Intraoperative Procedures Practice Questions for the CST
Intraoperative Procedures is 68 of the 150 scored questions, the largest single area on the CST exam. It covers the scrub role during the case: keeping the field sterile, anticipating the surgeon, and handling instruments, sutures, medications, specimens and emergencies.
175 questions across every content area in 4 hours, with a score for intraoperative procedures and your total against the 98-of-150 passing score.
Free intraoperative procedures drill- 111 original intraoperative procedures questions, each explained
- 68 of 150 scored questions on the real exam (outline I.B)
- Perioperative Care content area (65% of the exam)
What is a uterine sound used for?
What our intraoperative procedures questions cover
- Maintaining asepsis and handling breaks in sterile technique; Standard Precautions and sharps safety
- Anticipating procedure steps and performing counts with the circulator
- Hemostatic agents and methods of hemostasis: mechanical, thermal and chemical
- Receiving, mixing and labeling medications and solutions on the field
- Incisions, instrument identification, retractors and specialty equipment such as laparoscopy, power, ultrasonic and robotic systems
- Passing instruments; sutures, needles and stapling devices
- Irrigation and suction, implants, grafts, specimens, drains, dressings, casts and splints
- Watching the patient’s status and acting in emergencies such as fire and malignant hyperthermia
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 intraoperative procedures, then sit the full exam
175 questions across every content area in 4 hours, with a score for intraoperative procedures and your total against the 98-of-150 passing score.
Free intraoperative procedures drillIdeas the questions test most
- Counts are done aloud by the scrub and circulator together, before the incision and at each closure stage.
- Every medication on the field is labeled the moment it is received, even if it is the only one.
- Frozen sections go fresh; cultures never go in formalin.
- Suture sizes get smaller as the zeros increase: 6-0 is finer than 2-0.
Start the free intraoperative procedures drill · Perioperative Care drill · Full 175-question mock exam
Common questions
Why is intraoperative procedures the biggest CST area?
NBSTSA builds the outline from a job analysis of what surgical technologists do. The scrub role during the case has 29 tasks in the outline, and the area carries 68 of the 150 scored questions.
Do I need to know sutures and staplers for the CST?
Yes. The outline lists identifying appropriate sutures, needles and stapling devices, preparing, passing and cutting suture, and assisting with staplers.
175 questions across every content area in 4 hours, with a score for intraoperative procedures and your total against the 98-of-150 passing score.
Free intraoperative procedures drillMore CST subject areas
- Preoperative Preparation · Perioperative Care
- Postoperative Procedures · Perioperative Care
- Administrative and Personnel · Ancillary Duties
- Sterilization and Equipment · Ancillary Duties
- Anatomy and Physiology · Basic Science
- 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.