A CPR class combines short lessons on emergency response with hands-on practice on manikins, followed by a skills test where you demonstrate everything you’ve learned. Most of the class time is spent on your knees performing chest compressions and rescue breaths, so it’s more physical than academic. A standard in-person course runs about 3.5 hours, while blended options split the learning into roughly 3 hours of online content plus a 2-hour in-person skills session.
Checking the Scene and Calling for Help
Every CPR class starts with the steps you take before you ever touch someone’s chest. You’ll learn to check whether the person is responsive by tapping their shoulders and speaking loudly, then shout for help and call 911 (or direct a bystander to call). Next, you check for breathing and a pulse. These first few seconds matter because they determine whether CPR is actually needed, and the instructor will walk you through the sequence until it feels automatic.
This assessment phase is short to learn, but it’s a required part of the final skills test. Students who skip steps or forget to call for help first have to go back and practice again before they can pass.
Chest Compressions and Rescue Breaths
The core of the class is learning to perform high-quality chest compressions. For adults, you place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest between the nipples, stack your other hand on top with fingers interlocked, and push straight down at least 2 inches deep. You’ll do 30 compressions in a row, then give 2 rescue breaths, each lasting about one second. That 30:2 ratio is the standard cycle you repeat until help arrives or an AED is available.
The compressions need to be fast. Your instructor will tell you to aim for 100 to 120 per minute, which is roughly the tempo of “Stayin’ Alive.” You also need to let the chest fully spring back between each compression, called complete recoil, because that’s what allows the heart to refill with blood. Leaning on the chest between pushes is one of the most common mistakes new students make.
Modern CPR training requires feedback devices built into the manikins or attached to them. These devices measure your compression rate, depth, hand position, and recoil in real time, giving you audio or visual cues so you can correct yourself mid-practice. If you’re pushing too shallow or too slow, you’ll know immediately. The American Heart Association requires these devices at every station where compressions are performed.
For rescue breaths, you’ll practice tilting the head back, lifting the chin, and blowing into the manikin’s mouth using a barrier device (a small plastic shield). Each breath should produce visible chest rise. The goal is to resume compressions within 10 seconds of your last one, so you learn to give breaths quickly without long pauses.
Infant and Child Techniques
Most CPR courses cover infant and child techniques alongside adult CPR. The principles are the same, but the physical approach changes significantly. For infants, you use just two fingers placed in the center of the chest below the nipple line, pressing down about 1.5 inches. For children roughly ages 1 through puberty, you may use one hand instead of two, depending on the child’s size.
You’ll practice these on smaller manikins. The compression-to-breath ratio stays at 30:2 for a single rescuer. Instructors spend time on infant technique because the difference in force and hand placement feels dramatically different from adult CPR, and students need to calibrate how much pressure is appropriate for a small body.
Using an AED
Every CPR certification class includes training on automated external defibrillators. You’ll practice with a trainer unit that looks and behaves like a real AED but doesn’t deliver an actual shock. The steps are straightforward: power on the device, remove clothing from the person’s chest (wiping it dry if needed), place one adhesive pad on the upper right chest and the other on the lower left side a few inches below the armpit, then plug in the connector cable if it isn’t pre-connected.
The AED talks you through the process with voice prompts, so you don’t need to memorize a complex sequence. What the class really drills is the safety protocol around shocking. Before the AED analyzes the heart rhythm, you say “Clear!” loudly and make sure nobody is touching the person. You repeat this before pressing the shock button. After the shock, you immediately resume chest compressions. The transition from compressions to AED and back to compressions is one of the things your instructor watches most closely during the skills test.
Choking Rescue
CPR courses typically include choking response for adults, children, and infants. For a conscious adult or child over age 1 who is choking, you’ll practice a combination of back blows and abdominal thrusts. Back blows are delivered with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades. Abdominal thrusts (sometimes still called the Heimlich maneuver) involve standing behind the person, placing your fist above the navel, and pulling sharply inward and upward. You alternate between the two until the object is dislodged or the person becomes unconscious, at which point you transition to CPR.
The Skills Test
At the end of class, you’ll complete a practical skills test where your instructor watches you run through a full scenario from start to finish. The checklist covers every step: checking responsiveness, calling for help, checking breathing and pulse, performing two full cycles of 30:2 compressions and breaths, then using an AED. Specific criteria include compressing at least 2 inches deep, completing 30 compressions in 15 to 18 seconds, achieving visible chest rise with each breath, and resuming compressions within 10 seconds after breaths.
If you miss any step, the instructor provides remediation, which means you practice that specific skill again and then retest. There’s also a written or online exam. The American Heart Association requires a minimum score of 84%, while the Red Cross sets the bar at 80%.
What to Wear and How to Prepare
Wear comfortable clothes you can move in easily. You’ll spend a good portion of the class kneeling on the floor next to a manikin, so avoid tight skirts, stiff jeans, or anything that restricts your range of motion. Business casual or athletic wear both work fine. The Red Cross recommends dressing for comfort and temperature management since the physical effort of repeated compressions can warm you up quickly.
You don’t need any prior medical knowledge. The class assumes you’re starting from zero. The only real prerequisite is being physically able to kneel on the floor and press down hard enough to compress a manikin’s chest. If you can do that, you can get certified.
Certification and What Comes After
Once you pass the skills test and written exam, you receive a certification card. American Heart Association certifications are valid for two years. Red Cross certifications vary: most last one year, though some professional-level courses extend to two years. Both are widely accepted by employers, though healthcare settings and some workplaces may specify which provider they prefer.
AHA courses tend to be geared toward healthcare professionals with more rigorous clinical detail, while Red Cross courses often target workplace and community audiences with a more practical focus. For most people taking their first CPR class, either option teaches the same core skills. The differences mainly show up in how deep the coursework goes into medical context and how strict the testing standards are.