Page 1 of 73
AMERICAN BOARD OF SURGICAL ASSISTANTS (ABSA) SA-C
CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
DETAILED RATIONALES GRADED A+
American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA) SA-C Certification Examination
Section 1: Preoperative Assessment & Preparation (Questions 1–40)
1. During a surgical procedure, who is responsible for confirming that the surgical consent
form is properly completed and signed?
A. The surgeon
B. The surgical assistant
C. The circulating nurse
D. The anesthesia provider
Rationale: C. The circulating nurse is responsible for verifying that the surgical consent form is
properly completed and signed, confirming the patient's understanding, and ensuring the
correct procedure and site are documented.
2. The "Time Out" protocol is performed to verify which of the following?
A. The patient's insurance information
B. Correct patient, procedure, and surgical site
C. The patient's allergy history only
D. The availability of blood products
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Rationale: B. The Universal Protocol "Time Out" is a final verification immediately before the
procedure to confirm the correct patient, correct procedure, and correct surgical site.
3. When positioning a patient for a thyroidectomy, which position is most appropriate?
A. Supine with arms at sides
B. Reverse Trendelenburg with a shoulder roll
C. Trendelenburg position
D. Prone position
Rationale: B. Thyroidectomy is performed in the Reverse Trendelenburg position with a
shoulder roll to extend the neck and optimize surgical exposure.
4. What is the primary purpose of surgical site marking before a procedure?
A. To identify the patient's blood type
B. To prevent wrong-site surgery
C. To indicate the anesthesia plan
D. To document the surgical time
Rationale: B. Surgical site marking is a critical component of the Universal Protocol designed
to prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient surgery.
5. A patient scheduled for surgery has a hemoglobin of 9.5 g/dL. What is the surgical
assistant's appropriate action?
A. Proceed with surgery as scheduled
B. Notify the surgeon and anesthesia provider of the abnormal value
C. Administer iron supplementation
D. Document the finding and continue
Rationale: B. Anemia can increase surgical risk. The surgical assistant should notify the
surgeon and anesthesia provider of any abnormal preoperative laboratory values.
6. Which of the following is considered a critical preoperative laboratory value that may delay
surgery?
A. INR of 2.5 in a patient on warfarin
B. Hemoglobin of 14 g/dL
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C. Platelet count of 250,000/mm³
D. Serum potassium of 4.0 mEq/L
Rationale: A. An elevated INR indicates increased bleeding risk and may require correction or
delay of surgery.
7. When preparing a patient for a Cesarean section, which preoperative consideration is most
important?
A. Ensuring the patient has been NPO for at least 6-8 hours
B. Administering a laxative
C. Performing a bowel prep
D. Obtaining a chest X-ray
Rationale: A. NPO status is critical before Cesarean section to reduce the risk of aspiration
during anesthesia.
8. What is the correct sequence for applying surgical prep solution?
A. From the incision site outward in a circular motion
B. From the periphery toward the incision site
C. In a back-and-forth motion
D. From the incision site downward
Rationale: A. Surgical prep solution is applied from the incision site outward in a circular
motion to prevent contamination of the incision area.
9. Which patient position is most appropriate for a lumbar laminectomy?
A. Supine
B. Prone or lateral decubitus
C. Trendelenburg
D. Lithotomy
Rationale: B. Lumbar laminectomy is typically performed in the prone or lateral decubitus
position to provide optimal access to the posterior spine.
10. A patient is scheduled for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Which position is typically
used?
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A. Supine
B. Reverse Trendelenburg with left tilt
C. Trendelenburg
D. Lithotomy
Rationale: B. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy uses Reverse Trendelenburg with a left tilt to
allow gravity to displace the abdominal contents away from the gallbladder.
11. What is the primary purpose of a preoperative checklist?
A. To document the surgeon's credentials
B. To ensure all necessary preparations are complete before surgery
C. To record the patient's financial information
D. To schedule postoperative appointments
Rationale: B. The preoperative checklist ensures that all necessary preparations (consent,
labs, NPO status, site marking, etc.) are complete before the patient enters the operating
room.
12. Which of the following is a surgical assistant's responsibility during the preoperative
phase?
A. Prescribing preoperative medications
B. Performing the surgical procedure
C. Verifying patient identification and surgical site
D. Administering anesthesia
Rationale: C. The surgical assistant participates in verifying patient identification and surgical
site as part of the surgical safety checklist.
13. When should the surgical assistant perform the surgical hand scrub?
A. Immediately upon entering the operating room
B. Before donning the sterile gown and gloves
C. After donning the sterile gown and gloves
D. After the patient is draped
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AMERICAN BOARD OF SURGICAL ASSISTANTS (ABSA) SA-C
CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
DETAILED RATIONALES GRADED A+
American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA) SA-C Certification Examination
Section 1: Preoperative Assessment & Preparation (Questions 1–40)
1. During a surgical procedure, who is responsible for confirming that the surgical consent
form is properly completed and signed?
A. The surgeon
B. The surgical assistant
C. The circulating nurse
D. The anesthesia provider
Rationale: C. The circulating nurse is responsible for verifying that the surgical consent form is
properly completed and signed, confirming the patient's understanding, and ensuring the
correct procedure and site are documented.
2. The "Time Out" protocol is performed to verify which of the following?
A. The patient's insurance information
B. Correct patient, procedure, and surgical site
C. The patient's allergy history only
D. The availability of blood products
1|Page
,Page 2 of 73
Rationale: B. The Universal Protocol "Time Out" is a final verification immediately before the
procedure to confirm the correct patient, correct procedure, and correct surgical site.
3. When positioning a patient for a thyroidectomy, which position is most appropriate?
A. Supine with arms at sides
B. Reverse Trendelenburg with a shoulder roll
C. Trendelenburg position
D. Prone position
Rationale: B. Thyroidectomy is performed in the Reverse Trendelenburg position with a
shoulder roll to extend the neck and optimize surgical exposure.
4. What is the primary purpose of surgical site marking before a procedure?
A. To identify the patient's blood type
B. To prevent wrong-site surgery
C. To indicate the anesthesia plan
D. To document the surgical time
Rationale: B. Surgical site marking is a critical component of the Universal Protocol designed
to prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient surgery.
5. A patient scheduled for surgery has a hemoglobin of 9.5 g/dL. What is the surgical
assistant's appropriate action?
A. Proceed with surgery as scheduled
B. Notify the surgeon and anesthesia provider of the abnormal value
C. Administer iron supplementation
D. Document the finding and continue
Rationale: B. Anemia can increase surgical risk. The surgical assistant should notify the
surgeon and anesthesia provider of any abnormal preoperative laboratory values.
6. Which of the following is considered a critical preoperative laboratory value that may delay
surgery?
A. INR of 2.5 in a patient on warfarin
B. Hemoglobin of 14 g/dL
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C. Platelet count of 250,000/mm³
D. Serum potassium of 4.0 mEq/L
Rationale: A. An elevated INR indicates increased bleeding risk and may require correction or
delay of surgery.
7. When preparing a patient for a Cesarean section, which preoperative consideration is most
important?
A. Ensuring the patient has been NPO for at least 6-8 hours
B. Administering a laxative
C. Performing a bowel prep
D. Obtaining a chest X-ray
Rationale: A. NPO status is critical before Cesarean section to reduce the risk of aspiration
during anesthesia.
8. What is the correct sequence for applying surgical prep solution?
A. From the incision site outward in a circular motion
B. From the periphery toward the incision site
C. In a back-and-forth motion
D. From the incision site downward
Rationale: A. Surgical prep solution is applied from the incision site outward in a circular
motion to prevent contamination of the incision area.
9. Which patient position is most appropriate for a lumbar laminectomy?
A. Supine
B. Prone or lateral decubitus
C. Trendelenburg
D. Lithotomy
Rationale: B. Lumbar laminectomy is typically performed in the prone or lateral decubitus
position to provide optimal access to the posterior spine.
10. A patient is scheduled for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Which position is typically
used?
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A. Supine
B. Reverse Trendelenburg with left tilt
C. Trendelenburg
D. Lithotomy
Rationale: B. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy uses Reverse Trendelenburg with a left tilt to
allow gravity to displace the abdominal contents away from the gallbladder.
11. What is the primary purpose of a preoperative checklist?
A. To document the surgeon's credentials
B. To ensure all necessary preparations are complete before surgery
C. To record the patient's financial information
D. To schedule postoperative appointments
Rationale: B. The preoperative checklist ensures that all necessary preparations (consent,
labs, NPO status, site marking, etc.) are complete before the patient enters the operating
room.
12. Which of the following is a surgical assistant's responsibility during the preoperative
phase?
A. Prescribing preoperative medications
B. Performing the surgical procedure
C. Verifying patient identification and surgical site
D. Administering anesthesia
Rationale: C. The surgical assistant participates in verifying patient identification and surgical
site as part of the surgical safety checklist.
13. When should the surgical assistant perform the surgical hand scrub?
A. Immediately upon entering the operating room
B. Before donning the sterile gown and gloves
C. After donning the sterile gown and gloves
D. After the patient is draped
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