NBSTSA CST Exam Prep App, an examination simulator for surgical technologists and assistants

Surgical technologists play a vital role in surgical procedures, with common tasks that include assisting surgeons and nurses, setting up and organizing operating rooms and surgical equipment, and ensuring proper sterilization and disinfection techniques before, during and after surgery.

That's why good surgical technologists must have a great attention to detail, especially when handing the correct sterile equipment for surgeons and keeping track of the instruments being used. They should also have a good physical stamina, knowing they'd be standing for extended periods of time.

Of course, surgical technologists must be able to deal with stressful working environment and to work well under pressure while providing a high level of care.

Even if you have all these qualities, becoming surgical technologist still isn't simple. As a medical student you probably know that most states require you to obtain a certification in order to hold a job as a surgical technician or technologist. 

Most surgical technologists certify with the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA), which runs a certified surgical technologist (CST) program. Even when you obtained a certification by passing the CST exam, the job still isn't done.
The NBSTSA requires you to renew your CST certification every four years. You can use your education credits (60 credit as of February 2014) to re-certify. But, if you don't have enough credits, you must pass the CST exam again. This means you'd have to pay not only fees for recertification, but also study for the CST exam again, which isn't easy and requires time.

But what if you're busy, not having the luxury to sit around for hours trying to study for your exam? The solution to this particular problem can be found at your fingertips.

The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) created the official CST Examination Prep app for Android and iOS devices to help future surgical technicians and technologists study on-the-go.

The app is initially available for free, offering 10 practice questions and rationales, along with CST examination information. However, it's possible to unlock additional questions (335 in total), as well as other features, such as detailed answer explanations and references to source materials, exam creation customization and email support, by purchasing the Premium version of the app that costs $34.99.

The NBSTSA CST Exam app features two practice modes: simulation and study. The exam simulation allows users to basically take a practice exam for the real CST exam, with questions created and reviewed by the NBSTSA experts, based on the same practices used in the CST exam itself.

Of course, the questions provided in the app are not the same questions that will be on the actual CST test. They just give students an idea how the exam may look like, and to prepare them for critical thinking, which is the key to passing an exam.

The second, study mode utilizes so-called "spacing effect", which is designed to enhance learning by spreading out study information into smaller, more digestible pieces. These pieces are provided in shorter study sessions, which are more productive, allowing students to retain more information while at lunch break, in the public transportation, or whenever their time allows.​

The CST Exam Prep app offers study material in 8 different areas of surgical technology exam preparation, which include, in alphabetical order, Administrative & Personnel, Anatomy & Physiology, Equip Sterilization Maintenance, Intra-Operative Procedures, Microbiology, Post-Operative Procedures, Pre-Operative Preparation, and Surgical Pharmacology.

The app opens to the Dashboard with several options, such as today's practice question, days left until exam (tap on it to set the date) and total correct questions answered. Also, you can check past exam metrics or unlock more practice by engaging with the app on social media (mention, like or rate give you 5-10 additional practice questions).

The NBSTSA CST Exam Prep app also allows users to set reminders, which will send 'Time to Study' notifications every day at the time you set (it is 9AM by default).

Tapping on the today's question on the Dashboard basically does the same thing as choosing the Practice section in the menu; it leads you to the question of the day, with 4 possible answers. 

After providing your answer, you'd get either green or red mark, depending if you answered it correctly or not. Also, you'll have an option to see the explanation for each answer, which is referenced, although without link.

There is also another option called Exam Builder that allows users to create customized practice tests, but it requires an upgrade to premium account. You can, however, continue with the free exam here, or from the Dashboard (you'll notice it's slightly changed) by tapping on Quick 10 Questions button that will start the exam.

The exam is not time limited, but it has a timer indicating how much time you needed for the exam, which is included in the metrics. Each area of surgical technology exam preparation is covered with one question, except for Administrative & Personnel, and Equip Sterilization Maintenance that have two questions each.

The results are presented in a really nice and simple way, providing a review for each question and your answer. Unfortunately, the free version of this app only offers the same 10 questions, you can repeat over and over, but there's no point, because you'll know all the answers after the first try.

The option is to upgrade and get additional 335 questions, plus other features that may help you pass the CST exam. We didn't test the paid version, so we can't talk you into buying or advise you against it, but from what we saw in the free version, the app might be worthy of purchase, although it would be nice to see at least 10% questions in the free version.

With only 10 practice questions, the NBSTSA CST Exam Prep app cannot be considered an acceptable substitute for traditional study methods. It is only a 'peek' into a paid version, which also can only be used along with other study methods, not as their replacement or a single preparation source for such demanding exam, as exam for certified surgical technologists is.

Benefit: Students preparing for certification exam for surgical technician or technologist may benefit from paid version of this app, because free version contains only 10 questions.