ELLIS AND ASSOCIATES LIFEGUARD UPDATED
EXAMS PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
SURE A+
✔✔Secondary Responsibilities Of Lifeguards - ✔✔As a lifeguard you will have
numerous secondary responsibilities such as:
• Inspecting the facility
• Documentation
• Cleaning the facility
• Testing water chemistry
• Crowd control
• Providing guest services
✔✔Lifeguard Appearance And Behavior (pg. 18-19) - ✔✔Guests view you as a
professional, they are more likely to follow your directions. These lifeguard behaviors
identify you as a professional:
• Being Prepared
• Rescue Ready
• Safety Aware
• Vigilant
• Identifiable
• Punctuality
• Team Member
• Focus on Health
• Guest Ambassador
✔✔Lifeguard Uniform - ✔✔Your employer will provide the specifics on the standard
lifeguard uniform for your facility. Lifeguard uniforms might include items such as:
• Bathing suit/shorts or trunks
• Shirt
• Hat/visor
• Polarized sunglasses
,✔✔Lifeguard Equipment (pg. 20) - ✔✔Rescue tube, Whistle, Hip pack, and Sun
protection
✔✔Rescue Tube (pg. 20) - ✔✔A safe, lightweight, and an effective lifesaving device for
situations requiring rescues from the water.
Using a rescue tube has advantages such as:
• The ability to support several large people in the water • Reducing the amount of
energy that you must expend when bringing one or more guests in distress to safety
• Provides lifeguard safety. Positioned between you and a guest, the rescue tube
reduces the likelihood that the guest will grab you during a rescue. And if a guest does
happen to grab you, the rescue tube is likely to keep both you and the guest above
water
• The ability to quickly position the guest on the tube so that rescue breathing can be
provided in the water when necessary
• The ability to support a backboard in the water while performing extrications in which
spinal injury issuspected
✔✔Whistle - ✔✔Worn around your neck and used to get a guests attention, and has a
second tone used to activate an EAP.
✔✔Hip Pack - ✔✔Worn around your waist and can be accessed on land or in the water.
Inside: resuscitation mask and non-latex gloves.
✔✔Sun Protection - ✔✔Dermatologists recommend a "broad spectrum" sunscreen with
a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.
• Waterproof sunscreen is capable of maintaining its SPF rating for 80 minutes when
exposed to water
• Water resistant sunscreen is capable of maintaining its SPF rating for 40 minutes
when exposed to water
✔✔C.A.R.E - ✔✔• Confident in your ability to maintain a test-ready skill level by
enhancing your development through ongoing training participation.
• Attentive to your Zone of Protection Area while on duty, anticipating and preventing
potential issues (weak swimmers, crowded conditions, surface glare).
• Responsive when faced with an emergency that requires you to quickly assess a
situation and determine the best course of action.
• Empathetic by placing yourself in the guest's position, understanding their needs and
emotions.
✔✔D.E.A.L - ✔✔• De-escalate the situation - Start with a clear understanding of the
guest's concern.
• Evaluate alternatives - Examine the options available to help with the guest's concern.
• Act quickly - Based on the information you gather, and after considering your options,
take action to improve the situation.
,• Look at outcomes - Evaluate how effective your action was afterward.
✔✔Rule Enforcement - ✔✔Rules are established to prevent potential risks and injury.
Remember to keep the conversation with a guest positive. An example of this would be
stating "Please walk" instead of "No running!"
✔✔L.E.A.D - ✔✔• Listen - to guests' concerns about rules without interrupting them
• Empathize - with guests regarding how they may feel
• Apologize - for any misunderstanding about rules on their behalf
• Discuss - the rule, and provide guests with options if available
✔✔General Environmental Safety - ✔✔Your personal safety must come first. If you are
not safe, you will not be able to aid others when needed. Practicing safe behaviors can
help minimize environmental risk factors in your work place.
Potential Risk-Factors:
> sun-exposure
> dehydration
> weather-related incidents
> exposure to chemicals
✔✔Facility Type - ✔✔• Indoor aquatic facilities have air ventilation systems designed to
heat and circulate air in the facility to maximize guest comfort. These systems create a
warm, climate-controlled environment with elevated air temperature and higher humidity
levels.
• Outdoor facilities are likely to experience greater changes in air temperature and
humidity. These facilities are also impacted by wind, rain, and direct sunlight.
✔✔Weather Conditions - ✔✔Weather is an environmental risk that lifeguards are
exposed to while working. Weather is unpredictable and can change quickly.
Weather-related emergencies that you are likely to face include:
• Sun exposure
• Rain
• Thunderstorms
• High wind
• Tornados
• Other unique conditions
✔✔Sun - ✔✔Overexposure to the sun is a preventable environmental risk.
Negative Effects:
sunburn, dehydration, fatigue, heat-related injuries and long-term damage to skin such
as skin cancer
Preventing Negative Effects:
• Work in a shaded area or under an umbrella
• Wear a hat/visor
• Wear sunglasses with polarized lenses
• Wear a shirt as part of your uniform
, • Apply sunscreen with an SPF broad factor of 30 frequently to all exposed skin
✔✔Rain - ✔✔Light rain can have an impact on your ability to fully see and protect your
assigned zone.
- Rain falls on the surface of the water in your pool, it creates a mild agitation,
decreasing the visibility of the water below the surface.
✔✔Thunderstorms - ✔✔Thunderstorms are dangerous and considered a weather-
related emergency. Thunder and lightning, typically accompanied by heavy rain or hail,
are more frequent in the summer months or in warmer climates.
- Once it is determined that your facility needs to shut down, you must work quickly and
safely to move guests to a secure and safe location
✔✔Shelter During Thunderstorms - ✔✔• If outside, take shelter in a building, completely
enclosed structure, or hardtop vehicle
• Protect yourself from lightning - avoid shelter areas that are not fully enclosed
• Once guests are secure indoors, advise them to stay clear of metal objects, plumbing
and even land lines. All three can conduct electricity from a direct lightning strike
• Check with the National Weather Service or National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) for additional information about lightning safety
✔✔N.O.A.A - ✔✔National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
✔✔Wind - ✔✔Can agitate the water's surface enough to affect your ability to see the
pool bottom. Wind gusts can be dangerous, resulting in flying objects like furniture,
umbrellas, towels, water bottles, and other items that are not secured.
- Emergency Action Plan (EAP) provides procedures in case wind conditions become
dangerous.
✔✔Tornados - ✔✔Watch - A tornado watch means that tornadoes are possible.
Tornado watches are issued long before a storm potentially reaches the area where the
tornado may touch down.
Warning - A tornado warning means that a tornado has touched down.
✔✔Other Unique Weather Conditions - ✔✔As with other environmental conditions,
follow your Emergency Action Plan (EAP) to provide for the safety of your guests and
yourself.
✔✔Hydration - ✔✔Staying hydrated keeps lifeguards alert and vigilant.
✔✔Dehydration - ✔✔Inadequate hydration can lead to dehydration, a loss of body fluid
that leads to fatigue.
- Drink plenty of fluids throughout your shift to avoid the effects of dehydration.
EXAMS PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
SURE A+
✔✔Secondary Responsibilities Of Lifeguards - ✔✔As a lifeguard you will have
numerous secondary responsibilities such as:
• Inspecting the facility
• Documentation
• Cleaning the facility
• Testing water chemistry
• Crowd control
• Providing guest services
✔✔Lifeguard Appearance And Behavior (pg. 18-19) - ✔✔Guests view you as a
professional, they are more likely to follow your directions. These lifeguard behaviors
identify you as a professional:
• Being Prepared
• Rescue Ready
• Safety Aware
• Vigilant
• Identifiable
• Punctuality
• Team Member
• Focus on Health
• Guest Ambassador
✔✔Lifeguard Uniform - ✔✔Your employer will provide the specifics on the standard
lifeguard uniform for your facility. Lifeguard uniforms might include items such as:
• Bathing suit/shorts or trunks
• Shirt
• Hat/visor
• Polarized sunglasses
,✔✔Lifeguard Equipment (pg. 20) - ✔✔Rescue tube, Whistle, Hip pack, and Sun
protection
✔✔Rescue Tube (pg. 20) - ✔✔A safe, lightweight, and an effective lifesaving device for
situations requiring rescues from the water.
Using a rescue tube has advantages such as:
• The ability to support several large people in the water • Reducing the amount of
energy that you must expend when bringing one or more guests in distress to safety
• Provides lifeguard safety. Positioned between you and a guest, the rescue tube
reduces the likelihood that the guest will grab you during a rescue. And if a guest does
happen to grab you, the rescue tube is likely to keep both you and the guest above
water
• The ability to quickly position the guest on the tube so that rescue breathing can be
provided in the water when necessary
• The ability to support a backboard in the water while performing extrications in which
spinal injury issuspected
✔✔Whistle - ✔✔Worn around your neck and used to get a guests attention, and has a
second tone used to activate an EAP.
✔✔Hip Pack - ✔✔Worn around your waist and can be accessed on land or in the water.
Inside: resuscitation mask and non-latex gloves.
✔✔Sun Protection - ✔✔Dermatologists recommend a "broad spectrum" sunscreen with
a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.
• Waterproof sunscreen is capable of maintaining its SPF rating for 80 minutes when
exposed to water
• Water resistant sunscreen is capable of maintaining its SPF rating for 40 minutes
when exposed to water
✔✔C.A.R.E - ✔✔• Confident in your ability to maintain a test-ready skill level by
enhancing your development through ongoing training participation.
• Attentive to your Zone of Protection Area while on duty, anticipating and preventing
potential issues (weak swimmers, crowded conditions, surface glare).
• Responsive when faced with an emergency that requires you to quickly assess a
situation and determine the best course of action.
• Empathetic by placing yourself in the guest's position, understanding their needs and
emotions.
✔✔D.E.A.L - ✔✔• De-escalate the situation - Start with a clear understanding of the
guest's concern.
• Evaluate alternatives - Examine the options available to help with the guest's concern.
• Act quickly - Based on the information you gather, and after considering your options,
take action to improve the situation.
,• Look at outcomes - Evaluate how effective your action was afterward.
✔✔Rule Enforcement - ✔✔Rules are established to prevent potential risks and injury.
Remember to keep the conversation with a guest positive. An example of this would be
stating "Please walk" instead of "No running!"
✔✔L.E.A.D - ✔✔• Listen - to guests' concerns about rules without interrupting them
• Empathize - with guests regarding how they may feel
• Apologize - for any misunderstanding about rules on their behalf
• Discuss - the rule, and provide guests with options if available
✔✔General Environmental Safety - ✔✔Your personal safety must come first. If you are
not safe, you will not be able to aid others when needed. Practicing safe behaviors can
help minimize environmental risk factors in your work place.
Potential Risk-Factors:
> sun-exposure
> dehydration
> weather-related incidents
> exposure to chemicals
✔✔Facility Type - ✔✔• Indoor aquatic facilities have air ventilation systems designed to
heat and circulate air in the facility to maximize guest comfort. These systems create a
warm, climate-controlled environment with elevated air temperature and higher humidity
levels.
• Outdoor facilities are likely to experience greater changes in air temperature and
humidity. These facilities are also impacted by wind, rain, and direct sunlight.
✔✔Weather Conditions - ✔✔Weather is an environmental risk that lifeguards are
exposed to while working. Weather is unpredictable and can change quickly.
Weather-related emergencies that you are likely to face include:
• Sun exposure
• Rain
• Thunderstorms
• High wind
• Tornados
• Other unique conditions
✔✔Sun - ✔✔Overexposure to the sun is a preventable environmental risk.
Negative Effects:
sunburn, dehydration, fatigue, heat-related injuries and long-term damage to skin such
as skin cancer
Preventing Negative Effects:
• Work in a shaded area or under an umbrella
• Wear a hat/visor
• Wear sunglasses with polarized lenses
• Wear a shirt as part of your uniform
, • Apply sunscreen with an SPF broad factor of 30 frequently to all exposed skin
✔✔Rain - ✔✔Light rain can have an impact on your ability to fully see and protect your
assigned zone.
- Rain falls on the surface of the water in your pool, it creates a mild agitation,
decreasing the visibility of the water below the surface.
✔✔Thunderstorms - ✔✔Thunderstorms are dangerous and considered a weather-
related emergency. Thunder and lightning, typically accompanied by heavy rain or hail,
are more frequent in the summer months or in warmer climates.
- Once it is determined that your facility needs to shut down, you must work quickly and
safely to move guests to a secure and safe location
✔✔Shelter During Thunderstorms - ✔✔• If outside, take shelter in a building, completely
enclosed structure, or hardtop vehicle
• Protect yourself from lightning - avoid shelter areas that are not fully enclosed
• Once guests are secure indoors, advise them to stay clear of metal objects, plumbing
and even land lines. All three can conduct electricity from a direct lightning strike
• Check with the National Weather Service or National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) for additional information about lightning safety
✔✔N.O.A.A - ✔✔National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
✔✔Wind - ✔✔Can agitate the water's surface enough to affect your ability to see the
pool bottom. Wind gusts can be dangerous, resulting in flying objects like furniture,
umbrellas, towels, water bottles, and other items that are not secured.
- Emergency Action Plan (EAP) provides procedures in case wind conditions become
dangerous.
✔✔Tornados - ✔✔Watch - A tornado watch means that tornadoes are possible.
Tornado watches are issued long before a storm potentially reaches the area where the
tornado may touch down.
Warning - A tornado warning means that a tornado has touched down.
✔✔Other Unique Weather Conditions - ✔✔As with other environmental conditions,
follow your Emergency Action Plan (EAP) to provide for the safety of your guests and
yourself.
✔✔Hydration - ✔✔Staying hydrated keeps lifeguards alert and vigilant.
✔✔Dehydration - ✔✔Inadequate hydration can lead to dehydration, a loss of body fluid
that leads to fatigue.
- Drink plenty of fluids throughout your shift to avoid the effects of dehydration.
