Heartsaver CPR AED Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify

What You Are Actually Qualifying For

Before looking at requirements, it helps to pin down exactly which credential we are discussing. Heartsaver CPR AED is an American Heart Association (AHA) course designed for people with little or no medical training. Completing it earns a course-completion card documenting satisfactory performance. The AHA is careful to distinguish this from "certifying" a person in CPR, so you will see the word "completion" used in official materials.

This course is separate from several look-alikes that learners often confuse with it:

• Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED, which adds a full first aid curriculum on top of CPR and AED skills.
• Pediatric first aid courses, which focus on childcare settings.
• BLS (Basic Life Support), the healthcare-provider course.
• Instructor Essentials, the pathway for people who want to teach.

If you want a plain-language introduction to the credential itself, start with What Is Heartsaver CPR AED? or the shorter explainer on what Heartsaver CPR AED stands for. This article stays focused on one question: what do you need to qualify?

Eligibility: Who Can Take Heartsaver CPR AED

The eligibility picture is refreshingly simple. Heartsaver CPR AED is intended for lay rescuers: teachers, coaches, office staff, childcare workers, fitness instructors, community volunteers, and anyone else who wants to respond to a cardiac emergency or choking event. The AHA specifies no prior credential, no separate degree, no experience hours and no references.

Because there is no gatekeeping credential, "qualifying" really means completing the course properly. Your workplace, licensing board or program may still ask for this card by name, which is why the employer-check section below matters just as much as the course itself. For more on where the card is typically requested, see our overview of Heartsaver CPR AED jobs.

Prerequisites: What You Do Not Need

Many learners over-prepare for requirements that do not exist. Here is what the course does not demand:

• No healthcare background or medical training
• No previous CPR card or expired card to "renew" from
• No letters of reference or proof of employment
• No minimum number of practice hours before booking
• No independent examination vendor; the course is administered through AHA Training Centers and Instructors

The practical prerequisites are logistical. You need access to an AHA-aligned course, the ability to complete the online or classroom learning, and the physical ability (or an agreed accommodation) to perform chest compressions on a manikin during the skills test. If you have a physical limitation, raise it with the Training Center before the session so the Instructor can discuss how skills will be evaluated.

How to Complete the Course

The official completion requirements for Heartsaver CPR AED come down to two things: finishing the applicable course curriculum and satisfactorily performing the skills tests for the age groups taught. In practice that means:

1. Complete the curriculum. Cover all required topics for your course path, whether in a classroom, through an online portion, or in an approved self-guided format.
2. Pass the Adult CPR and AED Skills Test. This is the core hands-on demonstration and applies to every learner.
3. Pass the Child CPR and Infant CPR Skills Tests when those optional components are taught in your session.
4. Take a written exam only if required. It is optional and typically driven by an employer or regulator.

Choosing a Format: Classroom, Blended, Self-Guided and Virtual

The AHA supports several delivery routes, and each has its own sequence. The comparison below summarizes what each asks of you.

Notice that physical attendance in a shared classroom is not universal. AHA's virtual option explicitly allows instructor-observed hands-on completion with a training kit. Whichever route you choose, the same principle holds: a qualified Instructor must observe you performing the skills. Even for blended learners, the AHA faculty guide describes classroom administration of any written exam.

The 12 Course Topics You Must Cover

The AHA's course topic table for the CPR AED path lists 12 topics, including the Introduction and Conclusion. These are preparation-curriculum topics, not weighted exam domains: the AHA publishes no percentage weights and no official written-exam domain count. Four of them are optional child and infant components; the rest are required in this path.

The optional modules matter for qualification because they change which skills tests you must pass. A teacher or childcare worker will usually need the child and infant components; an office responder may not. Topics marked "NA" for CPR AED in the AHA table, including the separate First Aid curriculum, are excluded from this course. For a deeper look at each area, read our complete guide to all 12 content areas.

The current course follows the 2025 AHA Guidelines, and the AHA's U.S. transition guidance requires 2025 teaching materials from March 1, 2026. When choosing a provider, check that they teach the current materials. Newer content areas in this course path, such as opioid-associated emergencies and water competency, are good signals that a class is using the up-to-date curriculum.

Skills Tests and the Optional Written Exam

The skills test is the real gate

For every learner, the Adult CPR and AED Skills Test is the required demonstration. You will perform compressions, rescue breaths and AED use on a manikin while the Instructor observes. If child and infant modules are taught, you also complete the Child CPR and Infant CPR Skills Tests. A separate fixed skills-test duration is not publicly verified, so avoid trusting providers who quote a universal minute count.

The written exam is conditional

The written exam is the area where misinformation spreads fastest. Under current AHA policy:

• A written exam is optional, administered only when an employer or regulatory body needs it.
• If administered, the passing standard is at least 84%.
• The exam is open-resource: your workbook or eBook, notes and the guidelines are permitted.
• Discussion with other students or the Instructor during the exam is prohibited.
• The questions are scenario-based, and the AHA imposes no mandated completion time.

Pass rates are not publicly disclosed by the AHA either. Individual providers advertise "99%" or "100% pass guarantee" claims, but these describe local marketing, not an issuer-wide statistic. For a careful treatment, see what the data actually shows about pass rates.

Costs, Card Validity and Renewal

Cost is part of "how to qualify" because the fee structure is split in a way that surprises people. The AHA's online product for this course, the 2025 Heartsaver CPR AED Online (product 25-1401), is listed at USD $19.50 and includes the student eBook. That price covers only the online portion. The required hands-on skills session is purchased separately, and independent Training Centers set their own all-inclusive and renewal fees. No national member or non-member rates have been verified.

The card is valid for two years, through the end of the issue month. Plan your renewal accordingly so a card does not lapse the month before an employer audit. No separate continuing-education maintenance quota was verified for this course-completion card. For a full breakdown of what you might pay, see our Heartsaver CPR AED certification cost guide.

On timing, the AHA's course FAQ estimates about 1.5 hours of instructor-led instruction for the required topics, excluding optional topics and breaks. Other AHA pages show broader duration ranges, and your total time depends on configuration, class size and which optional modules are included. Do not confuse instructional hours with exam timing.

Checking That Your Employer Accepts the Card

Heartsaver CPR AED is a course-completion card, not a standalone occupation, and no universal acceptance is promised. Some workplaces ask specifically for Heartsaver CPR AED, others for First Aid CPR AED, and healthcare roles usually require BLS instead. Before enrolling:

• Ask your employer, licensing board or program for the exact course name they require.
• Ask whether the child and infant modules are mandatory for your role.
• Ask whether a written exam is required by your employer or regulator.
• Ask whether online-only or virtual completion is accepted, or whether in-person observation is expected.

If you are weighing the course as a career investment, note that no Heartsaver-specific salary distribution or causal earnings premium has been verified. Compare workplace training requirements and total cost rather than expecting a pay bump. Our discussions of whether the certification is worth it and the salary guide explain how to think about this honestly.

A Domain-Based Preparation Plan

You do not need months of study, but a short plan keeps the skills test from catching you off guard. Here is a simple schedule built around the actual course topics, with skills prioritized because they are the required gate.

For a fuller approach to preparation, including how to use your open-resource materials effectively, see the Heartsaver CPR AED study guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Qualifying for Heartsaver CPR AED is mostly a matter of choosing the right course, completing the hands-on skills test, and confirming your employer's exact requirements. For more background, browse our guides on Heartsaver CPR AED certification and Heartsaver CPR AED training, and test your readiness on the main practice test site.