Anatomy and Physiology Practice Questions for the CST
Anatomy and Physiology is 18 of the 150 scored questions. It tests medical terminology, the structure and function of fourteen body systems as they relate to surgical procedures, and the pathologies that bring patients to surgery.
175 questions across every content area in 4 hours, with a score for anatomy and physiology and your total against the 98-of-150 passing score.
Free anatomy and physiology drill- 62 original anatomy and physiology questions, each explained
- 18 of 150 scored questions on the real exam (outline III.A)
- Basic Science content area (20% of the exam)
The appendix is attached to which part of the large intestine?
What our anatomy and physiology questions cover
- Medical terminology and abbreviations: prefixes, suffixes and procedure names
- Anatomy of the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, integumentary, lymphatic, muscular, neurological, ophthalmic, ENT, peripheral vascular, pulmonary, reproductive and skeletal systems
- Physiology of the same systems as it relates to the procedure
- Surgical pathology: abnormal anatomy, disease processes, malignancies and traumatic injuries
This list is our own summary of the outline tasks, written for practice. NBSTSA publishes the full task list in the CST Examination Content Outline.
Drill anatomy and physiology, then sit the full exam
175 questions across every content area in 4 hours, with a score for anatomy and physiology and your total against the 98-of-150 passing score.
Free anatomy and physiology drillIdeas the questions test most
- Learn suffixes exactly: -ectomy removes, -otomy cuts into, -ostomy makes an opening, -pexy fixes, -rrhaphy sutures, -desis fuses.
- Know which nerves are at risk in common procedures: recurrent laryngeal (thyroid), facial (parotid), phrenic (neck and chest).
- Know the hernia types: indirect passes lateral to the inferior epigastric vessels, direct medial to them.
Start the free anatomy and physiology drill · Basic Science drill · Full 175-question mock exam
Common questions
How much anatomy is on the CST exam?
Anatomy and Physiology is 18 of the 150 scored questions, the largest part of Basic Science. It also underlies many Intraoperative Procedures questions about procedure steps.
Which body systems does the CST cover?
The outline lists fourteen: the A&P system as a whole, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, integumentary, lymphatic, muscular, neurological, ophthalmic, otorhinolaryngology, peripheral vascular, pulmonary, reproductive and skeletal.
175 questions across every content area in 4 hours, with a score for anatomy and physiology and your total against the 98-of-150 passing score.
Free anatomy and physiology drillMore CST subject areas
- Preoperative Preparation · Perioperative Care
- Intraoperative Procedures · Perioperative Care
- Postoperative Procedures · Perioperative Care
- Administrative and Personnel · Ancillary Duties
- Sterilization and Equipment · Ancillary Duties
- Microbiology · Basic Science
- Surgical Pharmacology · Basic Science
- Surgical Instruments · Perioperative Care
Content areas, subject areas, item counts and tasks: NBSTSA: CST certification (format, passing score, content areas) · NBSTSA: CST Examination Content Outline, checked November 2026.
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.