NCCT SURGICAL TECH EXAM REVIEW Questions and Answers
|Fall 2026/2027 Update | 100% Correct Latest (Graded A+)
Question 1
An 85-year-old patient is currently in the operating room under general anesthesia for a right hip arthroplasty. Which of
the following will best help to prevent perioperative positioning injuries?
Ensure all bony prominences are sufficiently padded.
Make sure that the implant is appropriately sized for the patient.
Be attentive to intraoperative signs of discomfort or distress.
Use a body warming blanket during the pre-operative phase.
Correct Answer
Ensure all bony prominences are sufficiently padded.
Rationale: Elderly patients are likely to have pressure ulcers develop if bony prominences are not cushioned and
protected from the hard surface of the operating room table. Their skin is delicate and fragile due to their age, and other
conditions such as diabetes, or poor circulation.
Page 1 of 50
,Question 2
The surgical technologist is opening for a procedure and notices the wrapped item she just opened has a hole in the outer
layer. Which of the following is the proper course of action?
Open the inner layer onto the sterile field.
Discard the item and retrieve a new one.
Check the indicator to ensure the item has been sterilized.
Place the package on a prep stand and open away from the sterile field.
Correct Answer
Discard the item and retrieve a new one.
Rationale: If the integrity of the package has been compromised, it should not be taken on the sterile field. When in
doubt throw it out and get a new one. If the package has a hole it should never be used. If it was taken onto the sterile
field it would contaminate the whole field.
Question 3
Before medications or solutions are poured onto the sterile field, the surgical technologist should verify which of the
following? (Select the three (3) correct answers.)
Patient
Date
Medication
Dosage
Procedure
Correct Answer
Date, Medication, Dosage
Rationale: Correct patient and procedure are the responsibility of the circulator prior to obtaining medication. Expiration
date, name of medication and dosage must be communicated during transfer of medication by the circulator and
surgical technician to reduce medication errors.
Page 2 of 50
,Question 4
The surgical technologist has just completed scrubbing for a right knee arthroscopy. As the surgeon takes down the
tourniquet, and the surgical technologist begins to breakdown the back table, a plume of smoke is seen coming from the
sterile field. Which of the following is the most likely source of this smoke?
The light source was left on and the drape is igniting.
The iodine is still damp and is igniting from use of the cautery pencil.
Lactated ringers was used for irrigation instead of glycine.
A faulty grounding pad is in place.
Correct Answer
The light source was left on and the drape is igniting.
Rationale: The light source with the fiber-optic beam, along with a paper drape, would be where the smoke plume was
coming from because of the heat. Iodine and lactated ringers are not a flammable liquids and would not be the source of
the heat. A faulty ground pad would not be the source of the heat since it's not working properly.
Page 3 of 50
, Question 5
Before medications or solutions are poured onto the sterile field, the surgical technologist should verify which of the
following? (Select the three (3) correct answers.)
Patient
Date
Medication
Dosage
Procedure
Correct Answer
Date, Medication, Dosage
Rationale: Correct patient and procedure are the responsibility of the circulator prior to obtaining medication. Expiration
date, name of medication and dosage must be communicated during transfer of medication by the circulator and
surgical technician to reduce medication errors.
Question 6
The surgical technologist has just completed scrubbing for a right knee arthroscopy. As the surgeon takes down the
tourniquet, and the surgical technologist begins to breakdown the back table, a plume of smoke is seen coming from the
sterile field. Which of the following is the most likely source of this smoke?
The light source was left on and the drape is igniting.
The iodine is still damp and is igniting from use of the cautery pencil.
Lactated ringers was used for irrigation instead of glycine.
A faulty grounding pad is in place.
Correct Answer
The light source was left on and the drape is igniting.
Rationale: The light source with the fiber-optic beam, along with a paper drape, would be where the smoke plume was
coming from because of the heat. Iodine and lactated ringers are not a flammable liquids and would not be the source of
the heat. A faulty ground pad would not be the source of the heat since it's not working properly.
Page 4 of 50
|Fall 2026/2027 Update | 100% Correct Latest (Graded A+)
Question 1
An 85-year-old patient is currently in the operating room under general anesthesia for a right hip arthroplasty. Which of
the following will best help to prevent perioperative positioning injuries?
Ensure all bony prominences are sufficiently padded.
Make sure that the implant is appropriately sized for the patient.
Be attentive to intraoperative signs of discomfort or distress.
Use a body warming blanket during the pre-operative phase.
Correct Answer
Ensure all bony prominences are sufficiently padded.
Rationale: Elderly patients are likely to have pressure ulcers develop if bony prominences are not cushioned and
protected from the hard surface of the operating room table. Their skin is delicate and fragile due to their age, and other
conditions such as diabetes, or poor circulation.
Page 1 of 50
,Question 2
The surgical technologist is opening for a procedure and notices the wrapped item she just opened has a hole in the outer
layer. Which of the following is the proper course of action?
Open the inner layer onto the sterile field.
Discard the item and retrieve a new one.
Check the indicator to ensure the item has been sterilized.
Place the package on a prep stand and open away from the sterile field.
Correct Answer
Discard the item and retrieve a new one.
Rationale: If the integrity of the package has been compromised, it should not be taken on the sterile field. When in
doubt throw it out and get a new one. If the package has a hole it should never be used. If it was taken onto the sterile
field it would contaminate the whole field.
Question 3
Before medications or solutions are poured onto the sterile field, the surgical technologist should verify which of the
following? (Select the three (3) correct answers.)
Patient
Date
Medication
Dosage
Procedure
Correct Answer
Date, Medication, Dosage
Rationale: Correct patient and procedure are the responsibility of the circulator prior to obtaining medication. Expiration
date, name of medication and dosage must be communicated during transfer of medication by the circulator and
surgical technician to reduce medication errors.
Page 2 of 50
,Question 4
The surgical technologist has just completed scrubbing for a right knee arthroscopy. As the surgeon takes down the
tourniquet, and the surgical technologist begins to breakdown the back table, a plume of smoke is seen coming from the
sterile field. Which of the following is the most likely source of this smoke?
The light source was left on and the drape is igniting.
The iodine is still damp and is igniting from use of the cautery pencil.
Lactated ringers was used for irrigation instead of glycine.
A faulty grounding pad is in place.
Correct Answer
The light source was left on and the drape is igniting.
Rationale: The light source with the fiber-optic beam, along with a paper drape, would be where the smoke plume was
coming from because of the heat. Iodine and lactated ringers are not a flammable liquids and would not be the source of
the heat. A faulty ground pad would not be the source of the heat since it's not working properly.
Page 3 of 50
, Question 5
Before medications or solutions are poured onto the sterile field, the surgical technologist should verify which of the
following? (Select the three (3) correct answers.)
Patient
Date
Medication
Dosage
Procedure
Correct Answer
Date, Medication, Dosage
Rationale: Correct patient and procedure are the responsibility of the circulator prior to obtaining medication. Expiration
date, name of medication and dosage must be communicated during transfer of medication by the circulator and
surgical technician to reduce medication errors.
Question 6
The surgical technologist has just completed scrubbing for a right knee arthroscopy. As the surgeon takes down the
tourniquet, and the surgical technologist begins to breakdown the back table, a plume of smoke is seen coming from the
sterile field. Which of the following is the most likely source of this smoke?
The light source was left on and the drape is igniting.
The iodine is still damp and is igniting from use of the cautery pencil.
Lactated ringers was used for irrigation instead of glycine.
A faulty grounding pad is in place.
Correct Answer
The light source was left on and the drape is igniting.
Rationale: The light source with the fiber-optic beam, along with a paper drape, would be where the smoke plume was
coming from because of the heat. Iodine and lactated ringers are not a flammable liquids and would not be the source of
the heat. A faulty ground pad would not be the source of the heat since it's not working properly.
Page 4 of 50
