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CPR TEST PREPARATION and PRACTISE TEST QUESTIONS (2020)
Perhaps you are taking a CPR class to be generally prepared or maybe the stakes are higher and passing is required for work or school. Regardless of the situation taking the test at the end of a CPR class can be nerve wracking but with proper preparation, a good instructor, and a few strategies not only will you pass but you will do great!
What should I expect when taking the exam?
Most traditional classes will have a written exam and a skills exam. The written exam will typically be 10-30 multiple choice questions testing a student's ability to recall facts and apply the things they learned to some basic scenarios. The skills test will, at a minimum, require the student to demonstrate high quality CPR on a manikin simulating an adult patient. The evaluator will be looking for a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute at a depth of 2 inches. They will also need to see the student call for and then use an AED as soon as possible. If the class is geared towards healthcare providers or other professional rescuers the skills exam will also include scenarios with children, infants, and two rescuers. Those classes will also include alternative breathing methods such as using a Bag Valve Mask or a Face Mask.
Online Classes
If you are taking a class online you will likely be able to pause and repeat some sections. Take advantage of this feature. Once you think you fully understand a section try explaining what you learned in your own words to a friend. Maybe even try to teach them what you learned. If you can do this you've got a great handle on what was presented. If you can't then you will see areas that need further clarification. If you are stuck on a particular topic you may be able to find an explanation that helps you more through the American Heart Association's website (Heart.org). Quality online classes will still have a skills evaluation. This can be conducted remotely via video conference with an instructor or in person through a local instructor. If you are still confused by something you can take the opportunity of real time interaction with an instructor to ask your questions. Although some groups may offer an online program without a skills test many companies will not accept it. The skills you learn in a CPR class may need to be used in a time of crisis a year or more after the class was taken. It is hard enough for a student to remember those skills when they practiced them in class let alone if they only read about them and never actually did them.
Preparing for the Exam
Online or in person there should be a few key ideas that you can take away from each section of the class. For example when discussing the chain of survival for adults and child there are several differences but the most significant one is that the chain of survival for children starts with injury prevention. The reason for this is that most children are fundamentally healthy and have not had a life time of poor diet, limited exercise, and high blood pressure to lead them to develop heart issues. If you know this key difference between the chains of survival and the reason why, you will be able to apply that information in different forms on the test. A question might simply ask you to identify the first step in the pediatric chain of survival. Alternatively the question might be a little more difficult but revolve around the same key point and ask you to select which of several answers is incorrect and why. While taking notes try not to write down everything that is said or presented but rather focus on the things that are repeated or otherwise emphasized. Asking students to recall specific numbers or statistics are easy exam questions so consider making note of those things when they come up in class.
The key numbers to know for a CPR exam based on the 2010 American Heart Association standards are:
Written Exam
Take your time on the exam and do not rush. Rushing results in careless mistakes such as missing a qualifier in a question. If you are permitted to do so, write on the exam and cross out answers you are certain are wrong to help narrow down the decisions you have to make. Remember the order of Circulation, Airway, and Breathing and apply that to questions to help determine the first thing that should happen or if a step has already been taken what the next step should be.
If there is ever a question about your safety during a scenario the correct answer is to remove yourself from danger and notify emergency responders. Questions will often fall into three general categories. Questions testing fact recall have a black and white answer and test your ability to remember a fact that was presented in class. Scenario based questions will give you information about a situation and ask you to apply skills or concepts from the class to that situation. In scenario based questions there may be two answers which both are factual.
Try to find the answer that is most right or meets the qualifiers given in the question such as first, after, or next. Some questions will blend fact recall with scenarios by asking you to provide facts in response to a scenario. Sometimes these will be two part questions and two or three of the answers will have a portion that is correct. Confirm that both parts of the answer are correct.
Skills Exam
When practicing ensure that you make note of any feedback you are given. Practice based on the way you are instructed to ensure you internalize the feedback. Take a deep breath before starting. Proceed at a smooth and methodical pace to ensure that you do not miss a simple step that could result in failing that station. Often missing a step is the result of trying to memorize the steps in the given order rather than fully understanding why one step follows another. It can be helpful to state to the evaluator what you are about to do and then carry out the action. For example, if you have determined that someone requires CPR you could state I am now going to start chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 per minute while ensuring my compressions are hard enough to compress the chest 2 inches. If the evaluator happens to be looking at their check list when you do something they could miss the skill and mark it as not completed but by verbalizing and then doing it you ensure they give you deserved credit. Following these steps and reviewing your notes before taking an exam will ensure you pass and do well. The test may not be a matter of life or death but the skills you are learning are!
You are a school counsellor and enter an empty classroom to find two 11 year olds, one of whom is unconscious, appears blue, and has labored gasping breathing. The victim's friend tells you she collapsed after playing the "choking game". What do you need to do?
If you are performing CPR on a child and their chest does not rise with the first breath, what should you do?
What is the proper hand position when performing chest compressions on a 6 year old?
You are babysitting an 8 month old child who is crawling on the floor when they suddenly starts coughing and gagging. What should you do?
What is the first link in the adult "chain of survival"?
While in a store you see someone suddenly collapse. The victim is a middle-aged woman who is not responding, unconscious, and gasping occasionally. What is the most likely cause and appropriate treatment?
You are helping an adult male who was thrown off a snow mobile at 50 MPH. He is unconscious and does not appear to be breathing. He does have a strong pulse. There is blood visible on both legs. How should you open the airway to give rescue breaths?
While performing CPR your chest compressions should be:
A contractor is working on your home. He is electrocuted when his ladder touches a power line. He falls approximately 15' on to soft grass. The scene is safe. The power line is intact and the ladder fell away from the patient. The patient is unconscious. An AED has been connected and advises that a shock should be delivered to the patient. What should you do?
While dining with a friend they suddenly grab their throat and cannot speak or make any sound. You ask if they are choking and they nod their head to indicate "yes". How should you proceed?
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Dan Taylor has 9 years of experience in Emergency Medical Services as a pre-hospital care provider and trainer. Dan has served as the Director of Community Relations and the Public Relations Officer for two community focused, non-profit ambulance services as well as working as a special event medic, ski patroller, and CPR instructor.
More articles by the writer
CPR TEST PREPARATION and PRACTISE TEST QUESTIONS (2020)
Perhaps you are taking a CPR class to be generally prepared or maybe the stakes are higher and passing is required for work or school. Regardless of the situation taking the test at the end of a CPR class can be nerve wracking but with proper preparation, a good instructor, and a few strategies not only will you pass but you will do great!
What should I expect when taking the exam?
Most traditional classes will have a written exam and a skills exam. The written exam will typically be 10-30 multiple choice questions testing a student's ability to recall facts and apply the things they learned to some basic scenarios. The skills test will, at a minimum, require the student to demonstrate high quality CPR on a manikin simulating an adult patient. The evaluator will be looking for a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute at a depth of 2 inches. They will also need to see the student call for and then use an AED as soon as possible. If the class is geared towards healthcare providers or other professional rescuers the skills exam will also include scenarios with children, infants, and two rescuers. Those classes will also include alternative breathing methods such as using a Bag Valve Mask or a Face Mask.
Online Classes
If you are taking a class online you will likely be able to pause and repeat some sections. Take advantage of this feature. Once you think you fully understand a section try explaining what you learned in your own words to a friend. Maybe even try to teach them what you learned. If you can do this you've got a great handle on what was presented. If you can't then you will see areas that need further clarification. If you are stuck on a particular topic you may be able to find an explanation that helps you more through the American Heart Association's website (Heart.org). Quality online classes will still have a skills evaluation. This can be conducted remotely via video conference with an instructor or in person through a local instructor. If you are still confused by something you can take the opportunity of real time interaction with an instructor to ask your questions. Although some groups may offer an online program without a skills test many companies will not accept it. The skills you learn in a CPR class may need to be used in a time of crisis a year or more after the class was taken. It is hard enough for a student to remember those skills when they practiced them in class let alone if they only read about them and never actually did them.
Preparing for the Exam
Online or in person there should be a few key ideas that you can take away from each section of the class. For example when discussing the chain of survival for adults and child there are several differences but the most significant one is that the chain of survival for children starts with injury prevention. The reason for this is that most children are fundamentally healthy and have not had a life time of poor diet, limited exercise, and high blood pressure to lead them to develop heart issues. If you know this key difference between the chains of survival and the reason why, you will be able to apply that information in different forms on the test. A question might simply ask you to identify the first step in the pediatric chain of survival. Alternatively the question might be a little more difficult but revolve around the same key point and ask you to select which of several answers is incorrect and why. While taking notes try not to write down everything that is said or presented but rather focus on the things that are repeated or otherwise emphasized. Asking students to recall specific numbers or statistics are easy exam questions so consider making note of those things when they come up in class.
The key numbers to know for a CPR exam based on the 2010 American Heart Association standards are:
Written Exam
Take your time on the exam and do not rush. Rushing results in careless mistakes such as missing a qualifier in a question. If you are permitted to do so, write on the exam and cross out answers you are certain are wrong to help narrow down the decisions you have to make. Remember the order of Circulation, Airway, and Breathing and apply that to questions to help determine the first thing that should happen or if a step has already been taken what the next step should be.
If there is ever a question about your safety during a scenario the correct answer is to remove yourself from danger and notify emergency responders. Questions will often fall into three general categories. Questions testing fact recall have a black and white answer and test your ability to remember a fact that was presented in class. Scenario based questions will give you information about a situation and ask you to apply skills or concepts from the class to that situation. In scenario based questions there may be two answers which both are factual.
Try to find the answer that is most right or meets the qualifiers given in the question such as first, after, or next. Some questions will blend fact recall with scenarios by asking you to provide facts in response to a scenario. Sometimes these will be two part questions and two or three of the answers will have a portion that is correct. Confirm that both parts of the answer are correct.
Skills Exam
When practicing ensure that you make note of any feedback you are given. Practice based on the way you are instructed to ensure you internalize the feedback. Take a deep breath before starting. Proceed at a smooth and methodical pace to ensure that you do not miss a simple step that could result in failing that station. Often missing a step is the result of trying to memorize the steps in the given order rather than fully understanding why one step follows another. It can be helpful to state to the evaluator what you are about to do and then carry out the action. For example, if you have determined that someone requires CPR you could state I am now going to start chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 per minute while ensuring my compressions are hard enough to compress the chest 2 inches. If the evaluator happens to be looking at their check list when you do something they could miss the skill and mark it as not completed but by verbalizing and then doing it you ensure they give you deserved credit. Following these steps and reviewing your notes before taking an exam will ensure you pass and do well. The test may not be a matter of life or death but the skills you are learning are!
You are a school counsellor and enter an empty classroom to find two 11 year olds, one of whom is unconscious, appears blue, and has labored gasping breathing. The victim's friend tells you she collapsed after playing the "choking game". What do you need to do?
If you are performing CPR on a child and their chest does not rise with the first breath, what should you do?
What is the proper hand position when performing chest compressions on a 6 year old?
You are babysitting an 8 month old child who is crawling on the floor when they suddenly starts coughing and gagging. What should you do?
What is the first link in the adult "chain of survival"?
While in a store you see someone suddenly collapse. The victim is a middle-aged woman who is not responding, unconscious, and gasping occasionally. What is the most likely cause and appropriate treatment?
You are helping an adult male who was thrown off a snow mobile at 50 MPH. He is unconscious and does not appear to be breathing. He does have a strong pulse. There is blood visible on both legs. How should you open the airway to give rescue breaths?
While performing CPR your chest compressions should be:
A contractor is working on your home. He is electrocuted when his ladder touches a power line. He falls approximately 15' on to soft grass. The scene is safe. The power line is intact and the ladder fell away from the patient. The patient is unconscious. An AED has been connected and advises that a shock should be delivered to the patient. What should you do?
While dining with a friend they suddenly grab their throat and cannot speak or make any sound. You ask if they are choking and they nod their head to indicate "yes". How should you proceed?
Vlad Magdalin
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