BLS Provider 2025 Practice Questions with Explanations
Questions
You see an adult collapse in a parking lot. What is your first action?
- Make sure the scene is safe
- Check for a carotid pulse
- Give 2 rescue breaths
- Begin chest compressions
How do you check whether an adult is responsive?
- Tap and shout, "Are you OK?"
- Pinch the earlobe and wait 30 seconds
- Check the pupils with a penlight
- Rub the sternum for 10 seconds
An unresponsive adult takes an occasional deep, snoring gasp. How should you treat this breathing?
- As not breathing normally
- As normal, effective breathing
- As adequate if over 6 gasps a minute
- As a sign the person is waking up
What is the maximum time to spend checking breathing and pulse?
- 10 seconds
- 5 seconds
- 15 seconds
- 30 seconds
How should a healthcare provider check breathing and pulse in an unresponsive adult?
- At the same time
- Breathing first, then pulse
- Pulse first, then breathing
- Pulse only; skip breathing
Which pulse should you check in an unresponsive adult?
- Carotid
- Radial
- Brachial
- Pedal
An adult is unresponsive, not breathing normally, and you can't definitely feel a pulse within 10 seconds. What next?
- Start CPR with chest compressions
- Recheck the pulse for 10 more seconds
- Give 2 breaths, then recheck the pulse
- Wait for the AED before doing anything
An adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally, but has a definite pulse. What should you do?
- Give 1 breath every 6 seconds
- Start 30:2 compressions and breaths
- Give 1 breath every 2 to 3 seconds
- Place in recovery position and leave
During rescue breathing for an adult with a pulse, how often should you recheck the pulse?
- About every 2 minutes
- Every 30 seconds
- After every breath
- Every 10 minutes
In the 2025 AHA unified Chain of Survival, which link comes first?
- Recognition and Emergency Activation
- High-Quality CPR
- Defibrillation
- Advanced Resuscitation
In the 2025 Chain of Survival, which link comes right after High-Quality CPR?
- Defibrillation
- Recovery and Survivorship
- Post–Cardiac Arrest Care
- Advanced Resuscitation
What is the final link in the 2025 Chain of Survival?
- Recovery and Survivorship
- Post–Cardiac Arrest Care
- Advanced Resuscitation
- Rapid Defibrillation
What major change did the 2025 AHA Guidelines make to the Chains of Survival?
- A single chain now covers all ages and settings
- Separate chains were added for infants and adolescents
- The defibrillation link was moved to the first position
- The recovery link was removed from all chains
The 2025 Chain of Survival recognizes two things that come before the first link. What are they?
- Prevention and preparedness
- Diagnosis and triage
- Training and certification
- Transport and handoff
You're alone with an unresponsive adult who isn't breathing normally. You have a cell phone. What do you do?
- Call 911 on speaker and start CPR
- Do 2 minutes of CPR before calling 911
- Search for an AED before you call 911
- Check the pulse for 30 seconds, then call
You're alone with an unresponsive, nonbreathing adult and have no phone. What should you do?
- Leave to call 911 and get an AED, then return
- Do 5 cycles of CPR first, then leave to call
- Stay and do CPR until someone happens to walk by
- Give rescue breaths only until help comes
For adult BLS, who counts as an "adult"?
- Adolescents (puberty) and older
- Anyone age 8 or older
- Anyone 18 years of age or older
- Anyone weighing over 55 kg (121 lb)
Which signs are used to identify puberty when choosing adult vs. child BLS?
- Breast development in females, underarm hair in males
- Height over 5 feet in either sex
- A voice change in either sex
- Weight over 100 pounds in either sex
For BLS, which age range defines a "child"?
- 1 year old to puberty
- Birth to 8 years old
- 1 year old to 12 years old
- Newborn to 1 year old
Why must CPR start immediately after recognizing cardiac arrest?
- Survival falls each minute without CPR or a shock
- CPR must be done before EMS will respond to a call
- Breathing must be restored before compressions can help
- An AED will not work until CPR has run for 5 minutes
Which findings indicate cardiac arrest? (Select all that apply.)
- Unresponsive
- No breathing or only gasping
- No definite pulse
- Pinpoint pupils
- Forceful coughing
Agonal gasps are a sign that the person is breathing effectively.
What is the correct chest compression rate for an adult?
- 100 to 120 per minute
- 60 to 80 per minute
- 80 to 100 per minute
- 120 to 140 per minute
What is the correct compression depth for an adult?
- At least 2 inches, but no more than 2.4 inches
- About 1.5 inches
- At least 1.5 inches, but no more than 2.0 inches
- At least 3 inches, with no upper limit
In metric units, what is the correct adult compression depth?
- 5 to 6 cm
- 3 to 4 cm
- 4 to 5 cm
- 7 to 8 cm
Where do you place your hands for adult chest compressions?
- Lower half of the breastbone, center of chest
- Upper half of the breastbone, near the collarbones
- Over the left side of the chest, above the heart
- On the tip of the breastbone (xiphoid process)
What is the correct body position for giving adult compressions?
- Arms straight, shoulders directly over your hands
- Elbows bent, shoulders behind your hands
- Arms straight, hips directly over your hands
- Elbows locked, hands angled toward the head
Why must you allow full chest recoil after each compression?
- So the heart can refill with blood
- So the lungs can fill with air
- So the rescuer can rest between pushes
- So the AED can analyze the rhythm
A rescuer leans on the chest between compressions. What is the effect?
- The chest can't fully recoil, reducing blood flow
- Compression depth increases and blood flow improves
- Hands stay in place, which improves CPR quality
- It has no effect if the compression rate is correct
Pauses in chest compressions should be kept under how many seconds?
- 10 seconds
- 5 seconds
- 15 seconds
- 20 seconds
What is chest compression fraction (CCF)?
- Share of resuscitation time spent on compressions
- The ratio of compressions to breaths in each cycle
- The depth of each compression divided by chest depth
- The number of compressions given per minute of CPR
What is the minimum chest compression fraction goal?
- At least 60%
- At least 25%
- At least 40%
- Exactly 100%
What compression-to-breath ratio does a single rescuer use for an adult?
- 30:2
- 15:2
- 30:1
- 5:1
Two rescuers are doing CPR on an adult with no advanced airway. What ratio do they use?
- 30:2
- 15:2
- 15:1
- 5:1
What problem results from compressing faster than 120 per minute?
- Depth and recoil suffer, so blood flow drops
- Blood flow keeps rising with higher rates
- The AED cannot detect the heart rhythm
- Breaths become more effective with speed
Why should adult compressions be no deeper than 2.4 inches?
- Deeper compressions raise the risk of injury
- Deeper compressions cause the AED to fail
- Deeper compressions block the person's airway
- Deeper compressions slow the rate below 100
Where should an adult in cardiac arrest be positioned for CPR?
- Face up on a firm, flat surface
- On the side in the recovery position
- Sitting upright against a wall
- Face up with the legs raised high
About how long should 30 compressions take at the correct rate?
- 15 to 18 seconds
- 8 to 10 seconds
- 25 to 30 seconds
- About 1 minute
You feel a rib crack during compressions. What should you do?
- Keep going; recheck your hand position
- Stop CPR and wait for EMS to arrive
- Switch to breaths only for the rest of CPR
- Slow down to 60 compressions per minute
Which is an appropriate reason to stop CPR?
- EMS or a trained rescuer takes over
- Ten minutes pass without any change
- The person's skin turns pale or blue
- You hear a rib crack during compressions
What does a CPR feedback device help rescuers do?
- Monitor rate, depth, and recoil in real time
- Deliver a shock if the rhythm is shockable
- Measure blood oxygen during compressions
- Replace the need for rescue breaths
How long is one cycle of adult CPR (30:2) when done correctly?
- About 24 seconds
- About 10 seconds
- About 45 seconds
- About 1 minute
About how many cycles of 30:2 CPR happen in 2 minutes?
- 5
- 3
- 10
- 2
How many chest compressions are given in 5 cycles of adult 30:2 CPR? (number only)
Which are components of high-quality CPR? (Select all that apply.)
- Push hard and push fast
- Allow full chest recoil
- Minimize interruptions
- Avoid excessive ventilation
- Check the pulse after every 15 compressions
- Give each breath over 3 seconds
Rescuers should rest their weight on the chest between compressions to keep their hands in place.
The compression rate of 100 to 120 per minute is the same for adults, children, and infants.
The AED arrives. What is the first step?
- Turn it on
- Shave the chest
- Attach the pads
- Check the pulse
Where does the right-side AED pad go in standard (anterolateral) placement?
- Upper right chest, just below the collarbone
- Lower right chest, below the nipple
- Center of the chest, on the breastbone
- Right side of the back, near the spine
Where does the left-side AED pad go in standard (anterolateral) placement?
- Left side of the chest, below the armpit
- Upper left chest, just below the collarbone
- Center of the back, between the shoulder blades
- Left side of the abdomen, at the belt line