NBSTSA Practice Test 2026 Free CST and CSFA Exam Prep

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

2) The closed glove technique is used:

3) Complete destruction of all living organisms is termed:

4) The term “tie on a pass” means:

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

6) Cheiloplasty is:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16) Who is responsible for casting a fractured extremity?

17) The decontamination process starts with:

18) The mitral valve is also known as the:

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

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

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

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

23) Palms up is referred to as:

24) The trachea is also known as the:

25) The first menstrual period is called:

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

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

28) Rongeurs are used for:

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

30) Which of the following bacteria cause toxic shock?

31) 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:

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

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

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

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

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

37) When should the surgical drapes be removed?

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

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

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

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

42) Which of the following is associated with syphilis?

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

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

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

46) The curved Mayo scissor is used to cut:

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

48) Latex gloves should not be worn:

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

50) Hepatitis E is of special concern to:

51) Direct patient care is provided by the:

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

53) Which of the following viruses causes herpes?

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

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

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

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

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

59) The acronym TURP means:

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

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

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

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

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

65) When should terminal cleaning be done?

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

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

68) Whooping cough is also known as:

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

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

71) Gram-negative bacteria have a:

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

73) Eight is what percent of 20?

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

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

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

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

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

79) Excessive secretion of growth hormones in adults causes:

80) 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:

81) Sterile individuals and items may have:

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

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

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

85) Syphilis is caused by:

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

87) 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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

94) 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:

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

96) What should be worn in a restricted area?

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

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

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

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

101) 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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

120) Where do sharps go after surgery?

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

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

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

124) Nonsterile items and individuals may:

125) Standard precautions apply to:

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

127) A perforated viscera is classified as a:

128) Which set of laws was passed in 1970?

129) 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:

130) An exploratory laparotomy is performed to:

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

132) The term for moving toward the midline is:

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

134) A Potts scissor is used for:

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

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

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

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

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

140) Which of the following are sedatives?

141) What is a normal range of coagulation time?

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

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

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

145) Bacterial spores are resistant to:

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

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

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

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

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

151) Oxytocin is available under which trade name?

152) 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?

153) Hoods and caps are types of:

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

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

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

157) Epinephrine is combined with local anesthetics to:

158) An oscillating saw moves in a:

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

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

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

162) 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:

163) Microorganisms that are facultative aerobes:

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

165) 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: