Surgical Tech Practice Test (CST)

The Surgical Tech Practice Test (CST) is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests readiness for the NBSTSA Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam — perioperative care and preoperative preparation, sterile technique and the surgical field, surgical procedures and instrumentation, and anatomy, pharmacology and patient safety — written to the 2026 CST content outline. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable Surgical Technologist Exam Readiness certificate (SOA-ST). Every question is based on published standards and research — including Standards of Practice for surgical technologists (Association of Surgical Technologists), WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (World Health Organization), Code of Medical Ethics (American Medical Association) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Yes. Science of Apps has a free Surgical Tech Practice Test built on the current NBSTSA exam outline for 2026 and 2027. It covers perioperative care, sterile technique, and surgical procedures, scores you instantly and issues a verifiable certificate.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Surgical Technologist Exam Readiness certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: Standards of Practice for surgical technologists (Association of Surgical Technologists); WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (World Health Organization); Code of Medical Ethics (American Medical Association); Clinical safety: hand hygiene for healthcare workers (CDC); International Patient Safety Goals (Joint Commission International). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Preoperative Preparation (Room setup, Patient preparation and Counts and documentation); Sterile Technique and the Surgical Field (Asepsis principles, Gowning and gloving and Contamination); Surgical Procedures and Instrumentation (Instruments, Wound closure and Common procedures); Anatomy, Pharmacology and Patient Safety (Anatomy, Medications on the field and Emergencies and safety). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Surgical technologist, Surgical technology student, Scrub technician, Operating room technician and Surgical first assistant candidate. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show Surgical Tech knowledge in 2026 and 2027, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

The NBSTSA CST exam has 175 questions (150 scored) in 4 hours. About 60% covers perioperative care, with the rest on ancillary duties and basic science.

Graduates of CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited surgical technology programs, and some military-trained technologists. This independent practice test is open to anyone preparing in 2026 and 2027.

No. It is an independent practice test written to the publicly available Surgical Tech content outline for 2026 and 2027, for checking your readiness before you book the real exam. Passing earns a Science of Apps certificate rather than the official credential.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.