BLS — Basic Life Support Practice Test
Frequently asked questions
How many BLS — Basic Life Support practice questions are here?+
A full bank of original BLS — Basic Life Support practice questions across the official content areas, weighted like the real exam, with explanations. Free, no signup.
What is the BLS — Basic Life Support exam like?+
A multiple-choice exam. Practice by topic here, then take the full timed mock exam to gauge readiness.
Are these the real exam questions?+
No. Every question is 100% original, written from public primary sources with explanations. We never copy real exam questions or paid prep material.
Can I study in Chinese or Spanish?+
PrepPass practice is in English, 中文 and Español. The official exam is in English — switch the question language to English any time to rehearse the exact terminology you'll see on test day.
Sample practice questions
A few real questions from this free bank, with full explanations. Use the practice tool above for the whole set.
- 1. High-Quality CPR (adult/child/infant)
At what rate should chest compressions be delivered to an adult in cardiac arrest?
- a.60 to 80 compressions per minute
- b.80 to 100 compressions per minute
- c.100 to 120 compressions per minute
- d.At least 140 compressions per minute
Answer: c
Explanation: Current AHA guidelines specify a compression rate of 100 to 120 per minute for all ages. Slower than 100 does not generate adequate perfusion, while faster than 120 shortens the recoil phase so the heart cannot refill, which paradoxically lowers the blood delivered per compression.
- 2. High-Quality CPR (adult/child/infant)
What is the correct compression depth for an infant (under 1 year)?
- a.About 0.5 inch (1 cm)
- b.About 1 inch (2.5 cm)
- c.About 1.5 inches (4 cm), or one-third the depth of the chest
- d.At least 2.4 inches (6 cm)
Answer: c
Explanation: Compress an infant's chest at least one-third of its anterior-posterior diameter, which is about 1.5 inches (4 cm). For a child it is about one-third the depth, roughly 2 inches (5 cm). Compressing to a fixed fraction of chest depth scales the force appropriately to the small size of the pediatric chest.
- 3. AED Use
An AED arrives while you are performing CPR on an adult in cardiac arrest. What should you do?
- a.Finish 5 more minutes of CPR before using the AED
- b.Turn on the AED, attach the pads, and follow its prompts while minimizing interruptions in compressions
- c.Check for a pulse for a full minute before attaching the AED
- d.Only use the AED if a physician is present to authorize it
Answer: b
Explanation: Early defibrillation is time-critical for shockable rhythms, so as soon as an AED is available you turn it on, attach the pads, and follow the voice prompts. Compressions continue until the AED is ready to analyze, keeping the interruption as short as possible. No physician authorization is required to use an AED.
- 4. AED Use
Immediately after the AED delivers a shock to an adult, the rescuer should:
- a.Check for a pulse for 10 seconds before doing anything else
- b.Wait for the AED to re-analyze before touching the victim
- c.Resume chest compressions immediately, starting with compressions
- d.Give 2 rescue breaths and then reassess the airway
Answer: c
Explanation: After any shock — or after a 'no shock advised' message — resume high-quality chest compressions immediately without pausing to check a pulse. The heart needs perfusion to recover an effective rhythm, and the next rhythm/pulse analysis occurs after the full 2-minute CPR cycle. Stopping to check a pulse wastes critical perfusion time.
- 5. Team Dynamics
Which best describes 'closed-loop communication' during a resuscitation?
- a.The team leader gives orders that no one is allowed to question
- b.The receiver confirms and repeats back the order, then reports when the task is complete
- c.Team members communicate only in writing to avoid noise
- d.Only the physician is permitted to speak during the code
Answer: b
Explanation: Closed-loop communication means the leader gives a clear order, the receiver acknowledges and repeats it back, and then reports completion. This loop confirms the message was heard correctly and prevents tasks from being missed or duplicated — a core BLS team-dynamics behavior that keeps the resuscitation organized.
- 6. Rescue Breathing/Ventilation
How should each rescue breath be delivered?
- a.As forcefully and quickly as possible to guarantee air entry
- b.Over about 1 second, giving just enough volume to make the chest visibly rise
- c.Over 5 seconds with maximum volume to fully inflate the lungs
- d.Only through the nose while holding the mouth closed
Answer: b
Explanation: Each breath is given over about 1 second with only enough volume to produce a visible chest rise. Excessive volume or force causes gastric inflation and vomiting and raises intrathoracic pressure, which reduces venous return and cardiac output — so more air is actively harmful, not helpful.
- 7. Rescue Breathing/Ventilation
An adult has a pulse but is not breathing. What is the correct rescue-breathing rate?
- a.1 breath every 2 seconds (about 30 per minute)
- b.1 breath every 10 seconds (about 6 per minute)
- c.1 breath every 6 seconds (about 10 per minute)
- d.1 breath every 3 seconds (about 20 per minute)
Answer: c
Explanation: When an adult has a pulse but inadequate breathing, give rescue breaths at 1 every 6 seconds, about 10 per minute, without chest compressions. Recheck the pulse roughly every 2 minutes. If the pulse is lost, begin CPR with compressions.
- 8. Relief of Choking
A responsive adult clutches his throat, cannot speak or cough, and is turning blue. What should you do?
- a.Encourage him to keep coughing and do nothing else
- b.Give abdominal thrusts until the object is expelled or he becomes unresponsive
- c.Give 2 rescue breaths immediately
- d.Perform a blind finger sweep of the mouth
Answer: b
Explanation: Inability to speak or cough with cyanosis signals a severe airway obstruction. For a responsive adult or child, deliver abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver) until the object comes out or the victim becomes unresponsive. A blind finger sweep can push the object deeper and is not recommended.
- 9. Relief of Choking
A choking victim you were treating suddenly becomes unresponsive. What should you do next?
- a.Lower them to the ground, activate emergency response, and begin CPR starting with compressions
- b.Continue abdominal thrusts on the ground until help arrives
- c.Give 5 rescue breaths before doing anything else
- d.Perform repeated blind finger sweeps until the object is found
Answer: a
Explanation: When a choking victim becomes unresponsive, lower them safely to the ground, activate the emergency response system, and begin CPR starting with chest compressions. Each time you open the airway to give breaths, look inside the mouth and remove the object only if you can see it — the compressions themselves also help generate pressure to expel the obstruction.
- 10. Chain of Survival
What is the first link in the out-of-hospital adult Chain of Survival?
- a.Advanced life support by paramedics
- b.Recognition of the arrest and activation of the emergency response system
- c.Post-cardiac-arrest care in the ICU
- d.Defibrillation with an AED
Answer: b
Explanation: The out-of-hospital chain begins with recognizing that the person is in cardiac arrest and activating the emergency response system (calling 911 and sending someone for an AED). Only after recognition and activation can the following links — immediate high-quality CPR, rapid defibrillation, advanced care, and post-arrest care — proceed.