The best way to prepare for a BLS class is to read the provider manual before you arrive, familiarize yourself with the key numbers you’ll be tested on, and show up in comfortable clothing ready to spend time on your knees doing chest compressions. Most people pass on their first attempt when they’ve reviewed the material ahead of time, but walking in cold makes the skills practice and written exam significantly harder.
What the Course Covers
The American Heart Association BLS Provider Course trains you to recognize life-threatening emergencies, perform high-quality CPR, and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). You’ll practice rescue techniques for three patient groups: adults, children (age 1 through puberty), and infants (younger than 1 year). The course also covers how to help someone who is choking, and how to work as part of a high-performance resuscitation team.
The 2025 course reflects updated guidelines with a few notable changes. The two-finger chest compression technique for infants has been eliminated because it consistently failed to achieve proper depth in studies. The recommended infant techniques are now the heel of one hand or the two-thumb encircling hands method. Choking protocols have also been updated: for infants, you alternate 5 back blows with 5 chest thrusts, while for children, you alternate 5 back blows with 5 abdominal thrusts.
Choose Your Course Format
You have two main options. The full in-person course runs about 4.5 hours including breaks, skills practice, and testing. If you’re renewing a previous certification, the renewal course takes roughly 4 hours.
The blended option, called HeartCode BLS, splits the learning into two parts. You complete the online portion first, which takes 1 to 2 hours and covers all the knowledge content. Then you attend an in-person hands-on session with an AHA instructor, which runs 60 minutes to 2 hours depending on your experience level. After finishing the online module, you download a completion certificate and bring it to your hands-on session. You need to complete both parts to earn your BLS card.
Key Numbers to Memorize
BLS certification hinges on a handful of specific metrics. These are the numbers your instructor will check during skills testing, and they appear on the written exam:
- Compression depth (adults): At least 2 inches (5 cm) but no more than 2.4 inches (6 cm), with full chest recoil between each compression.
- Compression rate: 100 to 120 compressions per minute for all age groups. In practice, you should deliver 30 compressions in 15 to 18 seconds.
- Compression-to-ventilation ratio: 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths for single-rescuer CPR across all ages. With two rescuers on a child or infant, the ratio shifts to 15:2.
- Breath delivery: Each breath should last about 1 second and produce visible chest rise.
These numbers are non-negotiable during skills testing. If your compressions are too shallow or too fast, you’ll need to repeat the station. Practicing the rhythm beforehand, even just counting out loud at home, helps a lot.
Study the Provider Manual
The AHA BLS Provider Manual is the single most important study resource. It contains everything you need to pass both the skills check and the written exam. Many training centers require you to purchase it before class, and some send it with your registration confirmation.
Focus your study time on the CPR algorithms for each age group. These are step-by-step flowcharts that walk through what to do when you find an unresponsive person: check for responsiveness, activate emergency response, check for breathing and a pulse, begin compressions. The algorithms differ slightly between adults, children, and infants, so pay attention to where they diverge. Understanding the Chain of Survival concept (the sequence of actions that gives someone the best chance of surviving cardiac arrest) will also help you answer written questions more confidently.
Spend extra time on AED use. You’ll need to know when to apply the pads, how pad placement differs for small children, and that you should minimize interruptions in compressions while the AED analyzes the heart rhythm.
Know the Differences Between Age Groups
One of the trickiest parts of BLS is keeping the age-specific techniques straight. Here’s what changes across patient groups:
For adults, you use two hands interlocked on the center of the chest. For children aged 1 to 8, studies show two hands achieve better compression depth than one, though one hand can produce a more appropriate rate. Your instructor will guide you on which to use based on the child’s size. For infants, you use either the heel of one hand pressed on the breastbone or the two-thumb technique where your hands encircle the infant’s torso. The old two-finger method is no longer taught.
Choking relief also varies. For adults and children, you perform abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver). For conscious infants with a severe airway obstruction, you never use abdominal thrusts. Instead, you cycle between 5 back blows and 5 chest thrusts until the object comes out or the infant becomes unresponsive.
What to Wear and Bring
You’ll spend a good portion of class kneeling on the floor next to a manikin, performing chest compressions. Wear comfortable, flexible clothing that lets you move freely and manage your body temperature. Avoid restrictive pants, skirts, or anything you’d be uncomfortable kneeling in. Flat, closed-toe shoes are a smart choice.
Bring a valid photo ID to your session. A driver’s license, state ID, or student ID all work. If you’re renewing, bring your previous BLS card or proof of prior certification. For blended learning students, bring the completion certificate from your online HeartCode module, either printed or accessible on your phone.
Prepare Physically
Chest compressions are more physically demanding than most people expect. Compressing an adult chest 2 inches deep at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute is real exertion, similar to a plank or a set of push-ups sustained over several minutes. During class you’ll repeat this multiple times across different scenarios.
If you have knee, back, or shoulder issues, you can still participate, but it helps to know what’s coming. You’ll be kneeling with your knees about shoulder-width apart, arms straight, pressing down using your upper body weight rather than just arm strength. Practicing this position at home for a few minutes lets you identify any discomfort before class day. Staying hydrated and eating a light meal beforehand will keep your energy up through the afternoon.
What to Expect on Test Day
You’ll face two evaluations: a skills check and a written exam. The skills check requires you to demonstrate CPR on adult, child, and infant manikins while your instructor watches with a checklist. They’re looking for correct hand placement, compression depth and rate, full chest recoil, minimal pauses, and breaths that produce visible chest rise. You’ll also demonstrate AED use and choking relief.
The written exam is multiple choice and covers the concepts from the provider manual. Questions test your understanding of the algorithms, when to call for help, appropriate compression-to-ventilation ratios, and how to respond to specific scenarios. The exam requires a score of 84% to pass. If you’ve read the manual and paid attention during class, the written portion is straightforward.
If you don’t pass a skills station or the written test on the first try, most instructors offer remediation. They’ll review what you missed and give you another attempt. This is normal and nothing to stress about.