BLS Test Questions

Want to know what’s on the BLS exam? This article will give you a sense of what to expect. Read on for some BLS practice test questions to help prepare you for your exam (and check here for CPR test prep questions).

1. If you do not believe there’s a spinal injury, what’s the best way to open a patient’s airway when they are unresponsive?

A.    Perform abdominal thrusts, then clean out the mouth with a finger.
B.    Deliver rescue breaths using a mask.
C.    Perform the tongue lift / finger sweep technique.
D.    Perform the head tilt / chin lift technique.

2. What mistake is most likely to cause gastric inflation during use of a bag-mask?

A.    There isn’t a tight seal between the mask and the patient’s face.
B.    Too much air is given in rescue breaths; the chest is visibly rising.
C.    The rescuer is delivering breaths too quickly or too forcefully.
D.    Every breath lasts longer than one second.

3. Why is complete chest recoil good for CPR?

A.    It reduces rescuer exhaustion.
B.    It reduces the chance of fractured ribs.
C.    It increases the chest compression rate.
D.    It gives the heart a chance to fill with blood between compressions.

4. A person starts to choke, and it looks serious. The person stays responsive. What is the best response?

A.    Immediately begin CPR.
B.    Immediately deliver abdominal thrusts.
C.    Deliver 5 back slaps, and then 2 rescue breaths.
D.    Deliver 2 breaths and reposition the airway after every breath.

5. How deep should chest compressions go when delivering CPR to a child?

A.    At least one quarter of the chest’s depth (approximately 1.5 inches / 4 cm)
B.    At least one third of the chest’s depth (approximately 2 inches / 5 cm)
C.    At least two thirds of the chest’s depth (approximately 4 inches / 10 cm)
D.    At least three fourths of the chest’s depth (approximately 4.5 inches / 12 cm)

6. When using an AED on a child under 8 years of age, what size should the pads be?

A.    You can use infant pads if there are no pediatric pads at hand.
B.    Cut adult pads in half if there are no pediatric pads at hand.
C.    Use a single adult pad.
D.    Use adult pads and dose if there are no pediatric pads and dose attenuator at hand.

7. You are performing abdominal thrusts on a choking victim, and the victim becomes unresponsive. What’s the next step?

A.    Deliver more abdominal thrusts.
B.    Perform CPR.
C.    Activate emergency response.
D.    Begin slapping the victim’s back.

8. A child has a pulse at a rate faster than 60 beats per minute, but isn’t breathing. What should you do?

A.    Perform rescue breaths without chest compressions.
B.    Perform chest compressions without rescue breaths.
C.    Deliver both chest compressions and rescue breaths.
D.    Attach the AED pads to the child’s chest and read the analysis.

9. What is the compression-to-ventilation ratio for adult CPR involving 2 rescuers?

A.    5 to 1
B.    20 to 2
C.    15 to 2
D.    30 to 2

10. What is the compression-to-ventilation ratio for adult CPR involving a single rescuer?

A.    15 to 2
B.    20 to 2
C.    30 to 2
D.    5 to 1

11. If a person chokes on a foreign object and becomes unresponsive, the rescuer should send someone to activate the emergency response system and then immediately:

A.    Begin delivering CPR, starting with chest compressions.
B.    Call the choking victim’s regular doctor.
C.    Open the victim’s mouth and perform a blind finger sweep.
D.    Deliver abdominal thrusts.

12. When should you provide CPR?

A.    When the patient has an upset stomach and chest pains.
B.    When the patient is unresponsive but breathing normally.
C.    When the patient has a pulse but is breathing with difficulty.
D.    When the patient is not breathing normally, has no pulse, and is not responding.

13. In an infant, where can you find the brachial pulse?

A.    On the medial side of the upper part of the leg, close to the groin.
B.    On the inside of the upper arm, between the shoulder and the elbow.
C.    On the outside of the lower arm, close to the wrist.
D.    Near the trachea on the side of the neck.

14. How soon should you start chest compressions after encountering a patient who needs CPR?

A.    10 seconds
B.    60 seconds
C.    25 seconds
D.    30 seconds

15. What action should you take immediately after delivering a shock with an AED?

A.    Start CPR again with chest compressions.
B.    Check the victim for a pulse.
C.    Wait for the AED’s instructions.
D.    Deliver two rescue breaths.

16. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) includes:

A.    Safety goggles and a pair of gloves.
B.    A mask, gown, and lab coat.
C.    All of the above.
D.    None of the above.

17. Your Personal Protective Equipment has been contaminated. You remove it and dispose of it safely according to your company’s guidelines. You should still:

A.    Wash your hands thoroughly.
B.    Take a break for five minutes.
C.    Get something to eat.
D.    Put on clean clothes.

18. What is the universal standard precaution?

A.    Only blood and bodily fluids are infectious. Other bodily materials are safe.
B.    Human blood can be handled safely, but treat other bodily fluids as if they may be infectious.
C.    Only human blood is infectious. Other bodily fluids are safe to handle, even if they come from a sick person.
D.    It is essential to act as if all human blood, bodily fluids, and other possibly infectious materials are actually infectious.

19. If you are exposed to blood or bodily fluids, you should:

A.    Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water.
B.    Report the incident to your supervisor. Record the date and time along with details about the event.
C.    Clean off the blood and go back to work.
D.    Both A and B.

20. “Agonal breathing” may sound like gasping or gurgling. It is not healthy breathing, and a person exhibiting this type of breathing needs CPR right away.

A.    True
B.    False
 

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