The Liaison Council on Certification of the Surgical Technologist (LCC-ST) was established in 1974 as the certifying agency for surgical technologists. NBSTSA is organized as a 501-C(6) organization, and is solely responsible for all decisions regarding certification — from determining eligibility to maintaining, denying, granting and renewing the designation.
ALERT! Our initial application and renewal databases will be undergoing an important update and will not be available for a few hours on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, after 4:00PM MST. We apologize for the inconvenience.
History
The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) offered its first examinations in 1970 under the auspices of the Association of Operating Room Technologists Advisory and Exam Committee.
We are governed by a 10-member Board of Directors composed of seven Certified Surgical Technologist® (CST®) and Certified Surgical First Assistant® (CSFA®) professionals, one public member, one surgeon — as appointed by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) — and one surgical technology educator.
Our Purpose
The purpose of NBSTSA is to determine, through examination, if an individual has acquired both theoretical and practical knowledge of surgical technology or surgical first assisting. In addition, through the acquisition of continuing education credits or by re-examination, CST® professionals certified after August 31, 1977 and all CST®/CSFA® professionals are required to stay up to date with changes in the medical field.
Accreditation
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) reviews and grants accreditation to the NBSTSA for its administration of both the CST® and CSFA® certifications. The CST® and CSFA® credentials are currently accredited by NCCA through 04/30/2030.
