CRCST study guides
One guide per exam domain, plus the exam format, cost, pass rate and the 400 hours. Each guide cites public sources and ends with a five-question quiz.
The seven domains
- Cleaning, decontamination and disinfection (21%)Study guide for the 21% CRCST domain on point-of-use care, manual and mechanical cleaning, Spaulding classes and high-level disinfection. Free practice quiz.
- Departmental considerations (15% of the CRCST exam)Study guide for the 15% CRCST domain: department layout, attire, traffic control, regulations and standards, records and quality measures. Free practice quiz.
- Patient care equipment and distribution (5%)Study guide for the 5% CRCST domain on cleaning, inspecting, tracking and issuing patient-care equipment such as pumps. Ends with a free practice quiz.
- Preparation and packaging (21%)Study guide for the 21% CRCST domain on inspection, assembly, wraps, peel pouches, rigid containers, indicators and labeling. Ends with a free practice quiz.
- Professional development and human relation skills (8%)Study guide for the 8% CRCST domain on communication, privacy, medical terminology, teamwork and certification upkeep. Ends with a free practice quiz.
- Sterile storage, transport and inventory (9%)Study guide for the 9% CRCST domain on event-related sterility, stock rotation, case carts, distribution and recalls. Ends with a five-question practice quiz.
- Sterilization process (21%)Study guide for the 21% CRCST domain: steam parameters, Bowie-Dick tests, biological indicators, low-temperature methods and recalls. Free practice quiz.
The exam and certification
- A timed CRCST mock examHow the timed CRCST Practice mock works: 150 questions weighted to the November 2023 outline, 3 hours, review after you submit, and how it differs from HSPA's.
- CRCST exam domains, with the published weightsThe seven CRCST exam domains and the percentage weights in the November 2023 content outline, with what each domain covers and a short practice quiz.
- CRCST exam format and timingThe CRCST exam is computer-based: 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, with 125 scored and 25 unscored pretest items. How scoring and results work.
- CRCST pass rate: 65.6% in 2025HSPA reported 10,083 CRCST passes and 5,286 fails in 2025, a 65.6% pass rate. How that compares with earlier years and what the figure does not tell you.
- CRCST practice test: start with a free sampleA free CRCST practice test weighted to the seven domains on the November 2023 outline. Each answer shows an explanation and the public source behind it.
- CRCST study guide: study in weight orderA CRCST study plan that follows the published domain weights, from the three 21% domains down to the 5% one. Includes a five-question practice quiz.
- How hard is the CRCST exam?The CRCST pass rate was 65.6% in 2025. What that number says about difficulty, what it leaves out, and which domains to study first. Free mini quiz included.
- Instrument identification in textText-based surgical instrument identification for CRCST study: forceps, clamps, retractors, scissors and suction tips, described by shape and use. Free quiz.
- Provisional CRCST: pass first, hours within six monthsProvisional CRCST means you passed the exam and have six months to document 400 hours of hands-on experience. What counts and who can sign the form.
- Spaulding classification for sterile processingCritical, semicritical and noncritical devices as the CDC guideline defines them, with the level of processing each one needs. For CRCST study, with a quiz.
- Steam sterilization monitorsPhysical, chemical and biological monitors for steam sterilization, including the Bowie-Dick test and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spore tests. Free quiz.
- The CRCST 400-hour experience splitCRCST requires 400 hands-on hours: 120 in decontamination, 120 in prep and pack, 120 in sterilization, 24 in storage and 16 in quality. What counts toward each.
- What the CRCST exam costsHSPA lists the CRCST exam and each retake at $140, paid to HSPA. What the fee covers, what it does not, and how it differs from the cost of any study product.