Top 6 Surgical Technologist Interview Questions (2026)

Behavioral questions

Past-experience questions. Answer with the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result.

1. 1

   Tell me about the most challenging case you've scrubbed and what made it difficult.

   What they're really asking: Experience scope and self-awareness: complex case types, unexpected intraoperative events, or a long case that required sustained focus and anticipation. The story reveals real OR experience and the ability to reflect on performance.

2. 2

   How do you handle a surgeon who is frustrated and directing that frustration at you during a case?

   What they're really asking: Professionalism under pressure: stay focused on the patient and the case, don't match the frustration, give the surgeon what they need efficiently, and address the behavior after the case through the appropriate channel if it was unprofessional. The patient on the table is the priority during the case.

Technical questions

Skill and knowledge checks. Be specific — name tools, tolerances, and methods.

1. 1

   Walk me through how you'd set up your back table and Mayo stand for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

   What they're really asking: Case preparation and anticipation: specific instrumentation for the case type, organization for efficient handoff during the case, and the sequence in which instruments will be needed — so the surgeon isn't waiting.

   Strong answer:

   Count and verify

   Before anything goes on the field I count sponges, sharps, and instruments with the circulator — baseline count documented before the case starts. Every instrument on the count sheet is verified.

   Back table organization

   I organize the back table with irrigation, sutures, and supplies organized by when they'll be needed. For a lap chole: laparoscopic instrument set, trocars sized per surgeon preference, camera and light cord, clip applier, electrosurgical equipment, and conversion set available but off field.

   Mayo stand

   Mayo stand has the immediate-use instruments: initial dissection instruments, clip applier and clips loaded, and suction. I position the Mayo so I can pass without reaching across the sterile field.

   Anticipation

   I know the steps of a lap chole so I can have the next instrument ready before the surgeon asks. When they're clipping the cystic duct I already have the scissors ready for the next step.

   Knowing the surgical steps so you can anticipate — not just respond — is what the surgeon notices. A scrub tech who's always one step ahead creates a very different OR environment than one who waits to be asked.

   Practice answering this question out loud →
2. 2

   Describe your experience with robotic-assisted surgery.

   What they're really asking: Technology literacy: da Vinci system setup, draping the robotic arms, instrument loading and exchange, and the scrub tech's role during a robotic case differs from open or standard laparoscopic. Facilities with robotic programs want techs who are or can quickly become proficient.

Situational questions

Hypotheticals that test judgment. Walk through your reasoning step by step.

1. 1

   You notice you've contaminated your glove during a case. What do you do?

   What they're really asking: Sterile technique integrity: immediately notify the circulator and request a glove change. There is no acceptable reason to continue with a contaminated glove — patient safety takes absolute priority over case speed. Hesitation on this question is a red flag.

2. 2

   What do you do if you notice an instrument is missing from your count at closing?

   What they're really asking: Retained foreign body prevention: notify the surgeon and circulator immediately, conduct a thorough search of the field, off the field, in the trash, and with the bovie pad, and do not close until the count is resolved. A retained surgical instrument is a never event — the count is never 'close enough.'

How to prepare for a Surgical Technologist interview

• 1

  CST credential is the professional standard

  NBSTSA CST is required at most facilities or required within a defined period after hire. Pursuing it before starting the job search is worth the preparation investment.

• 2

  Sterile technique is the non-negotiable foundation

  No correct answer in a surgical tech interview involves hesitation about calling a break in technique. Interviewers who ask contamination scenarios are specifically checking that you would stop the case without being prompted.

• 3

  Service line depth matters for advancement

  Surgical techs who develop deep expertise in one or two service lines (cardiovascular, neuro, ortho, robotics) are the most valued and best compensated. Generalist breadth first, then specialize.

• 4

  Ask about their call schedule and service lines

  Call frequency, case volume, and service line mix significantly affect the job. A level one trauma center with heavy call is a different career than an ambulatory surgery center with no call and a narrower case mix.

Surgical technologists are in growing demand as surgical volumes increase and the experienced workforce ages. CST certification, specialty service line expertise, and robotic surgery proficiency command the highest compensation, and experienced surgical techs frequently advance into first assist, surgical tech educator, and OR management roles.