NBSTSA Practice Exam B Questions and
Answers Graded A+
1. 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
2. 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.
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,D. central processing technician. - Correct answer-C. Surgical technologist
3. 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
4. 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
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,5. 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
6. 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
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, 7. 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
8. 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
9. The required number of air exchanges per hour in an OR is
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Answers Graded A+
1. 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
2. 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.
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,D. central processing technician. - Correct answer-C. Surgical technologist
3. 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
4. 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
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,5. 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
6. 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
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, 7. 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
8. 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
9. The required number of air exchanges per hour in an OR is
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