American Board of Surgical Assistants (ABSA) Certification
Practice Exam 2026 Original Practice Questions | Correct
Answers & Rationales
1. Before the surgical incision is made, the surgical assistant's primary responsibility
is to ensure that:
A. The operative note has already been completed.
B. The correct patient, procedure, site, and required equipment have been verified
according to the surgical safety checklist. ✅
C. The wound dressing has been applied.
D. The patient has recovered from anesthesia.
Rationale: Verification through the surgical safety checklist helps prevent wrong-site, wrong-
patient, and wrong-procedure surgeries.
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
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.
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
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
Rationale: Plain gut is an absorbable natural suture degraded by enzymatic action.
, 6. During surgery, unexpected arterial bleeding occurs. What should the surgical
assistant do first?
A. Continue retracting tissue.
B. Apply direct pressure while assisting the surgeon in achieving hemostasis. ✅
C. Close the incision immediately.
D. Request skin staples.
Rationale: Immediate pressure helps control bleeding until definitive hemostasis is
achieved.
7. Which instrument is specifically designed to hold a curved surgical needle
securely during suturing?
A. Mosquito clamp
B. Kelly clamp
C. Mayo-Hegar needle holder ✅
D. Allis clamp
Rationale: Needle holders securely grasp needles during suturing.
8. Which patient position is most commonly used for abdominal surgical
procedures?
A. Lithotomy
B. Supine ✅
Practice Exam 2026 Original Practice Questions | Correct
Answers & Rationales
1. Before the surgical incision is made, the surgical assistant's primary responsibility
is to ensure that:
A. The operative note has already been completed.
B. The correct patient, procedure, site, and required equipment have been verified
according to the surgical safety checklist. ✅
C. The wound dressing has been applied.
D. The patient has recovered from anesthesia.
Rationale: Verification through the surgical safety checklist helps prevent wrong-site, wrong-
patient, and wrong-procedure surgeries.
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
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.
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
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
Rationale: Plain gut is an absorbable natural suture degraded by enzymatic action.
, 6. During surgery, unexpected arterial bleeding occurs. What should the surgical
assistant do first?
A. Continue retracting tissue.
B. Apply direct pressure while assisting the surgeon in achieving hemostasis. ✅
C. Close the incision immediately.
D. Request skin staples.
Rationale: Immediate pressure helps control bleeding until definitive hemostasis is
achieved.
7. Which instrument is specifically designed to hold a curved surgical needle
securely during suturing?
A. Mosquito clamp
B. Kelly clamp
C. Mayo-Hegar needle holder ✅
D. Allis clamp
Rationale: Needle holders securely grasp needles during suturing.
8. Which patient position is most commonly used for abdominal surgical
procedures?
A. Lithotomy
B. Supine ✅
