Free Surgical Tech Practice Test for the CST Exam
Original CST questions written to NBSTSA’s content outline, with an explanation for every answer.
A 1% lidocaine solution contains how many milligrams of lidocaine per milliliter?
386 original questions · 13 free drills · 175-question timed mock on the real 4-hour clock
CST practice questions by content area
NBSTSA’s outline splits the 150 scored questions into three content areas and eight subject areas. Each one has a guide with free sample questions and a free ten-question drill.
Sit the full exam under the real clock
175 questions in 4 hours, 150 scored in the outline’s exact counts, with your score against the 98-question passing standard and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillThe CST exam at a glance
Answer CST practice questions written to NBSTSA’s content outline, read the explanation for every answer, then sit a timed 175-question mock in the real 4-hour format, scored against the 98-of-150 passing score.
The Certified Surgical Technologist® (CST®) exam from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) tests the knowledge expected of an entry-level surgical technologist across all specialties. NBSTSA builds it from a job analysis of the tasks CSTs perform.
- Owner and delivery
- National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). Computer-based, by appointment at PSI test centers year-round, or on campus for students whose program arranges it
- Format
- 175 multiple-choice questions: 150 scored and 25 unscored pretest questions placed at random
- Time
- 4 hours. You may take a break at any time, but the clock keeps running
- Passing score
- 98 correct of the 150 scored questions
- Content
- Perioperative Care 97 questions (65%), Ancillary Duties 23 (15%), Basic Science 30 (20%)
- Eligibility
- Graduation from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited surgical technology program; NBSTSA lists a separate route for military program graduates
- Fee
- $340 for first-time candidates, $230 for first-time candidates who are AST members, $300 to retake. $100 of the fee is a nonrefundable processing fee
- Retakes
- No waiting period. Up to three attempts per calendar year, with a new application and fee each time
How scoring works, and how our mock matches it
- Only 150 of the 175 questions count. The other 25 are pretest questions NBSTSA is trying out, placed at random, so answer every question as if it counts.
- You pass by answering 98 of the 150 scored questions correctly. NBSTSA set this standard after a standard-setting study in November 2023.
- Our mock draws the 150 scored questions in the outline’s exact counts for all eight subject areas and adds 25 unscored questions. You can move between questions and flag them on a single 4-hour clock.
- Your report shows your scored total against 98, a score for every content and subject area, and an explanation for every question.
NBSTSA reports a 68.6% national first-time pass rate for 2025, when 12,117 candidates took the CST exam.
Common questions
How many questions are on the CST exam?
175 multiple-choice questions. 150 are scored and 25 are unscored pretest questions that NBSTSA places at random through the exam, so you cannot tell which ones count.
What is the passing score for the CST exam?
You pass by answering 98 of the 150 scored questions correctly. NBSTSA set this raw passing point after a standard-setting study in November 2023; later exam forms are equated to the same standard.
How long is the CST exam?
Four hours. You may take a break whenever you wish, but no time is added for it. NBSTSA also says that once you take a break, you cannot return to questions you left before it.
What does the CST exam cover?
Three content areas: Perioperative Care, 97 questions (Preoperative Preparation 19, Intraoperative Procedures 68, Postoperative Procedures 10); Ancillary Duties, 23 (Administrative and Personnel 7, Equipment Sterilization and Maintenance 16); and Basic Science, 30 (Anatomy and Physiology 18, Microbiology 6, Surgical Pharmacology 6).
How much does the CST exam cost?
NBSTSA’s 2026 fees are $340 for first-time candidates, $230 for first-time candidates who are AST members, and $300 to retake. The $100 processing fee within it is nonrefundable. Rush processing of the application costs $85.
How soon can I retake the CST exam?
There is no waiting period: you can submit a new application right away. You may test up to three times in a calendar year, paying the fee each time.
How many people pass the CST exam?
NBSTSA reports a national first-time pass rate of 68.6% in 2025, when 12,117 candidates took the exam, and 71.8% in 2024.
Is your mock exam the same format as the real CST?
Yes. Our mock has 175 four-option questions on a 4-hour clock. 150 are scored in the outline’s exact counts for all eight subject areas, and 25 more are unscored, as on the real exam. Your result shows your scored total against 98 of 150 and a score for every area.
Are these the real CST questions?
No. NBSTSA keeps its exam questions confidential and copyrighted. Every question here is original, written to the published content outline and checked against the textbooks on NBSTSA’s reference list.
Ready for exam day?
175 questions in 4 hours, 150 scored in the outline’s exact counts, with your score against the 98-question passing standard and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillFormat, passing score, content outline, fees, eligibility and retake rules checked November 2026: NBSTSA: CST certification (format, passing score, content areas) · NBSTSA: CST Examination Content Outline · NBSTSA: 2026 CST Candidate Handbook (time, breaks, retesting, fees) · NBSTSA: FAQs (fees, retakes, breaks) · NBSTSA: On test day (exam details, score reports) · NBSTSA: CST eligibility · NBSTSA: CST Standard Setting Report, December 2023 · NBSTSA: Certification data (examinees and pass rates) · NBSTSA: CST reference list.
CST® and Certified Surgical Technologist® are registered marks of the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by NBSTSA, the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) or PSI. Our questions are original and are not taken from the CST exam.