NBSTSA CST-Certified Surgical Technologist Exam 2026/2027 |
Complete Questions And Answers (Verified Answers) | Exam
Prep | Comprehensive Exam Guide 2026&2027
1. During the preoperative verification process, the surgical technologist notices that the
patient's consent identifies the left leg, while the schedule lists the right leg. What is the
most appropriate action?
A. Prepare the right leg because it appears on the schedule
B. Ask the surgeon which leg should be prepared
C. Stop the verification process and have the discrepancy resolved before proceeding
D. Prepare both legs until the discrepancy is clarified
Answer: C
The discrepancy must be resolved before the procedure proceeds. Patient identification,
procedure, and surgical site must be verified consistently to prevent wrong-site surgery.
2. Which action by the surgical technologist best demonstrates proper sterile technique
when opening a sterile package?
A. Opening the first flap toward the body
B. Reaching over the sterile contents to open the opposite flap
C. Opening the flap nearest the body first
D. Opening the package away from the body while avoiding contact with the contents
Answer: D
Opening the package away from the body and avoiding contact with sterile contents
minimizes the risk of contamination.
3. A sterile gown becomes wet along its front during preparation for surgery. What
principle should guide the technologist's response?
A. Moisture can allow microorganisms to pass through the gown
B. Only the outside surface of the gown is considered sterile
C. The gown remains sterile if the fluid is sterile
D. The gown is acceptable if the wet area is below the waist
Answer: A
Strike-through occurs when microorganisms can migrate through a wet barrier. A wet sterile
gown should therefore be considered contaminated.
4. Which instrument is specifically designed to grasp tissue atraumatically during surgery?
A. Allis clamp
B. Babcock clamp
,C. Kocher clamp
D. Backhaus towel clamp
Answer: B
The Babcock clamp has broad, fenestrated, atraumatic jaws and is commonly used to grasp
delicate tubular structures and tissue.
5. During a laparotomy, the surgeon requests a self-retaining retractor. Which instrument
should the technologist anticipate?
A. Richardson
B. Deaver
C. Balfour
D. Army-Navy
Answer: C
The Balfour retractor is a self-retaining abdominal retractor commonly used during
laparotomy procedures.
6. Which surgical instrument is classified as a cutting and dissecting instrument?
A. Metzenbaum scissors
B. Foerster sponge forceps
C. DeBakey forceps
D. Richardson retractor
Answer: A
Metzenbaum scissors are designed primarily for delicate tissue dissection and cutting.
7. A surgeon requests a hemostatic clamp for a medium-sized bleeding vessel. Which
instrument is most appropriate?
A. Adson forceps
B. Crile hemostatic forceps
C. Doyen intestinal clamp
D. Mixter right-angle clamp
Answer: B
Crile hemostatic forceps are commonly used to clamp blood vessels and control bleeding.
8. Which characteristic distinguishes a Mayo needle holder from a tissue forceps?
A. It has serrated grasping jaws and a ratchet mechanism
B. It is designed primarily for cutting fascia
C. It has a fenestrated jaw without a locking mechanism
D. It is used exclusively for retracting tissue
,Answer: A
A needle holder has a locking ratchet and jaws designed to securely grasp a suture needle
during suturing.
9. During a procedure, the technologist notices that a sterile instrument has fallen below
the level of the sterile field. What should be done?
A. Return it to the field after wiping it with antiseptic
B. Return it if no one touched it
C. Consider it contaminated and replace it
D. Ask the surgeon whether it can still be used
Answer: C
Anything that falls below the recognized sterile-field level is considered contaminated and
should not be returned to the sterile field.
10. Which item is normally considered sterile when presented unopened from a properly
processed package?
A. The outside surface of the package
B. The inner contents
C. The external transport cart
D. The floor beneath the package
Answer: B
The contents of an intact, properly processed sterile package are sterile. The exterior surfaces
are not considered sterile.
11. What is the primary purpose of surgical counts?
A. To document the number of instruments used for billing
B. To determine whether the surgeon used the expected instruments
C. To prevent retained surgical items
D. To estimate the length of the procedure
Answer: C
Surgical counts are performed to help prevent retained sponges, sharps, instruments, and
other items in the patient.
12. During the initial count, the scrub person and circulator disagree about the number of
laparotomy sponges. What should occur next?
A. Continue the procedure and reconcile the number later
B. Repeat the count together
C. Remove one sponge from the field
D. Document the circulator's count as correct
, Answer: B
When a count discrepancy occurs, the count should be repeated immediately by the
appropriate personnel until the discrepancy is resolved or the required escalation procedure is
followed.
13. Which sponge is radiopaque and commonly used during abdominal procedures?
A. Cotton ball
B. Raytec sponge
C. Non-radiopaque gauze
D. Plain dressing sponge
Answer: B
Raytec sponges used in surgery contain radiopaque material so they can be identified
radiographically if necessary.
14. A laparotomy sponge is accidentally dropped onto the floor during an abdominal
procedure. What should the scrub person do?
A. Replace it and include the discarded sponge in the count according to facility policy
B. Pick it up and return it to the sterile field
C. Rinse it with sterile water and reuse it
D. Leave it on the floor without reporting it
Answer: A
A dropped sponge is contaminated and must not return to the sterile field. It should be
handled according to the facility's counting and documentation procedure.
15. Which type of needle has a sharp point and is commonly used for cutting dense tissue?
A. Taper needle
B. Blunt needle
C. Cutting needle
D. Spatula needle
Answer: C
Cutting needles have sharp edges designed to penetrate dense tissues such as skin.
16. A surgeon is closing skin and requests a suture with relatively low tissue reactivity and
good tensile strength. Which category is appropriate?
A. Synthetic nonabsorbable suture
B. Plain gut
C. Chromic gut
D. Absorbable collagen only
Complete Questions And Answers (Verified Answers) | Exam
Prep | Comprehensive Exam Guide 2026&2027
1. During the preoperative verification process, the surgical technologist notices that the
patient's consent identifies the left leg, while the schedule lists the right leg. What is the
most appropriate action?
A. Prepare the right leg because it appears on the schedule
B. Ask the surgeon which leg should be prepared
C. Stop the verification process and have the discrepancy resolved before proceeding
D. Prepare both legs until the discrepancy is clarified
Answer: C
The discrepancy must be resolved before the procedure proceeds. Patient identification,
procedure, and surgical site must be verified consistently to prevent wrong-site surgery.
2. Which action by the surgical technologist best demonstrates proper sterile technique
when opening a sterile package?
A. Opening the first flap toward the body
B. Reaching over the sterile contents to open the opposite flap
C. Opening the flap nearest the body first
D. Opening the package away from the body while avoiding contact with the contents
Answer: D
Opening the package away from the body and avoiding contact with sterile contents
minimizes the risk of contamination.
3. A sterile gown becomes wet along its front during preparation for surgery. What
principle should guide the technologist's response?
A. Moisture can allow microorganisms to pass through the gown
B. Only the outside surface of the gown is considered sterile
C. The gown remains sterile if the fluid is sterile
D. The gown is acceptable if the wet area is below the waist
Answer: A
Strike-through occurs when microorganisms can migrate through a wet barrier. A wet sterile
gown should therefore be considered contaminated.
4. Which instrument is specifically designed to grasp tissue atraumatically during surgery?
A. Allis clamp
B. Babcock clamp
,C. Kocher clamp
D. Backhaus towel clamp
Answer: B
The Babcock clamp has broad, fenestrated, atraumatic jaws and is commonly used to grasp
delicate tubular structures and tissue.
5. During a laparotomy, the surgeon requests a self-retaining retractor. Which instrument
should the technologist anticipate?
A. Richardson
B. Deaver
C. Balfour
D. Army-Navy
Answer: C
The Balfour retractor is a self-retaining abdominal retractor commonly used during
laparotomy procedures.
6. Which surgical instrument is classified as a cutting and dissecting instrument?
A. Metzenbaum scissors
B. Foerster sponge forceps
C. DeBakey forceps
D. Richardson retractor
Answer: A
Metzenbaum scissors are designed primarily for delicate tissue dissection and cutting.
7. A surgeon requests a hemostatic clamp for a medium-sized bleeding vessel. Which
instrument is most appropriate?
A. Adson forceps
B. Crile hemostatic forceps
C. Doyen intestinal clamp
D. Mixter right-angle clamp
Answer: B
Crile hemostatic forceps are commonly used to clamp blood vessels and control bleeding.
8. Which characteristic distinguishes a Mayo needle holder from a tissue forceps?
A. It has serrated grasping jaws and a ratchet mechanism
B. It is designed primarily for cutting fascia
C. It has a fenestrated jaw without a locking mechanism
D. It is used exclusively for retracting tissue
,Answer: A
A needle holder has a locking ratchet and jaws designed to securely grasp a suture needle
during suturing.
9. During a procedure, the technologist notices that a sterile instrument has fallen below
the level of the sterile field. What should be done?
A. Return it to the field after wiping it with antiseptic
B. Return it if no one touched it
C. Consider it contaminated and replace it
D. Ask the surgeon whether it can still be used
Answer: C
Anything that falls below the recognized sterile-field level is considered contaminated and
should not be returned to the sterile field.
10. Which item is normally considered sterile when presented unopened from a properly
processed package?
A. The outside surface of the package
B. The inner contents
C. The external transport cart
D. The floor beneath the package
Answer: B
The contents of an intact, properly processed sterile package are sterile. The exterior surfaces
are not considered sterile.
11. What is the primary purpose of surgical counts?
A. To document the number of instruments used for billing
B. To determine whether the surgeon used the expected instruments
C. To prevent retained surgical items
D. To estimate the length of the procedure
Answer: C
Surgical counts are performed to help prevent retained sponges, sharps, instruments, and
other items in the patient.
12. During the initial count, the scrub person and circulator disagree about the number of
laparotomy sponges. What should occur next?
A. Continue the procedure and reconcile the number later
B. Repeat the count together
C. Remove one sponge from the field
D. Document the circulator's count as correct
, Answer: B
When a count discrepancy occurs, the count should be repeated immediately by the
appropriate personnel until the discrepancy is resolved or the required escalation procedure is
followed.
13. Which sponge is radiopaque and commonly used during abdominal procedures?
A. Cotton ball
B. Raytec sponge
C. Non-radiopaque gauze
D. Plain dressing sponge
Answer: B
Raytec sponges used in surgery contain radiopaque material so they can be identified
radiographically if necessary.
14. A laparotomy sponge is accidentally dropped onto the floor during an abdominal
procedure. What should the scrub person do?
A. Replace it and include the discarded sponge in the count according to facility policy
B. Pick it up and return it to the sterile field
C. Rinse it with sterile water and reuse it
D. Leave it on the floor without reporting it
Answer: A
A dropped sponge is contaminated and must not return to the sterile field. It should be
handled according to the facility's counting and documentation procedure.
15. Which type of needle has a sharp point and is commonly used for cutting dense tissue?
A. Taper needle
B. Blunt needle
C. Cutting needle
D. Spatula needle
Answer: C
Cutting needles have sharp edges designed to penetrate dense tissues such as skin.
16. A surgeon is closing skin and requests a suture with relatively low tissue reactivity and
good tensile strength. Which category is appropriate?
A. Synthetic nonabsorbable suture
B. Plain gut
C. Chromic gut
D. Absorbable collagen only
