You are ventilating a 4-month-old infant who is unresponsive with slow, shallow breathing. The infant is supine on a flat cot, the chin is tucked toward the chest, and the chest barely rises with each BVM breath despite a good mask seal. What should you do next?

Place a thin folded towel under the infant's shoulders

Insert a nasopharyngeal airway and continue ventilating

Place a folded towel under the back of the infant's head

Tilt the head back as far as it will go and ventilate

During CPR on a 55-year-old man, the AED advises a shock and delivers it. What is the next step?

Resume chest compressions at once for 2 minutes

Check the carotid pulse for no more than about 10 seconds

Give 2 rescue breaths, then check for breathing

Press analyze so the AED can recheck the rhythm

A 34-year-old man with epilepsy has been having a generalized tonic-clonic seizure for 7 minutes. He is cyanotic, SpO2 86%, with a glucose of 104 mg/dL. ALS is 15 minutes away. What is most appropriate for the AEMT?

Insert an NPA, give high-flow oxygen, assist ventilations and transport

Place a padded bite block between the teeth to protect the tongue

Give midazolam IM from the drug kit to stop the seizure activity

Give 25 g of D50 IV to treat a possible low blood glucose as the cause

A 37-year-old man struck his head in a bicycle fall. He is awake but has asked you three times what happened and cannot recall the last 20 minutes. His vital signs are normal, and he says he wants to go home and refuses transport. What is the most appropriate action?

Decline the refusal, keep persuading him and contact medical direction

Accept the refusal once he signs the form in front of a witness

Leave the scene and document that he refused against medical advice

Accept the refusal if a family member agrees to watch him overnight

En route. Mall security calls back while you are responding. Which instruction should dispatch relay to the bystanders?

Stop giving him anything by mouth and roll him onto his side

Sit him upright on the bench and keep him talking to you

Give him a dose of insulin from the pen inside his bag

Keep giving him small sips of juice until the ambulance arrives

A 6-week-old infant has had a cold for 2 days and is feeding poorly. You note thick nasal secretions, mild intercostal retractions and RR 56/min. SpO2 93%, HR 164/min, lungs with scattered coarse sounds. Which intervention is most likely to improve the infant's breathing?

Gently suction the nostrils with a bulb syringe

Suction the oropharynx with a rigid tip for 15 seconds

Insert a small oropharyngeal airway to open the airway

Give a nebulized albuterol treatment by blow-by mask

During CPR on a 62-year-old woman, the EtCO2 has stayed between 6 and 8 mmHg for the last 2 minutes. The compressor has been working for about 4 minutes without a break. What should you do?

Switch compressors and focus on proper rate, depth and full recoil

Stop resuscitation, since the low EtCO2 means further CPR is futile

Pause compressions and check for a pulse, since ROSC is likely

Ventilate faster to bring the EtCO2 back up into the normal range

An 18-month-old girl with a temperature of 103.1 °F (39.5 °C) had a 2-minute generalized seizure. She is now crying, alert and consolable, breathing easily, SpO2 98%. Her parents are frightened. What is most appropriate?

Assess her, remove excess clothing and transport for evaluation

Tell the parents transport is unnecessary because these are harmless

Insert an NPA and assist her ventilations with a pediatric BVM

Cool her quickly in a tub of cold water to prevent another seizure

A 15-year-old girl fell from the bleachers at a high school game and has an obviously deformed forearm with decreased sensation in her fingers. She is alert and asks for help. Her parents cannot be reached, and her coach is present. How should you proceed regarding consent?

Treat under implied consent while continuing to try to reach a parent

Delay splinting until a parent can be reached by phone to consent

Have her sign a refusal, since minors cannot legally consent to care

Have the coach sign consent for treatment in place of the parents

En Route. Based on the dispatch information, which condition and key equipment should you anticipate?

Acute pulmonary edema; prepare CPAP and nitroglycerin

Anaphylaxis with bronchospasm; prepare IM epinephrine 0.3 mg

Severe asthma attack; prepare nebulized albuterol

Spontaneous pneumothorax; prepare a chest seal

Advanced EMT (AEMT)

Free AEMT Practice Questions

10 sample questions for the Advanced EMT (AEMT), with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.

Sections covered on the exam: Airway, Respiration and Ventilation, Cardiology and Resuscitation, Trauma, Medical, Obstetrics and Gynecology, EMS Operations, Clinical Judgment.

Question 1 · Airway, Respiration and Ventilation
You are ventilating a 4-month-old infant who is unresponsive with slow, shallow breathing. The infant is supine on a flat cot, the chin is tucked toward the chest, and the chest barely rises with each BVM breath despite a good mask seal. What should you do next?
- A.Insert a nasopharyngeal airway and continue ventilating
- B.Place a thin folded towel under the infant's shoulders
- C.Place a folded towel under the back of the infant's head
- D.Tilt the head back as far as it will go and ventilate
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Place a thin folded towel under the infant's shoulders
An infant's large occiput flexes the neck when the infant lies flat, kinking the soft airway. Padding under the shoulders brings the head to a neutral (sniffing) position. A towel under the head worsens the flexion, and hyperextending the neck can also close the floppy pediatric airway.
Question 2 · Cardiology and Resuscitation
During CPR on a 55-year-old man, the AED advises a shock and delivers it. What is the next step?
- A.Check the carotid pulse for no more than about 10 seconds
- B.Resume chest compressions at once for 2 minutes
- C.Give 2 rescue breaths, then check for breathing
- D.Press analyze so the AED can recheck the rhythm
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Resume chest compressions at once for 2 minutes
After a shock, compressions restart immediately and continue for 2 minutes before the AED reanalyzes. Most patients are not perfusing right after a shock even if the rhythm changes, so a pulse check or immediate reanalysis only adds a harmful pause in compressions.
Question 3 · Medical, Obstetrics and Gynecology
A 34-year-old man with epilepsy has been having a generalized tonic-clonic seizure for 7 minutes. He is cyanotic, SpO2 86%, with a glucose of 104 mg/dL. ALS is 15 minutes away. What is most appropriate for the AEMT?
- A.Insert an NPA, give high-flow oxygen, assist ventilations and transport
- B.Place a padded bite block between the teeth to protect the tongue
- C.Give midazolam IM from the drug kit to stop the seizure activity
- D.Give 25 g of D50 IV to treat a possible low blood glucose as the cause
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Insert an NPA, give high-flow oxygen, assist ventilations and transport
Seizure activity lasting 5 minutes or more is status epilepticus . Benzodiazepines are paramedic-level drugs, so the AEMT protects the airway (an NPA is tolerated with clenched teeth), gives oxygen, assists ventilation if needed, and transports or meets ALS. Nothing goes between the teeth, and dextrose is not indicated with a normal glucose.
Question 4 · EMS Operations
A 37-year-old man struck his head in a bicycle fall. He is awake but has asked you three times what happened and cannot recall the last 20 minutes. His vital signs are normal, and he says he wants to go home and refuses transport. What is the most appropriate action?
- A.Decline the refusal, keep persuading him and contact medical direction
- B.Accept the refusal once he signs the form in front of a witness
- C.Leave the scene and document that he refused against medical advice
- D.Accept the refusal if a family member agrees to watch him overnight
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Decline the refusal, keep persuading him and contact medical direction
Repetitive questioning and amnesia after a head injury mean he lacks decision-making capacity, so he cannot make an informed refusal. Keep trying to persuade him and involve medical direction (and law enforcement as protocol directs); do not leave him. A signature and witness only document a refusal; they cannot make a refusal valid when capacity is missing.
Question 5 · Clinical Judgment
En route. Mall security calls back while you are responding. Which instruction should dispatch relay to the bystanders?
- A.Stop giving him anything by mouth and roll him onto his side
- B.Sit him upright on the bench and keep him talking to you
- C.Give him a dose of insulin from the pen inside his bag
- D.Keep giving him small sips of juice until the ambulance arrives
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Stop giving him anything by mouth and roll him onto his side
A patient who is unresponsive cannot protect his airway, so pouring juice into his mouth risks aspiration; the safe instruction is nothing by mouth and the recovery position. Continuing juice is tempting because sugar is what he needs, but oral glucose is only for patients who can swallow and protect the airway, and insulin would worsen likely hypoglycemia.
Question 6 · Airway, Respiration and Ventilation
A 6-week-old infant has had a cold for 2 days and is feeding poorly. You note thick nasal secretions, mild intercostal retractions and RR 56/min. SpO2 93%, HR 164/min, lungs with scattered coarse sounds. Which intervention is most likely to improve the infant's breathing?
- A.Suction the oropharynx with a rigid tip for 15 seconds
- B.Gently suction the nostrils with a bulb syringe
- C.Insert a small oropharyngeal airway to open the airway
- D.Give a nebulized albuterol treatment by blow-by mask
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Gently suction the nostrils with a bulb syringe
Young infants breathe mainly through the nose, so nasal secretions can cause significant distress and poor feeding. Gentle bulb suction of the nostrils often brings quick improvement. An OPA is for unresponsive patients without a gag reflex, 15 seconds of rigid suction is far beyond the 5-second infant limit, and albuterol does not clear nasal secretions.
Question 7 · Cardiology and Resuscitation
During CPR on a 62-year-old woman, the EtCO2 has stayed between 6 and 8 mmHg for the last 2 minutes. The compressor has been working for about 4 minutes without a break. What should you do?
- A.Switch compressors and focus on proper rate, depth and full recoil
- B.Stop resuscitation, since the low EtCO2 means further CPR is futile
- C.Pause compressions and check for a pulse, since ROSC is likely
- D.Ventilate faster to bring the EtCO2 back up into the normal range
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Switch compressors and focus on proper rate, depth and full recoil
An EtCO2 below 10 mmHg during CPR suggests that compressions are not producing enough blood flow, often from fatigue. Rotate compressors (every 2 minutes) and optimize rate (100–120/min), depth (2–2.4 inches) and recoil. A low EtCO2 alone does not meet termination criteria, ROSC causes a sudden rise, and faster ventilation lowers EtCO2.
Question 8 · Medical, Obstetrics and Gynecology
An 18-month-old girl with a temperature of 103.1 °F (39.5 °C) had a 2-minute generalized seizure. She is now crying, alert and consolable, breathing easily, SpO2 98%. Her parents are frightened. What is most appropriate?
- A.Assess her, remove excess clothing and transport for evaluation
- B.Tell the parents transport is unnecessary because these are harmless
- C.Insert an NPA and assist her ventilations with a pediatric BVM
- D.Cool her quickly in a tub of cold water to prevent another seizure
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Assess her, remove excess clothing and transport for evaluation
This is consistent with a simple febrile seizure (ages 6 months–5 years). Support the airway, check glucose, remove excess clothing and transport so the cause of fever can be evaluated (meningitis must be ruled out). Rapid cold-water cooling can cause shivering and hypothermia, and a breathing, alert child needs no airway adjunct or ventilation.
Question 9 · EMS Operations
A 15-year-old girl fell from the bleachers at a high school game and has an obviously deformed forearm with decreased sensation in her fingers. She is alert and asks for help. Her parents cannot be reached, and her coach is present. How should you proceed regarding consent?
- A.Delay splinting until a parent can be reached by phone to consent
- B.Treat under implied consent while continuing to try to reach a parent
- C.Have her sign a refusal, since minors cannot legally consent to care
- D.Have the coach sign consent for treatment in place of the parents
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Treat under implied consent while continuing to try to reach a parent
A minor generally needs a parent or guardian's consent, but when the condition is serious and no guardian can be reached, care proceeds under implied consent (the emergency doctrine). A coach or teacher cannot legally consent for a child. A deformed forearm with altered sensation needs prompt splinting and transport, and a minor cannot sign a valid refusal.
Question 10 · Clinical Judgment
En Route. Based on the dispatch information, which condition and key equipment should you anticipate?
- A.Anaphylaxis with bronchospasm; prepare IM epinephrine 0.3 mg
- B.Severe asthma attack; prepare nebulized albuterol
- C.Spontaneous pneumothorax; prepare a chest seal
- D.Acute pulmonary edema; prepare CPAP and nitroglycerin
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Acute pulmonary edema; prepare CPAP and nitroglycerin
Known heart failure, recent weight gain, orthopnea (sleeping in a recliner) and sudden nighttime dyspnea (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea) describe left-sided heart failure with pulmonary edema, which is treated with CPAP and nitroglycerin per protocol. Asthma in a 71-year-old with this history is far less likely, and nothing suggests a pneumothorax or an allergen exposure.

Keep practicing for the AEMT

TTP Prep has 200 AEMT practice questions with explanations, timed and mock-exam modes, 297 flashcards, interactive lessons, a printable cheat sheet and a readiness score. Start free, no card needed.

Take a free Quick 10 See everything in the AEMT prep