AHA PALS Provider exam-day guide
AHA PALS Provider · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Current BLS Provider course completion card
PALS Provider courses generally require a current, unexpired BLS (or equivalent CPR/AED) card as a prerequisite. Confirm the exact requirement and accepted equivalents with your Training Center before you enroll or arrive.
Completed PALS pre-course self-assessment with printed score report
AHA PALS courses commonly assign a pre-course self-assessment that must be completed with a passing score before class. Bring the printed/digital completion report if your Training Center requires it - confirm the required score and whether a printout is needed.
PALS Provider Manual (current edition)
Bring the manual for the edition your course is teaching. Instructors may allow it at skills stations but not during closed-book written testing - follow course direction.
Government-issued photo ID
Most sites verify identity at check-in so the completion card is issued under the correct name. Confirm what ID your Training Center accepts.
Course confirmation / registration email or roster name
Have your confirmation handy for check-in, and confirm the start time, address, building entrance, and parking in advance.
Comfortable clothing you can kneel and move in
You will practice and test high-quality CPR on the floor or a manikin at bed height. Avoid restrictive clothing and dangling jewelry; knee pads are optional.
Stethoscope
Useful for airway/breathing stations; some sites provide equipment and may not require you to bring one. Confirm with your Training Center whether a personal stethoscope is expected.
Pen or pencil and a small notebook
For notes during stations and case discussions. Do not write down or remove exam content.
Watch or timer with a seconds display
Helpful for timing compressions and ventilations. Many sites provide timing devices or metronomes; confirm if a personal timer is acceptable.
Water and a snack
Provider courses typically run a full day; confirm the lunch and break arrangements and whether food is available on site.
Reviewed PALS algorithms, drug doses, and BLS skills the night before
Focus on the systematic approach, rhythm recognition, and weight-based dosing rather than memorizing question banks.
Arrival plan that puts you on site early
Aim to arrive 15–30 minutes before the start so check-in and prerequisite verification do not delay your course.
Plan the day
Re-confirm with your Training Center: prerequisites, whether the pre-course self-assessment is required and its passing score, start time, location, and what to bring. Finish the pre-course work and review the PALS algorithms, systematic approach, rhythm recognition, and weight-based drug dosing. Rehearse high-quality BLS skills (compression rate/depth, 30:2 or coordinated compressions with advanced airway, AED use) because BLS quality is evaluated throughout.
Pack your bag: manual, prerequisite cards, ID, confirmation, pen, stethoscope if required, water and snacks. Skim the algorithms and your notes once more. Protect your sleep - fatigue shows up most in the megacode and the written exam. Plan your route and travel time, and set two alarms.
Eat a normal meal and hydrate. Arrive 15–30 minutes early with all materials in hand. At check-in, confirm the day's schedule, break times, and the sequence of skills testing and written exam so you know when the high-stress moments are. Silence your phone before stations begin.
Use the systematic approach out loud: general impression, airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure, then reassess. State your findings, your interpretation, and your intervention before performing it. Ask the instructor for clarification if a station's expectations are unclear - that is allowed and expected.
Take a breath, assign clear roles to your team, close the loop on orders, and reassess after every intervention. Speak your rhythm interpretation and drug dose before giving it. If you get corrected, incorporate the feedback and keep moving rather than restarting from the beginning.
Read each stem fully and look for the key qualifier (most likely, next, initial). Answer every question, flag and return to hard ones, and watch the clock rather than lingering on any single item. Follow the instructor's rules on closed-book testing and electronic devices.
Ask the instructor what remediation, if any, is available for a skills or written retest, and when and how your completion card will be issued. Confirm the card's validity period and expiration date with your Training Center.
Rules to check
Bring proof of your current BLS prerequisite - if it cannot be verified, the Training Center may not allow you to complete the course. Confirm accepted equivalents (e.g., CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer) with the provider in advance.
The PALS written exam is commonly a 50-question, multiple-choice, closed-book exam with an 84% minimum passing score. Confirm the current exam length, passing standard, and retest policy with your Training Center, as these can change between editions.
Written and skills testing must both be passed to earn a course completion card; providers typically offer remediation and a limited number of retests at their discretion. Ask your provider what their exact remediation policy is rather than assuming.
Testing is closed-book: no manual, notes, phone, or other aids during the written exam. Follow the instructor's direction on phones and smart devices for the entire day.
Maintain academic honesty - do not photograph, transcribe, or share exam questions or megacode scenarios, and do not coach a peer who is actively testing.
Take only the breaks the schedule allows and return on time; leaving mid-station may mean you cannot be evaluated and could require rescheduling. Confirm the provider's attendance and tardiness policy.
Identify yourself accurately at check-in so your completion card is issued in the correct name; the card is typically valid for two years, but confirm the current validity period with your provider.
If you have a documented accommodation need (physical, visual, or cognitive), request it from the Training Center well before the course date; accommodation decisions rest with the provider, not the instructor on the day.