PALS Exams 2026/2027 (PDF) | Pediatric Advanced Life Support |
AHA., Exams of Advanced Education Comprehensive Assessment.
2026-2027 | 100 Questions | 100% VERIFIED
Introduction
This comprehensive assessment validates competency for Pediatric Advanced Life Support
certification under the 2026-2027 AHA blueprint. The examination focuses on eight core
domains: Systematic Pediatric Assessment and the Pediatric Assessment Triangle,
Respiratory Distress, Failure, and Airway Management, Shock States and Cardiovascular
Emergencies, Cardiac Arrest Algorithms and High-Quality CPR, Post-Cardiac Arrest Care and
Neuroprotection, Pediatric Arrhythmias and Electrical Therapy, Pharmacology, Fluid
Resuscitation, and Defibrillation, and Team Dynamics and Resuscitation Operations.
Content reflects current AHA Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency
Cardiovascular Care for pediatric patients, emphasizing rapid recognition, systematic
approach, and high-performance teamwork. Mastery demonstrates readiness for
professional certification and effective clinical execution in pediatric emergencies.
1. Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) components are:
A. Only appearance
B. Appearance, Work of Breathing, Circulation to skin
C. Airway, Breathing, Circulation only
D. No triangle exists
Correct Answer: B - Appearance, Work of Breathing, Circulation to skin
Rationale: PAT is rapid visual/auditory assessment: Appearance (mental status, muscle
tone), Work of Breathing, Circulation to skin (pallor, mottling, cyanosis). Airway Breathing
Circulation only (B) is primary assessment, no triangle (C) false, appearance only (D)
incomplete.
2. Appearance in PAT evaluates:
A. Mental status, responsiveness, muscle tone, and consolability using TICLS
,B. No appearance evaluation needed
C. Only heart rate
D. Only blood pressure
Correct Answer: A - Mental status, responsiveness, muscle tone, and consolability
using TICLS
Rationale: Appearance TICLS: Tone, Interactiveness, Consolability, Look/gaze, Speech/cry.
Heart rate only (B) circulation, no evaluation (C) false, BP only (D) circulation.
3. Work of breathing in PAT includes assessing:
A. Only respiratory rate
B. Only oxygen saturation
C. Abnormal airway sounds, positioning, retractions, nasal flaring
D. No work of breathing assessment
Correct Answer: C - Abnormal airway sounds, positioning, retractions, nasal flaring
Rationale: Work of breathing abnormal sounds (stridor, wheezing, grunting), positioning
(tripod, sniffing), retractions, flaring. Rate only (B) incomplete, none (C) false, saturation
only (D) primary assessment.
4. Circulation to skin in PAT assesses:
A. Pallor, mottling, cyanosis, petechiae
B. Only blood pressure
C. No circulation assessment
D. Only heart rate
Correct Answer: A - Pallor, mottling, cyanosis, petechiae
Rationale: Circulation to skin pallor mottling cyanosis petechiae. BP only (B) primary, none
(C) false, HR only (D) primary.
5. Primary assessment in PALS systematic approach includes:
,A. No primary assessment
B. Only airway
C. Only exposure
D. Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure
Correct Answer: D - Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure
Rationale: Primary ABCDE. Airway only (B) incomplete, none (C) false, exposure only (D)
incomplete.
6. Secondary assessment in PALS includes:
A. No secondary assessment
B. SAMPLE history and focused physical exam
C. Only physical exam without history
D. Only SAMPLE without exam
Correct Answer: B - SAMPLE history and focused physical exam
Rationale: Secondary SAMPLE and focused exam. None (B) false, SAMPLE only no exam (C)
incomplete, exam only no history (D) incomplete.
7. Pediatric vital signs normal range for infant heart rate is:
A. 200-300 beats/min normal
B. 60-80 beats/min
C. No normal range
D. 100-160 beats/min awake
Correct Answer: D - 100-160 beats/min awake
Rationale: Infant HR 100-160 awake. 60-80 (B) adult, 200-300 (C) tachycardia, no range
(D) false ranges exist.
8. Pediatric respiratory rate normal toddler (1-3 years) is:
, A. No normal range
B. 24-40 breaths/min
C. 60-80 breaths/min normal
D. 10-12 breaths/min normal
Correct Answer: B - 24-40 breaths/min
Rationale: Toddler RR 24-40. 60-80 (B) infant high, 10-12 (C) adult low, no range (D) false.
9. Pediatric blood pressure hypotension defined as systolic <70 + (2 x age in years)
for:
A. Children 1-10 years, <60 in neonates, <70 infants
B. Only diastolic matters
C. Same as adult 90 mmHg for all
D. No hypotension definition
Correct Answer: A - Children 1-10 years, <60 in neonates, <70 infants
Rationale: Pediatric hypotension SBP <60 neonate, <70 infant, <70+2x age 1-10. No
definition (B) false definition exists, adult 90 all (C) false pediatric lower, diastolic only (D)
false systolic used.
10. Disability assessment in PALS primary includes:
A. Only blood pressure
B. AVPU, pupils, glucose, and neurologic status
C. Only heart rate
D. No disability assessment
Correct Answer: B - AVPU, pupils, glucose, and neurologic status
Rationale: Disability AVPU pupils glucose neuro. BP only (B) circulation, none (C) false, HR
only (D) circulation.
11. Exposure assessment includes:
AHA., Exams of Advanced Education Comprehensive Assessment.
2026-2027 | 100 Questions | 100% VERIFIED
Introduction
This comprehensive assessment validates competency for Pediatric Advanced Life Support
certification under the 2026-2027 AHA blueprint. The examination focuses on eight core
domains: Systematic Pediatric Assessment and the Pediatric Assessment Triangle,
Respiratory Distress, Failure, and Airway Management, Shock States and Cardiovascular
Emergencies, Cardiac Arrest Algorithms and High-Quality CPR, Post-Cardiac Arrest Care and
Neuroprotection, Pediatric Arrhythmias and Electrical Therapy, Pharmacology, Fluid
Resuscitation, and Defibrillation, and Team Dynamics and Resuscitation Operations.
Content reflects current AHA Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency
Cardiovascular Care for pediatric patients, emphasizing rapid recognition, systematic
approach, and high-performance teamwork. Mastery demonstrates readiness for
professional certification and effective clinical execution in pediatric emergencies.
1. Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) components are:
A. Only appearance
B. Appearance, Work of Breathing, Circulation to skin
C. Airway, Breathing, Circulation only
D. No triangle exists
Correct Answer: B - Appearance, Work of Breathing, Circulation to skin
Rationale: PAT is rapid visual/auditory assessment: Appearance (mental status, muscle
tone), Work of Breathing, Circulation to skin (pallor, mottling, cyanosis). Airway Breathing
Circulation only (B) is primary assessment, no triangle (C) false, appearance only (D)
incomplete.
2. Appearance in PAT evaluates:
A. Mental status, responsiveness, muscle tone, and consolability using TICLS
,B. No appearance evaluation needed
C. Only heart rate
D. Only blood pressure
Correct Answer: A - Mental status, responsiveness, muscle tone, and consolability
using TICLS
Rationale: Appearance TICLS: Tone, Interactiveness, Consolability, Look/gaze, Speech/cry.
Heart rate only (B) circulation, no evaluation (C) false, BP only (D) circulation.
3. Work of breathing in PAT includes assessing:
A. Only respiratory rate
B. Only oxygen saturation
C. Abnormal airway sounds, positioning, retractions, nasal flaring
D. No work of breathing assessment
Correct Answer: C - Abnormal airway sounds, positioning, retractions, nasal flaring
Rationale: Work of breathing abnormal sounds (stridor, wheezing, grunting), positioning
(tripod, sniffing), retractions, flaring. Rate only (B) incomplete, none (C) false, saturation
only (D) primary assessment.
4. Circulation to skin in PAT assesses:
A. Pallor, mottling, cyanosis, petechiae
B. Only blood pressure
C. No circulation assessment
D. Only heart rate
Correct Answer: A - Pallor, mottling, cyanosis, petechiae
Rationale: Circulation to skin pallor mottling cyanosis petechiae. BP only (B) primary, none
(C) false, HR only (D) primary.
5. Primary assessment in PALS systematic approach includes:
,A. No primary assessment
B. Only airway
C. Only exposure
D. Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure
Correct Answer: D - Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure
Rationale: Primary ABCDE. Airway only (B) incomplete, none (C) false, exposure only (D)
incomplete.
6. Secondary assessment in PALS includes:
A. No secondary assessment
B. SAMPLE history and focused physical exam
C. Only physical exam without history
D. Only SAMPLE without exam
Correct Answer: B - SAMPLE history and focused physical exam
Rationale: Secondary SAMPLE and focused exam. None (B) false, SAMPLE only no exam (C)
incomplete, exam only no history (D) incomplete.
7. Pediatric vital signs normal range for infant heart rate is:
A. 200-300 beats/min normal
B. 60-80 beats/min
C. No normal range
D. 100-160 beats/min awake
Correct Answer: D - 100-160 beats/min awake
Rationale: Infant HR 100-160 awake. 60-80 (B) adult, 200-300 (C) tachycardia, no range
(D) false ranges exist.
8. Pediatric respiratory rate normal toddler (1-3 years) is:
, A. No normal range
B. 24-40 breaths/min
C. 60-80 breaths/min normal
D. 10-12 breaths/min normal
Correct Answer: B - 24-40 breaths/min
Rationale: Toddler RR 24-40. 60-80 (B) infant high, 10-12 (C) adult low, no range (D) false.
9. Pediatric blood pressure hypotension defined as systolic <70 + (2 x age in years)
for:
A. Children 1-10 years, <60 in neonates, <70 infants
B. Only diastolic matters
C. Same as adult 90 mmHg for all
D. No hypotension definition
Correct Answer: A - Children 1-10 years, <60 in neonates, <70 infants
Rationale: Pediatric hypotension SBP <60 neonate, <70 infant, <70+2x age 1-10. No
definition (B) false definition exists, adult 90 all (C) false pediatric lower, diastolic only (D)
false systolic used.
10. Disability assessment in PALS primary includes:
A. Only blood pressure
B. AVPU, pupils, glucose, and neurologic status
C. Only heart rate
D. No disability assessment
Correct Answer: B - AVPU, pupils, glucose, and neurologic status
Rationale: Disability AVPU pupils glucose neuro. BP only (B) circulation, none (C) false, HR
only (D) circulation.
11. Exposure assessment includes:
