CPR and First Aid Quiz

Twenty questions, easy to hard, following Australian (ANZCOR) first aid guidelines: DRSABCD and CPR first, then bleeding, burns, asthma, anaphylaxis, bites and stings. Tap an answer to see if you’re right.

  1. Question 1 of 20

    What does the first D in DRSABCD stand for?

    1. Danger
    2. Distress
    3. Defibrillation
    4. Diagnosis
    Show answer

    Answer: Danger. Check for danger to you, bystanders and the person first. An injured rescuer can’t help anyone.

  2. Question 2 of 20

    What is the emergency number in Australia?

    1. 111
    2. 000
    3. 911
    4. 999
    Show answer

    Answer: 000. 000 for police, fire and ambulance. 112 also works from mobiles.

  3. Question 3 of 20

    What is the ratio of compressions to breaths in CPR?

    1. 5 to 1
    2. 15 to 2
    3. 30 to 1
    4. 30 compressions to 2 breaths
    Show answer

    Answer: 30 compressions to 2 breaths. 30:2 for adults, children and babies. If you can’t or won’t give breaths, keep doing compressions.

  4. Question 4 of 20

    How fast should CPR compressions be?

    1. 60 to 80 a minute
    2. About 40 a minute
    3. 100 to 120 a minute
    4. 140 to 160 a minute
    Show answer

    Answer: 100 to 120 a minute. Roughly two a second. The beat of ‘Stayin’ Alive’ is about right.

  5. Question 5 of 20

    How deep should compressions be on an adult?

    1. Half the chest depth
    2. As gently as possible
    3. About 1 cm
    4. One third of the chest depth (about 5 cm)
    Show answer

    Answer: One third of the chest depth (about 5 cm). Push hard and let the chest fully come back up. Most people push too gently.

  6. Question 6 of 20

    Where do your hands go for CPR?

    1. Upper abdomen
    2. Lower half of the breastbone, centre of the chest
    3. Over the left nipple
    4. Top of the breastbone
    Show answer

    Answer: Lower half of the breastbone, centre of the chest. Heel of one hand on the lower half of the sternum, other hand on top.

  7. Question 7 of 20

    A collapsed person is making occasional gasping breaths. What should you do?

    1. Start CPR: gasping isn’t normal breathing
    2. Wait and watch them
    3. Give them water
    4. Put them in the recovery position
    Show answer

    Answer: Start CPR: gasping isn’t normal breathing. Gasping is common in the first minutes after the heart stops. Treat it as not breathing.

  8. Question 8 of 20

    Someone is unresponsive but breathing normally. What should you do?

    1. Start CPR
    2. Shake them until they wake
    3. Roll them into the recovery position and call 000
    4. Sit them upright
    Show answer

    Answer: Roll them into the recovery position and call 000. On their side, the airway stays open and vomit can drain out. Keep checking their breathing.

  9. Question 9 of 20

    Who can use a public defibrillator (AED)?

    1. Anyone
    2. Only paramedics
    3. Only doctors and nurses
    4. Only people with a first aid certificate
    Show answer

    Answer: Anyone. AEDs talk you through every step and only shock if the heart rhythm needs it.

  10. Question 10 of 20

    What is the first aid for a burn?

    1. Butter or oil
    2. Ice for 5 minutes
    3. Cool running water for 20 minutes
    4. Toothpaste and a dressing
    Show answer

    Answer: Cool running water for 20 minutes. Cool running water works up to 3 hours after the burn. Ice can make the damage worse.

  11. Question 11 of 20

    How should you stop heavy bleeding from a wound?

    1. Wash it under a tap first
    2. Firm, direct pressure on the wound
    3. Apply a tourniquet straight away for any bleed
    4. Raise it and wait
    Show answer

    Answer: Firm, direct pressure on the wound. Press hard with a pad or your hand and don’t let go to check. Tourniquets are for life-threatening limb bleeding that pressure can’t control.

  12. Question 12 of 20

    What is the right first aid for a nosebleed?

    1. Lie flat
    2. Tip the head back
    3. Pack the nose with tissues and keep moving
    4. Sit up, lean forward and pinch the soft part of the nose for 10 minutes
    Show answer

    Answer: Sit up, lean forward and pinch the soft part of the nose for 10 minutes. Leaning forward stops blood running down the throat. Pinch the soft part, below the bony bridge.

  13. Question 13 of 20

    In an asthma attack, how many separate puffs of blue reliever are given in the first round?

    1. 10 in a row
    2. 2, then wait an hour
    3. 1 big puff
    4. 4, each with 4 breaths through a spacer
    Show answer

    Answer: 4, each with 4 breaths through a spacer. The 4 x 4 x 4 plan: 4 puffs, 4 breaths each, wait 4 minutes, repeat. Call 000 if there’s no improvement.

  14. Question 14 of 20

    Someone has anaphylaxis after a bee sting. What should happen first?

    1. Walk them to the car to drive to hospital
    2. Adrenaline autoinjector into the outer thigh
    3. An antihistamine tablet
    4. Ventolin only
    Show answer

    Answer: Adrenaline autoinjector into the outer thigh. Adrenaline first, then call 000. Lay them flat (or sitting if breathing is hard). Standing or walking can cause collapse.

  15. Question 15 of 20

    An adult is choking and can’t cough, speak or breathe. After calling 000, what should you do?

    1. Abdominal thrusts only
    2. Give water
    3. Up to 5 back blows, then up to 5 chest thrusts
    4. Sweep blindly in the mouth
    Show answer

    Answer: Up to 5 back blows, then up to 5 chest thrusts. Australian guidelines use back blows and chest thrusts. If they become unresponsive, start CPR.

  16. Question 16 of 20

    How should you do compressions on a baby?

    1. Two fingers on the lower half of the breastbone
    2. Both hands as for an adult
    3. Thumbs on the belly
    4. The heel of one hand on the upper chest
    Show answer

    Answer: Two fingers on the lower half of the breastbone. About one third of the chest depth (about 4 cm), at 100 to 120 a minute, with 30 compressions to 2 small puffs.

  17. Question 17 of 20

    Someone is having a seizure. What should you do?

    1. Hold them down
    2. Put a spoon in their mouth
    3. Give them water straight away
    4. Time it, protect their head and don’t put anything in their mouth
    Show answer

    Answer: Time it, protect their head and don’t put anything in their mouth. Call 000 if it lasts more than 5 minutes, they’re injured, it’s their first seizure, or they don’t wake up properly.

  18. Question 18 of 20

    What is the first aid for a snakebite in Australia?

    1. Wash the bite and suck out the venom
    2. Pressure immobilisation bandage and keep still
    3. Cut the bite and apply ice
    4. Tourniquet above the bite
    Show answer

    Answer: Pressure immobilisation bandage and keep still. Bandage firmly from the fingers or toes up the whole limb, splint it and keep the person still. Don’t wash the bite: venom on the skin helps identify the snake.

  19. Question 19 of 20

    What is the first aid for a bluebottle sting?

    1. Pick off tentacles, rinse with seawater, then hot water for 20 minutes
    2. Vinegar
    3. Fresh cold water and rubbing
    4. Urine
    Show answer

    Answer: Pick off tentacles, rinse with seawater, then hot water for 20 minutes. Hot water (as hot as is comfortable) eases the pain. Vinegar is for tropical box jellyfish stings, not bluebottles.

  20. Question 20 of 20

    Which spider bite needs a pressure immobilisation bandage?

    1. White-tail
    2. Redback
    3. Funnel-web
    4. Huntsman
    Show answer

    Answer: Funnel-web. Treat funnel-web bites like snakebites. Redback bites get an ice pack, not a bandage, as the venom moves slowly.

Need a refresher? Read our DRSABCD and CPR guide, then do a hands-on course: practice is what makes CPR stick.

Common questions

What is DRSABCD?

Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation: the Australian basic life support action plan.

How often should I redo CPR training?

CPR skills fade within months. Australian guidelines suggest refreshing CPR every year, and many workplaces require it.

Is this quiz a first aid certificate?

No. It’s for learning only. A hands-on course with a registered training organisation is the way to get certified.

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Updated 16 November 2026. General education, not medical advice. General education, not personal medical advice.