First Aid for Parents Mock Exam

A knowledge check based on our TinyHearts baby and child first aid session for parents, grandparents and carers. It covers unwell babies, infant and child CPR, choking, everyday injuries, and red flags such as sepsis and meningitis. It is not an accredited exam and is not a substitute for hands-on training.

Practice quiz

20 questions

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Answer the questions above - your result band updates each time you check an answer.

Question 1. You find your baby unresponsive and not breathing normally. After making sure it is safe, what should you do first for a baby?

Give 5 rescue breaths, then start CPR if they still do not respond
Start chest compressions at once, with no rescue breaths
Shake them firmly to wake them up
Put them in the recovery position and wait 5 minutes

Question 2. How deep should chest compressions be on a baby under 1 year?

1 cm with one finger, to avoid hurting them
About one third of the chest, roughly 4 cm, with two fingers
The same 5 to 6 cm used for an adult
As deep as you can, using both hands stacked

Question 3. A toddler is choking, cannot cough or cry, and is going grey. What should you do?

Give them a drink to wash it down
Put your fingers blindly down their throat to hook it out
Give up to 5 back blows, then up to 5 abdominal thrusts, and call 999 if it does not clear
Wait to see if they cough it up on their own

Question 4. Your 6-month-old is choking and cannot cry. Which action is correct for an infant under 1 year?

Give abdominal thrusts, as you would for an older child
Hold them upside down by the ankles and shake
Lay them on their back and give a glass of water
Give back blows, then chest thrusts - not abdominal thrusts

Question 5. After you have cleared a choke with back blows or thrusts, the child seems fine. What next?

They should still be assessed by a health professional
If they are playing again, no further action is needed
Give a big meal to settle their stomach
Put them to bed and see how they are in the morning

Question 6. Which of these is a red flag that a baby or young child is seriously unwell?

They have a mild cold but are feeding and playing
They are floppy, mottled or much less responsive than usual
They had a slightly warm forehead after a warm room
They are tired after a long car journey but wake easily

Question 7. Your child has a seizure with jerking of the whole body. What should you do during it?

Hold them down so they cannot hurt themselves
Put a spoon between their teeth
Protect their head, time it, and call 999 if it is the first seizure or it lasts more than 5 minutes
Splash cold water on their face to stop it

Question 8. Your toddler has bumped their head. When should you call 999?

They cried at the time, then went back to playing
They have a small bruise on the forehead and are acting normally
They want a cuddle but are alert and talking
They have a seizure, keep vomiting, or become unusually drowsy

Question 9. There is a bleed from a cut on your child's arm. What is the first thing to do?

Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth or dressing
Wash it under a running tap for 20 minutes before pressing
Use a tourniquet on every cut, including small ones
Wait to see how much it bleeds before touching it

Question 10. Your child has touched a hot oven. The skin is red and painful. What should you do?

Put ice straight on the burn
Cool under cool running water for at least 20 minutes
Spread butter or toothpaste on it
Pop any blisters so they heal faster

Question 11. You think your child may have a broken arm. What should you do?

Pull it straight so it looks normal
Give them a drink and wait until morning
Support it in a comfortable position and get medical help - do not try to straighten it
Massage the arm to reduce the swelling

Question 12. You are worried your child has meningitis. What should you do?

Wait until a purple rash appears before acting
Give Calpol and review them after school tomorrow
Put them in a dark room and see if they sleep it off
Call 999 or go to A&E without waiting for a rash

Question 13. Which picture most suggests sepsis in a child?

They are mottled or very pale, hard to wake, and breathing faster than usual
They have a mild runny nose and are otherwise themselves
They have a localised insect bite with no fever
They are tired after sport but drink and chat normally

Question 14. Your child is unresponsive but you can feel normal, regular breaths. What should you do?

Start CPR even though they are breathing normally
Put them in the recovery position, call 999, and keep checking their breathing
Sit them up in a chair and give a drink
Leave them on their back with no one watching

Question 15. You hear only occasional noisy gasps from an unresponsive child. What does that mean?

They are starting to recover, so watch for 10 minutes
Put them in the recovery position and wait
It is not normal breathing - start CPR and call 999
Give them a drink when the next gasp comes

Question 16. There is an AED nearby but only adult pads. Your child needs a shock. What should you do?

Do not use it, because adult pads are always unsafe on children
Wait for an ambulance crew who have paediatric pads
Put both pads on top of each other on the chest
Use the AED anyway - adult pads are better than no defibrillator

Question 17. When you call 999 about your child, what should you try to tell them?

Where you are, the child's age, what is wrong, and whether they are breathing
Only the child's full medical history, then hang up
Ask them to call you back when a crew is free
Wait until you have taken a photo of the child first

Question 18. Your child has a mild temperature, is drinking, and is still playing. Who is the better first call?

999, for every temperature in a child
NHS 111 or your GP, unless they become seriously unwell
Wait three days with no advice
A&E as the first step for a mild cold

Question 19. Your child has hives after food but is breathing and talking normally. What should you do?

Leave them alone in their room to sleep it off
Give a hot bath to bring out the rash
Watch them closely and call 999 if breathing or swelling of the mouth gets worse
Wait 2 hours before doing anything, even if they struggle to breathe

Question 20. How should you give rescue breaths to a baby?

Use the same full adult breath you would give a grown-up
Blow as hard as you can into the nose only
Skip breaths and only do compressions, even if you are happy to give breaths
Cover the mouth and nose and give gentle puffs that make the chest rise

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