2.0 Assessment and Recognition CPR/AED Practice Quiz
36 exam-style questions covering 12% of the CPR/AED exam. Instant feedback on every answer, progress tracking, no signup required.
This domain is part of the CPR / AED Certification practice test. Each question is tagged by exam objective and difficulty so you can drill exactly the areas you need.
Sample Questions
What is the first action before assessing an adult who may need CPR?
- A. Verify that the scene is safe
- B. Check the carotid pulse immediately
- C. Apply AED pads before checking the area
- D. Move the person before looking for hazards
The rescuer should first make sure the scene is safe before approaching and starting assessment. This is the correct answer.
A rescuer is assessing an unresponsive adult. What should a rescuer do when an adult is unresponsive?
- A. Shout for nearby help and activate the emergency response system
- B. Give repeated breaths before calling for help
- C. Wait until CPR has been done for several minutes
- D. Leave the person alone without calling anyone
An unresponsive adult should trigger help, emergency response activation, and AED retrieval. This is the correct answer.
How should a rescuer check responsiveness in an adult?
- A. Shake the person aggressively by the neck
- B. Tap the shoulders and shout to see if the person responds
- C. Check only for eye color changes
- D. Give water and wait for swallowing
Adult BLS assessment includes tapping the shoulders and shouting to check responsiveness. This is the correct answer.
If another person is nearby, what should the rescuer ask them to do?
- A. Search for paperwork before calling
- B. Activate emergency response and get the AED
- C. Hold the person's arms down during assessment
- D. Wait quietly until the rescuer finishes all assessment steps
The BLS sequence includes sending someone to call for help and bring the AED. This is the correct answer.
How is the adult carotid pulse located?
- A. Use the thumb on the wrist
- B. Place 2 or 3 fingers on the trachea and slide into the groove between the trachea and neck muscles
- C. Place a palm over the center of the chest
- D. Press both sides of the neck hard at the same time
The carotid pulse is found by sliding into the groove beside the trachea. This is the correct answer.
During adult BLS assessment, which finding means the rescuer should call for help and continue the BLS assessment?
- A. The rescuer has gloves available
- B. The person answers clearly and asks for privacy
- C. The person is unresponsive after tapping and shouting
- D. The scene contains no hazards
Unresponsiveness is a key finding that triggers help, emergency response activation, and further assessment. This is the correct answer.
Which finding means the rescuer should call for help and continue the BLS assessment?
- A. The person answers clearly and asks for privacy (per AHA technique)
- B. The scene contains no hazards (per AHA technique)
- C. The person is unresponsive after tapping and shouting (per AHA technique)
- D. The rescuer has gloves available (per AHA technique)
Unresponsiveness is a key finding that triggers help, emergency response activation, and further assessment. This is the correct answer.
Why does the scene safety check come before touching the person?
- A. It confirms whether an AED shock is needed
- B. It replaces the need for checking breathing
- C. It determines the person's age category
- D. A rescuer who becomes injured may not be able to help
Scene safety protects the rescuer, bystanders, and the person needing care. This is the correct answer.
Key Terms in This Domain
- Chain of Survival (out-of-hospital): Recognition and activation of EMS → immediate high-quality CPR → rapid defibrillation → advanced resuscitation → post-cardiac-arrest care → recovery
- Agonal breathing: Slow, irregular gasping or snorting that may occur in the first minutes of cardiac arrest, treat as no breathing and start CPR
- Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA): Sudden, unexpected loss of heart function: most often caused by an electrical disturbance such as ventricular fibrillation
- Heart attack vs cardiac arrest: A heart attack is a circulation problem (blocked artery); cardiac arrest is an electrical problem causing the heart to stop pumping, only cardiac arrest needs CPR
- Scene safety: Before approaching, check for hazards (traffic, fire, electricity, violence, water, fumes); do not become a second victim
- Dispatcher-assisted CPR: 911 telecommunicators can recognize cardiac arrest and coach bystanders through compressions in real time
- Cardiac arrest in children: Most pediatric arrests are caused by respiratory failure rather than primary cardiac problems, emphasize ventilation
- Witnessed vs unwitnessed arrest: A witnessed sudden collapse in an adult is likely cardiac (shockable); a child found unresponsive is more often respiratory
- Pediatric breathing emphasis: Because most pediatric arrests are respiratory in origin, ventilations are critical, do not skip rescue breaths if trained
- Opioid-associated emergency: Suspect opioid OD if breathing is slow or absent in someone with pinpoint pupils and a known or suspected exposure; give CPR/rescue breaths and naloxone if available
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Other CPR/AED Domains
- 1.0 Introduction and Chain of Survival
- 3.0 Adult CPR
- 4.0 Child and Infant CPR
- 5.0 AED Operation
- 6.0 Choking and Airway Obstruction
- 7.0 Special Situations and Recovery
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