What is the CST credential and who can sit for it?
CST stands for Certified Surgical Technologist, the credential granted by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. Eligibility is tightly drawn: candidates must be graduates of a surgical technology programme accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, or qualify through the limited alternate routes NBSTSA publishes. The examination is multiple choice and covers perioperative care, additional duties such as instrument sterilisation and equipment handling, and the basic science underpinning surgical practice. Certification lasts four years and is renewed either by earning continuing education credits or by retaking the examination. A number of states have enacted laws requiring surgical technologists to be certified or to meet defined standards, so in those states the CST carries legal weight as well as employer weight.
- The CST is granted by NBSTSA, the certifying board for surgical technology and surgical assisting.
- The main eligibility route requires graduation from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited programme.
- The exam covers perioperative care, additional duties such as sterilisation, and basic science.
- Certification runs four years and renews by continuing education credits or re-examination.
CST at a glance
| Cost | NBSTSA sets examination and renewal fees, with different rates for members of the Association of Surgical Technologists, so check the board's current fee schedule |
| Duration | Single timed multiple-choice examination; the accredited programme behind it typically runs 12–24 months |
| Issued by | National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) |
| Format | Computer-based multiple-choice examination |
| Expiry | 4 years |
| Who needs it | Surgical technologists scrubbing in hospital operating rooms and ambulatory surgery centres |
| Eligibility | Graduation from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited surgical technology programme, or a published alternate route |
| Renewal | Continuing education credits over the four-year cycle, or re-examination |
Sources: National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) · Association of Surgical Technologists. Reviewed August 2026 by the GlobalCybers team.
CST Exam Format, Structure and Content
One multiple-choice examination, three content areas
The CST examination is a computer-based multiple-choice test built around the surgical technologist's actual role. The largest share sits in perioperative care — preoperative preparation, intraoperative procedures and postoperative duties. A second area covers additional duties such as sterilisation, equipment handling and administrative responsibilities, and a third covers the basic science (anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology) that surgical practice rests on.
Eligibility and related credentials
Does CST certification affect surgical technologist pay?
Certification is the hiring standard in most operating rooms and a legal requirement in several states, so it functions as a floor rather than a bonus. Career progression runs through specialisation and the first-assistant route rather than through the CST itself.
GlobalCybers reimburses certification fees after a successful permanent placement through our network.
What the CST Exam Covers, Core Practice
Aseptic Technique
The discipline the whole role rests on: establishing and defending the sterile field, recognising and correcting breaks, and the movement conventions that keep contamination out of the wound.
Instrumentation
Identifying, assembling, testing and passing instruments across specialties, anticipating the surgeon's next need, and managing the back table so the right instrument is ready before it is asked for.
Surgical Counts
Sponge, sharp and instrument counts, the points in the procedure at which they occur, and the escalation process when a count does not reconcile — one of the highest-consequence responsibilities in the role.
Sterile Processing
Decontamination, inspection, assembly, sterilisation methods and their monitoring, plus the storage conditions that maintain sterility until the pack is opened.
Basic Science
Anatomy and physiology by surgical region, microbiology and infection transmission, and the medications and haemostatic agents used on the surgical field.
Specimens & Documentation
Correct handling, labelling and transport of specimens, and the intraoperative documentation the record depends on — an area where errors have serious downstream consequences.
How do you become a Certified Surgical Technologist?
Graduate from an accredited surgical technology programme
The primary eligibility route requires accreditation by CAAHEP or ABHES. Verify a programme's accreditation directly with the accreditor before enrolling — a non-accredited programme can leave you ineligible for the examination and therefore for most operating room jobs, which is the single most costly mistake in this pathway.
Apply to NBSTSA and schedule the exam
Apply through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, which verifies your eligibility and issues authorisation to test. Candidates who qualify through one of the published alternate routes should confirm current criteria with the board rather than relying on older guidance.
Pass the certification examination
The multiple-choice examination spans perioperative care, additional duties and basic science. Perioperative care carries the greatest weight, so preparation is best anchored in the case flow you learned in clinicals rather than in isolated fact recall.
Renew every four years
The certification cycle is four years. You may renew by accumulating the required continuing education credits — the route most technologists take, since hospital in-service education contributes — or by sitting the examination again. Track credits as you earn them; assembling four years of documentation at the deadline is avoidable stress.
Several States Regulate Surgical Technologists Directly
Surgical technology is not licensed the way nursing is, but a number of states have enacted statutes requiring surgical technologists working in their facilities to hold certification or to meet defined training and grandfathering criteria. Requirements and effective dates differ by state and have been added over time. Independently of state law, hospitals and ambulatory surgery centres widely require the CST as a condition of employment and of credentialing in the operating room.
CST, Frequently Asked Questions
CST in hand? ORs are hiring.
Hospitals and ambulatory surgery centres recruit certified technologists by specialty. Set your intent and let them find you.
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