NBSTSA Practice Test 2025 Free CST and CSFA Exam Prep

1) Most of the bacteria that cause human disease exist in a pH range of:

2) Before transferring a patient from the operating room table to the stretcher, what needs to happen?

3) Nails, rods, and plates are used to correct:

4) The portion of the needle where the suture strand is attached is called the:

5) Veins draining the lower parts of the body merge into a larger vein that transports blood to the right atrium of the heart; this principal vein is called the:

6) An isolation or retracting device used for vessels, ducts, or nerves is called:

7) What does the surgical team wear during extremely high-risk procedures on infected patients?

8) Which device delivers electrical current to the surgical site?

9) The procedure performed to remove the prepuce is called:

10) Excessive secretion of growth hormones in adults causes:

11) The stage of a disease characterized by the earliest, nonspecific symptoms and the appearance of a headache or malaise is called the:

12) The first menstrual period is called:

13) Which set of laws was passed in 1970?

14) An exploratory laparotomy is performed to:

15) Pressure sores are most likely to occur on a patient’s:

16) Who can sign a consent form for an emergency procedure on a child if a parent cannot be located?

17) What is a normal range of coagulation time?

18) The division process in cells that reduces the chromosome number by half is:

19) If a patient has been experiencing excessive uterine bleeding, her preoperative diagnosis is:

20) The hormone secreted by the alpha cells of the pancreas that stimulates the liver to convert stored glycogen into glucose when blood glucose levels are extremely low is:

21) A poisonous substance made by certain Gram-positive bacteria such as staphylococci is called:

22) During this type of procedure, an endoscope is used to view a knee or a shoulder joint:

23) The paranasal sinuses that are located below the eyes and lateral to the nasal cavity are called:

24) A chemical agent used to kill most microbes, including spores, that is used only on inanimate objects is a(n):

25) The folds of the mucosa of the small intestine, which increase the surface area for absorption of nutrients, are called:

26) Complete destruction of all living organisms is termed:

27) The artery located in the upper arm is the:

28) Cells that are derived from activated T and B lymphocytes produced during an initial immune response that can quickly recognize a foreign antigen are known as:

29) Rongeurs are used for:

30) Glands that have ducts that lead the secreted material away from the gland to the surface of a passageway or the skin and also secrete hormones are known as:

31) Who is responsible for discharging a patient from PACU?

32) Which of the following groups of medications causes elimination of excess fluid by preventing reabsorption of sodium and water?

33) Where do sharps go after surgery?

34) Direct patient care is provided by the:

35) When patient skin prep or urinary catheterization is being done, which method of donning gloves is used?

36) All methods of sterilization require three elements. They are:

37) Gram-negative bacteria have a:

38) The acronym TURP means:

39) The self-retaining retractor that can be sharp or blunt is a:

40) Where in the operating room is the anesthesia machine set up in relation to the operating room table and the patient?

41) Epinephrine is combined with local anesthetics to:

42) An expected but unintended effect of a drug is termed a(n) _____effect:

43) All of the following are surgical procedures performed on the uterus EXCEPT:

44) A Potts scissor is used for:

45) Which of the following is a common nosocomial infection?

46) If the surgeon decides to suture the peritoneum, the suture that is frequently utilized is:

47) Which of the following is in the restricted area?

48) Which of the following diseases is not caused by a virus?

49) The incision made for an open cholecystectomy is located in the:

50) Which method of anesthesia is likely to be used for a 51-year-old intoxicated man for a closed reduction and cast application of a fractured forearm?

51) The abbreviation t.i.d. represents:

52) The decontamination process starts with:

53) In which order are supplies counted for every procedure?

54) During a mini–tubal ligation, the Babcock clamp is used to grasp the:

55) The portion of the tooth above the level of the gums that consists of dentin covered by enamel is the:

56) Cheiloplasty is:

57) Epinephrine is combined with local anesthetic agents in each of the following concentrations EXCEPT:

58) A measuring device used during surgical procedures is a:

59) What happens to the patient’s skin if the prep solution is left on?

60) The cellular process of reading the code and bringing the appropriate amino acids in sequence along the mRNA to form a protein is known as:

61) The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth ribs protect this organ:

62) Before taking instruments down to decontamination, what actions should be taken?

63) The trachea is also known as the:

64) Syphilis is caused by:

65) Which group of medications is given to relieve a patient’s preoperative anxiety?

66) In a gravity displacement sterilizer, the pressure is:

67) Who is responsible for casting a fractured extremity?

68) The space along the nerve fiber where no myelin sheath is present is known as:

69) After the scrub is complete, it is necessary to:

70) The basic structural unit of biological organization is the:

71) While moving the patient into the Trendelenburg position, the CST must:

72) The curved Mayo scissor is used to cut:

73) The procedure that treats sinusitis or removes recurrent polyps in the maxillary sinus is called:

74) An example of an angled suction tip with a thumbhole that allows for variability in suction strength is:

75) A lumpectomy performed for a cancerous breast tumor consists of:

76) Sterile individuals and items may have:

77) Microorganisms that are facultative aerobes:

78) Which of the following microorganisms cause Lyme’s disease, typhus, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever?

79) Which of the following bacteria cause toxic shock?

80) The strongest portion of the hip bone, which bears the weight of the body in the sitting position, is known as the:

81) How long after a tourniquet has been inflated does a CST need to notify the surgeon?

82) What percentage of all surgical patients can be affected by hypothermia?

83) The following are important goals when positioning a patient except:

84) Hepatitis E is of special concern to:

85) The organ located directly above the stomach is the:

86) What should be done first when creating the sterile field?

87) An oscillating saw moves in a:

88) The patient should be protected during laser surgery with:

89) The most commonly used sponges employed during surgery are:

90) Instruments processed in a Steris are considered sterile after storage for:

91) Palms up is referred to as:

92) The closed glove technique is used:

93) Urine is expelled from the body by a process called:

94) Which of the following are sedatives?

95) Who activates the generator for an electrosurgical unit (ESU)?

96) The department that troubleshoots potential hazards and develops an action plan in a healthcare facility is the:

97) When should terminal cleaning be done?

98) Eight is what percent of 20?

99) The principal vein draining blood from the upper portion of the body that empties into the right atrium of the heart is called the:

100) Inflammation of the pelvis of the kidneys is known as:

101) Nonsterile items and individuals may:

102) Who is responsible for verifying medication on the sterile field?

103) The term for moving toward the midline is:

104) Which of the following is associated with syphilis?

105) The end-product of the breakdown of amino acids is:

106) Latex gloves should not be worn:

107) Excision of a cone of tissue from the mucous membrane of the cervix is termed:

108) Resident microorganisms that are located on the skin are reduced by:

109) A condition caused by the protrusion of a portion of the stomach through the opening in the diaphragm is known as a(an):

110) Which of the following types of diuretics are prescribed in the treatment of glaucoma?

111) The key to teamwork in an operating room is:

112) If a patient is wearing nail polish, what will not function properly?

113) When should the surgical drapes be removed?

114) _____must never be removed from the room until after the final count:

115) The needle used to instill CO2 gas is a:

116) A uterine sound and Kevorkian curette are found on which type of instrument tray?

117) If a piece of equipment breaks, which department is called to fix it?

118) Diabetes mellitus results from inadequate production or use of the hormone:

119) Hoods and caps are types of:

120) Standard precautions apply to:

121) The pear-shaped sac about 3 to 4 inches long that stores and concentrates bile is the:

122) The hormone that stimulates ovarian follicle growth and estrogen secretion is:

123) The spore-forming bacillus that produces tetanus is called:

124) The formation of the female sex cells, or eggs, is called:

125) A perforated viscera is classified as a:

126) Which of the following viruses causes herpes?

127) The enzyme produced by the kidneys that helps regulate blood pressure is:

128) Which of the following has inactive or hidden stages?

129) A mass of dilated and tortuous veins in the anorectum is known as:

130) The laser of choice for gastrointestinal endoscopy is the:

131) The condition caused by excessive secretion from the adrenal cortex, resulting in puffy skin, obesity, a moon-shaped face, a buffalo hump, and masculine changes in women, is known as:

132) If a thoracic procedure requires a median sternotomy, what instruments are required?

133) All of the following are duties performed by the CST during the preoperative case management phase EXCEPT:

134) The excessive loss of water caused by bouts of diarrhea can lead to a serious condition known as:

135) A dressing that draws fluids from the wound and allows for the passage of air is:

136) What should be worn in a restricted area?

137) Which dressing is used on a wound with primary closure and has little or no drainage?

138) Malleable, wire-like instruments used to explore fistulas or ducts are called:

139) Relative deficiency of oxygen supply to the heart muscle that causes a sensation of pain and numbness in the left arm and shoulder is known as:

140) Which part of the surgical gown is not sterile?

141) Which of the following is not true about viruses?

142) The removal of the entire uterus, including the cervix, is called:

143) When a CST scrubs for a prescribed length of time, what is the method for the surgical scrub called?

144) Stimuli, such as stretching the peritoneum or retracting the eye muscles, cause which of the following physiological reactions?

145) When positioning the patient’s arm on an arm board, avoid:

146) A tube 10 inches long that allows the bolus to reach the stomach is called the:

147) Which of the following fractions is the result of dividing 1/24 by 1/6?

148) The mitral valve is also known as the:

149) A Deaver and a Richardson are types of ______ instruments.

150) Critical items are processed to this state for subsequent use on a patient:

151) The term “tie on a pass” means:

152) Whooping cough is also known as:

153) What are the five phases of general anesthesia in correct sequence?

154) What protective item(s) can be worn to shield the body when exposed to x-ray beams?

155) The term that is defined as the farthest from the point of origin is:

156) The outermost layer of the tissue surrounding the kidneys that anchors the kidneys to their surrounding structures and to the abdominal wall is known as the:

157) Which of the following glands is called the “master gland”?

158) What does the period called “Time Out” verify?

159) What term describes the loss of heat from a patient’s body into the environment?

160) Bacterial spores are resistant to:

161) During the cleaning process, instruments are sorted and sharp instrument tips are:

162) Which phase of general anesthesia includes administration of anesthetic agents?

163) The _____laser is the most commonly used laser in the operating room:

164) A substance used to inhibit the growth and reproduction of microbes that is used on living tissue is a(n):

165) Oxytocin is available under which trade name?