BLS / ACLS exam-day guide
BLS / ACLS · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring a current driver's license, passport, or state ID. The name should match your course registration. If your name differs (e.g., recent marriage), confirm with the provider what documentation they will accept before test day.
Course confirmation or registration record
Have your confirmation email, registration number, or eCard access instructions available, either printed or on your phone. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required.
Current provider manual (BLS and/or ACLS)
Many training sites permit the manual as a reference during skills testing; others do not. Bring your own copy and confirm the site's reference policy at check-in. Do not rely on borrowing one.
Pocket mask with one-way valve
Some sites require you to supply your own barrier device for ventilation stations; others provide one. Confirm with the provider in advance and label your equipment.
Watch with a second hand or digital timer
You may be asked to time compressions, ventilations, or rhythm checks. Phones are often not permitted at the skills station, so a wristwatch is the safer choice.
Pen or pencil and something to write on
Useful for notes, station assignments, and any paperwork the site hands out at check-in. Confirm with the provider whether scratch paper is supplied.
Completed pre-course work, if assigned
Some ACLS courses require a pre-course self-assessment or online module before the in-person session. Confirm with the provider what proof of completion, if any, you must show to be admitted to testing.
Comfortable clothing and short or loose sleeves
You will kneel at floor level for CPR and manipulate bag-masks and monitors. Short sleeves and pants you can kneel in make compression and ventilation stations easier and less fatiguing.
Water and a light snack
Practical sessions can run long with waiting time between stations. Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed in the training room.
Directions, parking, and check-in location
Know the building, room, and entrance in advance. Plan to arrive well before your start time; confirm with the provider how early check-in opens and what happens if you are late.
A clear idea of which stations you will be tested on
Ask the provider in advance whether your evaluation covers adult and pediatric BLS skills, cardiac arrest management, airway management, rhythm recognition, and pharmacology, so you can prepare the right material.
Personal medications and any accommodation paperwork
Bring necessary personal medications. If you have an approved testing accommodation, bring the written confirmation; confirm with the provider how accommodations are arranged.
Plan the day
Review the current algorithms end to end: adult and pediatric BLS, cardiac arrest, bradycardia, tachycardia, and post-arrest care. Rehearse out loud rather than only reading, because you will be expected to verbalize actions and findings.
Practice hands-on skills: compression rate and depth, switching roles every 2 minutes, bag-mask ventilation with a 30:2 ratio for one rescuer and coordinated compressions with a bag-mask for two rescuers, AED application, and team leader communication.
Complete any assigned pre-course self-assessment or online module. Confirm with the provider what documentation they require and submit it if there is a deadline.
Confirm logistics: start time, address, room, parking, and what to bring. Ask the provider directly about ID, manual use, and equipment requirements if anything in your confirmation is unclear.
Pack your bag with ID, confirmation, manual, pocket mask, watch, pen, water, and snack. Set out clothing you can kneel and move in.
Do a light pass over high-yield material: reversible causes of arrest, ACLS drug names and indications, rhythm identification, and the sequence of actions for each algorithm. Stop studying early enough to sleep.
Get a full night's sleep and avoid last-minute cramming. Fatigue noticeably degrades compression quality and verbal communication during skills testing.
Eat a normal meal and hydrate. Practical stations involve physical effort and long waits.
Arrive early, well before your scheduled start. Check in, present your ID, and ask where to store personal items; confirm with the provider whether phones must be put away.
Listen to each station's instructions before acting, and ask for clarification if the scenario setup is unclear. State your actions and findings aloud so the evaluator can credit them.
Announce role assignments when acting as team leader, close the loop by naming the person you are addressing, and verbalize timing such as rhythm checks and compressor changes.
Treat every station as a real resuscitation: verify scene safety, use standard precautions, and handle the manikin and equipment as you would a patient. Use the manual only if the site permits it, and confirm that policy at check-in.
Ask the provider how and when results and your course completion card will be issued, and what the remediation or retest process is if a station is not passed.
Rules to check
Bring photo identification. You may be denied admission without it, and the accepted forms of ID vary by site, so confirm with the provider in advance.
Arrive at or before your assigned check-in time. Late-arrival and rescheduling policies differ between providers; confirm with the provider rather than assuming you can be worked in.
Silence and stow your phone unless the site tells you otherwise. Recording, photographing, or sharing test materials and scenarios is not permitted.
Follow the evaluator's instructions at each station. Do not ask evaluators or other candidates for coaching or hints during testing; the evaluation must reflect your own performance.
Use the provider manual only if the site's policy allows open-book skills testing. Confirm this at check-in before opening it.
Do not discuss or disclose specific scenarios, rhythm strips, or station content with candidates who have not yet tested.
Break and restroom policies are set by the site. Ask at check-in when breaks are available and whether you may leave the room between stations.
Passing criteria and any required written component are set by the course provider and certifying organization. Confirm the exact scoring and retest policy with the provider before test day.