- What This Card Is (and Isn't)
- The Assessment at a Glance
- All 12 Topics on One Page
- Adult CPR and AED: The Core Skills Test
- Child and Infant Components: Optional but Common
- Choking, Opioids, Water Safety
- Heart Attack and Stroke Recognition
- Format, Cost, and Card Facts
- Heartsaver CPR AED vs. Neighboring Courses
- A Four-Week Review Sequence
- Myths to Ignore
- FAQ
- Heartsaver CPR AED is an AHA course-completion card, not a license; completion hinges on satisfactory hands-on skills performance.
- The Adult CPR and AED Skills Test is always required; Child and Infant skills tests apply only when those optional components are taught.
- Written exams are optional; if your employer requires one, the AHA minimum is 84% and reference materials are allowed.
- Card validity is two years through the end of the issue month; renewal is arranged through your Training Center.
What This Card Is (and Isn't)
This one-page review covers the American Heart Association's Heartsaver CPR AED course and nothing else. It is built for people with little or no medical training: teachers, coaches, office staff, childcare workers, fitness instructors, and anyone whose workplace or family situation calls for CPR and AED readiness. The AHA sets no minimum learner age and no prior-credential requirement, though you must demonstrate the required skills to complete the course.
Keep these distinctions straight, because search results blur them constantly:
- Heartsaver CPR AED covers CPR, AED use, choking relief, and a few emergency-recognition topics listed below.
- Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED is a different course that adds a separate First Aid curriculum. Topics the AHA table marks "NA" for CPR AED are excluded here.
- BLS is the healthcare-provider course. It is not a harder version of Heartsaver; it is a different card for a different audience.
One more nuance: the AHA issues a course-completion card documenting satisfactory performance at the end of class. The AHA explicitly distinguishes this from "certifying" someone in CPR. Many employers and websites still say "certification," and for everyday purposes that is fine, but know what the card technically represents. For a fuller definition, see What Is Heartsaver CPR AED?
The Assessment at a Glance
The assessment structure is where most prep sites go wrong. Here is what the current AHA policy materials support:
| Element | What the AHA materials say |
|---|---|
| Required to complete | Finish the applicable course curriculum and satisfactorily perform the Adult CPR and AED Skills Test |
| Child and Infant skills tests | Required only when those optional components are taught |
| Written exam | Optional; used when an employer or regulator requires it |
| Written passing score (if given) | At least 84% |
| Reference materials | Allowed (workbook/eBook, notes, guidelines) |
| Talking during the exam | Prohibited with other students or the instructor |
| Time limit | No AHA-mandated completion time |
| Exact question count | Not publicly verified for this course |
| Public pass rate | Not disclosed |
For a deeper look at how demanding the process really is, read How Hard Is the Heartsaver CPR AED Exam?, and for the score math, Heartsaver CPR AED Passing Score 2026.
All 12 Topics on One Page
The AHA's course topic table for the CPR AED path lists twelve topics, including Introduction and Conclusion. These are unweighted preparation topics. The AHA publishes no percentage weights and no official "largest domain," so don't trust anyone who assigns percentages. Domains 3, 4, 6 and 7 are optional child and infant components; the rest are required in this course path.
| # | Topic | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | Required |
| 2 | Adult CPR AED: Compressions, Breaths, and AED | Required |
| 3 | Child CPR AED: Compressions, Breaths, and AED | Optional |
| 4 | Infant CPR AED: Compressions, Breaths, and AED | Optional |
| 5 | Adult Choking Relief | Required |
| 6 | Child Choking Relief | Optional |
| 7 | Infant Choking Relief | Optional |
| 8 | Opioid-Associated Emergency | Required |
| 9 | Water Competency and Drowning | Required |
| 10 | Heart Attack | Required |
| 11 | Stroke | Required |
| 12 | Conclusion | Required |
A topic-by-topic walkthrough lives in Heartsaver CPR AED Exam Domains 2026. This page keeps to the facts you would want on an index card.
Adult CPR and AED: The Core Skills Test
Domain 2 is the backbone of the course and the one skills test you cannot skip. Whatever else your instructor teaches, you will be asked to perform adult CPR and AED use on a manikin and demonstrate it satisfactorily.
Domain 2: Adult CPR AED: Compressions, Breaths, and AED
This is where most of your practice time belongs. The skills test is a performance demonstration, not a recall quiz, so muscle memory matters more than memorized phrases.
- Recognize an unresponsive adult who is not breathing normally and activate emergency response.
- Perform high-quality compressions and breaths in the sequence you were taught.
- Turn on the AED, follow its prompts, attach pads, and deliver a shock when advised.
- Resume compressions promptly and keep interruptions short.
Because the 2025 AHA Guidelines govern the current course, rely on your current student materials for exact rates, depths, and sequences rather than older decks you find online. The U.S. transition FAQ requires 2025 teaching materials from March 1, 2026, so a class still teaching from older materials after that date is a red flag worth questioning.
Key Takeaway
Practice aloud and with your hands. Narrate each step of an adult CPR and AED sequence while performing it on a pillow or manikin. The skills test rewards fluent, correct sequencing, and fluency only comes from repetition.
Child and Infant Components: Optional but Common
Domains 3, 4, 6 and 7 are optional components. Your instructor includes them based on the audience, and your employer or program may require them. A daycare worker likely needs them; an office worker might not. When they are taught, you also complete the Child CPR and Infant CPR Skills Tests.
Domains 3 and 4: Child and Infant CPR AED
Technique differs by age group, including hand placement, compression approach, and how the AED is used on smaller patients. Expect the course to include optional infant AED material.
- Know which age group each technique applies to as defined in your course materials.
- Practice each age-specific skill separately; don't assume adult muscle memory transfers.
- Confirm with your employer which components the card must include before you book.
Domains 6 and 7: Child and Infant Choking Relief
Choking relief changes noticeably between adults, children, and infants. These are the topics learners most often blend together under pressure.
- Recognize the difference between a mild obstruction and a severe one.
- Use the age-appropriate technique your instructor demonstrates.
- Know what to do if the person becomes unresponsive.
If you are unsure what your workplace expects, Heartsaver CPR AED Requirements 2026 explains how to verify the right card before you pay for a class.
Choking, Opioids, Water Safety
Three topics are easy to under-study because they sit outside the glamorous "CPR" label. Don't skip them: the current course column includes opioid emergencies and drowning/water competency, and prep content that ignores them is out of date.
- Domain 5, Adult Choking Relief: a required topic. Know how to recognize severe choking and apply the relief technique taught in your course, including what happens if the person collapses.
- Domain 8, Opioid-Associated Emergency: recognize signs of a suspected opioid-associated emergency, call for help, provide the care your course teaches, and understand how it connects to CPR when breathing stops or is inadequate.
- Domain 9, Water Competency and Drowning: understand basic water-safety concepts and how drowning emergencies differ from sudden cardiac arrest on land, since the priorities in care differ.
Heart Attack and Stroke Recognition
Domains 10 and 11 are recognition-and-response topics rather than hands-on skills. Because the optional written exam uses scenarios, these are the topics where scenario-style reasoning matters most.
Domain 10: Heart Attack
Know that a heart attack and cardiac arrest are different events, and know why calling emergency services early matters.
- Recognize common warning signs as presented in your course materials.
- Understand the difference between a person who is conscious with symptoms and a person in cardiac arrest.
- Know the immediate actions your course teaches.
Domain 11: Stroke
Stroke questions reward speed of recognition and the habit of acting immediately.
- Learn the stroke recognition method your course teaches and be able to apply it to a described scenario.
- Know why noting when symptoms began is useful information for responders.
- Understand that fast activation of emergency response is the priority.
Format, Cost, and Card Facts
Delivery routes
Heartsaver CPR AED can be delivered in several ways: classroom, blended learning, and approved self-guided learning. Blended learners complete the online portion first and then attend a hands-on assessment. The self-guided Heartsaver Direct route is described as online learning followed by warm-up, practice, and skills testing at a manikin training station. Heartsaver Virtual allows instructor-observed hands-on completion using a training kit and feedback app, so a shared physical classroom is not universal.
The non-negotiable rule: online study alone is insufficient. Before you book, confirm that your specific configuration issues the exact Heartsaver CPR AED card, not a First Aid or BLS card by accident.
Cost components
- AHA online product: the official ShopCPR listing for 2025 Heartsaver CPR AED Online (product 25-1401) is $19.50 and includes the student eBook. It replaces the earlier 20-1401 product.
- Hands-on skills session: purchased separately from an independent Training Center, which sets its own fees.
- All-inclusive and renewal fees: set by individual Training Centers; no national member or non-member rates have been verified.
The $19.50 figure is only the online portion, so your real total will be higher. The full breakdown, with how to compare providers, is in Heartsaver CPR AED Certification Cost 2026.
Time and validity
- Course time: the AHA FAQ estimates about 1.5 hours of instructor-led instruction for required topics, excluding optional topics and breaks. Other pages show broader estimates, and your configuration changes the total. Instruction time is not exam time.
- Card validity: two years through the end of the issue month.
- Renewal: arranged with your Training Center; no separate CEU maintenance quota was verified for this card.
Heartsaver CPR AED vs. Neighboring Courses
| Feature | Heartsaver CPR AED | Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED | BLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audience | Little or no medical training | Little or no medical training | Healthcare providers |
| Adds a First Aid curriculum | No | Yes | Not its focus |
| Optional child/infant components | Yes | Yes | Different structure |
| Hands-on skills testing | Required | Required | Required |
| Typical use | Workplace and community readiness | Workplaces needing first aid coverage | Clinical roles and healthcare programs |
If your employer says "CPR card" without specifics, ask which course they accept. A healthcare program asking for BLS will not accept Heartsaver, and a workplace requiring first aid will not be satisfied by CPR AED alone. For a broader look at how the card is used professionally, see Heartsaver CPR AED Jobs and Is the Heartsaver CPR AED Certification Worth It?
A Four-Week Review Sequence
If you have a few weeks before class, sequence your review around the course's actual structure rather than generic scheduling. This is the only study-method section here, and it is tied to the twelve topics.
Adult core skills (Domain 2)
- Read the adult CPR and AED material in your student eBook.
- Rehearse the full sequence aloud on a pillow, twice per session.
Choking and recognition topics (Domains 5, 10, 11)
- Contrast severe versus mild choking.
- Practice describing heart attack and stroke scenarios in your own words.
Opioid and water topics (Domains 8, 9), plus optional age groups if required
- Review what differs when breathing is the primary problem.
- If child and infant components apply, drill them separately from adult technique.
Full run-through
- Take practice questions on the main practice test site to check scenario reasoning.
- Do a start-to-finish adult CPR and AED run, then a final skim of your notes.
For a longer plan and resources, use the Heartsaver CPR AED Study Guide 2026.
Myths to Ignore
- "There is a published pass rate." The AHA does not disclose one. Provider claims like "99% pass" or "100% guarantee" are marketing statements from individual businesses, not issuer-wide statistics. See Heartsaver CPR AED Pass Rate 2026 for what can and cannot be said.
- "It boosts your salary." No Heartsaver-specific salary distribution or earnings premium has been verified. Treat the card as a workplace training requirement rather than a standalone occupation. The details are in the Heartsaver CPR AED Salary Guide.
- "The written test is mandatory and closed-book." It is optional, and when given it allows reference materials.
- "Online-only is enough." It is not; a hands-on skills demonstration is required.
- "Heartsaver and BLS are interchangeable." They serve different audiences and employers specify which one they want.
FAQ
Not by AHA default. The written exam is optional and used when an employer or regulator requires it. If one is given, the policy minimum is 84%, reference materials are allowed, and the AHA sets no completion time. Your core requirement is satisfactory performance on the Adult CPR and AED Skills Test.
No. Online learning is only part of the process. You must demonstrate hands-on skills with an instructor-led or approved pathway. The AHA online product at $19.50 does not include the skills session, which is purchased separately.
Two years through the end of the month in which the card was issued. Renewal options, requirements, and prices are arranged through your Training Center, so ask yours before the card lapses.
They are optional components. When your instructor teaches them, you also complete the corresponding Child CPR and Infant CPR Skills Tests. Check with your employer or program before booking so your card covers what they require.
No. Heartsaver CPR AED excludes the separate First Aid curriculum. Some provider pages mix the two titles, so confirm the exact card name on your booking. For the longer definition, see What Is Heartsaver CPR AED Certification?