AMERICAN RED CROSS LIFEGUARDING EXAM
PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ Oxygen Cylinder and Delivery Device (pg. 14) Answer: Breathing
device used to administer emergency oxygen to a victim
experiencing breathing or cardiac emergency
◉ AED (pg. 14) Answer: Automated External Defibrillators: portable
electronic device that analyzes a victims heart rhythm and delivers
electrical shock to re-establich proper rhythm.
◉ RWI (pg. 24) Answer: Recreational Water Illness: earaches,
rashes, diarrhea that can cause illness in aquatics facility
◉ Formed Stool Emergency (pg. 24) Answer: 1. Continue Operation
of Filtration System
2. pH must be below 7.5
3. Free chlorine level to AT LEAST 2 ppm
4. Maintain those levels 25 minutes before re-opening pool
◉ Diarrheal Discharge Emergency (pg. 24) Answer: 1. Continue
operation of circulation system
,2. pH must be below 7.5
3. Free chlorine level to AT LEAST 20 ppm
4. Maintain those levels for 13 hours
5. Backwash filter and return chlorine levels to normal levels before
opening pool
◉ Lightening / Thunder in Area (pg. 25) Answer: 1. Clear Pool / Pool
Area
2. Listen / Follow National Weather Service Reports
3. Wait for 30 minutes after the last sight or sound of thunder before
resuming activity
◉ Common Rules (pg. 27) Answer: Swim only when lifeguard on
duty, swim diapers required, no swimming with open or infected
wound, obey lifeguard instructions at all times, no running, pushing
or horseplay, no hyperventilating or underwater breath holding, no
sitting or playing near or with drains/suction fittings, dive only in
designated areas
◉ Management and Safety (pg.30) Answer: As a lifeguard, your job
is to follow and enforce your facility's rules and regulations
◉ Addressing Unsafe Conditions (pg. 31) Answer: Lifeguards
experiencing any unsafe conditions should report all issues to
management
,◉ MSDS (pg. 31) Answer: Material Safety Data Sheet: list of every
chemical stored at facility listing the contents of the chemical
◉ Bloodborne Pathogens (pg. 32) Answer: body fluids that may
contain disease-causing bacteria and viruses
◉ Patron Surveillance (pg. 33) Answer: keeping a close watch over
the people in the facility and intervening when necessary
◉ (pg. 34) The process of drowning begins when... Answer: water
enters the victims airway
◉ Laryngospasm (pg. 34) Answer: a sudden closure of the larynx or
windpipe (air cannot reach the lungs when this occurs)
◉ (pg. 34) Cardiac Arrest can occur within... Answer: 3 minutes of
being submerged
◉ (pg. 34) Brain Damage or Death can occur within... Answer: 4-6
minutes of being submerged
, ◉ Effective Surveillance (pg. 34) Answer: recognition of dangerous
behaviors, victim recognition, effective scanning, zone of
surveillance responsibility, lifeguard stations
◉ Active Drowning Victim (pg. 37) Answer: a drowning victim who
is struggling to remain at the surface of the water (still conscious)
◉ Passive Drowning Victim (pg. 38) Answer: a drowning victim who
is not conscious. They do not struggle and slip under the water
suddenly.
◉ RID Factor (pg. 44) Answer: 1. Recognition (fail to recognize
victim)
2. Intrusion (secondary duties, like maintenance, intrudes on
lifeguards primary duties)
3. Distraction (distracted from surveillance)
◉ Zone of Responsibility (pg.44) Answer: a specific area that you are
responsible for when lifeguarding one station.
◉ Zone Coverage (pg. 45) Answer: Pool is divided into separate
zones. Each lifeguard is responsible for their own zone. Typically
zones overlap in certain spots to have double coverage
PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ Oxygen Cylinder and Delivery Device (pg. 14) Answer: Breathing
device used to administer emergency oxygen to a victim
experiencing breathing or cardiac emergency
◉ AED (pg. 14) Answer: Automated External Defibrillators: portable
electronic device that analyzes a victims heart rhythm and delivers
electrical shock to re-establich proper rhythm.
◉ RWI (pg. 24) Answer: Recreational Water Illness: earaches,
rashes, diarrhea that can cause illness in aquatics facility
◉ Formed Stool Emergency (pg. 24) Answer: 1. Continue Operation
of Filtration System
2. pH must be below 7.5
3. Free chlorine level to AT LEAST 2 ppm
4. Maintain those levels 25 minutes before re-opening pool
◉ Diarrheal Discharge Emergency (pg. 24) Answer: 1. Continue
operation of circulation system
,2. pH must be below 7.5
3. Free chlorine level to AT LEAST 20 ppm
4. Maintain those levels for 13 hours
5. Backwash filter and return chlorine levels to normal levels before
opening pool
◉ Lightening / Thunder in Area (pg. 25) Answer: 1. Clear Pool / Pool
Area
2. Listen / Follow National Weather Service Reports
3. Wait for 30 minutes after the last sight or sound of thunder before
resuming activity
◉ Common Rules (pg. 27) Answer: Swim only when lifeguard on
duty, swim diapers required, no swimming with open or infected
wound, obey lifeguard instructions at all times, no running, pushing
or horseplay, no hyperventilating or underwater breath holding, no
sitting or playing near or with drains/suction fittings, dive only in
designated areas
◉ Management and Safety (pg.30) Answer: As a lifeguard, your job
is to follow and enforce your facility's rules and regulations
◉ Addressing Unsafe Conditions (pg. 31) Answer: Lifeguards
experiencing any unsafe conditions should report all issues to
management
,◉ MSDS (pg. 31) Answer: Material Safety Data Sheet: list of every
chemical stored at facility listing the contents of the chemical
◉ Bloodborne Pathogens (pg. 32) Answer: body fluids that may
contain disease-causing bacteria and viruses
◉ Patron Surveillance (pg. 33) Answer: keeping a close watch over
the people in the facility and intervening when necessary
◉ (pg. 34) The process of drowning begins when... Answer: water
enters the victims airway
◉ Laryngospasm (pg. 34) Answer: a sudden closure of the larynx or
windpipe (air cannot reach the lungs when this occurs)
◉ (pg. 34) Cardiac Arrest can occur within... Answer: 3 minutes of
being submerged
◉ (pg. 34) Brain Damage or Death can occur within... Answer: 4-6
minutes of being submerged
, ◉ Effective Surveillance (pg. 34) Answer: recognition of dangerous
behaviors, victim recognition, effective scanning, zone of
surveillance responsibility, lifeguard stations
◉ Active Drowning Victim (pg. 37) Answer: a drowning victim who
is struggling to remain at the surface of the water (still conscious)
◉ Passive Drowning Victim (pg. 38) Answer: a drowning victim who
is not conscious. They do not struggle and slip under the water
suddenly.
◉ RID Factor (pg. 44) Answer: 1. Recognition (fail to recognize
victim)
2. Intrusion (secondary duties, like maintenance, intrudes on
lifeguards primary duties)
3. Distraction (distracted from surveillance)
◉ Zone of Responsibility (pg.44) Answer: a specific area that you are
responsible for when lifeguarding one station.
◉ Zone Coverage (pg. 45) Answer: Pool is divided into separate
zones. Each lifeguard is responsible for their own zone. Typically
zones overlap in certain spots to have double coverage
