POST ACLS MEGACODE ACTUAL PAPER
2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED
A+
●● 1: You have moved the man to a seating area near the bottom of the
escalator. The man is gasping for breath but does not appear to be
effectively breathing. You yell at him "Are you alright?" but he does not
respond. What is your next action? Answer: send someone to get AED
●● 1: After sending for EMS and waiting for an AED to arrive, you
continue to attend to the man. The man is unresponsive and he is now
only gasping. What is your next action? Answer: check for a pulse
The rescuer must determine if this is respiratory failure alone or cardiac
arrest. Checking for a pulse follows sending people for help.
●● 1: You find a definite pulse on his carotid artery. It is fast, but clearly
present. What is your next action? Answer: Give one breath every 5-6 s
The man has a pulse, so he needs rescue breathing, not chest
compressions. One ventilation every 5-6 seconds is appropriate in an
adult without an advanced airway in place.
,●● 1: The AED device has not yet arrived. You have been delivering
breaths for two minutes, spaced 5-6 seconds apart. He is not breathing
spontaneously. What is your next action? Answer: check for a pulse
you must determine if the victim's situation has deteriorated. Respiratory
arrest may lead to cardiac arrest. Pulse checks should be done every two
minutes in respiratory arrest.
●● 1: You pause rescue breathing to check for a pulse. You cannot feel a
definite pulse after 10 seconds of trying. What is your next action?
Answer: begin CPR
Since there is no pulse, the man is now in cardiac arrest. He needs CPR,
including chest compressions.
●● 1: You start high-quality CPR at a rate of 100-120 compressions per
minute. The AED arrives moments later. You open the man's shirt to find
a copious amount of thick hair covering his chest and he is damp with
sweat. The AED cannot get a good signal through the pads because of
the hair, even though you have pressed them down very hard. What is
your next action? Answer: Rip the pads off the man's chest and apply
new pads in the same locations
Chest hair can interfere with electrical contact through the AED pads.
The adhesive on the pads can act as a rapid depilatory (i.e. it rips the
chest hair out). New pads can then be used on the bare skin.
, ●● 1: With hair removed and new pads placed, the AED gets a good
signal from the patient. It reports that there is a shockable rhythm. You
clear everyone from the patient, announce the shock, and then deliver
one shock. What is your next action? Answer: resume CPR ASAP
Regardless of patient response, resume high-quality CPR immediately
and continue for two minutes. Even if a pulse returns, it may not be
adequate to pump blood for a few minutes. A pulse check at this point is
irrelevant. An AED automatically controls the level of energy delivered.
●● 1: After two minutes of CPR, what is your next action? Answer:
check for a pulse
It is important to determine if the man has regained spontaneous
circulation. This can be done with a pulse check.
●● 1: The man has a strong, regular pulse. He is not responsive, but
appears to be breathing. You feel air movement through his mouth. What
is your next action? Answer: Continue to monitor pulse, breathing, and
rhythm until EMS arrives
CPR can stop at this point, as the man has had a return of spontaneous
circulation (ROSC). He should be monitored very closely until EMS
arrives. It is unwise to remove the AED pads in case his condition
deteriorates.
2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED
A+
●● 1: You have moved the man to a seating area near the bottom of the
escalator. The man is gasping for breath but does not appear to be
effectively breathing. You yell at him "Are you alright?" but he does not
respond. What is your next action? Answer: send someone to get AED
●● 1: After sending for EMS and waiting for an AED to arrive, you
continue to attend to the man. The man is unresponsive and he is now
only gasping. What is your next action? Answer: check for a pulse
The rescuer must determine if this is respiratory failure alone or cardiac
arrest. Checking for a pulse follows sending people for help.
●● 1: You find a definite pulse on his carotid artery. It is fast, but clearly
present. What is your next action? Answer: Give one breath every 5-6 s
The man has a pulse, so he needs rescue breathing, not chest
compressions. One ventilation every 5-6 seconds is appropriate in an
adult without an advanced airway in place.
,●● 1: The AED device has not yet arrived. You have been delivering
breaths for two minutes, spaced 5-6 seconds apart. He is not breathing
spontaneously. What is your next action? Answer: check for a pulse
you must determine if the victim's situation has deteriorated. Respiratory
arrest may lead to cardiac arrest. Pulse checks should be done every two
minutes in respiratory arrest.
●● 1: You pause rescue breathing to check for a pulse. You cannot feel a
definite pulse after 10 seconds of trying. What is your next action?
Answer: begin CPR
Since there is no pulse, the man is now in cardiac arrest. He needs CPR,
including chest compressions.
●● 1: You start high-quality CPR at a rate of 100-120 compressions per
minute. The AED arrives moments later. You open the man's shirt to find
a copious amount of thick hair covering his chest and he is damp with
sweat. The AED cannot get a good signal through the pads because of
the hair, even though you have pressed them down very hard. What is
your next action? Answer: Rip the pads off the man's chest and apply
new pads in the same locations
Chest hair can interfere with electrical contact through the AED pads.
The adhesive on the pads can act as a rapid depilatory (i.e. it rips the
chest hair out). New pads can then be used on the bare skin.
, ●● 1: With hair removed and new pads placed, the AED gets a good
signal from the patient. It reports that there is a shockable rhythm. You
clear everyone from the patient, announce the shock, and then deliver
one shock. What is your next action? Answer: resume CPR ASAP
Regardless of patient response, resume high-quality CPR immediately
and continue for two minutes. Even if a pulse returns, it may not be
adequate to pump blood for a few minutes. A pulse check at this point is
irrelevant. An AED automatically controls the level of energy delivered.
●● 1: After two minutes of CPR, what is your next action? Answer:
check for a pulse
It is important to determine if the man has regained spontaneous
circulation. This can be done with a pulse check.
●● 1: The man has a strong, regular pulse. He is not responsive, but
appears to be breathing. You feel air movement through his mouth. What
is your next action? Answer: Continue to monitor pulse, breathing, and
rhythm until EMS arrives
CPR can stop at this point, as the man has had a return of spontaneous
circulation (ROSC). He should be monitored very closely until EMS
arrives. It is unwise to remove the AED pads in case his condition
deteriorates.
