical device
reprocessing?
A. AAMI.
B. AORN.
C. FDA.
D. HSPA.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. FDA.
Rationale: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates medical device
reprocessing and sets requirements for manufacturers' instructions for use (IFUs) .
Question 10: Under OSHA standards, what is the primary hazard communication
requirement for the SPD?
A. Ensuring all instruments are sterilized.
B. Providing safety data sheets (SDS) for all hazardous chemicals.
C. Maintaining a clean environment.
D. Using sterile gloves.
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Providing safety data sheets (SDS) for all hazardous chemicals.
, Rationale: OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard requires that safety data sheets
be readily available for all hazardous chemicals used in the workplace, including
cleaning agents and disinfectants .
Question 11: The concept of "bioburden" refers to:
A. The number of microorganisms on a surface before cleaning.
B. The weight of an instrument.
C. The size of a surgical tray.
D. The temperature of a sterilizer.
CORRECT ANSWER: A. The number of microorganisms on a surface before cleaning.
Rationale: Bioburden is the number of viable microorganisms on a medical device
before it is cleaned. Reducing bioburden is a key goal of the decontamination process .
Question 12: The chain of infection includes all of the following components EXCEPT:
A. Infectious agent.
B. Reservoir.
C. Portal of entry.
D. Sterilization indicator.
CORRECT ANSWER: D. Sterilization indicator.
Rationale: The chain of infection consists of an infectious agent, reservoir, portal of
exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. Sterilization indicators
are used to monitor the sterilization process, not a component of the chain of infection .
Question 13: Which of the following is an example of a "non-critical" device?
A. Surgical scalpel.
B. Endoscope.
C. Stethoscope.
D. Pacemaker.
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Stethoscope.
Rationale: Non-critical devices come into contact with intact skin. Stethoscopes and
blood pressure cu s are examples of non-critical devices and require low-level
disinfection .
