Free Practice Questions for TS-C

NCCT's 2025 pass rate report lists TS-C first-time pass rates by eligibility route: education 77.4% (2,601 tests), experience 91.7% (312 tests), military 100% (1 test), and high school 50.0% (16 tests) — approximately 79% overall across 2,930 first-time candidates. A scaled score of 70 on NCCT's 0-100 scale (not a percentage) is required to pass. Most candidates pass on their first attempt with 60-100 hours of focused preparation.

Both certify surgical technologists, but they are issued by different bodies. The CST is offered by NBSTSA (a separate organization tied to AST), while the TS-C is offered by NCCT. The TS-C accepts more eligibility pathways — including military training, current high school career-tech students, and 3+ years of work experience — whereas the CST primarily accepts CAAHEP/ABHES program graduates. Both credentials are accepted by most U.S. hospitals.

The TS-C exam contains 175 items total: 150 scored questions plus 25 unscored pretest questions. Approximately 92% are standard 4-option multiple-choice items, and 8% are alternative-format items such as drag-and-drop, multi-select, and hotspot. You have 4 hours to complete the exam.

The NCCT TS-C exam fee is $199. This includes one attempt at the exam. NCCT also offers practice exams and Practice Exam PLUS bundles separately. Candidates who do not pass must wait 30 days before retaking and pay the full fee for each attempt.

Plan for 60-100 hours of study over 8-12 weeks, following the official Detailed Test Plan (effective January 2024): Preoperative Care and Preparation is the largest domain (48 of 150 scored items, 32%), and the single largest task area is Surgeon Support within Intraoperative Care (26 items). Drill case setup and sterile technique, instrument identification, surgical counts, sterilization monitoring, positioning safety, and medication labeling. Aim for 80%+ on full-length practice exams before scheduling.

NCCT offers several eligibility routes: 1) current postsecondary student enrolled in an approved surgical technology program, 2) graduate of an NCCT-approved or CAAHEP/ABHES-recognized program, 3) experience route — at least 3 years of full-time surgical tech employment within the past 5 years, 4) military route — completion of U.S. Armed Forces surgical technology training, 5) high school career-technical program route, and 6) an instructor route for current surgical technology educators. Education routes require documented surgical case experience (minimum 125 cases, at least 90 as first scrub).

BLS projects employment of surgical technologists to grow 5% from 2024-2034, faster than the average for all occupations. The May 2024 median annual wage was $62,830. Demand is driven by an aging population, increasing surgical volumes (especially outpatient ambulatory surgery centers), and expanding minimally invasive and robotic surgery programs.