FREC 3 EXAM QUESTION BANK 2026/2027 | COMPLETE REAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS | QUALSAFE LEVEL 3
AWARD IN FIRST RESPONSE EMERGENCY CARE (RQF) EXAM ALREADY
GRADED A+ (MOST RECENT!!)
SECTION 1: ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FIRST RESPONDER (Questions 1–40)
1. What is the primary role of a first responder at an emergency scene?
A) To provide definitive medical treatment
B) To preserve life, prevent deterioration, and promote recovery
C) To transport the patient to hospital immediately
D) To diagnose the patient's condition
Answer: B) To preserve life, prevent deterioration, and promote recovery
Rationale: The first responder's primary role is to provide immediate, time-
critical care that preserves life, prevents the patient's condition from worsening,
and promotes recovery until more advanced medical help arrives. Definitive
diagnosis, prescribing, and definitive treatment are outside the scope of a first
responder and belong to higher-level clinicians such as paramedics or doctors.
2. Which of the following best describes "duty of care" in the context of first
response?
A) A legal obligation to always provide treatment regardless of consent
B) A legal obligation to act in the best interests of the patient and avoid causing
harm
C) A moral obligation to only treat family members
D) An obligation to transport every patient to hospital
1
, Answer: B) A legal obligation to act in the best interests of the patient and avoid
causing harm
Rationale: Duty of care is a legal obligation requiring the first responder to act
in the patient's best interests, provide reasonable care within their scope of
practice, and avoid actions that could cause foreseeable harm. This duty exists
alongside the requirement to obtain valid consent before treatment and applies
to all patients regardless of their background.
3. Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of a first responder?
A) Conducting a primary survey
B) Providing basic life support
C) Prescribing medication
D) Handing over to the ambulance crew
Answer: C) Prescribing medication
Rationale: First responders are not qualified to prescribe medication. They may
administer certain emergency medications (e.g., aspirin, GTN, naloxone,
salbutamol, epinephrine) under specific Patient Group Directions (PGDs) or
delegated authority from a registered clinician, but this is administration, not
prescribing. Prescribing requires additional qualifications and registration with a
regulatory body.
4. Which piece of UK legislation is most relevant to the administration of first aid
by a first responder?
A) The Mental Health Act
B) The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
C) The Social Care Act
D) The Data Protection Act 2018
2
, Answer: B) The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Rationale: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a statutory duty on
employers to provide adequate first aid provision in the workplace, including
trained personnel and suitable equipment. The Social Security (Claims and
Payments) Regulations 1979 also provides legal protection for first aiders acting in
good faith. Failure to comply can result in legal liability for the employer.
5. A first responder arrives at the scene of a Road Traffic Collision (RTC). What is
the FIRST action to take?
A) Begin treating the most seriously injured patient
B) Conduct a dynamic risk assessment to ensure scene safety
C) Call for an ambulance immediately
D) Retrieve the first aid kit
Answer: B) Conduct a dynamic risk assessment to ensure scene safety
Rationale: Scene safety is the absolute priority. The first responder must
conduct a dynamic risk assessment to identify and mitigate hazards (e.g., traffic,
fire, unstable vehicles, fuel spills, broken glass) before approaching any patient.
Approaching an unsafe scene puts the responder and others at risk and can create
additional casualties. Only after the scene is safe should the responder begin
patient assessment.
6. What does the acronym "PHEM" stand for in the context of FREC 3?
A) Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine
B) Primary Healthcare Emergency Management
C) Pre-Hospital Examination Module
D) Public Health Emergency Measures
Answer: A) Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine
3
, Rationale: PHEM refers to Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine, which
encompasses all clinical care delivered outside the hospital setting, including at
the scene of emergencies and during transport. The FREC 3 qualification aligns
with the PHEM skills framework at Level D, which defines the specific
competencies expected of a first responder in pre-hospital emergency care.
7. A first responder is treating a conscious adult patient who refuses treatment.
What should the first responder do?
A) Treat the patient anyway because it is an emergency
B) Respect the patient's refusal, document it, and ensure the patient
understands the risks
C) Call the police to force treatment
D) Leave the scene immediately
Answer: B) Respect the patient's refusal, document it, and ensure the patient
understands the risks
Rationale: A conscious adult with capacity has the absolute legal and ethical
right to refuse treatment, even if that refusal may lead to harm or death. The first
responder must respect this refusal, explain the potential consequences clearly,
document the refusal in the patient report form, and inform the next echelon of
care. Forcing treatment would constitute battery and could lead to legal action
against the responder.
8. What is the "chain of survival" in the context of cardiac arrest?
A) Call 999, perform CPR, use AED, transport to hospital
B) Early recognition, early CPR, early defibrillation, early advanced care
C) Primary survey, secondary survey, treatment, transport
D) Airway, breathing, circulation, disability
4
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT VERIFIED ANSWERS | QUALSAFE LEVEL 3
AWARD IN FIRST RESPONSE EMERGENCY CARE (RQF) EXAM ALREADY
GRADED A+ (MOST RECENT!!)
SECTION 1: ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FIRST RESPONDER (Questions 1–40)
1. What is the primary role of a first responder at an emergency scene?
A) To provide definitive medical treatment
B) To preserve life, prevent deterioration, and promote recovery
C) To transport the patient to hospital immediately
D) To diagnose the patient's condition
Answer: B) To preserve life, prevent deterioration, and promote recovery
Rationale: The first responder's primary role is to provide immediate, time-
critical care that preserves life, prevents the patient's condition from worsening,
and promotes recovery until more advanced medical help arrives. Definitive
diagnosis, prescribing, and definitive treatment are outside the scope of a first
responder and belong to higher-level clinicians such as paramedics or doctors.
2. Which of the following best describes "duty of care" in the context of first
response?
A) A legal obligation to always provide treatment regardless of consent
B) A legal obligation to act in the best interests of the patient and avoid causing
harm
C) A moral obligation to only treat family members
D) An obligation to transport every patient to hospital
1
, Answer: B) A legal obligation to act in the best interests of the patient and avoid
causing harm
Rationale: Duty of care is a legal obligation requiring the first responder to act
in the patient's best interests, provide reasonable care within their scope of
practice, and avoid actions that could cause foreseeable harm. This duty exists
alongside the requirement to obtain valid consent before treatment and applies
to all patients regardless of their background.
3. Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of a first responder?
A) Conducting a primary survey
B) Providing basic life support
C) Prescribing medication
D) Handing over to the ambulance crew
Answer: C) Prescribing medication
Rationale: First responders are not qualified to prescribe medication. They may
administer certain emergency medications (e.g., aspirin, GTN, naloxone,
salbutamol, epinephrine) under specific Patient Group Directions (PGDs) or
delegated authority from a registered clinician, but this is administration, not
prescribing. Prescribing requires additional qualifications and registration with a
regulatory body.
4. Which piece of UK legislation is most relevant to the administration of first aid
by a first responder?
A) The Mental Health Act
B) The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
C) The Social Care Act
D) The Data Protection Act 2018
2
, Answer: B) The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Rationale: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a statutory duty on
employers to provide adequate first aid provision in the workplace, including
trained personnel and suitable equipment. The Social Security (Claims and
Payments) Regulations 1979 also provides legal protection for first aiders acting in
good faith. Failure to comply can result in legal liability for the employer.
5. A first responder arrives at the scene of a Road Traffic Collision (RTC). What is
the FIRST action to take?
A) Begin treating the most seriously injured patient
B) Conduct a dynamic risk assessment to ensure scene safety
C) Call for an ambulance immediately
D) Retrieve the first aid kit
Answer: B) Conduct a dynamic risk assessment to ensure scene safety
Rationale: Scene safety is the absolute priority. The first responder must
conduct a dynamic risk assessment to identify and mitigate hazards (e.g., traffic,
fire, unstable vehicles, fuel spills, broken glass) before approaching any patient.
Approaching an unsafe scene puts the responder and others at risk and can create
additional casualties. Only after the scene is safe should the responder begin
patient assessment.
6. What does the acronym "PHEM" stand for in the context of FREC 3?
A) Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine
B) Primary Healthcare Emergency Management
C) Pre-Hospital Examination Module
D) Public Health Emergency Measures
Answer: A) Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine
3
, Rationale: PHEM refers to Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine, which
encompasses all clinical care delivered outside the hospital setting, including at
the scene of emergencies and during transport. The FREC 3 qualification aligns
with the PHEM skills framework at Level D, which defines the specific
competencies expected of a first responder in pre-hospital emergency care.
7. A first responder is treating a conscious adult patient who refuses treatment.
What should the first responder do?
A) Treat the patient anyway because it is an emergency
B) Respect the patient's refusal, document it, and ensure the patient
understands the risks
C) Call the police to force treatment
D) Leave the scene immediately
Answer: B) Respect the patient's refusal, document it, and ensure the patient
understands the risks
Rationale: A conscious adult with capacity has the absolute legal and ethical
right to refuse treatment, even if that refusal may lead to harm or death. The first
responder must respect this refusal, explain the potential consequences clearly,
document the refusal in the patient report form, and inform the next echelon of
care. Forcing treatment would constitute battery and could lead to legal action
against the responder.
8. What is the "chain of survival" in the context of cardiac arrest?
A) Call 999, perform CPR, use AED, transport to hospital
B) Early recognition, early CPR, early defibrillation, early advanced care
C) Primary survey, secondary survey, treatment, transport
D) Airway, breathing, circulation, disability
4
