About the CRCST exam
The Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA, formerly IAHCSMM) gives the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) exam. It has 150 multiple-choice questions and you get 3 hours. 125 of the questions are scored, and the other 25 are unscored pretest questions. You take it in person at a Prometric test center.
Sources: 2026 certification handbook, checked October 16, 2026; CRCST exam content outline (revised November 2023), checked October 16, 2026.| Content area | Share of the exam |
|---|---|
| Cleaning, decontamination and disinfection | 21% |
| Preparation and packaging | 21% |
| Sterilization process | 21% |
| Departmental considerations | 15% |
| Sterile storage, transport and inventory management | 9% |
| Professional development and human relation skills | 8% |
| Patient care equipment and distribution | 5% |
What the practice test will include
The CRCST pass will include full practice tests that follow HSPA’s content outline, a question bank by topic, every answer explained, and insights that show which topics to review. A certified technician reviews every question, so the CRCST test will open after our TEAS practice.
Join the CRCST waitlist
After every practice set, you’ll see which CRCST topics to work on next. Ten minutes counts, and it saves your place.
CRCST practice questions
We’re writing these now
Every question will follow the exam owner’s published outline, and every answer will explain why the right choice is right and the others aren’t. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you the day they’re ready.
The 400 hands-on hours
To earn the full CRCST, you need 400 hours of hands-on work in a sterile processing department, paid or volunteer, split across five areas:
| Area | Hours |
|---|---|
| Decontamination | 120 |
| Preparing and packaging instruments | 120 |
| Sterilization and disinfection | 120 |
| Storage and distribution | 24 |
| Quality assurance processes | 16 |
You can take the exam before you finish. If you pass, you’re provisionally certified and have 6 months to submit the hours, with one 2-month extension possible if you’re working or volunteering in a department.
Where you take it
You take the CRCST in person at a Prometric test center. HSPA doesn’t offer it online.
How to study for the CRCST
Three areas, cleaning and decontamination, preparation and packaging, and sterilization, are each 21% of the exam, so they’re where most of your study time should go. Take a timed practice test early. With 150 questions in 3 hours, you have about 1.2 minutes per question.
TODO: the keyword map asks for the current HSPA manual edition and the CRCST pass rate. Add them only from HSPA’s own pages.
Common questions about the CRCST exam
Do I need 400 hours before I take the CRCST exam?
Not always. You need 400 hands-on hours in a sterile processing department, but HSPA lets you test first and earn provisional status, then submit the hours within 6 months of passing.
How much does the CRCST exam cost?
HSPA lists $140 for the exam and $140 for each retake. Every application also includes a $25 submission fee that isn’t refunded.
What’s the CRCST passing score?
HSPA reports pass or fail based on how many scored questions you answer correctly. It doesn’t publish the passing number or a percentage score. TODO: HSPA doesn’t publish its cut score.
Can I retake the CRCST exam?
Yes. HSPA requires at least 6 weeks between attempts, and each retake costs $140.