The TS-C, short for Tech in Surgery-Certified, is the surgical technologist credential offered by the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT). It is one of the two nationally accredited surgical technologist certifications NCCT itself highlights alongside the CST, and it is used by students, graduates, experienced scrub techs, military-trained candidates, and instructors who meet NCCT’s eligibility standards.
For many people, the biggest reason the TS-C matters is simple: it gives an alternative path to certification beyond the more narrowly structured CST route. That matters if you trained through an NCCT-authorized program, built experience on the job, or completed military training and now want a recognized credential that can help with hiring, compliance, and career mobility.
The TS-C is a national certification for surgical technologists. NCCT describes surgical technologists as allied health professionals responsible for pre-op, intra-op, and post-op tasks, maintaining asepsis, anticipating surgeon needs, and helping support safe surgical care. The exam fee listed by NCCT is $199.
NCCT also states that its certification programs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and in a 2025 letter to employers it says there are two NCCA-accredited surgical technologist certifications in the U.S. today, the CST (NBSTSA) and the TS-C (NCCT).
One of the biggest advantages of the TS-C is that NCCT allows multiple eligibility pathways.
NCCT allows current students and recent graduates of qualifying Tech in Surgery programs to apply. For high school pathway candidates, NCCT says you must be a current student or graduate within the past five years of an NCCT-authorized high school Tech in Surgery program, and after graduation you must submit proof of completion plus a critical skills competency form.
NCCT also allows graduates of an NCCT-authorized postsecondary program within the past five years. That is the main education-based pathway many candidates use.
NCCT offers an experience-based route. Its current handbook states that a candidate may qualify with three years of full-time employment or equivalent, 6,240 hours, as a Tech in Surgery within the past five years, under direct supervision of a licensed physician, surgeon, or RN/circulating OR nurse, with employer verification required before testing.
Military-trained candidates can also qualify. NCCT says candidates who completed a Tech in Surgery program or equivalent during U.S. military service within the past five years may apply with supporting documentation such as a SMART transcript or DD214.
NCCT includes an instructor pathway as well. The handbook says this requires three years of current verifiable teaching experience in Surgical Technology at an NCCT-authorized organization within the last five years, plus three years of verifiable experience as a surgical technologist.
NCCT’s candidate handbook shows the TS-C exam as:
NCCT says all certification exams are built from detailed test plans based on job analysis studies, with exam content updated regularly and job analyses conducted every five years to keep content current.
For scoring, NCCT reports scores on a 200 to 720 scale, with the passing point scaled to 575.
I did not find a current official NCCT source supporting a 61.5% TS-C pass rate. The current NCCT pass-rate documents show different numbers.
NCCT’s published first-time pass-rate data shows:
Its prior-year document shows:
So for a current page, it is better to reference the latest official NCCT pass-rate data rather than an unsupported 61.5% figure.
The CST, or Certified Surgical Technologist, is the credential issued by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). NBSTSA states that only a surgical technologist certified by NBSTSA can use the CST title.
The biggest practical difference is eligibility.
NCCT allows qualification through:
NBSTSA’s handbook shows CST eligibility is narrower. It lists eligibility for:
NBSTSA says the CST exam consists of 175 multiple-choice questions, with 150 scored and 25 unscored pretest items.
So in plain English:
This is where nuance matters.
There is not one simple national rule saying every state treats TS-C and CST exactly the same. Surgical technologist regulation is state-specific, and in many places the employer sets the certification requirement rather than the state. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that some states regulate surgical technologists, while employers elsewhere may require or prefer certification.
Connecticut is one of the clearest examples. The Connecticut Department of Public Health states that recognized national certifying bodies include both:
That means Connecticut explicitly recognizes the TS-C.
Virginia is an example of why candidates should verify state rules carefully. Public comments in Virginia’s regulatory record state that, as written, Virginia law prohibited TS-C holders from being registered as Certified Surgical Technologists with the Virginia Board of Medicine. Those comments are not the statute itself, but they show that TS-C has not always been treated interchangeably there.
Tennessee legislative materials show a bill summary that would have added the TS-C exam as an authorized examination for surgical technologists, but the page also shows the measure ultimately failed to receive a constitutional majority in the House in 2006.
The safest guidance is this:
Many employers do accept TS-C, either as an equal alternative to CST or as one of multiple accepted credentials.
Examples from current job postings and employer pages include:
That does not mean every employer accepts TS-C. Some job descriptions still name only CST, especially in markets where the CST is more entrenched or where internal policy has not been broadened.
Not necessarily, but it can affect flexibility depending on the market.
If your local employers accept either TS-C or CST, then TS-C can absolutely support hiring. If you live in or plan to move to a state or hospital system that specifically prefers or requires CST, then the TS-C may be less portable for that target employer. That is why job seekers should compare certification rules against the employers and states they actually want to work in.
NCCT’s 2026 recertification guide shows that TS-C certificants must complete 14 contact hours annually, while many other NCCT credentials require 12.
That annual recertification requirement is worth understanding before you test. A certification only helps if you keep it active.
For many surgical techs, yes.
The TS-C can be a strong option if you:
The main caution is portability. If you want the widest possible alignment with hospitals or states that use CST-specific wording, you should compare both pathways before choosing. If your local employers accept TS-C, it can be a very practical certification that gets you into the field and keeps you competitive.
The TS-C is a legitimate national surgical technologist certification from NCCT with flexible eligibility routes for students, graduates, experienced techs, military-trained candidates, and qualifying instructors. It is accepted by some states and many employers, but not uniformly everywhere. That makes it important to check the rules where you want to work before deciding between TS-C and CST.
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