Organ Recovery & Preservation Study Guide (2026 Edition)

This guide covers the second-largest domain on the exam, and it has two halves. The first is allocation — how the national computer decides the order in which

candidates are offered each organ, and how that order differs by organ. The second is recovery — how the authorized organs are surgically recovered, preserved,
packaged, and transported so they arrive in usable condition. This guide teaches the allocation logic first, then the recovery workflow, and each section leads with
plain teaching prose supported by the flowcharts, tables, and Check-Yourself boxes.

CPTC Study Guide: Allocation & Recovery

Allocation and Recovery accounts for 29% of the scored CPTC exam, or approximately 44 of the 150 scored questions. This guide is built to the July 1, 2026 CPTC test specifications and reflects current OPTN allocation policy.

This guide helps candidates think like an Organ Procurement Coordinator: executing the match run correctly, making offers in policy order, coordinating recovery, minimizing ischemic time, and ensuring the correct organ reaches the correct recipient.

Why This Guide Is Different

Blueprint-Aligned: Covers the current ABTC Allocation and Recovery domain.

Organ-Specific Learning: Explains lung CAS, kidney KDPI and EPTS, liver MELD 3.0 and PELD, heart status levels, and multi-organ allocation.

The “Exam Lens”: Teaches which factors determine priority, what cannot affect allocation, and which steps protect organ viability and recipient safety.

Recovery-Focused: Connects acceptance, OR coordination, cross-clamp, preservation, packaging, transport, and chain of custody.

What’s Inside

13 Numbered Study Sections: Organized from the match run through organ delivery.

Allocation: Blood type, size, sensitization, distance, continuous distribution, and organ-specific scores.

Recovery and Preservation: OR coordination, surgical sequencing, cold ischemic time, static cold storage, and machine perfusion.

Packaging and Transport: Sterile packaging, labeling, two-person verification, temperature control, and chain of custody.

High-Yield Study Tools

Allocation-to-Transplant Workflow

Organ-Specific Score Tables

Numbers and Terms to Memorize

Allocation and Recovery Checklists

Mnemonics and Exam Alerts, including “BST,” “Lower Is Better,” and “Cross-Clamp = Clock.”

Includes

Allocation & Recovery CPTC Study Guide

National Match Run
Blood Type, Size, and Sensitization
Continuous Distribution
Lung, Kidney, Liver, and Heart Allocation
Pancreas and Multi-Organ Allocation
Recovery Coordination
Organ Preservation and Ischemic Time
Packaging, Transport, and Chain of Custody
Reference Tables, Mnemonics, and Checklists

Don’t just memorize allocation scores—learn how a fair match becomes a functioning graft.

This digital study guide turns complex allocation rules and recovery requirements into a clear, student-friendly workflow.

Exam Tip: Follow the match run in policy order, minimize ischemic time, verify every organ and label, and maintain an unbroken chain of custody.

Disclaimer

This is independently written CPTC exam-preparation material and is not official ABTC content. Allocation policies change, so current OPTN policy and applicable OPO procedures must always guide operational practice.