RED CROSS LIFEGUARDING MULTIPLE CHOICE
50 PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND RATIONALE
GUIDE 2026
◉ Examples of how lifeguards fulfill their primary responsibility.
Answer: Monitoring activities in and near the water through patron
surveillance, Administering first aid, CPR, and AED, and Working as a
team with other lifeguards, facility staff, and management.
◉ Secondary responsibilities that should never interfere with patron
surveillance. Answer: Testing pool water chemistry, Assist patrons
by performing safety orientations, administrating swim tests, fitting
life jackets, and other duties, Cleaning or performing maintenance,
Completing records and reports, and Performing opening duties,
closing duties, or facility safety checks and inspections.
◉ Characteristics of a professional lifeguard. Answer:
Knowledgeable and skilled, Reliable, Mature, Courteous and
consistent, and Positive.
◉ What should lifeguards always do?. Answer: Be attentive and sit
or stand upright when on surveillance duty.
,◉ Legal principle problem for a lifeguard texting on duty. Answer:
Negligence.
◉ Steps to obtain consent from an injured or ill person. Answer:
State your name, State your level of training, Ask if you may help,
Explain that you would like to assess them to find out what you
think may be wrong or what you can do to help.
◉ Validity period of an American Red Cross Lifeguarding
certification. Answer: Two years.
◉ How to get recertified as an American Red Cross certified
lifeguard. Answer: Going through the Lifeguard class or course again.
◉ Importance of attending pre-season orientation and training.
Answer: To ensure that lifeguards understand their responsibilities
and know how to perform their job, To ensure that lifeguards get
practice with their facility's safety and rescue equipment and
emergency action plans, and To ensure lifeguards understand codes,
rules, and regulations of the facility.
◉ What does EAP stand for?. Answer: Emergency Action Plan.
, ◉ Importance of understanding and practicing the EAP. Answer: So
everyone knows their responsibilities and can perform them
effectively.
◉ Best practice for in-service training frequency. Answer: At least
four hours of in-service training each month.
◉ Topics discussed during in-service training. Answer: Surveillance
and recognition, Water and land rescue skills, Emergency response
drills, and Decision-making protocols (or Facility rules and
regulations, Customer service, Records and reports, and Physical
conditioning).
◉ Benefits of regular, frequent in-service training. Answer: Helps
you maintain your knowledge and skills at a professional level, gives
you a chance to practice with other lifeguards at your facility, and it
will help you to efficiently respond as a team in an emergency.
◉ Additional items in a safety checklist for a water park. Answer:
(Not provided in the notes).
◉ Inspecting and test run. Answer: Checking that rafts, tubes,
and/or sleds are properly inflated and the handles are secure,
landing areas are free of rough surfaces and debris, water level and
flow is appropriate for attraction, and electronic dispatch systems
are tested and are operating properly.
50 PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND RATIONALE
GUIDE 2026
◉ Examples of how lifeguards fulfill their primary responsibility.
Answer: Monitoring activities in and near the water through patron
surveillance, Administering first aid, CPR, and AED, and Working as a
team with other lifeguards, facility staff, and management.
◉ Secondary responsibilities that should never interfere with patron
surveillance. Answer: Testing pool water chemistry, Assist patrons
by performing safety orientations, administrating swim tests, fitting
life jackets, and other duties, Cleaning or performing maintenance,
Completing records and reports, and Performing opening duties,
closing duties, or facility safety checks and inspections.
◉ Characteristics of a professional lifeguard. Answer:
Knowledgeable and skilled, Reliable, Mature, Courteous and
consistent, and Positive.
◉ What should lifeguards always do?. Answer: Be attentive and sit
or stand upright when on surveillance duty.
,◉ Legal principle problem for a lifeguard texting on duty. Answer:
Negligence.
◉ Steps to obtain consent from an injured or ill person. Answer:
State your name, State your level of training, Ask if you may help,
Explain that you would like to assess them to find out what you
think may be wrong or what you can do to help.
◉ Validity period of an American Red Cross Lifeguarding
certification. Answer: Two years.
◉ How to get recertified as an American Red Cross certified
lifeguard. Answer: Going through the Lifeguard class or course again.
◉ Importance of attending pre-season orientation and training.
Answer: To ensure that lifeguards understand their responsibilities
and know how to perform their job, To ensure that lifeguards get
practice with their facility's safety and rescue equipment and
emergency action plans, and To ensure lifeguards understand codes,
rules, and regulations of the facility.
◉ What does EAP stand for?. Answer: Emergency Action Plan.
, ◉ Importance of understanding and practicing the EAP. Answer: So
everyone knows their responsibilities and can perform them
effectively.
◉ Best practice for in-service training frequency. Answer: At least
four hours of in-service training each month.
◉ Topics discussed during in-service training. Answer: Surveillance
and recognition, Water and land rescue skills, Emergency response
drills, and Decision-making protocols (or Facility rules and
regulations, Customer service, Records and reports, and Physical
conditioning).
◉ Benefits of regular, frequent in-service training. Answer: Helps
you maintain your knowledge and skills at a professional level, gives
you a chance to practice with other lifeguards at your facility, and it
will help you to efficiently respond as a team in an emergency.
◉ Additional items in a safety checklist for a water park. Answer:
(Not provided in the notes).
◉ Inspecting and test run. Answer: Checking that rafts, tubes,
and/or sleds are properly inflated and the handles are secure,
landing areas are free of rough surfaces and debris, water level and
flow is appropriate for attraction, and electronic dispatch systems
are tested and are operating properly.
