- What Heartsaver CPR AED Actually Is
- A Course-Completion Card, Not a "Certification Exam"
- The 12 Topics in the CPR AED Course Path
- Required Topics vs. Optional Child and Infant Components
- How You Are Assessed
- Classroom, Blended, Self-Guided and Virtual Routes
- Cost, Duration and Card Validity
- What It Is Not: First Aid CPR AED, BLS and Instructor Courses
- Who Takes It and Why
- A Domain-Based Preparation Order
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Heartsaver CPR AED is an American Heart Association course for people with little or no medical training, not a healthcare-provider credential.
- The AHA issues a course-completion card; the issuer distinguishes this from certifying someone in CPR.
- Online study alone is not enough: you must perform the Adult CPR and AED Skills Test hands-on.
- Child and infant CPR, AED and choking topics are optional components; adult content is required.
What Heartsaver CPR AED Actually Is
Heartsaver CPR AED is a course from the American Heart Association (AHA) that teaches lay rescuers how to respond to a cardiac arrest, a choking emergency and several other life-threatening situations until emergency medical services arrive. "CPR" stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and "AED" stands for automated external defibrillator, the portable device that analyzes a heart rhythm and delivers a shock when one is indicated. If you want a plain-language walkthrough of the acronym itself, see What Does Heartsaver CPR AED Stand For?
The course is designed for learners with little or no medical training. The AHA does not specify a prior credential, a degree, experience hours or references, and it sets no minimum learner age, although every learner must demonstrate the required skills to receive a card. That openness is why the course shows up in workplaces, schools, fitness facilities, community groups and households far beyond healthcare.
The current course follows the 2025 AHA Guidelines. The official U.S. transition guidance requires 2025 teaching materials from March 1, 2026, so if you are comparing study resources, check that they reflect the 2025 update rather than an older cycle. The 2025 Heartsaver CPR AED Online product (SKU 25-1401) was released on October 22, 2025, and replaced the earlier 20-1401 listing.
A Course-Completion Card, Not a "Certification Exam"
Many websites describe Heartsaver CPR AED as a certification you pass or fail with a timed, proctored written test. That framing does not match what the AHA publishes. The AHA issues a course-completion card documenting satisfactory performance at the end of the course, and it explicitly distinguishes this from certifying people in CPR. Administration runs through AHA Training Centers, Instructors and approved hands-on training pathways. The reviewed issuer materials identify no independent examination vendor.
That does not make the course effortless. You still have to learn the material and physically demonstrate it on a manikin. It simply means the center of gravity is skills performance, not a score on a multiple-choice paper.
The 12 Topics in the CPR AED Course Path
The AHA publishes a topic list for each Heartsaver course path in its Heartsaver Instructor Manual materials. The CPR AED column contains twelve topics, listed below as they appear in the course path. These are unweighted preparation-curriculum headings, not an official written-exam blueprint: the AHA publishes no percentage weights, and no "largest domain" exists. For a topic-by-topic expansion, read Heartsaver CPR AED Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas.
Topics 1 and 12: Introduction and Conclusion
The opening and closing segments frame the course and wrap up what you practiced.
- Required for every learner in this path
- Set expectations for hands-on practice and skills testing
Topic 2: Adult CPR AED: Compressions, Breaths, and AED
The core of the course and the content tied to the Adult CPR and AED Skills Test.
- Recognizing an unresponsive adult who is not breathing normally
- Activating emergency response and getting an AED
- Delivering high-quality compressions and breaths
- Using an AED correctly, including pad placement and following its prompts
Topics 3 and 4: Child and Infant CPR AED
Age-specific versions of compressions, breaths and AED use. Both are optional components, taught when the learner needs them.
Topics 5, 6 and 7: Adult, Child and Infant Choking Relief
Adult choking relief is a standard topic; the child and infant versions are optional, matching the age-specific CPR components.
Topic 8: Opioid-Associated Emergency
Recognizing and responding to a suspected opioid-related emergency. This is a current-course topic that many older study sheets omit.
Topic 9: Water Competency and Drowning
Covers drowning and the idea of water competency within the CPR AED path, without importing the entire First Aid syllabus.
Topics 10 and 11: Heart Attack and Stroke
Recognizing the warning signs and getting emergency help quickly. These are required topics in the exact CPR AED column.
Required Topics vs. Optional Child and Infant Components
Topics 3, 4, 6 and 7 are the optional child and infant components. The remaining listed topics are required in this course path. That structure lets an instructor tailor a session: a workplace with no child contact might teach adult content only, while a childcare worker or parent would add the pediatric modules. Topics marked "NA" for CPR AED in the AHA table, including the separate First Aid curriculum, are excluded from this course.
| Topic Group | Status in CPR AED Path | Related Skills Test |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction and Conclusion | Required | None |
| Adult CPR AED and Adult Choking Relief | Required | Adult CPR and AED Skills Test |
| Child CPR AED and Child Choking Relief | Optional | Child CPR Skills Test when taught |
| Infant CPR AED and Infant Choking Relief | Optional | Infant CPR Skills Test when taught |
| Opioid, Water Competency, Heart Attack, Stroke | Required | Covered in course content |
Before you enroll, ask whether the session you are booking includes the child and infant components. If an employer or licensing body expects them, an adult-only session may not satisfy the requirement, and confirming this up front saves a repeat course. Our guide to Heartsaver CPR AED requirements covers eligibility and qualification questions in more detail.
How You Are Assessed
To receive a card, you complete the applicable course curriculum and satisfactorily perform the Adult CPR and AED Skills Test. When the optional pediatric components are taught, you also perform the Child CPR and Infant CPR Skills Tests. The AHA does not publish a separate fixed duration for the skills test.
The Optional Written Exam
A written exam is optional and may be requested for employer or regulatory needs. If one is administered, current AHA policy requires a score of at least 84%, allows reference materials, uses scenario-based questions and imposes no AHA-mandated completion time. Open resources include the student workbook or eBook, your notes and the guidelines. Discussion with other students or with the instructor is prohibited during the exam.
The faculty guide describes classroom administration of the written exam even for blended learners, so if your employer wants a written component, ask the Training Center how and where it will be given. For perspective on difficulty, our difficulty guide explains why the skills demonstration, not the written portion, is usually the part that needs practice.
Classroom, Blended, Self-Guided and Virtual Routes
The AHA delivers Heartsaver CPR AED through several formats, and online study alone is never sufficient. Each route ends with hands-on skills practice and testing.
- Classroom: Instructor-led teaching and skills practice in one session.
- Blended learning: You complete the online portion first, then attend a hands-on session with an instructor for practice and the skills test.
- Self-guided (Heartsaver Direct): Online learning followed by warm-up, practice and skills testing at a manikin training station.
- Virtual: The AHA's Heartsaver Virtual option permits instructor-observed hands-on completion using a training kit and a feedback app, so a shared physical classroom is not universal.
Key Takeaway
Buying the online portion is only step one. Before you pay, confirm that the specific configuration you booked, including the skills session and the Training Center, will issue the exact Heartsaver CPR AED card your employer expects, not a First Aid CPR AED or BLS card.
Cost, Duration and Card Validity
What You Pay
The official AHA ShopCPR listing for 2025 Heartsaver CPR AED Online (product 25-1401) is priced at USD $19.50 for the online portion, including the student eBook. The required hands-on skills session is purchased separately. Independent Training Centers set their own all-inclusive and renewal fees, and no national member or non-member rate schedule has been verified, so prices vary by provider and region. Our Heartsaver CPR AED certification cost breakdown explains how to separate the online product, the skills session and any all-in class fee.
How Long It Takes
The AHA's course FAQ estimates 1.5 hours of instructor-led instruction for the CPR AED path, excluding optional topics and breaks; that figure reflects required-topic video time with some discussion. Other issuer pages show broader duration estimates, and the configuration you choose changes the total. Treat these as instructional hours, not as an exam timer.
How Long the Card Lasts
The card is valid for two years through the end of the issue month. Renewal options, requirements and prices are arranged with the Training Center. No separate continuing-education maintenance quota was verified for this course-completion card. Note that the end-of-sale date on a product listing is not the same thing as card expiry.
What It Is Not: First Aid CPR AED, BLS and Instructor Courses
Search results often use "Heartsaver" as shorthand for several different courses, which causes real confusion. This article is about the CPR AED course specifically.
| Course | Intended Audience | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Heartsaver CPR AED | Lay rescuers with little or no medical training | CPR, AED and choking plus opioid, drowning, heart attack and stroke topics |
| Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED | Lay rescuers needing first aid as well | Adds the separate First Aid curriculum |
| BLS | Healthcare providers | Provider-level team resuscitation skills |
| Instructor Essentials | People who will teach AHA courses | Instructor credential, not a learner card |
One wrinkle: the online product includes a combined Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Student eBook. That does not expand the CPR AED course scope, and you are still assessed on the CPR AED path. If you work in healthcare and an employer asks for "CPR," confirm whether they mean BLS, since a Heartsaver card may not meet a clinical requirement. Our guide to What Is Heartsaver CPR AED? and the Heartsaver CPR AED meaning page cover related naming questions.
Who Takes It and Why
Heartsaver CPR AED is aimed at people who may need to respond to an emergency but are not clinicians. Typical learners include workplace responders, teachers, coaches, childcare providers, fitness staff, security personnel, volunteers and family members. Some employers or regulatory programs specify a Heartsaver-type card; others do not, so always check the exact requirement rather than assuming universal acceptance.
On the career side, be careful with salary claims. No Heartsaver-specific salary distribution or causal earnings premium has been verified, and Heartsaver is better understood as a workplace training requirement or a useful added skill than as a standalone occupation. If you are weighing the investment, compare your employer's training requirement against the total cost. Our ROI analysis, salary guide and jobs overview go through how to think about this without inflating the numbers.
A Domain-Based Preparation Order
Because the course is short and skills-based, preparation does not need to be elaborate. A sensible order follows the weight of the hands-on test rather than a generic schedule:
Adult CPR AED first
- Rehearse the adult sequence from recognition through AED use, since this is what the Adult CPR and AED Skills Test checks
- Practice compression hand position and pace on a manikin if you can access one
Choking and the newer topics
- Review adult choking relief, then the opioid-associated emergency and water competency material that older notes may skip
Optional child and infant topics
- Only if your session includes them; focus on how technique and AED pad choices differ by age
Heart attack, stroke and final review
- Memorize warning signs and the importance of calling for help promptly, then review any open-resource materials you plan to bring
For a full review framework, see the Heartsaver CPR AED study guide and the one-page cheat sheet. When you want to check recall under scenario-style questions, you can use the Heartsaver CPR AED practice tests on the main site.
Frequently Asked Questions
The AHA issues a course-completion card documenting satisfactory performance, and explicitly distinguishes this from certifying people in CPR. Many sites still call it "certification" informally, but the issuer's wording is course completion.
No. Online study alone is insufficient. You must complete a hands-on skills test, either in person with an instructor or through an approved pathway such as the AHA's Heartsaver Virtual option with instructor observation.
No, it is optional and may be requested by an employer or regulator. If given, the current policy requires at least 84%, allows reference materials and sets no AHA-mandated time limit. The exact question count for this course is not publicly verified.
The card is valid for two years through the end of the issue month. Renewal options, requirements and fees are arranged through your AHA Training Center. Our scheduling guide explains how to plan around session availability.
The AHA specifies no prior credential and sets no minimum learner age. The learner must still demonstrate the required skills. Individual employers or programs may add their own conditions, so verify them before booking.