Sterile Storage, Transport and Inventory Management is 9% of the scored CRCST exam. Answer 10 exam style questions on inventory management and see exactly which concepts would cost you points on test day.
Start the 10 questions →A technician restocking a sterile supply shelf receives a new delivery of commercially packaged suction tubing. Some of the same tubing is already on the shelf. Where should the new stock be placed?
These questions cover FIFO stock rotation, units of measure, just-in-time inventory, consignment inventory and back orders. Each one shows the correct answer and why every other option is wrong, so a miss tells you exactly what to review before the CRCST.
Prefer to read first? Every question from the practice set above, with the correct answer and why each wrong option is wrong.
Answer: D. First in, first out (FIFO) means the oldest stock is used first. New items go behind or under existing stock so the older items are pulled first and do not sit until they pass a manufacturer expiration date or become damaged.
Why not A: Placing new items in front makes staff grab the newest stock first, so older stock keeps aging on the shelf.
Why not B: Stacking on top crushes the packages below and still lets new items get used before older ones.
Why not C: A separate bin splits the same item into two locations and does not ensure the older stock is used first.
Exam tactic: FIFO: new goes to the back, old comes out first.
Answer: A. The request is in eaches (individual gloves). With 100 gloves per box, 300 gloves equals 3 boxes. Reading the unit of measure correctly (each, box, case) prevents overstocking or shortages.
Why not B: Thirty boxes would be 3,000 gloves, ten times what was requested.
Why not C: One case is 10 boxes, or 1,000 gloves, which is more than three times the request.
Why not D: Three cases is 3,000 gloves. This error happens when eaches are confused with cases.
Exam tactic: Always check the unit of measure: each, box, or case are not interchangeable.
Answer: C. Just-in-time inventory delivers supplies close to when they are needed, so the facility keeps very little stock on hand. This reduces storage space and carrying costs, but it depends on reliable deliveries, and any disruption leads to stockouts quickly.
Why not A: Bulk ordering builds up large stock on hand, which is the opposite of JIT.
Why not B: Vendor ownership until use describes consignment inventory, not JIT.
Why not D: An annual physical count is a counting method. It has nothing to do with when supplies are delivered.
Exam tactic: JIT = just enough, just in time; less stock, more dependence on the supplier.
Answer: C. In consignment inventory, the vendor owns the stock stored in the facility until it is used. The hospital pays only for what is consumed, which is common for expensive implants that come in many sizes.
Why not A: A perpetual inventory is a recordkeeping method that updates counts in real time. It does not describe who owns the stock.
Why not B: JIT means supplies are delivered close to use. The hospital still owns them once they arrive.
Why not D: An exchange cart system swaps full carts for used ones on a unit. It does not involve vendor ownership.
Exam tactic: Consignment: on our shelf, on their books, until it is used.
Answer: D. A back order means the supplier cannot ship the item now. The technician should communicate the shortage to the users and work through purchasing or materials management to obtain an approved substitute, so patient care is not interrupted.
Why not A: Simply stopping requests leaves units without a needed item and no plan for patient care.
Why not B: Pulling all stock back without a plan disrupts the units and does not solve the supply gap.
Why not C: Buying from unapproved sources bypasses the facility's purchasing controls and product approval process.
Exam tactic: Back order: communicate, then substitute through approved channels.
Answer: B. A recall applies to the lot numbers named in the notice. The technician locates every kit with those lot numbers in all storage locations, removes them from use, and follows the facility recall procedure for quarantine, documentation, and return.
Why not A: Pulling unaffected lots creates an unnecessary shortage. Only the listed lots are recalled.
Why not C: Using recalled product puts patients at risk. Recalled items must never be issued.
Why not D: Waiting leaves recalled product available for use. Removal must start as soon as the notice is received.
Exam tactic: Recall = match the lot number, pull it, quarantine, document.
Answer: B. RFID uses radio waves, so a reader detects tags without a direct line of sight and reads many tags at once. A barcode must be visible and scanned one at a time.
Why not A: RFID tags still wear out or get damaged and must be replaced when they fail.
Why not C: RFID tracks the container or item. Technicians still verify set contents against the count sheet.
Why not D: No tracking tag shows sterility. Sterility assurance comes from the sterilization process and monitoring.
Exam tactic: Barcode needs to see it; RFID just needs to be near it.
Answer: B. PAR levels should match actual usage. When usage data show demand has grown, the PAR is reviewed and raised so the unit has enough stock between restocks.
Why not A: Extra trips add labor without fixing the root cause, which is a PAR set too low.
Why not C: Borrowing shifts the shortage to another unit and hides the real demand from inventory records.
Why not D: A year of stock ties up money and space and raises the risk of damage and expired product.
Exam tactic: Repeated stockouts = PAR no longer matches usage. Fix the PAR.
Answer: A. Unopened commercially sterile items with intact packaging are inspected and returned to stock per facility policy. Discarding them wastes money, and the event-related principle means an undamaged package is still usable.
Why not B: Throwing away intact, unopened items wastes money for no safety benefit.
Why not C: Opening a commercially sterile item and resterilizing it in house is not allowed unless the manufacturer IFU permits it.
Why not D: Intact, unopened items belong back in the facility's own stock. Sending them to the vendor is not the routine handling for case cart returns.
Exam tactic: Unopened and intact: inspect, then back on the shelf.
Answer: C. Excess stock ties up money and space and sits longer on the shelf. Items with manufacturer expiration dates expire before use, and more handling raises the chance of package damage, so overstock creates waste.
Why not A: Ordering speed and back orders depend on the supplier, not on how much stock is held.
Why not B: More stock raises carrying costs such as space, handling, and money tied up in inventory.
Why not D: Unit of measure errors come from misreading orders. Stock levels do not prevent them.
Exam tactic: Too much stock = money on a shelf, waiting to expire.
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