PALS EXAM (2026) UPDATE - 350 PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS WITH
DETAILED RATIONALES!!!
Questions 1-50: Basic Life Support & Pediatric Assessment
1. How long should assessing for breathing and a pulse take?
A) no longer than 20 seconds
B) no longer than 10 seconds
C) no longer than 15 seconds
D) no longer than 5 seconds
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The assessment for breathing and pulse should take no longer than
10 seconds to minimize interruption of CPR and allow timely intervention .
---
2. What should you do to check for breathing in a child?
A) look for chest rise and fall
B) place your hand on the chest
C) look at the nose to check for nasal flaring
D) listen for lung sounds
,Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Visual assessment for chest rise and fall is the recommended
method to check for breathing during the initial assessment.
---
3. Where do you check a pulse on an infant?
A) Carotid
B) Femoral
C) Brachial
D) Radial
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The brachial pulse is the recommended site for pulse check in
infants. For children, the femoral or carotid pulse should be assessed.
---
4. If the child does not have normal breathing and a pulse of 64 bpm is
present, you will need to:
A) begin CPR
B) monitor
C) provide rescue breathing
D) defibrillate
,Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A heart rate below 60 bpm with poor perfusion requires
intervention. Rescue breathing should be provided at a rate of 1 breath every
3-5 seconds.
---
5. For an unwitnessed cardiac arrest, what should you do after determining
unresponsiveness with no breathing and no pulse?
A) shout for help
B) perform high quality CPR for 2 minutes
C) provide rescue breaths
D) activate the emergency response system
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: For unwitnessed arrest, perform 2 minutes of high-quality CPR
before activating the emergency response system to provide immediate
perfusion .
---
6. The appropriate rate for compressions for children is 100-120/min. What is
the correct depth for children?
A) approximately 2 inches (one third the AP diameter)
B) approximately 3 inches (one half AP diameter)
C) approximately 4 inches (two thirds AP diameter)
D) approximately 1.5 inches
, Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Compression depth for children should be approximately 2 inches
(5 cm), which is about one third the anterior-posterior diameter of the chest .
---
7. What is the compression to ventilation ratio for single-rescuer CPR for
children and infants?
A) 15:2 for both
B) 30:2 for both
C) single rescuer 15:2, 2 rescuers 30:2
D) single rescuer 30:2, 2 rescuers 15:2
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: For single rescuer CPR in children and infants, the ratio is 30:2. For
two-rescuer CPR, the ratio is 15:2 .
---
8. How should 1-rescuer infant compressions be delivered?
A) with 2 fingers or 2 thumbs
B) with 1 finger or 2 thumbs
C) with 2 hands or 2 fingers
D) with 1 hand or 2 fingers
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS WITH
DETAILED RATIONALES!!!
Questions 1-50: Basic Life Support & Pediatric Assessment
1. How long should assessing for breathing and a pulse take?
A) no longer than 20 seconds
B) no longer than 10 seconds
C) no longer than 15 seconds
D) no longer than 5 seconds
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The assessment for breathing and pulse should take no longer than
10 seconds to minimize interruption of CPR and allow timely intervention .
---
2. What should you do to check for breathing in a child?
A) look for chest rise and fall
B) place your hand on the chest
C) look at the nose to check for nasal flaring
D) listen for lung sounds
,Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Visual assessment for chest rise and fall is the recommended
method to check for breathing during the initial assessment.
---
3. Where do you check a pulse on an infant?
A) Carotid
B) Femoral
C) Brachial
D) Radial
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The brachial pulse is the recommended site for pulse check in
infants. For children, the femoral or carotid pulse should be assessed.
---
4. If the child does not have normal breathing and a pulse of 64 bpm is
present, you will need to:
A) begin CPR
B) monitor
C) provide rescue breathing
D) defibrillate
,Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A heart rate below 60 bpm with poor perfusion requires
intervention. Rescue breathing should be provided at a rate of 1 breath every
3-5 seconds.
---
5. For an unwitnessed cardiac arrest, what should you do after determining
unresponsiveness with no breathing and no pulse?
A) shout for help
B) perform high quality CPR for 2 minutes
C) provide rescue breaths
D) activate the emergency response system
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: For unwitnessed arrest, perform 2 minutes of high-quality CPR
before activating the emergency response system to provide immediate
perfusion .
---
6. The appropriate rate for compressions for children is 100-120/min. What is
the correct depth for children?
A) approximately 2 inches (one third the AP diameter)
B) approximately 3 inches (one half AP diameter)
C) approximately 4 inches (two thirds AP diameter)
D) approximately 1.5 inches
, Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Compression depth for children should be approximately 2 inches
(5 cm), which is about one third the anterior-posterior diameter of the chest .
---
7. What is the compression to ventilation ratio for single-rescuer CPR for
children and infants?
A) 15:2 for both
B) 30:2 for both
C) single rescuer 15:2, 2 rescuers 30:2
D) single rescuer 30:2, 2 rescuers 15:2
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: For single rescuer CPR in children and infants, the ratio is 30:2. For
two-rescuer CPR, the ratio is 15:2 .
---
8. How should 1-rescuer infant compressions be delivered?
A) with 2 fingers or 2 thumbs
B) with 1 finger or 2 thumbs
C) with 2 hands or 2 fingers
D) with 1 hand or 2 fingers
