AHA PALS PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS 2025/2026 RATED A+
1. A 5-year-old child presents with lethargy, increased work of breathing, and pale color. The
primary assessment reveals that the airway is open and the respiratory rate is 30/min, with
crackles heard on auscultation. The cardiac monitor shows sinus tachycardia at a rate of
165/min. The pulse oximeter displays an oxygen saturation of 95% and a pulse rate of 93/min.
On the basis of this information, which of the following provides the best interpretation of the
oxygen saturation of 95% by pulse oximetry?
A. Reliable; no supplementary oxygen is indicated B. Reliable; supplementary oxygen should be
administered
C. Unreliable; no supplementary oxygen is indicated
D. Unreliable; supplementary oxygen should be administered - CORRECT ANSWER -Unreliable;
supplementary oxygen should be administered
2. A 3-year-old child was recently diagnosed with leukemia and has been treated with
chemotherapy. The child presents with lethargy and a high fever. Heart rate is 195/min,
respiratory rate is 36/min, blood pressure is 85/40 mm Hg, and capillary refill time is less than 2
seconds. What is the child's most likely condition?
A. Septic shock
B. Hypovolemic shock
C. Significant bradycardia
D. Cardiogenic shock - CORRECT ANSWER -Septic shock
3. A 2-week-old infant presents with irritability and a history of poor feeding. Blood pressure is
55/40 mm Hg. What term describes this infant's blood pressure?
A. Hypotensive
B. Normal
C. Hypertensive
D. Compensated - CORRECT ANSWER -Hypotensive
,4. During a resuscitation attempt, the team leader orders an initial dose of epinephrine at 0.1
mg/kg to be given 10. What should the team member do?
A. Administer the drug as ordered
B. Administer 0.01 mg/kg of epinephrine
C. Respectfully ask the team leader to clarify the dose
D. Refuse to administer the drug - CORRECT ANSWER -Respectfully ask the team leader to clarify
the dose
5. Which of the following is a characteristic of respiratory failure?
A. Inadequate oxygenation and/or ventilation
B. Hypotension
C. An increase in serum pH (alkalosis)
D. Abnormal respiratory sounds - CORRECT ANSWER -Inadequate oxygenation and/or
ventilation
6. Which of the following is most likely to produce a prolonged expiratory phase and wheezing?
A. Disordered control of breathing
B. Hypovolemic shock
C. Lower airway obstruction
D. Upper airway obstruction - CORRECT ANSWER -Lower airway obstruction
7. A 4-year-old child presents with seizures and irregular respirations. The seizures stopped a
few minutes ago. Which of the following most likely to be abnormal?
A. Vascular resistance
B. Pulse rate
C. Lung compliance
, D. Control Lof Lbreathing L- LCORRECT LANSWER L-Control Lof Lbreathing
8. What Labnormality Lis Lmost Llikely Lto Lbe Lpresent Lin Lchildren Lwith Lacute Lrespiratory
Ldistress Lcaused Lby Llung Ltissue Ldisease?
A. Decreased Loxygen Lsaturation
B. Stridor
C. Normal Lrespiratory Lrate
D. Decreased Lrespiratory Leffort L- LCORRECT LANSWER L-Decreased Loxygen Lsaturation
9. An Lalert L2-year-old Lchild Lwith Lan Lincreased Lwork Lof Lbreathing Land Lpink Lcolor Lis Lbeing
Levaluated. LHeart Lrate Lis L110/min, Land Lrespiratory Lrate Lis L30/min. LWhat Lwould Lbest
Ldescribe Lthis Lpatient's Lcondition? LA. LRespiratory Ldistress
B. LRespiratory Larrest
C. LRespiratory Lfailure
D. LDisordered Lcontrol Lof Lbreathing L- LCORRECT LANSWER L-Respiratory Ldistress
10. The Lparents Lof La L7-year-old Lchild Lwho Lis Lundergoing Lchemotherapy Lreport Lthat Lthe
Lchild Lhas Lbeen Lfebrile Land Lhas Lnot Lbeen Lfeeling Lwell, Lwith Lrecent Lonset Lof Llethargy.
LAssessment Lreveals Lthe Lfollowing: LThe Lchild Lis Ldifficult Lto Larouse, Lwith Lpale Lcolor. LThe
Lchild's Lheart Lrate Lis L160/min, Lrespiratory Lrate Lis L30/min, Lblood Lpressure Lis L76/45 Lmm LHg,
Lcapillary Lrefill Ltime Lis L5 Lto L6 Lseconds, Land Ltemperature Lis L103°F L(39.4°C). LWhat Lis Lthe
Lmost Lappropriate Lintervention?
A. Obtain Lvascular Laccess Land Ladminister L20 LmL/kg Lof Lisotonic Lcrystalloid Lover L30 Lminutes
B. Obtain Lvascular Laccess Land Ladminister L20 LmL/kg Lof Lisotonic Lcrystalloid Lover L5 Lto L10 Lminutes
C. Obtain Limmediate Lblood Lcultures Land Lchest Lx-ray LD. LObtain Lexpert Lconsultation Lwith
Lan Loncologist Lto Ldetermine Lthe Lchemotherapeutic Lregimen L- LCORRECT LANSWER L-Obtain
Lvascular Laccess Land Ladminister L20 LmL/kg Lof Lisotonic Lcrystalloid Lover L5 Lto L10 Lminutes
11. A L2-year-old Lchild Lpresents Lwith La L4-day Lhistory Lof Lvomiting. LThe Linitial Limpression
Lreveals Lan Lunresponsive Lchild Lwith Lintermittent Lapnea Land Lmottled Lcolor. LHeart Lrate Lis
L166/min, Lrespiratory
CORRECT ANSWERS 2025/2026 RATED A+
1. A 5-year-old child presents with lethargy, increased work of breathing, and pale color. The
primary assessment reveals that the airway is open and the respiratory rate is 30/min, with
crackles heard on auscultation. The cardiac monitor shows sinus tachycardia at a rate of
165/min. The pulse oximeter displays an oxygen saturation of 95% and a pulse rate of 93/min.
On the basis of this information, which of the following provides the best interpretation of the
oxygen saturation of 95% by pulse oximetry?
A. Reliable; no supplementary oxygen is indicated B. Reliable; supplementary oxygen should be
administered
C. Unreliable; no supplementary oxygen is indicated
D. Unreliable; supplementary oxygen should be administered - CORRECT ANSWER -Unreliable;
supplementary oxygen should be administered
2. A 3-year-old child was recently diagnosed with leukemia and has been treated with
chemotherapy. The child presents with lethargy and a high fever. Heart rate is 195/min,
respiratory rate is 36/min, blood pressure is 85/40 mm Hg, and capillary refill time is less than 2
seconds. What is the child's most likely condition?
A. Septic shock
B. Hypovolemic shock
C. Significant bradycardia
D. Cardiogenic shock - CORRECT ANSWER -Septic shock
3. A 2-week-old infant presents with irritability and a history of poor feeding. Blood pressure is
55/40 mm Hg. What term describes this infant's blood pressure?
A. Hypotensive
B. Normal
C. Hypertensive
D. Compensated - CORRECT ANSWER -Hypotensive
,4. During a resuscitation attempt, the team leader orders an initial dose of epinephrine at 0.1
mg/kg to be given 10. What should the team member do?
A. Administer the drug as ordered
B. Administer 0.01 mg/kg of epinephrine
C. Respectfully ask the team leader to clarify the dose
D. Refuse to administer the drug - CORRECT ANSWER -Respectfully ask the team leader to clarify
the dose
5. Which of the following is a characteristic of respiratory failure?
A. Inadequate oxygenation and/or ventilation
B. Hypotension
C. An increase in serum pH (alkalosis)
D. Abnormal respiratory sounds - CORRECT ANSWER -Inadequate oxygenation and/or
ventilation
6. Which of the following is most likely to produce a prolonged expiratory phase and wheezing?
A. Disordered control of breathing
B. Hypovolemic shock
C. Lower airway obstruction
D. Upper airway obstruction - CORRECT ANSWER -Lower airway obstruction
7. A 4-year-old child presents with seizures and irregular respirations. The seizures stopped a
few minutes ago. Which of the following most likely to be abnormal?
A. Vascular resistance
B. Pulse rate
C. Lung compliance
, D. Control Lof Lbreathing L- LCORRECT LANSWER L-Control Lof Lbreathing
8. What Labnormality Lis Lmost Llikely Lto Lbe Lpresent Lin Lchildren Lwith Lacute Lrespiratory
Ldistress Lcaused Lby Llung Ltissue Ldisease?
A. Decreased Loxygen Lsaturation
B. Stridor
C. Normal Lrespiratory Lrate
D. Decreased Lrespiratory Leffort L- LCORRECT LANSWER L-Decreased Loxygen Lsaturation
9. An Lalert L2-year-old Lchild Lwith Lan Lincreased Lwork Lof Lbreathing Land Lpink Lcolor Lis Lbeing
Levaluated. LHeart Lrate Lis L110/min, Land Lrespiratory Lrate Lis L30/min. LWhat Lwould Lbest
Ldescribe Lthis Lpatient's Lcondition? LA. LRespiratory Ldistress
B. LRespiratory Larrest
C. LRespiratory Lfailure
D. LDisordered Lcontrol Lof Lbreathing L- LCORRECT LANSWER L-Respiratory Ldistress
10. The Lparents Lof La L7-year-old Lchild Lwho Lis Lundergoing Lchemotherapy Lreport Lthat Lthe
Lchild Lhas Lbeen Lfebrile Land Lhas Lnot Lbeen Lfeeling Lwell, Lwith Lrecent Lonset Lof Llethargy.
LAssessment Lreveals Lthe Lfollowing: LThe Lchild Lis Ldifficult Lto Larouse, Lwith Lpale Lcolor. LThe
Lchild's Lheart Lrate Lis L160/min, Lrespiratory Lrate Lis L30/min, Lblood Lpressure Lis L76/45 Lmm LHg,
Lcapillary Lrefill Ltime Lis L5 Lto L6 Lseconds, Land Ltemperature Lis L103°F L(39.4°C). LWhat Lis Lthe
Lmost Lappropriate Lintervention?
A. Obtain Lvascular Laccess Land Ladminister L20 LmL/kg Lof Lisotonic Lcrystalloid Lover L30 Lminutes
B. Obtain Lvascular Laccess Land Ladminister L20 LmL/kg Lof Lisotonic Lcrystalloid Lover L5 Lto L10 Lminutes
C. Obtain Limmediate Lblood Lcultures Land Lchest Lx-ray LD. LObtain Lexpert Lconsultation Lwith
Lan Loncologist Lto Ldetermine Lthe Lchemotherapeutic Lregimen L- LCORRECT LANSWER L-Obtain
Lvascular Laccess Land Ladminister L20 LmL/kg Lof Lisotonic Lcrystalloid Lover L5 Lto L10 Lminutes
11. A L2-year-old Lchild Lpresents Lwith La L4-day Lhistory Lof Lvomiting. LThe Linitial Limpression
Lreveals Lan Lunresponsive Lchild Lwith Lintermittent Lapnea Land Lmottled Lcolor. LHeart Lrate Lis
L166/min, Lrespiratory
