Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
Exam (2026) UPDATE|EXAM
QUESTIONS WITH MULTIPLE
CHOICES |VERIFIED & REVISED
ANSWERS (NEW)!!
1. You find an unresponsive patient who is not breathing. After activating the emergency
response system, you determine that there is no pulse. What is your next action?
Open the airway with a head tilt-chin lift.
Administer epinephrine at a dose of 1 mg/kg.
Deliver 2 rescue breaths each over 1 second.
Start chest compressions at a rate of at least 100/min. - correct answerStart chest
compressions at a rate of at least 100/min.
2. You are evaluating a 58-year-old man with chest pain. The blood pressure is 92/50
mm Hg, the heart rate is 92/min, the nonlabored respiratory rate is 14 breaths/min, and
the pulse oximetry reading is 97%. What assessment step is most important now?
PETCO2
Chest x-ray
Laboratory testing
Obtaining a 12-lead ECG - correct answerObtaining a 12-lead ECG
3. What is the preferred method of access for epinephrine administration during cardiac
arrest in most patients?
Intraosseous
Endotracheal
Central intravenous
Peripheral intravenous - correct answerPeripheral intravenous
4. An activated AED does not promptly analyze the rhythm. What is your next action?
Begin chest compressions.
Discontinue the resuscitation attempt.
Check all AED connections and reanalyze.
Rotate AED electrodes to an alternate position. - correct answerBegin chest
compressions.
,5. You have completed 2 minutes of CPR. The ECG monitor displays the lead II rhythm
below, and the patient has no pulse. Another member of your team resumes chest
compressions, and an IV is in place. What management step is your next priority?
Give 0.5 mg of atropine.
Insert an advanced airway.
Administer 1 mg of epinephrine.
Administer a dopamine infusion. - correct answerAdminister 1 mg of epinephrine.
6. During a pause in CPR, you see this lead II ECG rhythm on the monitor. The patient
has no pulse. What is the next action?
Establish vascular access.
Obtain the patient's history.
Resume chest compressions.
Terminate the resuscitative effort. - correct answerResume chest compressions.
7. What is a common but sometimes fatal mistake in cardiac arrest management?
Failure to obtain vascular access
Prolonged periods of no ventilations
Failure to perform endotracheal intubation
Prolonged interruptions in chest compressions - correct answerProlonged interruptions
in chest compressions
8. Which action is a component of high-quality chest compressions?
Allowing complete chest recoil
Chest compressions without ventilation
60 to 100 compressions per minute with a 15:2 ratio
Uninterrupted compressions at a depth of 11⁄2 inches - correct answerAllowing
complete chest recoil
9. Which action increases the chance of successful conversion of ventricular fibrillation?
Pausing chest compressions immediately after a defibrillation attempt
Administering 4 quick ventilations immediately before a defibrillation attempt
Using manual defibrillator paddles with light pressure against the chest
Providing quality compressions immediately before a defibrillation attempt - correct
answerProviding quality compressions immediately before a defibrillation attempt
10. Which situation BEST describes pulseless electrical activity?
Asystole without a pulse
Sinus rhythm without a pulse
Torsades de pointes with a pulse
, Ventricular tachycardia with a pulse - correct answerSinus rhythm without a pulse
11. What is the BEST strategy for performing high-quality CPR on a patient with an
advanced airway in place?
Provide compressions and ventilations with a 15:2 ratio.
Provide compressions and ventilations with a 30:2 ratio.
Provide a single ventilation every 6 seconds during the compression pause.
Provide continuous chest compressions without pauses and 10 ventilations per minute.
- correct answerProvide continuous chest compressions without pauses and 10
ventilations per minute.
12. Three minutes after witnessing a cardiac arrest, one member of your team inserts
an endotracheal tube while another performs continuous chest compressions. During
subsequent ventilation, you notice the presence of a waveform on the capnography
screen and a PETCO2 level of 8 mm Hg. What is the significance of this finding?
Chest compressions may not be effective.
The endotracheal tube is no longer in the trachea.
The patient meets the criteria for termination of efforts.
The team is ventilating the patient too often (hyperventilation). - correct answerChest
compressions may not be effective.
13. The use of quantitative capnography in intubated patients:
allows for monitoring of CPR quality.
measures oxygen levels at the alveoli level.
determines inspired carbon dioxide relating to cardiac output.
detects electrolyte abnormalities early in code management. - correct answerallows for
monitoring of CPR quality.
14. For the past 25 minutes, an EMS crew has attempted resuscitation of a patient who
originally presented in ventricular fibrillation. After the first shock, the ECG screen
displayed asystole, which has persisted despite 2 doses of epinephrine, a fluid bolus,
and high-quality CPR. What is your next treatment?
Apply a transcutaneous pacemaker.
Administer 1 mg of intravenous atropine.
Administer 40 units of intravenous vasopressin.
Consider terminating resuscitative efforts after consulting medical control. - correct
answerConsider terminating resuscitative efforts after consulting medical control.
15. Which is a safe and effective practice within the defibrillation sequence?
Stop chest compressions as you charge the defibrillator.
Be sure oxygen is not blowing over the patient's chest during the shock.
Exam (2026) UPDATE|EXAM
QUESTIONS WITH MULTIPLE
CHOICES |VERIFIED & REVISED
ANSWERS (NEW)!!
1. You find an unresponsive patient who is not breathing. After activating the emergency
response system, you determine that there is no pulse. What is your next action?
Open the airway with a head tilt-chin lift.
Administer epinephrine at a dose of 1 mg/kg.
Deliver 2 rescue breaths each over 1 second.
Start chest compressions at a rate of at least 100/min. - correct answerStart chest
compressions at a rate of at least 100/min.
2. You are evaluating a 58-year-old man with chest pain. The blood pressure is 92/50
mm Hg, the heart rate is 92/min, the nonlabored respiratory rate is 14 breaths/min, and
the pulse oximetry reading is 97%. What assessment step is most important now?
PETCO2
Chest x-ray
Laboratory testing
Obtaining a 12-lead ECG - correct answerObtaining a 12-lead ECG
3. What is the preferred method of access for epinephrine administration during cardiac
arrest in most patients?
Intraosseous
Endotracheal
Central intravenous
Peripheral intravenous - correct answerPeripheral intravenous
4. An activated AED does not promptly analyze the rhythm. What is your next action?
Begin chest compressions.
Discontinue the resuscitation attempt.
Check all AED connections and reanalyze.
Rotate AED electrodes to an alternate position. - correct answerBegin chest
compressions.
,5. You have completed 2 minutes of CPR. The ECG monitor displays the lead II rhythm
below, and the patient has no pulse. Another member of your team resumes chest
compressions, and an IV is in place. What management step is your next priority?
Give 0.5 mg of atropine.
Insert an advanced airway.
Administer 1 mg of epinephrine.
Administer a dopamine infusion. - correct answerAdminister 1 mg of epinephrine.
6. During a pause in CPR, you see this lead II ECG rhythm on the monitor. The patient
has no pulse. What is the next action?
Establish vascular access.
Obtain the patient's history.
Resume chest compressions.
Terminate the resuscitative effort. - correct answerResume chest compressions.
7. What is a common but sometimes fatal mistake in cardiac arrest management?
Failure to obtain vascular access
Prolonged periods of no ventilations
Failure to perform endotracheal intubation
Prolonged interruptions in chest compressions - correct answerProlonged interruptions
in chest compressions
8. Which action is a component of high-quality chest compressions?
Allowing complete chest recoil
Chest compressions without ventilation
60 to 100 compressions per minute with a 15:2 ratio
Uninterrupted compressions at a depth of 11⁄2 inches - correct answerAllowing
complete chest recoil
9. Which action increases the chance of successful conversion of ventricular fibrillation?
Pausing chest compressions immediately after a defibrillation attempt
Administering 4 quick ventilations immediately before a defibrillation attempt
Using manual defibrillator paddles with light pressure against the chest
Providing quality compressions immediately before a defibrillation attempt - correct
answerProviding quality compressions immediately before a defibrillation attempt
10. Which situation BEST describes pulseless electrical activity?
Asystole without a pulse
Sinus rhythm without a pulse
Torsades de pointes with a pulse
, Ventricular tachycardia with a pulse - correct answerSinus rhythm without a pulse
11. What is the BEST strategy for performing high-quality CPR on a patient with an
advanced airway in place?
Provide compressions and ventilations with a 15:2 ratio.
Provide compressions and ventilations with a 30:2 ratio.
Provide a single ventilation every 6 seconds during the compression pause.
Provide continuous chest compressions without pauses and 10 ventilations per minute.
- correct answerProvide continuous chest compressions without pauses and 10
ventilations per minute.
12. Three minutes after witnessing a cardiac arrest, one member of your team inserts
an endotracheal tube while another performs continuous chest compressions. During
subsequent ventilation, you notice the presence of a waveform on the capnography
screen and a PETCO2 level of 8 mm Hg. What is the significance of this finding?
Chest compressions may not be effective.
The endotracheal tube is no longer in the trachea.
The patient meets the criteria for termination of efforts.
The team is ventilating the patient too often (hyperventilation). - correct answerChest
compressions may not be effective.
13. The use of quantitative capnography in intubated patients:
allows for monitoring of CPR quality.
measures oxygen levels at the alveoli level.
determines inspired carbon dioxide relating to cardiac output.
detects electrolyte abnormalities early in code management. - correct answerallows for
monitoring of CPR quality.
14. For the past 25 minutes, an EMS crew has attempted resuscitation of a patient who
originally presented in ventricular fibrillation. After the first shock, the ECG screen
displayed asystole, which has persisted despite 2 doses of epinephrine, a fluid bolus,
and high-quality CPR. What is your next treatment?
Apply a transcutaneous pacemaker.
Administer 1 mg of intravenous atropine.
Administer 40 units of intravenous vasopressin.
Consider terminating resuscitative efforts after consulting medical control. - correct
answerConsider terminating resuscitative efforts after consulting medical control.
15. Which is a safe and effective practice within the defibrillation sequence?
Stop chest compressions as you charge the defibrillator.
Be sure oxygen is not blowing over the patient's chest during the shock.
