Comparison

AST CST Exam Prep vs AST Study Guide 4th Edition

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

AST CST Exam Prep

Prepare for your Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam with a personalized study plan. Practice with over 550 questions, track your progress, and compare your scores to the community average to boost your confidence and pass on your first attempt.

Highlights
  • Personalized study plan
  • 550+ practice questions
  • Track strengths and weaknesses
  • Detailed test statistics
  • Community score comparison
  • Multiple exam options
Read full description

Pass your CST exam with flying colors! Boost your confidence in passing first time with our mobile app and a personal study plan based on your current skill and requirements. The national certifying examination for surgical technologists covers the knowledge and skills common to competent entry-level Surgical Technologists in varied settings and geographical locations. Committee members designed the examinations to assess the skills that comprise the core body of knowledge for all surgical technologists and surgical first assistants. The Certified Surgical Technologist (CST®) examination examines practical knowledge, and one night of studying will not lead to passing grades. Key features: - Choose from different exams - Practice with 550+ questions written by instructors and expert tutors - Track your strengths and weaknesses within Stats section of the app - Study detailed statistics of every test you take - Compare your score to the community average for almost any type of exam - - - - Purchases, subscriptions and terms You need to buy a lifetime access or subscribe to get access to all features, courses and questions. The cost of the purchase is charged to your iTunes account. Subscriptions are auto-renewable and are billed at the rate and period selected depending on the subscription plan. Users’ accounts are charged for auto-renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal can be turned off in Account Settings in iTunes after the purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Terms of use: https://mastrapi.com/terms Privacy policy: https://mastrapi.com/policy

About

AST Study Guide 4th Edition

Prepare for your Surgical Technology certification exam with a comprehensive study guide. Review essential concepts, practice with over 2,000 realistic questions, and build confidence for exam day through flexible study options.

Highlights
  • Detailed content review of core curriculum
  • Over 2,000 practice questions
  • 5 certifying practice exams
  • Focused or randomized study modes
  • Easy-to-use format for efficient studying
  • Familiarity with exam question formats
Features
Read full description

Ace Your Surgical Technology Exam with Confidence Preparing for your Surgical Technology certification exam? AST's Surgical Technologists Certification Exam Study Guide is designed to help you review essential concepts, strengthen your knowledge, and approach exam day with confidence. Whether you want to focus on specific study areas or take randomized exams for broader review, this app gives you flexible study options to match your needs. Features: - Detailed Content Review - Covers key areas of the AST Core Curriculum and NBSTSA exam content outline, including surgical procedures, sterile technique, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, instrumentation, and patient care. - Practice Questions and Answers - Study with more than 2,000 realistic exam-style questions and 5 certifying practice exams. - Focused or Randomized Study - Choose exams by topic or take random exams to build overall knowledge and confidence. - Easy-to-Use Format - Organized for efficient studying, quick review, and better retention. - Helpful Exam Preparation - Build familiarity with question formats and strengthen your readiness for exam day. Whether you are a student, a practicing professional reviewing key concepts, or preparing for the CST exam for the first time, this study guide is a reliable companion for your exam preparation.

Screenshots

AST CST Exam Prep4 screens
AST Study Guide 4th Edition4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: AST CST Exam Prep at Free against AST Study Guide 4th Edition's $65.00. AST CST Exam Prep also leads on review sentiment (25% vs 0%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). AST Study Guide 4th Edition's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

AST CST Exam Prep is free to download; AST Study Guide 4th Edition costs $65.00 up front. AST CST Exam Prep sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. AST Study Guide 4th Edition asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AST CST Exam Prep ships an update every 2 months, AST Study Guide 4th Edition every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
AST CST Exam Prep versus AST Study Guide 4th Edition: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAST CST Exam PrepAST Study Guide 4th Edition
PriceFree — better$65.00
Rating4.6 (289 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings289 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB27 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperMastrAPIAssociation of Surgical Techologists

Customer experience

AST CST Exam Prep

All ratings284 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral4.6%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative58.3%

AST Study Guide 4th Edition

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

AST CST Exam Prep

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Answers change after submission
  • Incorrect scoring
  • Repeated questions
  • Misspellings and poor wording
  • Answers marked incorrect when correct
Show 2 more
  • Content not transferring to new app
  • Typos in questions and answers

Requested features

3 requests
  • iPad version of the app
  • Personalizing tests
  • Better questions

AST Study Guide 4th Edition

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

AST CST Exam Prep

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly with trial7 Days trial$24.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime access$99.99
None

AST Study Guide 4th Edition

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AST CST Exam Prep free?
AST CST Exam Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AST Study Guide 4th Edition free?
AST Study Guide 4th Edition costs $65.00, with no in-app purchases.
Do AST CST Exam Prep or AST Study Guide 4th Edition have ads?
Neither AST CST Exam Prep nor AST Study Guide 4th Edition shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AST CST Exam Prep or AST Study Guide 4th Edition?
AST CST Exam Prep ships an update every 2 months, and AST Study Guide 4th Edition every 2 weeks. Most recently, AST CST Exam Prep was updated on October 20, 2026 and AST Study Guide 4th Edition on October 16, 2026.

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