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CRCST Academy
CRCST Academy

For new and future sterile processing technicians

Free sterile processing practice test

Studying to become a sterile processing technician? Answer 50 original questions across the seven domains of the CRCST exam, HSPA's certification exam for sterile processing technicians, and see which areas need work. Untimed, no account to start, no card.

Already studying for the CRCST? Read about the CRCST practice test

CRCST Academy uses original practice questions—not actual, recalled, or leaked HSPA exam questions. The goal is to learn the underlying concepts, use each explanation, and reason through unfamiliar wording on exam day.

At a glance

Questions
50
Original, across all seven exam domains
Exam it follows
CRCST
HSPA's sterile processing technician credential
Timing
Untimed
Your progress saves so you can resume
Cost
Free
No account or card to start

What is the sterile processing certification exam called?

Sterile processing technician, central service technician, central sterile technician and SPD tech are different names for the same job: cleaning, inspecting, assembling, packaging, sterilizing, storing and delivering the reusable instruments a hospital uses. Two national technician credentials cover that work. HSPA issues the CRCST, the Certified Registered Central Service Technician. CBSPD issues the CSPDT, the Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician. When people search for a sterile processing exam, they usually mean one of these two.

This practice test follows HSPA's CRCST outline: seven domains, weighted the way HSPA weights them, with the heaviest three (decontamination, preparation and packaging, and sterilization) making up 63% of the exam. If you are preparing for the CSPDT instead, the topics overlap heavily, but the outline, fee, eligibility rules and renewal cycle differ, so read the CRCST vs. CBSPD guide before you choose.

CRCST vs. CSPDT: the two sterile processing exams

Both bodies change their rules from time to time. The CRCST column comes from HSPA's public CRCST page and certification handbook; the CSPDT column restates CBSPD's technician page. Confirm current details with the body whose exam you take.

The two sterile processing technician exams

  • Full name

    CRCST (HSPA)
    Certified Registered Central Service Technician
    CSPDT (CBSPD)
    Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician

  • Questions and time

    CRCST (HSPA)
    150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours (125 scored, 25 unscored pretest)
    CSPDT (CBSPD)
    150 questions in a 3-hour period (125 scored, 25 unscored pretest), per CBSPD

  • Exam fee

    CRCST (HSPA)
    $140, paid to HSPA
    CSPDT (CBSPD)
    $135 plus any convenience fees, paid to CBSPD

  • Experience rule

    CRCST (HSPA)
    400 hands-on hours, before the exam or within six months of passing (provisional)
    CSPDT (CBSPD)
    Several routes, such as work experience or a qualifying training course

  • Where

    CRCST (HSPA)
    In person at a Prometric test center
    CSPDT (CBSPD)
    CBSPD's current test sites and windows

  • Renewal

    CRCST (HSPA)
    Every year, with 12 CE credits
    CSPDT (CBSPD)
    Every 5 years, under CBSPD's rules

What the sterile processing practice test covers

The 50 questions are drawn from all seven CRCST domains in proportion to their weight on the exam, so the heaviest domains get the most questions and your report can compare them. Unfamiliar words are defined in the sterile processing glossary.

  1. 1. Departmental Considerations15%

    Environment controls, safety protocols, regulations, records, and quality programs.

  2. 2. Cleaning, Decontamination and Disinfection21%

    Bloodborne pathogens, microbiology, manual and mechanical cleaning, and disinfectant chemistry.

  3. 3. Preparation and Packaging21%

    Inspection, assembly, instrument identification, indicators, and packaging selection.

  4. 4. Sterilization Process21%

    Steam and low-temperature sterilization, cycle monitoring, testing, and recalls.

  5. 5. Sterile Storage, Transport and Inventory Management9%

    Storage conditions, shelf life, rotation, case carts, and distribution systems.

  6. 6. Patient Care Equipment and Distribution5%

    Equipment cleaning, preventive maintenance, tracking, and safe transport.

  7. 7. Professional Development and Human Relation Skills8%

    Communication, HIPAA, terminology, teamwork, and certification maintenance.

Sterile processing exam questions: two samples

Two original questions in the style of the test, with the reasoning spelled out. They were written for this page, never enter the test bank, and are not actual, recalled or leaked exam questions. Five more, each with an explanation, are on the CRCST practice test page.

Question 1 · Cleaning, decontamination, and disinfection

A flexible endoscope touches the lining of the airway but does not enter sterile tissue. Under the Spaulding classification, what is the minimum level of processing it needs between patients?

  1. Cleaning alone, with a visual check
  2. Low-level disinfection
  3. High-level disinfection after thorough cleaning— correct
  4. A wipe with an alcohol pad

Explanation: Spaulding sorts devices by the tissue they touch. A device that contacts mucous membranes or non-intact skin is semicritical, and CDC's guideline calls for at least high-level disinfection after thorough cleaning; sterilization is preferred when the device can tolerate it. Cleaning alone, a low-level disinfectant or an alcohol wipe leaves too much risk. The endoscope's instructions for use and your facility's procedure set the exact steps.

Source: CDC — Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization, summary recommendations

Question 2 · Sterilization processes

A department runs a Bowie-Dick test pack each day in an empty dynamic-air-removal (prevacuum) steam sterilizer before the first load. What does a passing result show?

  1. That every load run that day is sterile
  2. That air was removed and steam reached the center of the pack— correct
  3. That biological indicator testing is not needed that day
  4. That the chamber temperature gauge is calibrated to specification

Explanation: The Bowie-Dick test checks air removal and steam penetration in dynamic-air-removal sterilizers. CDC's sterilizing practices describe running it each day the sterilizer is used, in an empty chamber, before the first processed load. It is not a sterility test and it does not replace physical monitoring, chemical indicators or biological indicators. A failed test means the sterilizer should not be used until the problem is found and corrected.

Source: CDC — Sterilizing Practices

Is the sterile processing exam hard?

Hard enough to need a plan. HSPA's CRCST exam asks 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, after a 15-minute tutorial, and only 125 of them count toward the result. HSPA reports that result as pass or fail against a passing point its content experts set with a criterion-referenced method, so there is no published percentage to aim for. CRCST Academy quotes no pass rate: it changes every year and says nothing about your own odds.

How hard the exam feels depends on where you start. A technician with a year in a department knows the workflow but may never have read the regulations; a career changer knows neither yet. The practice test shows which of the seven domains are weakest for you, and the report names the one to study first. Study that domain, then keep the others warm with short rounds rather than one long cram.

Where to start

Four steps from here

  1. Take the free test: 50 questions, untimed, no account to start.

  2. Sign in free at the end to see a score for each of the seven domains and the one that scored lowest.

  3. Open a free guided lesson on that domain; lessons 1 to 4 need no account.

  4. Read the certification and training guides so you know which exam you will take, what it costs and how the 400-hour rule works.

Sterile processing practice test FAQ

Is there a free sterile processing practice test?

Yes. This one has 50 original questions, needs no account to start, and asks for no card. It follows the seven domains of HSPA's CRCST exam, the certification exam for sterile processing technicians, and ends with a score for each domain so you know where to study first.

How many questions are on the sterile processing certification exam?

HSPA's CRCST exam has 150 multiple-choice questions and a 3-hour limit; 125 questions are scored and 25 are unscored pretest items. CBSPD currently lists 150 questions and a three-hour period for its CSPDT exam, also with 125 scored and 25 unscored. Confirm the current format with the body whose exam you take.

Is the sterile processing exam hard?

It covers seven domains in 150 questions and 3 hours, so most people need a study plan. HSPA reports the CRCST result as pass or fail against a passing point its content experts set with a criterion-referenced method; it publishes no percentage to aim for, and this site quotes no pass rate. Take the practice test to see which domains need the most work.

What is on the sterile processing technician exam?

HSPA's CRCST outline has seven domains: departmental considerations (15%), cleaning, decontamination and disinfection (21%), preparation and packaging (21%), the sterilization process (21%), sterile storage, transport and inventory (9%), patient care equipment and distribution (5%), and professional development and human relation skills (8%). The practice test samples all seven.

CRCST or CBSPD: which sterile processing exam should I take?

Read the job postings where you want to work and ask the employer which credential it accepts. HSPA's CRCST and CBSPD's CSPDT are both technician credentials with different eligibility rules, fees and renewal cycles. The CRCST vs. CBSPD guide compares them line by line.

How much does the sterile processing exam cost?

HSPA's CRCST exam fee is $140 for the first attempt and $140 for each retake. CBSPD currently lists $135 for the CSPDT exam and warns that convenience fees may apply. This practice test is free. Confirm current fees at myhspa.org or CBSPD's site before you pay.

Can I take the sterile processing exam online?

HSPA's CRCST exam is taken in person at a Prometric test center; there is no at-home version. Applications, study and this practice test are online. CBSPD sets its own test sites and windows.

Do I need to be certified to work in sterile processing?

Many employers ask for certification at hire or within a set period after it, and some states require it. Read the posting and ask the hiring manager. The guide on how to become a sterile processing technician explains the entry paths and how experience, training and certification fit together.

Sources: HSPA — Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST); CBSPD — Technician certification (CSPDT). CRCST Academy is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by HSPA, CBSPD or Prometric.

Ready to find out where you stand?

50 questions, a score for every domain, and one clear place to start studying. Free, untimed, no card.