Red Cross Lifeguarding Multiple Choice Exam
Questions and Answers (2026) | Comprehensive
Solutions with Step-by-Step Rationales | A+
Verified
A 12-year-old child at a swim meet grabs their chest and begins to make wheezing
noises. After you obtain consent to provide care, the child's parent informs you that the
child has a history of asthma, but does not have an inhaler nearby. What care should
you provide?
a. Give 5 back blows.
b. Summon more advanced medical personnel and place the victim into a position that
helps breathing.
c. Tell the victim to use an inhaler borrowed from a bystander.
d. Wait 20 minutes to see if the breathing difficulty goes away. -✓✓B
Your initial impression of a victim is based on:
a. The victim's initial vital signs.
b. How the victim appears to you as you size up the scene.
c. The victim's SAMPLE history.
d. What you have been told about the victim. -✓✓B
You and another lifeguard find an unresponsive adult on the floor in the locker room.
You activate your facility's EAP, size-up the scene, form an initial impression and
perform a primary assessment. You find the victim is not moving or breathing, but has a
pulse. You should summon EMS personnel, then:
a. Give ventilations at a rate of 1about every 5-6 seconds.
b. Give back blows and chest thrusts.
c. Give quick breaths at the rate of 20 to 40 a minute.
d. Perform CPR. -✓✓A
You arrive on the scene where a patron appears to be injured. Before approaching the
victim, which of the following will you NOT do as you size-up the scene?
a. Begin performing the primary assessment.
b. Use all your senses to determine if the scene is safe.
c. Form an initial impression.
d. Put on appropriate PPE. -✓✓A
When providing care during an emergency, which of the following should you do first?
a. Size-up the scene while forming an initial impression.
b. Check for responsiveness.
c. Perform a primary assessment.
d. Summon more advanced medical personnel. -✓✓A
, As the first rescuer on the scene, you are performing CPR on an adult. When
performing chest compressions, how deeply should you compress the chest?
a. About 2 inches
b. At least 2 inches but no more than 2.4 inches
c. About 1½ inches
d. At least 1 inch but no more than 2 inches -✓✓B
CPR should be performed on which of the following victims?
a. One who is in cardiac arrest
b. One who is conscious and is choking
c. One who is experiencing difficulty breathing
d. One who responds to painful stimuli -✓✓A
What is the first step of the Adult Cardiac Chain of Survival?
a. Early CPR to keep oxygen-rich blood flowing and to help delay brain damage and
death.
b. Early defibrillation to help restore an effective heart rhythm and significantly increase
the Vitim's chance for survival.
c. Advanced life support using advanced medical personnel who can provide the proper
tools and medication needed to continue the lifesaving care.
d. Recognition of a cardiac emergency and activation of the emergency response
system. -✓✓D
You are providing care to a victim suspected of having a heart attack. Which of the
following would you do first?
a. Summon EMS personnel.
b. Loosen any tight clothing.
c. Monitor the victim's appearance.
d. Provide comfort to the victim. -✓✓A
Once you have turned on the automated external defibrillator (AED), you should:
a. Check for breathing.
b. Give abdominal thrusts.
c. Apply the pads and allow the AED to analyze the heart rhythm.
d. Give chest compressions. -✓✓C
To ensure high-quality CPR and high-quality chest compressions, you should:
a. Keep your shoulders directly over your hands and bend your elbows.
b. Compress the victim's chest to a shallow depth
c. Expose the victim's chest to ensure proper hand placement and full chest recoil.
d. Place the victim on a soft, flat surface -✓✓C
You are performing CPR on a victim and an assisting responder arrives. Which of the
following is most appropriate for the assisting responder to do first?
a. Begin giving ventilations to the victim.
b. Call for a change in position to assist with CPR.
Questions and Answers (2026) | Comprehensive
Solutions with Step-by-Step Rationales | A+
Verified
A 12-year-old child at a swim meet grabs their chest and begins to make wheezing
noises. After you obtain consent to provide care, the child's parent informs you that the
child has a history of asthma, but does not have an inhaler nearby. What care should
you provide?
a. Give 5 back blows.
b. Summon more advanced medical personnel and place the victim into a position that
helps breathing.
c. Tell the victim to use an inhaler borrowed from a bystander.
d. Wait 20 minutes to see if the breathing difficulty goes away. -✓✓B
Your initial impression of a victim is based on:
a. The victim's initial vital signs.
b. How the victim appears to you as you size up the scene.
c. The victim's SAMPLE history.
d. What you have been told about the victim. -✓✓B
You and another lifeguard find an unresponsive adult on the floor in the locker room.
You activate your facility's EAP, size-up the scene, form an initial impression and
perform a primary assessment. You find the victim is not moving or breathing, but has a
pulse. You should summon EMS personnel, then:
a. Give ventilations at a rate of 1about every 5-6 seconds.
b. Give back blows and chest thrusts.
c. Give quick breaths at the rate of 20 to 40 a minute.
d. Perform CPR. -✓✓A
You arrive on the scene where a patron appears to be injured. Before approaching the
victim, which of the following will you NOT do as you size-up the scene?
a. Begin performing the primary assessment.
b. Use all your senses to determine if the scene is safe.
c. Form an initial impression.
d. Put on appropriate PPE. -✓✓A
When providing care during an emergency, which of the following should you do first?
a. Size-up the scene while forming an initial impression.
b. Check for responsiveness.
c. Perform a primary assessment.
d. Summon more advanced medical personnel. -✓✓A
, As the first rescuer on the scene, you are performing CPR on an adult. When
performing chest compressions, how deeply should you compress the chest?
a. About 2 inches
b. At least 2 inches but no more than 2.4 inches
c. About 1½ inches
d. At least 1 inch but no more than 2 inches -✓✓B
CPR should be performed on which of the following victims?
a. One who is in cardiac arrest
b. One who is conscious and is choking
c. One who is experiencing difficulty breathing
d. One who responds to painful stimuli -✓✓A
What is the first step of the Adult Cardiac Chain of Survival?
a. Early CPR to keep oxygen-rich blood flowing and to help delay brain damage and
death.
b. Early defibrillation to help restore an effective heart rhythm and significantly increase
the Vitim's chance for survival.
c. Advanced life support using advanced medical personnel who can provide the proper
tools and medication needed to continue the lifesaving care.
d. Recognition of a cardiac emergency and activation of the emergency response
system. -✓✓D
You are providing care to a victim suspected of having a heart attack. Which of the
following would you do first?
a. Summon EMS personnel.
b. Loosen any tight clothing.
c. Monitor the victim's appearance.
d. Provide comfort to the victim. -✓✓A
Once you have turned on the automated external defibrillator (AED), you should:
a. Check for breathing.
b. Give abdominal thrusts.
c. Apply the pads and allow the AED to analyze the heart rhythm.
d. Give chest compressions. -✓✓C
To ensure high-quality CPR and high-quality chest compressions, you should:
a. Keep your shoulders directly over your hands and bend your elbows.
b. Compress the victim's chest to a shallow depth
c. Expose the victim's chest to ensure proper hand placement and full chest recoil.
d. Place the victim on a soft, flat surface -✓✓C
You are performing CPR on a victim and an assisting responder arrives. Which of the
following is most appropriate for the assisting responder to do first?
a. Begin giving ventilations to the victim.
b. Call for a change in position to assist with CPR.
