AST CST Prep Exam Form B 2025
UPDATED ACTUAL Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Which of the following is considered the MOST important skill for a surgical technologist?
A. management of specimens
B. management of sponges
C. maintaining an orderly setup
D. ensuring adequate lighting - CORRECT ANSWER - A. management of specimens
The surgical incision that allows for the BEST visualization for a Billroth I procedure is
A. McBurney's.
B. Pfannenstiel.
C. midline.
D. subcostal. - CORRECT ANSWER - C. midline
During the postoperative phase, the personnel primarily responsible for transporting soiled
instrumentation to decontamination is the
A. housekeeping staff.
B. anesthesia technician.
C. surgical technologist.
D. central processing technician. - CORRECT ANSWER - C. surgical technologist.
CSF is formed in the lateral ventricles of a patient and may not properly flow into the third
ventricle through the foramen of
A. Magendie into the fourth ventricle.
B. Monro into the fourth ventricle.
C. Sylvius into the fourth ventricle.
,D. Luschka into the fourth ventricle. - CORRECT ANSWER - C. Sylvius into the fourth
ventricle.
During an excisional biopsy of sentinel nodes, the surgical technologist should prepare
specimens using which of the following methods?
A. Place on a Raytec to be handed off to the circulator.
B. Separate on Telfa and pass to the circulator.
C. Place in separate containers and identify.
D. Place in specimen container held by the circulator using a hemostat. - CORRECT
ANSWER - C. Place in separate containers and identify.
A surgical technologist received the following medications onto the sterile field: 0.9% sodium
chloride, bacitracin 1 gm, and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine. Which of the following is the
MOST appropriate way to label these medications?
A. saline + bacitracin and .25 Marcaine + epinephrine
B. NACL + 1 gm baci and 0.25 marc w/epi
C. saline + baci and 0.25% marc with epi
D. 0.9% saline + 1 gm bacitracin and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine - CORRECT
ANSWER - D. 0.9% saline + 1 gm bacitracin and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine
A thyroidectomy that was done earlier in the day is being brought back for excessive bleeding
from the incision. Which of the following items are needed for this case?
A. Monocryl suture and harmonic scalpel
B. laps, silk ties, and hemoclips
C. Vicryl ties, pledgets, and Alexis
D. nylon suture, Raytec, and Geralds - CORRECT ANSWER - B. laps, silk ties, and
hemoclips
If there is any question related to handling a specific type of specimen, which of the following
departments should be consulted?
A. histology
,B. laboratory
C. pathology
D. radiology - CORRECT ANSWER - C. pathology
The required number of air exchanges per hour in an OR is
A. 5 to 10.
B. 15 to 25.
C. 30 to 35.
D. 40 to 50. - CORRECT ANSWER - B. 15 to 25.
A special-made instrument without a backup falls to the floor during a procedure. Which of the
following is the BEST reason to hesitate performing immediate-use sterilization?
A. The sterilizer is used for implantable devices, but not instruments.
B. The manufacturer's standards for sterilizing the instrument are unknown.
C. The staff feels uncomfortable transporting the unwrapped instrument to the OR after
sterilization.
D. There are no wrappers or pouches available for sterilizing the instrument. - CORRECT
ANSWER - B. The manufacturer's standards for sterilizing the instrument are unknown.
When transferring a thoracotomy patient to recovery, the chest drainage system should be
A. disconnected.
B. placed at the patient's side.
C. positioned above the patient's head.
D. maintained below the patient's chest level - CORRECT ANSWER - D. maintained
below the patient's chest level.
Which of the following procedures requires an incision in the suprasternal notch?
A. mediastinoscopy
B. bronchoscopy
, C. parotidectomy
D. pericardectomy - CORRECT ANSWER - A. mediastinoscopy
When preparing surgical specimens, in addition to the surgical technologist, who else is
responsible for accurately labeling the specimen?
A. surgeon and anesthesiologist
B. circulating nurse and first assistant
C. anesthesiologist and first assistant
D. surgeon and circulating nurse - CORRECT ANSWER - D. surgeon and circulating
nurse
A T-tube drain may be used following
A.a splenectomy.
B. a choledochotomy.
C. an appendectomy.
D. a herniorrhaphy. - CORRECT ANSWER - B. a choledochotomy.
When assisting with the closure of a skin incision and operating the skin stapler, the surgical
technologist places the staples through which two layers?
A. cuticular and subcuticular
B. subicular and subcutaneous
C. subcuticular and subcutaneous
D. subcutaneous and fascia - CORRECT ANSWER - A. cuticular and subcuticular
A type of regional anesthesia in which a tourniquet is applied and local anesthetic is administered
intravenously is called a
A. Bier block.
B. peripheral nerve block.
C. MAC.
UPDATED ACTUAL Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Which of the following is considered the MOST important skill for a surgical technologist?
A. management of specimens
B. management of sponges
C. maintaining an orderly setup
D. ensuring adequate lighting - CORRECT ANSWER - A. management of specimens
The surgical incision that allows for the BEST visualization for a Billroth I procedure is
A. McBurney's.
B. Pfannenstiel.
C. midline.
D. subcostal. - CORRECT ANSWER - C. midline
During the postoperative phase, the personnel primarily responsible for transporting soiled
instrumentation to decontamination is the
A. housekeeping staff.
B. anesthesia technician.
C. surgical technologist.
D. central processing technician. - CORRECT ANSWER - C. surgical technologist.
CSF is formed in the lateral ventricles of a patient and may not properly flow into the third
ventricle through the foramen of
A. Magendie into the fourth ventricle.
B. Monro into the fourth ventricle.
C. Sylvius into the fourth ventricle.
,D. Luschka into the fourth ventricle. - CORRECT ANSWER - C. Sylvius into the fourth
ventricle.
During an excisional biopsy of sentinel nodes, the surgical technologist should prepare
specimens using which of the following methods?
A. Place on a Raytec to be handed off to the circulator.
B. Separate on Telfa and pass to the circulator.
C. Place in separate containers and identify.
D. Place in specimen container held by the circulator using a hemostat. - CORRECT
ANSWER - C. Place in separate containers and identify.
A surgical technologist received the following medications onto the sterile field: 0.9% sodium
chloride, bacitracin 1 gm, and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine. Which of the following is the
MOST appropriate way to label these medications?
A. saline + bacitracin and .25 Marcaine + epinephrine
B. NACL + 1 gm baci and 0.25 marc w/epi
C. saline + baci and 0.25% marc with epi
D. 0.9% saline + 1 gm bacitracin and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine - CORRECT
ANSWER - D. 0.9% saline + 1 gm bacitracin and 0.25% Marcaine with epinephrine
A thyroidectomy that was done earlier in the day is being brought back for excessive bleeding
from the incision. Which of the following items are needed for this case?
A. Monocryl suture and harmonic scalpel
B. laps, silk ties, and hemoclips
C. Vicryl ties, pledgets, and Alexis
D. nylon suture, Raytec, and Geralds - CORRECT ANSWER - B. laps, silk ties, and
hemoclips
If there is any question related to handling a specific type of specimen, which of the following
departments should be consulted?
A. histology
,B. laboratory
C. pathology
D. radiology - CORRECT ANSWER - C. pathology
The required number of air exchanges per hour in an OR is
A. 5 to 10.
B. 15 to 25.
C. 30 to 35.
D. 40 to 50. - CORRECT ANSWER - B. 15 to 25.
A special-made instrument without a backup falls to the floor during a procedure. Which of the
following is the BEST reason to hesitate performing immediate-use sterilization?
A. The sterilizer is used for implantable devices, but not instruments.
B. The manufacturer's standards for sterilizing the instrument are unknown.
C. The staff feels uncomfortable transporting the unwrapped instrument to the OR after
sterilization.
D. There are no wrappers or pouches available for sterilizing the instrument. - CORRECT
ANSWER - B. The manufacturer's standards for sterilizing the instrument are unknown.
When transferring a thoracotomy patient to recovery, the chest drainage system should be
A. disconnected.
B. placed at the patient's side.
C. positioned above the patient's head.
D. maintained below the patient's chest level - CORRECT ANSWER - D. maintained
below the patient's chest level.
Which of the following procedures requires an incision in the suprasternal notch?
A. mediastinoscopy
B. bronchoscopy
, C. parotidectomy
D. pericardectomy - CORRECT ANSWER - A. mediastinoscopy
When preparing surgical specimens, in addition to the surgical technologist, who else is
responsible for accurately labeling the specimen?
A. surgeon and anesthesiologist
B. circulating nurse and first assistant
C. anesthesiologist and first assistant
D. surgeon and circulating nurse - CORRECT ANSWER - D. surgeon and circulating
nurse
A T-tube drain may be used following
A.a splenectomy.
B. a choledochotomy.
C. an appendectomy.
D. a herniorrhaphy. - CORRECT ANSWER - B. a choledochotomy.
When assisting with the closure of a skin incision and operating the skin stapler, the surgical
technologist places the staples through which two layers?
A. cuticular and subcuticular
B. subicular and subcutaneous
C. subcuticular and subcutaneous
D. subcutaneous and fascia - CORRECT ANSWER - A. cuticular and subcuticular
A type of regional anesthesia in which a tourniquet is applied and local anesthetic is administered
intravenously is called a
A. Bier block.
B. peripheral nerve block.
C. MAC.
