# AST CST Exam Prep vs AST Study Guide 4th Edition

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | AST CST Exam Prep | AST Study Guide 4th Edition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $65.00 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (289 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ast-cst-exam-prep/id1569418216/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **289** | — |
| Positive reviews | **25.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 35 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MastrAPI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618627725) | [Association of Surgical Techologists](https://appshunter.io/developer/645664784) |

## What reviewers say

### AST CST Exam Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ast-cst-exam-prep/id1569418216)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly with trial | $24.99 | per month |
| Lifetime access | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful information
- 👍 App proved useful for exam prep
- 👍 Passed exam with app's help

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Answers change after submission
- 🐛 Incorrect scoring
- 🐛 Repeated questions
- 🐛 Misspellings and poor wording
- 🐛 Answers marked incorrect when correct

**Reported bugs**

- Answers change after submission
- Incorrect scoring
- Repeated questions
- Misspellings and poor wording
- Answers marked incorrect when correct

**Requested features**

- iPad version of the app
- Personalizing tests
- Better questions


### AST Study Guide 4th Edition

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ast-study-guide-4th-edition/id6745573067)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*