CPR and AED Questions Are Coming to the Theory Test: Here Is What You Need to Know
The DVSA has signalled that first aid knowledge. Specifically CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators. Will feature more prominently in the driving theory test. This reflects a straightforward observation: drivers are often the first people to arrive at a scene where someone needs immediate medical attention. A driver who knows what to do in the first few minutes can make the difference between a casualty surviving or not.
The questions will not require you to be a medical professional. They will test whether you understand the basics well enough to act correctly in an emergency. Here is what that actually involves.
Table of Contents
Why drivers specifically
Cardiac arrest kills roughly 30,000 people outside hospital in the UK each year. Survival rates when bystanders perform CPR before paramedics arrive are two to three times higher than when no CPR is given. The problem is that most bystanders do not act. Either because they do not know what to do or because they are afraid of doing it wrong.
Drivers cover hundreds of thousands of collective miles. They are disproportionately present at road traffic collisions and are often alone in locations where emergency services may take ten minutes or more to arrive. The case for ensuring drivers know basic CPR is about as straightforward as the case for knowing what a red traffic light means.
The DRSABCD framework
Theory test questions on emergency response follow a structured sequence. The letters stand for: Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, Compressions, Defibrillation. You will not be asked to recite the acronym, but understanding the sequence matters because questions often ask what you should do first, second, or next in a given scenario.
Danger. Before approaching anyone at an accident scene, check that it is safe to do so. A running engine, leaking fuel, traffic that has not stopped, or unstable vehicles are all reasons to stay back. You cannot help anyone if you become a casualty yourself.
Response. Crouch beside the person and tap their shoulders firmly. Ask loudly: "Can you hear me? Are you alright?" If there is no response, treat them as unconscious.
Send for help. Call 999 immediately. If someone else is present, send them to call while you stay with the casualty. If you are alone, call 999 before beginning CPR. Put the phone on speaker so you can follow the dispatcher's instructions. Tell them your location, what has happened, and how many people are involved.
Airway. Tilt the head back gently and lift the chin. This opens the airway. Look inside the mouth for any obvious obstruction but do not perform a blind finger sweep.
Breathing. Look, listen, and feel for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds. Occasional gasps (called agonal breathing) are not normal breathing. If the person is not breathing normally, move directly to compressions.
Compressions. Place the heel of one hand on the centre of the chest. On the lower half of the breastbone. Place your other hand on top and interlock your fingers. Keep your arms straight and your shoulders directly above your hands. Push down firmly to a depth of 5–6 cm. Release fully after each compression. Aim for 100–120 compressions per minute. Roughly the tempo of "Stayin' Alive."
If you are trained in CPR, give 30 compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths. If you are not trained or are uncomfortable with rescue breaths, continuous chest compressions alone are significantly better than nothing. The dispatcher on 999 can also guide you through the process in real time.
Defibrillation. If an AED is available, use it as soon as possible. Do not stop CPR to find one. Send another bystander.
How AEDs work
An automated external defibrillator analyses the heart's rhythm and delivers an electrical shock if it detects ventricular fibrillation. The chaotic electrical pattern that prevents the heart from pumping blood effectively. The shock briefly stops all electrical activity in the heart, giving it the opportunity to restart in a normal rhythm.
AEDs are designed to be used by people with no medical training. Once switched on, the device talks you through every step:
- Expose the casualty's chest and dry it if wet.
- Remove the backing from the adhesive pads and attach them as shown in the diagram on the pads. One pad goes on the upper right chest, below the collarbone. The other goes on the lower left side of the chest, below the armpit.
- Plug the cable into the AED.
- The device analyses the rhythm. During analysis, nobody should be touching the casualty.
- If a shock is advised, the AED charges automatically and tells you to press the button. Before pressing, make sure nobody is touching the person and say "stand clear" loudly.
- If no shock is advised, continue CPR immediately.
A critical point for the theory test: the AED will not deliver a shock if the rhythm does not require one. You cannot accidentally shock someone who does not need it. This means there is no reason to hesitate in using one.
The question formats to expect
Theory test questions on this topic tend to follow one of three patterns:
Sequence questions. "You arrive at an accident and find a person unconscious. After ensuring the scene is safe, what is your immediate next action?" The answer is to call 999 (or send someone to call) before starting CPR.
Factual questions. "At what rate should chest compressions be performed?" The answer is 100–120 per minute. "To what depth should you compress the chest?" 5–6 centimetres.
AED questions. "You are about to press the shock button on an AED. What should you ensure before doing so?" That nobody is touching the casualty.
These questions have specific correct answers. They are not judgment calls or opinion questions. The details above. The 10-second breathing check, the 5–6cm compression depth, the 100–120 per minute rate, the "stand clear" before a shock. Are the facts the test is likely to ask about.
Preparation
Read the Highway Code sections on accident management. The DVSA also recommends the guidance published by the Resuscitation Council UK, which is available free on their website and represents the official clinical standard for CPR in the UK.
If you want hands-on practice, St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross both run short first aid courses. These are not required for your theory test, but having physically performed chest compressions on a mannequin makes the knowledge stick in a way that reading about it does not.
For practice questions covering this topic alongside the rest of the theory test syllabus, the Driving Theory Test UK app includes updated questions on emergency procedures and first aid scenarios. Knowing how the questions are phrased before you sit the real test removes one source of uncertainty on the day.
The knowledge itself is straightforward. Most people who fail to help in an emergency do so because they are uncertain, not because the procedure is beyond them. Understanding these basics removes that uncertainty.
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