NBSTSA CST EXAM REVIEW 2025-
2026 MASTER QUESTIONS & 100%
CORRECT ANSWERS
Unlock your pathway to passing the Certified Surgical Technologist
exam with this ultimate master study bank explicitly engineered for
the 2025/2026 NBSTSA blueprint. Every high-yield multiple-choice
question features italicized correct answers and comprehensive,
bold-italicized rationales to guarantee maximum conceptual retention.
Perfect for rapid self-testing, this premium review file covers high-
traffic exam domains including advanced surgical pharmacology,
perioperative case management, sterilization microbiology, and
clinical anatomy.
1. Which of the following biological indicators is
used to verify the efficiency of a steam
sterilization cycle?
A) Bacillus atrophaeus
B) Clostridium perfringens
C) Geobacillus stearothermophilus
D) Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Rationale: Geobacillus stearothermophilus
spores are highly resistant to moist heat,
making them the standard biological
indicator for monitoring steam autoclaves.
Bacillus atrophaeus is used for ethylene
oxide and dry heat.
2. During a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which
gas is universally used to achieve
, pneumoperitoneum?
A) Oxygen
B) Carbon dioxide
C) Nitrogen
D) Nitrous oxide
Rationale: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is non-
flammable, inexpensive, and rapidly
absorbed by the body's tissues and exhaled
via the lungs, making it the safest option for
laparoscopic insufflation.
3. What is the correct sequence of counts
performed during an open abdominal
procedure?
A) Surgical field, Mayo stand, back table, off-
field/kick bucket
B) Back table, Mayo stand, surgical field, off-
field/kick bucket
C) Mayo stand, back table, surgical field, off-
field/kick bucket
D) Off-field/kick bucket, back table, Mayo stand,
surgical field
Rationale: Counts must always begin at the
immediate surgical field (incision site),
progress to the Mayo stand, move to the
, back table, and conclude with items
discarded off the sterile field.
4. A patient undergoing a total hip arthroplasty is at
risk for joint dislocation postoperatively. Which
device is used to maintain correct alignment?
A) Sequential compression sleeves
B) Abduction pillow
C) Footboard
D) Wilson frame
Rationale: An abduction pillow or wedge
prevents the patient's legs from adducting or
crossing the midline, which protects the
surgical site from posterior dislocation of the
femoral head.
5. What is the specific pharmacological reversal
agent administered to counteract the effects of
systemic heparin?
A) Vitamin K
B) Protamine zinc
C) Protamine sulfate
D) Aminocaproic acid
Rationale: Protamine sulfate is a highly
alkaline protein that binds with strongly
acidic heparin to form a stable, inactive salt
, complex, immediately reversing
anticoagulation.
6. Which cranial nerve is responsible for the
sensory function of vision?
A) Cranial Nerve I
B) Cranial Nerve II
C) Cranial Nerve III
D) Cranial Nerve IV
Rationale: Cranial Nerve II is the optic nerve,
which transmits visual data from the retina to
the brain. Cranial Nerve I is olfactory (smell).
7. Improper positioning in the lithotomy position
using stirrups can compress the lateral aspect of
the knee, injuring which nerve?
A) Sciatic nerve
B) Saphenous nerve
C) Common peroneal nerve
D) Obturator nerve
Rationale: The common peroneal (fibular)
nerve wraps around the neck of the fibula;
prolonged pressure against stirrup bars can
cause nerve compression leading to foot
drop.
8. During a myringotomy, in which quadrant of the
tympanic membrane is the incision typically
2026 MASTER QUESTIONS & 100%
CORRECT ANSWERS
Unlock your pathway to passing the Certified Surgical Technologist
exam with this ultimate master study bank explicitly engineered for
the 2025/2026 NBSTSA blueprint. Every high-yield multiple-choice
question features italicized correct answers and comprehensive,
bold-italicized rationales to guarantee maximum conceptual retention.
Perfect for rapid self-testing, this premium review file covers high-
traffic exam domains including advanced surgical pharmacology,
perioperative case management, sterilization microbiology, and
clinical anatomy.
1. Which of the following biological indicators is
used to verify the efficiency of a steam
sterilization cycle?
A) Bacillus atrophaeus
B) Clostridium perfringens
C) Geobacillus stearothermophilus
D) Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Rationale: Geobacillus stearothermophilus
spores are highly resistant to moist heat,
making them the standard biological
indicator for monitoring steam autoclaves.
Bacillus atrophaeus is used for ethylene
oxide and dry heat.
2. During a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which
gas is universally used to achieve
, pneumoperitoneum?
A) Oxygen
B) Carbon dioxide
C) Nitrogen
D) Nitrous oxide
Rationale: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is non-
flammable, inexpensive, and rapidly
absorbed by the body's tissues and exhaled
via the lungs, making it the safest option for
laparoscopic insufflation.
3. What is the correct sequence of counts
performed during an open abdominal
procedure?
A) Surgical field, Mayo stand, back table, off-
field/kick bucket
B) Back table, Mayo stand, surgical field, off-
field/kick bucket
C) Mayo stand, back table, surgical field, off-
field/kick bucket
D) Off-field/kick bucket, back table, Mayo stand,
surgical field
Rationale: Counts must always begin at the
immediate surgical field (incision site),
progress to the Mayo stand, move to the
, back table, and conclude with items
discarded off the sterile field.
4. A patient undergoing a total hip arthroplasty is at
risk for joint dislocation postoperatively. Which
device is used to maintain correct alignment?
A) Sequential compression sleeves
B) Abduction pillow
C) Footboard
D) Wilson frame
Rationale: An abduction pillow or wedge
prevents the patient's legs from adducting or
crossing the midline, which protects the
surgical site from posterior dislocation of the
femoral head.
5. What is the specific pharmacological reversal
agent administered to counteract the effects of
systemic heparin?
A) Vitamin K
B) Protamine zinc
C) Protamine sulfate
D) Aminocaproic acid
Rationale: Protamine sulfate is a highly
alkaline protein that binds with strongly
acidic heparin to form a stable, inactive salt
, complex, immediately reversing
anticoagulation.
6. Which cranial nerve is responsible for the
sensory function of vision?
A) Cranial Nerve I
B) Cranial Nerve II
C) Cranial Nerve III
D) Cranial Nerve IV
Rationale: Cranial Nerve II is the optic nerve,
which transmits visual data from the retina to
the brain. Cranial Nerve I is olfactory (smell).
7. Improper positioning in the lithotomy position
using stirrups can compress the lateral aspect of
the knee, injuring which nerve?
A) Sciatic nerve
B) Saphenous nerve
C) Common peroneal nerve
D) Obturator nerve
Rationale: The common peroneal (fibular)
nerve wraps around the neck of the fibula;
prolonged pressure against stirrup bars can
cause nerve compression leading to foot
drop.
8. During a myringotomy, in which quadrant of the
tympanic membrane is the incision typically
