BASIC LIFE SUPPORT (BLS) EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION (AHA) LATEST UPDATE 2026
Core Domains
- Airway management and ventilation
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques
- Automated external defibrillator (AED) use
- Recognition and response to cardiac arrest
- Team dynamics and communication (Crisis Resource Management)
- Special circumstances (children, infants, pregnancy, drowning)
- Legal, ethical, and documentation considerations
- Infection control and PPE
- Post-resuscitation care and recovery
- Scene safety and triage principles
Introduction
This exam assesses competence in Basic Life Support skills and decision-making for healthcare providers and
trained rescuers. It evaluates foundational knowledge, hands-on procedures, scenario-based application, and
judgment required to recognize and treat sudden cardiac arrest, airway compromise, and life-threatening
respiratory events. The format includes multiple-choice questions and clinical scenarios designed to test rapid
assessment, initiation of appropriate BLS interventions, effective team coordination, and adherence to
regulatory and ethical standards. Emphasis is placed on real-world application and practical, evidence-based
decision-making to optimize patient outcomes.
, Section One: Questions 1–100
. A bystander discovers an adult collapsed and unresponsive on the sidewalk. After ensuring scene safety, the
rescuer should next:
A. Check for a carotid pulse for 10 seconds.
B. Open the airway and look for foreign objects.
C. Shout for nearby help and activate emergency response.
D. Deliver two rescue breaths before chest compressions.
🟢 C. Shout for nearby help and activate emergency response.
🔴 RATIONALE: Immediate activation of the emergency response system and calling for help mobilizes
advanced care and additional rescuers; assessment for breathing and pulse follows quickly, but summoning
help is the priority after scene safety to improve survival chances.
. During high-quality adult CPR, the recommended chest compression rate is:
A. 60–80 compressions per minute.
B. 80–100 compressions per minute.
C. 100–120 compressions per minute.
D. 120–140 compressions per minute.
🟢 C. 100–120 compressions per minute.
🔴 RATIONALE: Evidence supports a compression rate of 100–120/min to maximize perfusion while avoiding
excessive rate that reduces compression depth and refill time.
,. For an adult victim, the recommended compression depth during CPR is:
A. At least 1 inch (2.5 cm).
B. At least 2 inches (5 cm) but not more than 2.4 inches (6 cm).
C. 3–4 inches (7.5–10 cm).
D. Exactly 5 cm.
🟢 B. At least 2 inches (5 cm) but not more than 2.4 inches (6 cm).
🔴 RATIONALE: Current guidelines specify compressions of at least 2 inches (5 cm) and not exceeding 2.4
inches (6 cm) to ensure adequate depth while minimizing injury risk.
. Which statement about rescue breaths during adult CPR is correct?
A. Each breath should last about 3 seconds.
B. Deliver a tidal volume that makes the chest visibly rise.
C. Use a 30:2 compression-to-ventilation ratio only if two rescuers are present.
D. Avoid mouth-to-mouth; use hands-only CPR instead in all cases.
🟢 B. Deliver a tidal volume that makes the chest visibly rise.
🔴 RATIONALE: Rescue breaths should be sufficient to produce visible chest rise; breaths should be delivered
over about 1 second each. The 30:2 ratio applies to single rescuers on adults; hands-only CPR is an alternative
for untrained bystanders.
. An AED arrives while you are performing CPR on an adult. What is the first action with the AED?
A. Immediately deliver a shock without analyzing rhythm.
B. Turn on the AED and attach the pads to the bare chest.
C. Move the patient to a firm surface before using the AED.
D. Remove clothing from the chest and then resume compressions for 2 minutes.
, 🟢 B. Turn on the AED and attach the pads to the bare chest.
🔴 RATIONALE: Turning on the AED and attaching pads allows prompt rhythm analysis; the device will
instruct whether a shock is indicated. Do not delay pad placement.
. When using an AED on a patient with a hairy chest, the rescuer should:
A. Shave the chest using any sharp object.
B. Use extra adhesive pads over hair without removing it.
C. Quickly remove hair from pad sites with a razor if available, or press pads firmly to attach.
D. Place pads over the hair and increase shock energy.
🟢 C. Quickly remove hair from pad sites with a razor if available, or press pads firmly to attach.
🔴 RATIONALE: Excessive hair can prevent proper pad adhesion and impede current delivery; rapid hair
removal with a razor (if available) or firm pad pressure improves contact.
. For a witnessed sudden collapse of an adult with a pulse but no normal breathing, the immediate action is:
A. Begin chest compressions.
B. Provide rescue breaths at 1 breath every 6 seconds.
C. Deliver 2 rescue breaths, then reassess pulse.
D. Activate emergency response and provide ventilations.
🟢 D. Activate emergency response and provide ventilations.
🔴 RATIONALE: If pulse is present but the patient is not breathing normally, provide ventilations (1 breath
every 6 seconds for adults) while activating emergency response if not already done; chest compressions are not
started if adequate pulse is present.
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION (AHA) LATEST UPDATE 2026
Core Domains
- Airway management and ventilation
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques
- Automated external defibrillator (AED) use
- Recognition and response to cardiac arrest
- Team dynamics and communication (Crisis Resource Management)
- Special circumstances (children, infants, pregnancy, drowning)
- Legal, ethical, and documentation considerations
- Infection control and PPE
- Post-resuscitation care and recovery
- Scene safety and triage principles
Introduction
This exam assesses competence in Basic Life Support skills and decision-making for healthcare providers and
trained rescuers. It evaluates foundational knowledge, hands-on procedures, scenario-based application, and
judgment required to recognize and treat sudden cardiac arrest, airway compromise, and life-threatening
respiratory events. The format includes multiple-choice questions and clinical scenarios designed to test rapid
assessment, initiation of appropriate BLS interventions, effective team coordination, and adherence to
regulatory and ethical standards. Emphasis is placed on real-world application and practical, evidence-based
decision-making to optimize patient outcomes.
, Section One: Questions 1–100
. A bystander discovers an adult collapsed and unresponsive on the sidewalk. After ensuring scene safety, the
rescuer should next:
A. Check for a carotid pulse for 10 seconds.
B. Open the airway and look for foreign objects.
C. Shout for nearby help and activate emergency response.
D. Deliver two rescue breaths before chest compressions.
🟢 C. Shout for nearby help and activate emergency response.
🔴 RATIONALE: Immediate activation of the emergency response system and calling for help mobilizes
advanced care and additional rescuers; assessment for breathing and pulse follows quickly, but summoning
help is the priority after scene safety to improve survival chances.
. During high-quality adult CPR, the recommended chest compression rate is:
A. 60–80 compressions per minute.
B. 80–100 compressions per minute.
C. 100–120 compressions per minute.
D. 120–140 compressions per minute.
🟢 C. 100–120 compressions per minute.
🔴 RATIONALE: Evidence supports a compression rate of 100–120/min to maximize perfusion while avoiding
excessive rate that reduces compression depth and refill time.
,. For an adult victim, the recommended compression depth during CPR is:
A. At least 1 inch (2.5 cm).
B. At least 2 inches (5 cm) but not more than 2.4 inches (6 cm).
C. 3–4 inches (7.5–10 cm).
D. Exactly 5 cm.
🟢 B. At least 2 inches (5 cm) but not more than 2.4 inches (6 cm).
🔴 RATIONALE: Current guidelines specify compressions of at least 2 inches (5 cm) and not exceeding 2.4
inches (6 cm) to ensure adequate depth while minimizing injury risk.
. Which statement about rescue breaths during adult CPR is correct?
A. Each breath should last about 3 seconds.
B. Deliver a tidal volume that makes the chest visibly rise.
C. Use a 30:2 compression-to-ventilation ratio only if two rescuers are present.
D. Avoid mouth-to-mouth; use hands-only CPR instead in all cases.
🟢 B. Deliver a tidal volume that makes the chest visibly rise.
🔴 RATIONALE: Rescue breaths should be sufficient to produce visible chest rise; breaths should be delivered
over about 1 second each. The 30:2 ratio applies to single rescuers on adults; hands-only CPR is an alternative
for untrained bystanders.
. An AED arrives while you are performing CPR on an adult. What is the first action with the AED?
A. Immediately deliver a shock without analyzing rhythm.
B. Turn on the AED and attach the pads to the bare chest.
C. Move the patient to a firm surface before using the AED.
D. Remove clothing from the chest and then resume compressions for 2 minutes.
, 🟢 B. Turn on the AED and attach the pads to the bare chest.
🔴 RATIONALE: Turning on the AED and attaching pads allows prompt rhythm analysis; the device will
instruct whether a shock is indicated. Do not delay pad placement.
. When using an AED on a patient with a hairy chest, the rescuer should:
A. Shave the chest using any sharp object.
B. Use extra adhesive pads over hair without removing it.
C. Quickly remove hair from pad sites with a razor if available, or press pads firmly to attach.
D. Place pads over the hair and increase shock energy.
🟢 C. Quickly remove hair from pad sites with a razor if available, or press pads firmly to attach.
🔴 RATIONALE: Excessive hair can prevent proper pad adhesion and impede current delivery; rapid hair
removal with a razor (if available) or firm pad pressure improves contact.
. For a witnessed sudden collapse of an adult with a pulse but no normal breathing, the immediate action is:
A. Begin chest compressions.
B. Provide rescue breaths at 1 breath every 6 seconds.
C. Deliver 2 rescue breaths, then reassess pulse.
D. Activate emergency response and provide ventilations.
🟢 D. Activate emergency response and provide ventilations.
🔴 RATIONALE: If pulse is present but the patient is not breathing normally, provide ventilations (1 breath
every 6 seconds for adults) while activating emergency response if not already done; chest compressions are not
started if adequate pulse is present.
