# AST CST Exam Prep vs CST Surgical Tech Prep

The clearest difference is review sentiment: CST Surgical Tech Prep at 100% against AST CST Exam Prep's 25%. CST Surgical Tech Prep also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). AST CST Exam Prep's advantage is ratings volume (288 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AST CST Exam Prep sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month and CST Surgical Tech Prep sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CST Surgical Tech Prep 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 1, 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 CST Surgical Tech Prep's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AST CST Exam Prep | CST Surgical Tech Prep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (288 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ast-cst-exam-prep/id1569418216/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cst-surgical-tech-prep-test/id6783943033/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **288** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MastrAPI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618627725) | [Hermes Inteligencia Digital Ltda](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896694873) |

## 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


### CST Surgical Tech Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cst-surgical-tech-prep-test/id6783943033)

Prepare for your Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam with a comprehensive question bank. It offers detailed explanations for each answer, personalized study plans, and progress tracking to build confidence for exam day.

**Highlights:** 2,275 board-style practice questions, Detailed explanations for every answer, 13 full subjects covering the CST blueprint, Daily Plan, Quick 10, Timed Mode, Smart Review, Full-Length Mock Exam, Progress tracking with pass probability, Customizable quizzes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CST Prep Pro Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| CST Prep Pro Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Quarterly | $29.99 | per 3 months |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AST CST Exam Prep free?

AST CST Exam Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CST Surgical Tech Prep free?

CST Surgical Tech Prep is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, AST CST Exam Prep or CST Surgical Tech Prep?

CST Surgical Tech Prep is rated higher. AST CST Exam Prep averages 4.6 out of 5 from 288 ratings, while CST Surgical Tech Prep averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do AST CST Exam Prep or CST Surgical Tech Prep have ads?

Neither AST CST Exam Prep nor CST Surgical Tech Prep shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AST CST Exam Prep or CST Surgical Tech Prep?

AST CST Exam Prep ships an update every 2 months, and CST Surgical Tech Prep every 2 months. Most recently, AST CST Exam Prep was updated on November 3, 2026 and CST Surgical Tech Prep on November 5, 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.*