CRCST Sterile Processing Technician Exam — Practice
Sterilization Process: practice questions
Our CRCST bank has 60 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
What is the steam sterilizer jacket?
- The paper printer that records the cycle
- The rolling cart that carries the load in
- The rubber seal around the door opening
- A steam-filled space that heats the chamber walls
Show the answer
D. A steam-filled space that heats the chamber walls — The jacket keeps chamber walls hot to reduce condensation.
Question 2
What is OSHA's permissible exposure limit for ethylene oxide?
- 0.05 ppm as a ceiling limit
- 1 ppm, 8-hour TWA
- 50 ppm averaged over 1 hour
- There is no OSHA limit
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B. 1 ppm, 8-hour TWA — OSHA 1910.1047: PEL 1 ppm 8-hour TWA, excursion limit 5 ppm over 15 minutes, action level 0.5 ppm.
Question 3
What is the dry heat sterilization time at 170°C (340°F), per CDC?
- 4 minutes
- 12 hours
- 60 minutes
- 30 seconds
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C. 60 minutes — CDC: 170°C for 60 minutes, 160°C for 120 minutes, 150°C for 150 minutes.
Question 4
What information should a load record include?
- Only the date the load was run
- The surgeon's preference card
- The patient's diagnosis and surgeon
- Sterilizer, cycle, date, contents and operator
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D. Sterilizer, cycle, date, contents and operator — Load records and lot numbers allow recalls and traceability; the outline lists date and lot number.
Question 5
A routine steam BI is positive. What is the first step CDC describes?
- Ignore it, since about 1% of tests fail anyway
- Recall every item processed in the last year
- Repeat the spore test immediately
- Replace the incubator and discard the result
Show the answer
C. Repeat the spore test immediately — CDC: repeat the test immediately; if it stays positive, stop using the sterilizer until serviced.