BLS Updated Actual Exam Question and
Answer (2026/2027) | Detailed Rationales
• An addult patient suffers cardiac arrest in bed and requires CPR. When
compressing the patient's chest, which technique promotes high-quality CPR? -✓✓
1. Position yourself so your shoulders are directly over your hands.
2. Place one hand on top of the other and interlace your fingers or hold them up so
that they are not resting on the patient's chest
3. Keep your arms straight and lock your elbows. Compress the chest using a
straight down-and-up motion.
• You are working with a BLS team performing CPR on a 62-year old female
patient. Which actions demonstrate high-quality CPR? -✓✓ 1. Deliver smooth
ventilations that last about 1 second each and make the chest begin to rise
2. Allow for full chest recoil after each compression.
3. Compress the chest at a rate of 100 to 120.
• You arrive with an AED and prepare to apply the pads while the BLS team
continues to provide CPR. Yo apply the pads using the anterior/lateral pad
placement. -✓✓ 1. Patient's upper right chest, below the right clavicle to the right
of the sternum
2. Patient's lower left chest along the midaxillary line, a few inches below the left
armpit
• You and another provider are performing CPR on an adult patient in cardiac
arrest. An advanced airway is not yet in place. Which actions demonstrate
appropriate care? -✓✓ 1. One provider focuses on rapid assessment and starting
CPR; the other calls for additional resources and gets the AED.
2. You use a compression-to-ventilation ratio of 30:2
Answer (2026/2027) | Detailed Rationales
• An addult patient suffers cardiac arrest in bed and requires CPR. When
compressing the patient's chest, which technique promotes high-quality CPR? -✓✓
1. Position yourself so your shoulders are directly over your hands.
2. Place one hand on top of the other and interlace your fingers or hold them up so
that they are not resting on the patient's chest
3. Keep your arms straight and lock your elbows. Compress the chest using a
straight down-and-up motion.
• You are working with a BLS team performing CPR on a 62-year old female
patient. Which actions demonstrate high-quality CPR? -✓✓ 1. Deliver smooth
ventilations that last about 1 second each and make the chest begin to rise
2. Allow for full chest recoil after each compression.
3. Compress the chest at a rate of 100 to 120.
• You arrive with an AED and prepare to apply the pads while the BLS team
continues to provide CPR. Yo apply the pads using the anterior/lateral pad
placement. -✓✓ 1. Patient's upper right chest, below the right clavicle to the right
of the sternum
2. Patient's lower left chest along the midaxillary line, a few inches below the left
armpit
• You and another provider are performing CPR on an adult patient in cardiac
arrest. An advanced airway is not yet in place. Which actions demonstrate
appropriate care? -✓✓ 1. One provider focuses on rapid assessment and starting
CPR; the other calls for additional resources and gets the AED.
2. You use a compression-to-ventilation ratio of 30:2
