BLS Exam 2026-2027 Questions and Correct
Answers
Comprehensive Assessment
Year: 2026–2027 | Total Questions: 50 | 100% VERIFIED
Introduction
The Basic Life Support (BLS) examination, aligned with current American Heart Association
(AHA) guidelines, is a foundational certification assessment for healthcare providers and
first responders who must demonstrate competency in life-saving emergency
cardiovascular care. This comprehensive question bank covers all key domains of the
official AHA BLS curriculum: (1) Adult CPR and AED Use, encompassing compression depth,
rate, hand placement, compression-to-ventilation ratios, AED operation, and hands-only
CPR; (2) Child CPR and AED Use, addressing age-specific techniques, compression depths,
ratios, and pediatric AED modifications; (3) Infant CPR and AED Use, covering two-finger
and two-thumb encircling techniques, compression depth, pulse-check location, and infant-
specific AED guidelines; (4) Relief of Foreign-Body Airway Obstruction, including abdominal
thrusts for adults and children, back slaps and chest thrusts for infants, and management of
choking in special populations; (5) Rescue Breathing, addressing ventilation rates, breath
delivery technique, bag-valve-mask use, and the dangers of excessive ventilation; (6) Team
Dynamics in Resuscitation, covering team roles, closed-loop communication, compressor
rotation, and effective leadership; (7) Opioid-Associated Life-Threatening Emergencies,
encompassing naloxone administration, recognition of opioid overdose, and integration of
BLS with naloxone use; and (8) Current AHA Guidelines for CPR and Emergency
Cardiovascular Care, including the Chain of Survival and advanced airway ventilation
protocols. Each of the 50 questions is mapped to a distinct sub-topic within the AHA BLS
domain blueprint, ensuring thorough, non-overlapping coverage. Mastery of these domains
demonstrates professional readiness for competent and confident emergency
cardiovascular care execution.
Question 1: According to current AHA guidelines, the recommended compression-to-
ventilation ratio for single-rescuer adult CPR is:
A. 30:2
B. 5:1
C. 15:2
, D. 50:5
Correct Answer: A. 30:2
Rationale: AHA recommends 30 compressions to 2 ventilations for single-rescuer adult
CPR. 15:2 (A) is for two-rescuer pediatric CPR. 5:1 (C) is outdated. 50:5 (D) is not a
recognized ratio.
Question 2: The recommended compression depth for adult CPR is:
A. 3 inches (7.5 cm) or deeper
B. 0.5 inches (1.3 cm)
C. At least 2 inches (5 cm) but not more than 2.4 inches (6 cm)
D. 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Correct Answer: C. At least 2 inches (5 cm) but not more than 2.4 inches (6 cm)
Rationale: AHA specifies at least 2 inches but no more than 2.4 inches for adults. 1 inch (A)
and 0.5 inches (D) are too shallow. Greater than 3 inches (B) risks internal injury.
Question 3: The recommended compression rate for adult CPR is:
A. 40-60 compressions per minute
B. 150-200 compressions per minute
C. 60-80 compressions per minute
D. 100-120 compressions per minute
Correct Answer: D. 100-120 compressions per minute
Rationale: AHA guidelines specify 100-120 compressions per minute. 40-60 (A) and 60-80
(B) are too slow. 150-200 (C) is too fast for effective compressions.
Question 4: When using an AED on an adult patient, the pads should be placed:
A. One on each thigh
B. One on the upper right chest below the clavicle and one on the lower left side
below the axilla (anterolateral placement)
C. Both on the patient's back
, D. Both on the patient's abdomen
Correct Answer: B. One on the upper right chest below the clavicle and one on the
lower left side below the axilla (anterolateral placement)
Rationale: Standard anterolateral placement ensures the heart is between the two pads.
Back placement (A), abdominal placement (C), and thigh placement (D) do not allow proper
current flow through the heart.
Question 5: An AED is designed to deliver a shock for which cardiac rhythms?
A. Asystole and pulseless electrical activity (PEA)
B. Normal sinus rhythm
C. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia (pVT)
D. Sinus bradycardia
Correct Answer: C. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia
(pVT)
Rationale: AEDs shock only VF and pVT (shockable rhythms). Asystole and PEA (A) are
non-shockable. Normal sinus rhythm (C) and sinus bradycardia (D) do not require
defibrillation.
Question 6: The FIRST action when you find an adult who is unresponsive and not
breathing normally is to:
A. Perform a blind finger sweep of the mouth
B. Begin chest compressions immediately without calling for help
C. Leave the victim to find an AED before performing any assessment
D. Ensure scene safety, check for responsiveness, and activate the emergency
response system (call 911/code team) while simultaneously requesting an AED
Correct Answer: D. Ensure scene safety, check for responsiveness, and activate the
emergency response system (call 911/code team) while simultaneously requesting
an AED
Rationale: Scene safety, responsiveness check, and early EMS activation are priorities per
the AHA Chain of Survival. Immediate compressions without activating EMS (A) delays
advanced care. Leaving the victim (B) delays CPR. Blind finger sweeps (D) are no longer
recommended.
Answers
Comprehensive Assessment
Year: 2026–2027 | Total Questions: 50 | 100% VERIFIED
Introduction
The Basic Life Support (BLS) examination, aligned with current American Heart Association
(AHA) guidelines, is a foundational certification assessment for healthcare providers and
first responders who must demonstrate competency in life-saving emergency
cardiovascular care. This comprehensive question bank covers all key domains of the
official AHA BLS curriculum: (1) Adult CPR and AED Use, encompassing compression depth,
rate, hand placement, compression-to-ventilation ratios, AED operation, and hands-only
CPR; (2) Child CPR and AED Use, addressing age-specific techniques, compression depths,
ratios, and pediatric AED modifications; (3) Infant CPR and AED Use, covering two-finger
and two-thumb encircling techniques, compression depth, pulse-check location, and infant-
specific AED guidelines; (4) Relief of Foreign-Body Airway Obstruction, including abdominal
thrusts for adults and children, back slaps and chest thrusts for infants, and management of
choking in special populations; (5) Rescue Breathing, addressing ventilation rates, breath
delivery technique, bag-valve-mask use, and the dangers of excessive ventilation; (6) Team
Dynamics in Resuscitation, covering team roles, closed-loop communication, compressor
rotation, and effective leadership; (7) Opioid-Associated Life-Threatening Emergencies,
encompassing naloxone administration, recognition of opioid overdose, and integration of
BLS with naloxone use; and (8) Current AHA Guidelines for CPR and Emergency
Cardiovascular Care, including the Chain of Survival and advanced airway ventilation
protocols. Each of the 50 questions is mapped to a distinct sub-topic within the AHA BLS
domain blueprint, ensuring thorough, non-overlapping coverage. Mastery of these domains
demonstrates professional readiness for competent and confident emergency
cardiovascular care execution.
Question 1: According to current AHA guidelines, the recommended compression-to-
ventilation ratio for single-rescuer adult CPR is:
A. 30:2
B. 5:1
C. 15:2
, D. 50:5
Correct Answer: A. 30:2
Rationale: AHA recommends 30 compressions to 2 ventilations for single-rescuer adult
CPR. 15:2 (A) is for two-rescuer pediatric CPR. 5:1 (C) is outdated. 50:5 (D) is not a
recognized ratio.
Question 2: The recommended compression depth for adult CPR is:
A. 3 inches (7.5 cm) or deeper
B. 0.5 inches (1.3 cm)
C. At least 2 inches (5 cm) but not more than 2.4 inches (6 cm)
D. 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Correct Answer: C. At least 2 inches (5 cm) but not more than 2.4 inches (6 cm)
Rationale: AHA specifies at least 2 inches but no more than 2.4 inches for adults. 1 inch (A)
and 0.5 inches (D) are too shallow. Greater than 3 inches (B) risks internal injury.
Question 3: The recommended compression rate for adult CPR is:
A. 40-60 compressions per minute
B. 150-200 compressions per minute
C. 60-80 compressions per minute
D. 100-120 compressions per minute
Correct Answer: D. 100-120 compressions per minute
Rationale: AHA guidelines specify 100-120 compressions per minute. 40-60 (A) and 60-80
(B) are too slow. 150-200 (C) is too fast for effective compressions.
Question 4: When using an AED on an adult patient, the pads should be placed:
A. One on each thigh
B. One on the upper right chest below the clavicle and one on the lower left side
below the axilla (anterolateral placement)
C. Both on the patient's back
, D. Both on the patient's abdomen
Correct Answer: B. One on the upper right chest below the clavicle and one on the
lower left side below the axilla (anterolateral placement)
Rationale: Standard anterolateral placement ensures the heart is between the two pads.
Back placement (A), abdominal placement (C), and thigh placement (D) do not allow proper
current flow through the heart.
Question 5: An AED is designed to deliver a shock for which cardiac rhythms?
A. Asystole and pulseless electrical activity (PEA)
B. Normal sinus rhythm
C. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia (pVT)
D. Sinus bradycardia
Correct Answer: C. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia
(pVT)
Rationale: AEDs shock only VF and pVT (shockable rhythms). Asystole and PEA (A) are
non-shockable. Normal sinus rhythm (C) and sinus bradycardia (D) do not require
defibrillation.
Question 6: The FIRST action when you find an adult who is unresponsive and not
breathing normally is to:
A. Perform a blind finger sweep of the mouth
B. Begin chest compressions immediately without calling for help
C. Leave the victim to find an AED before performing any assessment
D. Ensure scene safety, check for responsiveness, and activate the emergency
response system (call 911/code team) while simultaneously requesting an AED
Correct Answer: D. Ensure scene safety, check for responsiveness, and activate the
emergency response system (call 911/code team) while simultaneously requesting
an AED
Rationale: Scene safety, responsiveness check, and early EMS activation are priorities per
the AHA Chain of Survival. Immediate compressions without activating EMS (A) delays
advanced care. Leaving the victim (B) delays CPR. Blind finger sweeps (D) are no longer
recommended.
