Bq
CNOR Exam Questions and Answers
Updated 2026
CriticalBitemsB-BAnswermustBbeBsterileBandBwillBenterBsterileBtissueBorBtheBvascularBsystem
Semi-criticalB-BAnswershouldBbeBsterileBbutBhigh-
levelBdisinfectionBisBacceptableBifBmanufacturer'sBinstructionsBrequire
contactsBbrokenBskinBorBmucousBmembranes
SterilizationB-BAnswerkillsBeverything
High-levelBdisinfectionB-BAnswerkillsBeverythingBbutBspores
Non-criticalB-BAnswerIntermediateBorBlow-
levelBdisinfectionBorBcleaning;BwillBcomeBinBcontactBwithBskin
CriticalBexamplesB-
BAnswerinstruments,BcuttingBendoscopicBaccessoriesBandBscopes,BcardiacBandBurinaryBcatheter
s,Bneedles
Semi-criticalBexamplesB-BAnswerRT/anesthesiaBequipment,Bbronchoscopes/GIBendoscopes
Non-criticalBexamplesB-BAnswerORBbeds,Blinens,Btourniquets
SPDBworkflowB-BAnswerDecon,BprepB+Bpack,BsterileBprocessing,BcleanBdistribution/storage
SPDBlayoutB-
BAnswerMustBhaveBaBphysicalBseparationBbetweenBaBdeconBandBprocessingBarea;BnegativeBpr
essureBinBdeconBandBpositiveBpressureBinBsterileBside
DeconBofBinstrumentsB-BAnswercleaningBisBtheBmostBcriticalBstepBtoBpreventBinfection
pre-treatingBisBrecommendedBwithBnon-
dryingBenzymaticBagentBtoBpreventBbiofilmBonBinstruments
,Bq
disassembleBanythingBthatBcanBbeB
brushBlumens,Bchannels,Bcrevices,BandBjoints
brushBmustBhaveBdiameterBofBlumenBandBgoBthroughBentireBlengthBofBlumen
AutomatedBcleaningB-BAnswerwasherBandBultrasonic,BmoreBeffectiveBthanBmanualBcleaning
Pre-vacB(DynamicBairBremoval)B-BAnswersucksBairBoutBofBchamber
cleanBdrainsBareBessentialB
270-276BdegreesBFB
porous/lumenBitemsBinBforB4Bmins
nonporousBitemsBinBforB3Bmins
GravityBdisplacementBautoclaveB-BAnswersteamBforcesBairBfromBchamberB
thermometerBclosesBdrainB
270-276BdegreesBFB
porous/lumenBitemsBinBforB10BminsB
nonporousBitemsBinBforB3BminsB
alwaysBfollowBIFUs
HowBdoByouBavoidBcondensationBwhenBsterilizingBitems?B-
BAnswerAllowBairflowBbetweenBtraysB
removeBloadsBimmediatelyB(leavingBdoorBajarBtoBcoolBincreasesBlikelihoodBofBcondensation)
Don'tBputBhotBitemsBonBaBcoolBsolidBsurfaceBorBrackB
IfBcondensationBoccursBandBtheBitemsBareBmoist,BtheyBareBconsideredBunsterile
WhatBareBtheB6BchemicalBindicators?B-BAnswer1.BheatB
2.Bpressure
3.BsingleBparameter
4.Bmulti-parameter
5.BintegratedB(allBparametersBlikeBtime,Btemp,BpressureBandBqualityBofBsteam)
6.BemulatingBindicatorB(allBparametersBofBaBparticularBstyleBlikeBmanufacturerBforBspecificBaut
oclaveBforBaBspecificBcycle
,Bq
WhatBindicatorBareBexternalBindicators?B-BAnswer1B-Bheat
WhatBindicatorBareBBowieBdickBtests?B-BAnswer2B-BpressureB(usedBwithBpre-vac)
IUSSB-BAnswernoBpackaging,BwrappedBitemsBorBtextilesBdueBtoBanBabbreviatedBdryBtime
sameBdeconBprocess
rigidBsterilizationBcontainersBwithBlid
mustBuseBaBclassB5BchemicalBindicatorB
neverBanBimplantBunlessBemergentB
sterilizationBlogBmustBbeBkeptBforBpatientBsafety
WhatBhappensBifBtheBIUSSBfails?B-BAnswerIfBaBQCBfails,BrunB3BconsecutiveBaBsporeBtestsB
IfBoneBfailsBagain,BbiomedBchecksBIUSSBandBhasBtoBpassB3BconsecutiveBtestsBtoBuseBitBagain
GluteraldehydeB-BAnswercoldBsterilization
POCBuseBonlyB
TakesB10BhoursBofBimmersionB
BadBforBinstrumentsBdueBtoBpittingB
SuboptimalBformBofBsterilizationBdueBtoBenvironmentalBproblemsBandBpoorBeaseBofBuse
EthyleneBoxideB-BAnswercoldBandBdryBformBofBsterilization
forBheatB+BmoistureBsensitiveBitemsB(99-145BdegreeBFBandB45-75%Bhumidity)
2-5BhoursBexposure
8-12BhourBaerationBtimeB
HumanBcarcinogenB(exposureBlimitedBtoB1PPMBinBanB8BhrBperiod)
LumensBmustBbeBcompletelyBdryB(greatBforBfoleys)
BannedBinBEuropeBinB1980sB
BannedBinB2030BinBUS
EnvironmentallyBhazardousB
WillBmakeBantifreezeBwithBwaterB
, Bq
TypicallyBinBmanufacturingBplants
LowBTempBHydrogenBPeroxideBPlasmaBSterilizationB(akaBSterrad)B-
BAnswerUseBforBheatB+BmoistureBsensitiveBitems
NoBaerationBcycleBneededB-BdryBsterilizationB
CycleBtimeB75Bmins
EnvironmentallyBsoundB
PeroxideBmistBintoBchamberBwithBelectricalBcurrentB
WillBsterilizeBlumensBbyBconnectingBtoBportBsite
PeraceticBacidB-BAnswerAutomatedBEndoscopeBReprocessorB(AER)B-BGI
ForBitemsBthatBcanBbeBimmersedB
CorrosiveBtoBinstrumentsBandBpeopleB
TempB120-130BdegreesBF
20-30Bmins
MicroBfilteredBtapBwaterBrinsesBxB4BtoBturnBitBbackBtoBvinegarB
MustBhaveBlogB
SterilizesBusingBacidityB
VinegarBwithBextraBhydrogenBtoBmakeBitBveryBacidic
OzoneB-BAnswerlowBtempBsterilization
onlyBoneBmanufacturerBinBtheBUSA
FDABhasBclearedBozoneBforBsterilizationBofBmetalBandBplasticB
ExhaustBisBpassedBthroughBaBcatalyticBconverterB
EnvironmentallyBsoundB
NoBaerationB
By-productsBareBoxygenBandBwater
DryBheatB-BAnswerHighBtemp
BestBforBheatBstableBpowderBandBoilsB
DentalBinstruments,Bburrs,BreusableBneedles,Bglassware
CNOR Exam Questions and Answers
Updated 2026
CriticalBitemsB-BAnswermustBbeBsterileBandBwillBenterBsterileBtissueBorBtheBvascularBsystem
Semi-criticalB-BAnswershouldBbeBsterileBbutBhigh-
levelBdisinfectionBisBacceptableBifBmanufacturer'sBinstructionsBrequire
contactsBbrokenBskinBorBmucousBmembranes
SterilizationB-BAnswerkillsBeverything
High-levelBdisinfectionB-BAnswerkillsBeverythingBbutBspores
Non-criticalB-BAnswerIntermediateBorBlow-
levelBdisinfectionBorBcleaning;BwillBcomeBinBcontactBwithBskin
CriticalBexamplesB-
BAnswerinstruments,BcuttingBendoscopicBaccessoriesBandBscopes,BcardiacBandBurinaryBcatheter
s,Bneedles
Semi-criticalBexamplesB-BAnswerRT/anesthesiaBequipment,Bbronchoscopes/GIBendoscopes
Non-criticalBexamplesB-BAnswerORBbeds,Blinens,Btourniquets
SPDBworkflowB-BAnswerDecon,BprepB+Bpack,BsterileBprocessing,BcleanBdistribution/storage
SPDBlayoutB-
BAnswerMustBhaveBaBphysicalBseparationBbetweenBaBdeconBandBprocessingBarea;BnegativeBpr
essureBinBdeconBandBpositiveBpressureBinBsterileBside
DeconBofBinstrumentsB-BAnswercleaningBisBtheBmostBcriticalBstepBtoBpreventBinfection
pre-treatingBisBrecommendedBwithBnon-
dryingBenzymaticBagentBtoBpreventBbiofilmBonBinstruments
,Bq
disassembleBanythingBthatBcanBbeB
brushBlumens,Bchannels,Bcrevices,BandBjoints
brushBmustBhaveBdiameterBofBlumenBandBgoBthroughBentireBlengthBofBlumen
AutomatedBcleaningB-BAnswerwasherBandBultrasonic,BmoreBeffectiveBthanBmanualBcleaning
Pre-vacB(DynamicBairBremoval)B-BAnswersucksBairBoutBofBchamber
cleanBdrainsBareBessentialB
270-276BdegreesBFB
porous/lumenBitemsBinBforB4Bmins
nonporousBitemsBinBforB3Bmins
GravityBdisplacementBautoclaveB-BAnswersteamBforcesBairBfromBchamberB
thermometerBclosesBdrainB
270-276BdegreesBFB
porous/lumenBitemsBinBforB10BminsB
nonporousBitemsBinBforB3BminsB
alwaysBfollowBIFUs
HowBdoByouBavoidBcondensationBwhenBsterilizingBitems?B-
BAnswerAllowBairflowBbetweenBtraysB
removeBloadsBimmediatelyB(leavingBdoorBajarBtoBcoolBincreasesBlikelihoodBofBcondensation)
Don'tBputBhotBitemsBonBaBcoolBsolidBsurfaceBorBrackB
IfBcondensationBoccursBandBtheBitemsBareBmoist,BtheyBareBconsideredBunsterile
WhatBareBtheB6BchemicalBindicators?B-BAnswer1.BheatB
2.Bpressure
3.BsingleBparameter
4.Bmulti-parameter
5.BintegratedB(allBparametersBlikeBtime,Btemp,BpressureBandBqualityBofBsteam)
6.BemulatingBindicatorB(allBparametersBofBaBparticularBstyleBlikeBmanufacturerBforBspecificBaut
oclaveBforBaBspecificBcycle
,Bq
WhatBindicatorBareBexternalBindicators?B-BAnswer1B-Bheat
WhatBindicatorBareBBowieBdickBtests?B-BAnswer2B-BpressureB(usedBwithBpre-vac)
IUSSB-BAnswernoBpackaging,BwrappedBitemsBorBtextilesBdueBtoBanBabbreviatedBdryBtime
sameBdeconBprocess
rigidBsterilizationBcontainersBwithBlid
mustBuseBaBclassB5BchemicalBindicatorB
neverBanBimplantBunlessBemergentB
sterilizationBlogBmustBbeBkeptBforBpatientBsafety
WhatBhappensBifBtheBIUSSBfails?B-BAnswerIfBaBQCBfails,BrunB3BconsecutiveBaBsporeBtestsB
IfBoneBfailsBagain,BbiomedBchecksBIUSSBandBhasBtoBpassB3BconsecutiveBtestsBtoBuseBitBagain
GluteraldehydeB-BAnswercoldBsterilization
POCBuseBonlyB
TakesB10BhoursBofBimmersionB
BadBforBinstrumentsBdueBtoBpittingB
SuboptimalBformBofBsterilizationBdueBtoBenvironmentalBproblemsBandBpoorBeaseBofBuse
EthyleneBoxideB-BAnswercoldBandBdryBformBofBsterilization
forBheatB+BmoistureBsensitiveBitemsB(99-145BdegreeBFBandB45-75%Bhumidity)
2-5BhoursBexposure
8-12BhourBaerationBtimeB
HumanBcarcinogenB(exposureBlimitedBtoB1PPMBinBanB8BhrBperiod)
LumensBmustBbeBcompletelyBdryB(greatBforBfoleys)
BannedBinBEuropeBinB1980sB
BannedBinB2030BinBUS
EnvironmentallyBhazardousB
WillBmakeBantifreezeBwithBwaterB
, Bq
TypicallyBinBmanufacturingBplants
LowBTempBHydrogenBPeroxideBPlasmaBSterilizationB(akaBSterrad)B-
BAnswerUseBforBheatB+BmoistureBsensitiveBitems
NoBaerationBcycleBneededB-BdryBsterilizationB
CycleBtimeB75Bmins
EnvironmentallyBsoundB
PeroxideBmistBintoBchamberBwithBelectricalBcurrentB
WillBsterilizeBlumensBbyBconnectingBtoBportBsite
PeraceticBacidB-BAnswerAutomatedBEndoscopeBReprocessorB(AER)B-BGI
ForBitemsBthatBcanBbeBimmersedB
CorrosiveBtoBinstrumentsBandBpeopleB
TempB120-130BdegreesBF
20-30Bmins
MicroBfilteredBtapBwaterBrinsesBxB4BtoBturnBitBbackBtoBvinegarB
MustBhaveBlogB
SterilizesBusingBacidityB
VinegarBwithBextraBhydrogenBtoBmakeBitBveryBacidic
OzoneB-BAnswerlowBtempBsterilization
onlyBoneBmanufacturerBinBtheBUSA
FDABhasBclearedBozoneBforBsterilizationBofBmetalBandBplasticB
ExhaustBisBpassedBthroughBaBcatalyticBconverterB
EnvironmentallyBsoundB
NoBaerationB
By-productsBareBoxygenBandBwater
DryBheatB-BAnswerHighBtemp
BestBforBheatBstableBpowderBandBoilsB
DentalBinstruments,Bburrs,BreusableBneedles,Bglassware
