# ABSA EXAM / AMERICAN BOARD OF SURGICAL ASSISTANT (ABSA) ACTUAL EXAM 2026/2027 PREP
QUESTIONS
Welcome to this comprehensive ABSA (American Board of Surgical Assistants) SA-C Certification
Examination study guide for the 2026/2027 testing cycle. This resource contains 200 actual-style questions
covering surgical anatomy, perioperative care, sterile technique, surgical instrumentation, patient safety, and
professional practice. Each question includes the correct answer (in italics) and a short rationale (≤3 lines).
The SA-C examination consists of 150 questions (140 scored, 10 pretest), with 3 hours to complete and a
passing score of 70%. Use this exam to prepare for your ABSA certification and strengthen your surgical
assisting knowledge.
Key Topics Covered
• Preoperative Preparation – Time out protocol, patient positioning, surgical safety checklist, skin
preparation, medication holds
• Surgical Anatomy & Physiology – Major body systems, surgical anatomy (13% of exam), anatomical
landmarks, vascular structures
• Sterile Technique & Infection Control – Aseptic technique, sterilization methods, surgical scrub, sterile
field maintenance (3% of exam)
• Surgical Instrumentation & Equipment – Clamps, forceps, retractors, needle holders, electrocautery,
laparoscopic instruments (4% of exam)
• Perioperative Medicine & Patient Care – Preoperative assessment, intraoperative assisting, postoperative
care (50% of exam)
• General Surgical & Medical Knowledge – Normal lab values, blood products, anesthesia types, patient
positioning (10% of exam)
• Wound Closure & Hemostasis – Sutures, needles, wound healing, hemostatic techniques
• Surgical Procedures – General surgery, orthopedics, gynecology, cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, urology
• Professional Practice Knowledge – Code of ethics, scope of practice, OSHA/HIPAA (11% of exam)
• Patient Safety & Emergency Protocols – Risk management, emergency situations, BLS (3% of exam)
,Questions 1–200
1. The surgical assistant is preparing for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Which action should be
prioritized during the preoperative "time out" procedure?
A) Confirm that all surgical instruments are sterilized
B) Verify the correct patient, procedure, and surgical site
C) Ensure the operating room temperature is appropriate
D) Check that the surgeon's preference card is available
Answer B: Verify the correct patient, procedure, and surgical site
Rationale: The "time out" is a critical patient safety protocol requiring verification of correct patient,
procedure, and site per Joint Commission Universal Protocol. ---
2. Which surgical instrument is most commonly used to grasp dense fascia without causing
unnecessary tissue trauma?
A) Allis tissue forceps
B) Kocher (Ochsner) forceps
C) Babcock forceps
D) Debakey forceps
Answer B: Kocher (Ochsner) forceps
Rationale: Kocher forceps have teeth that provide a secure grip on dense fascia and tough tissue. ---
3. The primary purpose of maintaining the sterile field throughout surgery is to:
A) Improve visibility for the surgeon
B) Reduce operating room noise
C) Minimize the risk of surgical site infection by preventing microbial contamination
D) Shorten the duration of the operation
Answer C: Minimize the risk of surgical site infection by preventing microbial contamination
Rationale: Sterility is maintained to reduce contamination and lower infection risk. ---
4. Which layer of the abdominal wall is generally closed to provide the greatest wound strength
following a midline laparotomy?
A) Skin
,B) Subcutaneous tissue
C) Fascia (Linea alba)
D) Peritoneum
Answer C: Fascia (Linea alba)
Rationale: Fascial closure provides the primary tensile strength of abdominal incisions. ---
5. Which type of suture material is absorbed naturally through enzymatic digestion?
A) Polypropylene
B) Plain gut
C) Nylon
D) Polyester
Answer B: Plain gut
Rationale: Plain gut is an absorbable natural suture degraded by enzymatic action. ---
6. When positioning a patient for a thyroidectomy, which position provides optimal surgical
exposure while minimizing complications?
A) Supine with a roll under the knees
B) Reverse Trendelenburg with a shoulder roll
C) Prone with head fixation
D) Lateral decubitus with kidney rest
Answer B: Reverse Trendelenburg with a shoulder roll
Rationale: Reverse Trendelenburg with shoulder roll extends the neck for optimal thyroid exposure. ---
7. The surgical assistant is retracting during an abdominal procedure. Which principle of tissue
handling should be applied?
A) Use the sharpest retractor available for best exposure
B) Apply continuous firm pressure for consistent exposure
C) Use atraumatic technique with moist sponges and gentle retraction
D) Position retractors directly on major blood vessels
Answer C: Use atraumatic technique with moist sponges and gentle retraction
Rationale: Atraumatic tissue handling minimizes tissue damage, bleeding, and postoperative complications.
---
, 8. What is the primary goal of aseptic technique?
A) To sterilize all instruments
B) To prevent contamination of the surgical site by microorganisms
C) To reduce operating room noise
D) To speed up the surgical procedure
Answer B: To prevent contamination of the surgical site by microorganisms
Rationale: Aseptic technique aims to prevent microbial contamination of the surgical wound. ---
9. Which of the following is considered sterile?
A) The outer 1 inch of a sterile field
B) The center of a sterile field
C) A gloved hand below waist level
D) An instrument dropped on the floor
Answer B: The center of a sterile field
Rationale: Only the center of the sterile field is considered sterile; the outer 1-inch border is non-sterile. ---
10. The ligament that connects bone to bone is called a(n):
A) Tendon
B) Ligament
C) Fascia
D) Aponeurosis
Answer B: Ligament
Rationale: Ligaments connect bone to bone; tendons connect muscle to bone. ---
11. A patient with a fractured neck of the femur is at greatest risk for damage to which artery?
A) Femoral artery
B) Popliteal artery
C) Medial circumflex femoral artery
D) Obturator artery
Answer C: Medial circumflex femoral artery
Rationale: The medial circumflex femoral artery supplies the femoral head and is at risk with femoral neck
fractures. ---
QUESTIONS
Welcome to this comprehensive ABSA (American Board of Surgical Assistants) SA-C Certification
Examination study guide for the 2026/2027 testing cycle. This resource contains 200 actual-style questions
covering surgical anatomy, perioperative care, sterile technique, surgical instrumentation, patient safety, and
professional practice. Each question includes the correct answer (in italics) and a short rationale (≤3 lines).
The SA-C examination consists of 150 questions (140 scored, 10 pretest), with 3 hours to complete and a
passing score of 70%. Use this exam to prepare for your ABSA certification and strengthen your surgical
assisting knowledge.
Key Topics Covered
• Preoperative Preparation – Time out protocol, patient positioning, surgical safety checklist, skin
preparation, medication holds
• Surgical Anatomy & Physiology – Major body systems, surgical anatomy (13% of exam), anatomical
landmarks, vascular structures
• Sterile Technique & Infection Control – Aseptic technique, sterilization methods, surgical scrub, sterile
field maintenance (3% of exam)
• Surgical Instrumentation & Equipment – Clamps, forceps, retractors, needle holders, electrocautery,
laparoscopic instruments (4% of exam)
• Perioperative Medicine & Patient Care – Preoperative assessment, intraoperative assisting, postoperative
care (50% of exam)
• General Surgical & Medical Knowledge – Normal lab values, blood products, anesthesia types, patient
positioning (10% of exam)
• Wound Closure & Hemostasis – Sutures, needles, wound healing, hemostatic techniques
• Surgical Procedures – General surgery, orthopedics, gynecology, cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, urology
• Professional Practice Knowledge – Code of ethics, scope of practice, OSHA/HIPAA (11% of exam)
• Patient Safety & Emergency Protocols – Risk management, emergency situations, BLS (3% of exam)
,Questions 1–200
1. The surgical assistant is preparing for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Which action should be
prioritized during the preoperative "time out" procedure?
A) Confirm that all surgical instruments are sterilized
B) Verify the correct patient, procedure, and surgical site
C) Ensure the operating room temperature is appropriate
D) Check that the surgeon's preference card is available
Answer B: Verify the correct patient, procedure, and surgical site
Rationale: The "time out" is a critical patient safety protocol requiring verification of correct patient,
procedure, and site per Joint Commission Universal Protocol. ---
2. Which surgical instrument is most commonly used to grasp dense fascia without causing
unnecessary tissue trauma?
A) Allis tissue forceps
B) Kocher (Ochsner) forceps
C) Babcock forceps
D) Debakey forceps
Answer B: Kocher (Ochsner) forceps
Rationale: Kocher forceps have teeth that provide a secure grip on dense fascia and tough tissue. ---
3. The primary purpose of maintaining the sterile field throughout surgery is to:
A) Improve visibility for the surgeon
B) Reduce operating room noise
C) Minimize the risk of surgical site infection by preventing microbial contamination
D) Shorten the duration of the operation
Answer C: Minimize the risk of surgical site infection by preventing microbial contamination
Rationale: Sterility is maintained to reduce contamination and lower infection risk. ---
4. Which layer of the abdominal wall is generally closed to provide the greatest wound strength
following a midline laparotomy?
A) Skin
,B) Subcutaneous tissue
C) Fascia (Linea alba)
D) Peritoneum
Answer C: Fascia (Linea alba)
Rationale: Fascial closure provides the primary tensile strength of abdominal incisions. ---
5. Which type of suture material is absorbed naturally through enzymatic digestion?
A) Polypropylene
B) Plain gut
C) Nylon
D) Polyester
Answer B: Plain gut
Rationale: Plain gut is an absorbable natural suture degraded by enzymatic action. ---
6. When positioning a patient for a thyroidectomy, which position provides optimal surgical
exposure while minimizing complications?
A) Supine with a roll under the knees
B) Reverse Trendelenburg with a shoulder roll
C) Prone with head fixation
D) Lateral decubitus with kidney rest
Answer B: Reverse Trendelenburg with a shoulder roll
Rationale: Reverse Trendelenburg with shoulder roll extends the neck for optimal thyroid exposure. ---
7. The surgical assistant is retracting during an abdominal procedure. Which principle of tissue
handling should be applied?
A) Use the sharpest retractor available for best exposure
B) Apply continuous firm pressure for consistent exposure
C) Use atraumatic technique with moist sponges and gentle retraction
D) Position retractors directly on major blood vessels
Answer C: Use atraumatic technique with moist sponges and gentle retraction
Rationale: Atraumatic tissue handling minimizes tissue damage, bleeding, and postoperative complications.
---
, 8. What is the primary goal of aseptic technique?
A) To sterilize all instruments
B) To prevent contamination of the surgical site by microorganisms
C) To reduce operating room noise
D) To speed up the surgical procedure
Answer B: To prevent contamination of the surgical site by microorganisms
Rationale: Aseptic technique aims to prevent microbial contamination of the surgical wound. ---
9. Which of the following is considered sterile?
A) The outer 1 inch of a sterile field
B) The center of a sterile field
C) A gloved hand below waist level
D) An instrument dropped on the floor
Answer B: The center of a sterile field
Rationale: Only the center of the sterile field is considered sterile; the outer 1-inch border is non-sterile. ---
10. The ligament that connects bone to bone is called a(n):
A) Tendon
B) Ligament
C) Fascia
D) Aponeurosis
Answer B: Ligament
Rationale: Ligaments connect bone to bone; tendons connect muscle to bone. ---
11. A patient with a fractured neck of the femur is at greatest risk for damage to which artery?
A) Femoral artery
B) Popliteal artery
C) Medial circumflex femoral artery
D) Obturator artery
Answer C: Medial circumflex femoral artery
Rationale: The medial circumflex femoral artery supplies the femoral head and is at risk with femoral neck
fractures. ---
