PALS Test Sample Questions to Help You Prep for Certification

Becoming a pediatric nurse requires years of schooling, clinical experience, and a deep understanding of infants, children and adolescents. In addition, an up-to-date pediatric advanced life support (PALS) certification can help a pediatric nurse be that much more prepared in an emergency situation.

PALS certifications often are required by healthcare employers and expire—requiring recertification—every two years. When prepping for a PALS certification or recertification exam, familiarity with the types of questions you might see and confidence in having already passed a practice exam can help you focus and do well.

Going over PALS review questions prepares you for a certification exam

The review questions available in practice exams are similar to the actual test questions. The practice exams will even provide explanations for questions you incorrectly answered. Having a better understanding of the types of questions that will be on the exam can make you a more confident test-taker. Here are some examples of PALS review questions:

1. A 3-year-old male toddler is alert, with pale skin color and mild inspiratory stridor when he cries. He has mild intercostal retractions, and auscultation of the lungs reveals clear distal breath sounds at rest. Pulse oximetry is 91 percent on room air. What is the most appropriate initial intervention for this patient?

Provide 2.5 mg albuterol by nebulizer.
Administer dexamethasone by IV.
Perform immediate endotracheal intubation.
Provide humidified oxygen as tolerated.

2. A 5-year-old male is unresponsive and without a pulse. High-quality CPR is being performed. The patient is intubated and IV access is obtained. The cardiac rhythm is asystole. Of the following treatment options, what is the first recommended intervention?

Atopine 0.02 mg/kg IV.
Dopamine 2 to 5 mcg/kg/min IV.
Synchronized cardioversion at 0.5 j/kg.
Epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg (0.1 mL/kg of 1:10,000 dilution) IV.

3. Which of the following statements represents the PALS recommendation for the use of magnesium sulfate in the treatment of a patient in cardiac arrest?

It is indicated for VF refractory to multiple defibrillations, amiodarone and lidocaine.
It is indicated for unstable supraventricular for tachycardia.
It is indicated for torsades de pointes and VF/pulseless VT associated with hypomagnesemia.
It is routinely indicated for monomorphic VT.

Taking practice tests can help prepare you for PALS exam success

Practice tests include PALS review questions similar to those seen on the actual exam and are written in similar formats that allow test takers to familiarize themselves with the wording and types of questions they might see. Health Ed Solutions offers free PALS practice quizzes, which include three five-question sample tests. HES also offers a full PALS certification practice exam, with 50 timed multiple-choice questions, for $35.

Health Ed Solutions is the leading provider of advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) and PALS online certification. Take quiz with PALS sample questions and read about PALS study guide options to prepare for a pediatric nursing career.