Surgical Tech Certification

Whether you are undergoing a surgical tech program or have completed one, you must try to acquire a Surgical Tech Certification, post-completion of your program.

As a Surgical tech, you’ll play a vital role in the operating room, ensuring that surgeries run smoothly. A certification wouldn’t just help you validate your skills but also help you attract employment opportunities and leap above the competition. 

In this article, we are going to discuss Surgical Tech Certifications Online, in-depth details about the 3 major types, how long it could take, if you could become a surgical tech without certification, and much more. 

Let’s start –

Surgical Tech Certification Online

You may pursue your surgical tech program online and then apply online for the National Certification exam. That way, the process of becoming a surgical tech would be more convenient and easily accessible for you.

Surgical tech certification is your gateway to a promising career in the healthcare industry. Obtaining certification highlights your commitment, validates your skills, and makes you stand apart from the rest.  

Besides employers, the patients too, seek certified surgical techs since they have proven their skills by passing a national-level exam.

There are several recognized certification options for surgical technologists in the United States. The 3 most prominent Surgical Tech Certifications are as follows –  

NBSTSA – National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting

NCCT – National Center for Competency Testing 

NCST – Nationally Certified Surgical Technologist through AAH (American Allied Health)

Read:

-> What is a Surgical Tech?

-> What Does a Surgical Tech Do?

-> How to Become a Surgical Tech?

National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA)

The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) plays a significant role in certifying and upholding the standards of both surgical technologists and surgical assistants. 

Offered or Accredited by

The NBSTSA’s certification program is accredited by the NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies), the accreditation division of the ICE (Institute for Credentialing Excellence).

Title You Get

If you wish to get your certification through NBSTSA then it offers you the title – Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).

Eligibility

To be eligible for the CST exam, candidates must complete an accredited surgical technology program or have relevant military training as a Surgical Technology practitioner.

You must ensure that the program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

Read More:

-> Online Surgical Tech Programs

-> Surgical Tech Classes & Courses

-> Surgical Tech Program & Training

Application and Fees

If you are appearing for the exam for the first time, then the application fees depend on two factors – 

• If you are a member of AST (Association of Surgical Technologists) – $190
• For Non-member – $290  

Exam Details – Pass Scenario

The exam contains 175 questions, with only 150 scored questions, and out of those you are required to answer 102 questions correctly. 

Retest

If you meet the eligibility, appear in the exam, and fail, then you can have many opportunities to pass the exam. However, the opportunities are limited to 3 attempts per year. Also, you need to pay application fees for each attempt. 

Read:

-> Surgical Tech Salary

-> Surgical Tech Requirements

National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)

The National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) is a prominent organization that specializes in certifying healthcare professionals across various disciplines, including surgical technology.

Offered or Accredited by

The NCCT’s certification program is accredited by the NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies), the accreditation division of the ICE (Institute for Credentialing Excellence). 

Title You Get

If you wish to get your certification through the NCCT, it offers you the title – Tech in Surgery Certified or TS-C.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you need to enroll in a Surgical Technology program from an NCCT-authorized school. You may also qualify through military training or verifiable work experience as a Surgical Technology practitioner.

Application and Fees

If you are appearing for the exam for the first time, then the application fee is $199.

Exam Details – Pass Scenario

The exam contains 175 questions, with only 150 scored questions. A scaled score of 70 is required to pass the NCCT certification exam.

Retest

You only have 4 attempts to pass the exam. If you meet the eligibility, appear on the exam, and fail, then for your 2nd and 3rd attempts you may retest after 30 days. But, for a fourth and final attempt, you must wait for 1 year to retake the exam.

Read:

-> Is Surgical Tech School Hard?

-> How Long Does It Take to Become a Surgical Tech?

Nationally Certified Surgical Technologist (NCST) by AAH

The Nationally Certified Surgical Technologist is a certification offered by the AAH – American Allied Health.

Offered or Accredited by

You can earn your NCST certification online through the AHA (American Allied Health).

Title You Get

If you wish to get your certification through the NCST then it offers you the title – NCST (Nationally Certified Surgical Technologist).

Eligibility

To be eligible, you need to hold an accredited Surgical Technology program or through military training or have a verifiable 1-year work experience as a Surgical Technology practitioner. You need to upload proof of eligibility online to your AAH account.

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Application and Fees

If you are appearing for the exam for the first time, then the application fee is $130.

Exam Details – Pass Scenario

The exam contains 150 scored questions. The time allotted is 120 mins The passing score is 75%.

Retest

There are unlimited retest attempts if you fail and there is no cool-off period as such. Also, for the first retest attempt you don’t need to pay anything. For the other retest attempts, you may need to pay a small retest fee.  

You can also appeal your test results up to 30 days after an examination to check what exactly went wrong.

Read:

-> Surgical Tech Major

-> Surgical Tech Resume

How to get Surgical Tech Certification?

To get certified as a Surgical Tech, you need to undergo formal education through traditional or online surgical tech programs. You need to hold a High School diploma to enroll in a Surgical Tech program.

The traditional programs are offered through on-campus mode by community colleges, vocational schools, technical institutes, or universities. But we only recommend you to go after the online Surgical Tech programs.

In short; Here’s how you can get your Surgical Tech Certification –

• Meet the requisites.
• Enroll in a Surgical Tech Program.
• Earn a University Certificate.
• Acquire Clinical Experience Through an Externship.
• Apply, Study, and Pass the Exam to get certified.
• Maintain Certification in a 2- or 4-year period, and by completing 75 CE hours.  

Detailed Post -> How to Become a Certified Surgical Technologist? 

How long is Surgical Tech Certification?

Post-completion of your surgical tech program, you can go through the certification process to become a Certified Surgical Tech, CST.  

You need to apply for the exam that you want to get certified from, AHA, or NCCA. To prepare for the certification would again depend on you, so consider 1 to 3 months for preparation.

If you can pass the exam in one go, you could be certified instantly, or need to re-appear again as per the norms.

So, considering you have enrolled in an online program that takes around 3 months to complete and then some 3 months for preparation and clinical experience, it would hardly take you around 1 year to get the Surgical Tech Certification.

Also Read:

-> AST Surgical Tech 

-> NCCT Surgical Tech

-> Surgical Tech Study Guide

Can you be a Surgical Tech without Certification?

There is no clear answer to it. Yes, you could become one without education and certification, but how much worth it would hold would only depend on the employer and the patient.

Actually; to become a Surgical Tech, there are no such requirements in education or certification, as of now. Also, many employers prefer certified professionals these days.

Take it this way, even if the employer allows you to practice, gain experience, and then work for them, what if a patient requests to be only treated by certified professionals? Also, there are other factors like insurance companies, and so on.

So, even if you could become a Surgical Tech without a certification, we wouldn’t encourage you to take that route. Instead, try to acquire formal education and get certified to be on the safer side.

Read -> Pros And Cons Of Being A Surgical Tech

In Conclusion,

If you aspiring for a career as a surgical tech, then you should consider certification, even though you could become one without it. 

The certifications are highly regarded since they demonstrate your competence and commitment to the profession. 

There are 3 national certification options to choose from post-completion of your program and then you’ll be designated as a Certified Surgical Tech. 

We recommend the NCST certification program since it offers unlimited retests without any cool-off period. 

This professional milestone would open doors to exciting opportunities to be part of a surgical team, or operating room, and ensure the safety of patients during surgical procedures.

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