By Joseph Andrade, Firefighter, Paramedic, Emergency Department and Vascular Access RN, OSHA Outreach Instructor, and Safety Officer. Founder and lead instructor at Life Saving Education.
Joseph is an active firefighter, paramedic, and registered nurse working in emergency and vascular access care, as well as an OSHA Outreach instructor and safety officer. He has spent his career on the response side of emergencies, from the fireground to the ambulance to the hospital bedside, and now trains civilians, workplaces, and first responders in the skills that save lives.
ACLS is a great course to take and a rough course to wing. It assumes you arrive with current BLS skills and a working knowledge of rhythms and pharmacology, then builds team-based resuscitation on top. The students who struggle are almost never short on ability. They are short on preparation. Use this checklist and you will not be one of them.
The checklist
1. Complete the required precourse work
Current AHA ACLS courses require precourse work, typically including a precourse self-assessment and assigned online modules. Complete everything, print or save your completion certificate, and bring it. Students who show up without required precourse completion may not be able to take the course that day.
2. Be honest about your BLS
High-quality BLS is the foundation of every ACLS case, and you will be expected to demonstrate it. If your compressions or bag-mask ventilation are rusty, practice before class. If your BLS card has lapsed, talk to us. Pairing a BLS refresh with ACLS is common and smart.
3. Refresh your rhythms
You do not need to be an electrophysiologist. You do need to recognize the core arrest and peri-arrest rhythms quickly: VF, pulseless VT, asystole, PEA, symptomatic bradycardia, and the major tachycardias. Use your precourse self-assessment results to target what is weak.
4. Review the pharmacology
Know the core ACLS medications, what they are for, and when they appear in the algorithms. Focus on the drugs in the current AHA algorithms rather than memorizing a pharmacology textbook.
5. Set yourself up physically
Do not schedule ACLS the morning after a night shift if you can avoid it. Eat, hydrate, and wear comfortable clothes. You will be moving between stations and running cases on your feet.
6. Bring the paperwork
Precourse completion proof, photo ID if identity verification applies, and anything your employer requires. Register under your exact legal name so your eCard is correct the first time.
What the day looks like
Expect focused skills work, then team-based case scenarios where you rotate through roles including team leader, and required testing that includes a megacode evaluation and written assessment per the current AHA course version. The megacode is not an ambush. It is the same case format you practice all day, evaluated. Communicate clearly, assign roles, verbalize your thinking, and lean on your team. That is the skill being tested.
Key Takeaways
- Complete all required precourse work and bring proof. No proof can mean no course.
- Arrive with genuinely current BLS skills. Everything in ACLS is built on them.
- Target your rhythm and pharmacology review using the precourse self-assessment.
- Protect your sleep and plan for a physical, on-your-feet day.
- The megacode tests team communication as much as knowledge. Practice talking through cases out loud.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I study before ACLS?
It depends on how current you are. Many experienced providers do well with several focused hours across the week before class, guided by their precourse self-assessment results.
Do I need a current BLS card to take ACLS?
You need current BLS proficiency and must meet the current AHA precourse requirements. If your card has lapsed, contact LSE before registering so the correct pathway can be confirmed.
What happens if I do not pass the megacode?
Remediation and retesting follow the current AHA course rules. Instructors coach and remediate, and separate retest appointments are scheduled when required.
Is the ACLS renewal course easier?
It is shorter, not easier. Update courses assume current knowledge and move quickly. The full provider course may be a better choice after a long gap in practice.
Book your seat
Come prepared and ACLS is one of the most satisfying courses in emergency care. Compare ACLS Provider, renewal, and HeartCode options, review how to prepare for a BLS Provider class if your foundational skills need a refresh, check the class schedule, or contact us about the right option.
Training you can count on. When seconds count.
Sources
- American Heart Association, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Course Information. https://cpr.heart.org/en/cpr-courses-and-kits/healthcare-professional/acls (Supports precourse requirements, course structure, and testing components.)
- Life Saving Education, FAQs and Policies. /faqs/ (Supports remediation, retesting, and registration policies.)
This article is for general education. Course requirements follow the current AHA course version. The AHA disclaimer on our course pages applies.
