Comparison

AST CST Exam Prep vs RN Prep With Steph

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

RN Prep With Steph

Master nursing fundamentals and ace your RN licensing exam with this comprehensive study companion. It offers detailed study guides, practice questions with rationales, and interactive worksheets designed by an experienced nursing educator to foster understanding and build confidence.

Highlights
  • 60+ study guides covering essential nursing topics
  • 500+ exam-style practice questions with detailed rationales
  • Interactive worksheets for hands-on practice
  • Progress tracking and identification of knowledge gaps
  • Evidence-based approach focusing on critical thinking
  • Offline access to premium content (coming soon)
Features
Read full description

Master nursing fundamentals and ace your RN licensing exam with the RN Prep With Steph app – your comprehensive study companion created by an experienced nursing educator. Whether you're just starting nursing school or preparing for your licensure exam, RN Prep With Steph provides everything you need to study smarter, understand complex concepts, and build confidence in your nursing knowledge. WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT Created by Steph, a passionate nursing educator with years of teaching experience, every study guide, practice question, and worksheet is designed to help you truly understand nursing concepts – not just memorize them. Our evidence-based approach focuses on: • Critical thinking skills for clinical practice • Comprehensive coverage of essential nursing topics • Detailed rationales that explain the "why" behind every answer • Real-world application of nursing theory COMPREHENSIVE STUDY MATERIALS STUDY GUIDES • 60+ professionally written study guides • Covers all essential nursing topics • Clear explanations with visual aids • Organized by nursing specialty PRACTICE QUESTIONS • 500+ exam-style practice questions • Detailed rationales for every answer • Track your progress over time • Identify knowledge gaps WORKSHEETS • Interactive learning exercises • Printable study aids • Hands-on practice activities • Perfect for visual learners FREE CONTENT INCLUDED Get started immediately with FREE access to: • Complete Nursing Foundations section • Fundamentals of Nursing Practice & Safety • No subscription required • No credit card needed Try before you buy and experience the quality of our educational content! PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS Unlock everything with flexible pricing: Monthly Premium - $9.99/month Perfect for short-term study needs Yearly Premium - $99.99/year (SAVE 17%) Best value for nursing students Lifetime Access - $199.99 one-time Never pay again – lifetime access to all content Premium includes: • All study guides (100+) • All practice questions (500+) • All worksheets and study aids • New content added regularly • Priority support from Steph • Progress tracking and analytics • Offline access (coming soon) CREATED BY EDUCATORS, FOR STUDENTS Steph understands the challenges nursing students face because she's been there. Her mission is simple: make nursing education more accessible, more understandable, and more effective. Every piece of content is: • Reviewed for accuracy • Based on current evidence-based practice • Aligned with nursing education standards • Updated regularly PERFECT FOR • Nursing students (all levels) • RN licensure exam preparation • Refreshing nursing knowledge • Clinical practice reference • Continuing education SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS • Subscription renews automatically unless cancelled 24 hours before period ends • Manage or cancel anytime through App Store settings • Payment charged to iTunes account at confirmation • Access premium content on all your devices YOUR PRIVACY MATTERS • No personal information required • Anonymous usage for free content • Secure subscription management via Apple • See our Privacy Policy for details Download RN Prep With Steph today and start your journey to nursing success. Your future patients are counting on you!

Screenshots

AST CST Exam Prep4 screens
RN Prep With Steph3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RN Prep With Steph at 100% against AST CST Exam Prep's 25%. RN Prep With Steph also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). AST CST Exam Prep's advantage is ratings volume (288 vs 10) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. AST CST Exam Prep sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month and RN Prep With Steph sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RN Prep With Steph holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AST CST Exam Prep has 288 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of AST CST Exam Prep's written reviews are positive against 100% of RN Prep With Steph's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AST CST Exam Prep ships an update every 2 months, RN Prep With Steph monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
AST CST Exam Prep versus RN Prep With Steph: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAST CST Exam PrepRN Prep With Steph
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (288 ratings)5.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings288 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB48 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMastrAPITaylsec LLC

Customer experience

AST CST Exam Prep

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

RN Prep With Steph

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

RN Prep With Steph

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
3 purchases

RN Prep With Steph

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium Subscription$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$199.99

Questions

Is AST CST Exam Prep free?
AST CST Exam Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RN Prep With Steph free?
RN Prep With Steph is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AST CST Exam Prep or RN Prep With Steph?
RN Prep With Steph is rated higher. AST CST Exam Prep averages 4.6 out of 5 from 288 ratings, while RN Prep With Steph averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.
Do AST CST Exam Prep or RN Prep With Steph have ads?
Neither AST CST Exam Prep nor RN Prep With Steph shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AST CST Exam Prep or RN Prep With Steph?
AST CST Exam Prep ships an update every 2 months, and RN Prep With Steph monthly. Most recently, AST CST Exam Prep was updated on November 3, 2026 and RN Prep With Steph on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons