Red Cross Lifeguarding Written Exam study guide
Red Cross Lifeguarding Written Exam · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The American Red Cross Lifeguarding program is a training and certification pathway for people who want to prevent, recognize and respond to emergencies in and around the water. According to the Red Cross, the program prepares lifeguards to prevent, protect and respond to aquatic emergencies, and its curriculum is validated by the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council. Training covers water and land rescue techniques along with critical care skills such as CPR, AED use and first aid. Candidates must be at least 15 years old by the last day of class and pass a swimming skills test. Topics on this exam: Preventing and Managing Aquatic Emergencies (water and land rescue techniques), CPR, AED Use, and First Aid. The Red Cross Lifeguarding Written Exam study guide has 4 sections and about 1,228 words.
01Preventing and Managing Aquatic Emergencies
Lifeguarding starts with prevention, not rescue. Scan your assigned zone continuously, moving your head and eyes rather than only your eyes, and keep a consistent pattern so no area is repeatedly skipped.
337 words, about 2 min02CPR
Recognize arrest early, activate emergency response, start high-quality CPR, use an AED as soon as it arrives, and hand off to advanced care. For an adult who is unresponsive and not breathing normally, begin compressions immediately.
288 words, about 1 min03AED Use
An AED analyzes the heart rhythm and delivers a shock to a heart in a shockable rhythm (ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia). Survival drops with every minute without defibrillation, so the AED should be applied as soon as it is available while CPR continues.
311 words, about 2 min04First Aid
Before care, check the scene for safety, then check the victim for responsiveness and breathing. Address life threats first-severe bleeding, airway problems, and shock-before minor injuries.
292 words, about 1 min