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The number that predicts a good session is participants per manikin, not participants per instructor. Compressions are a physical skill built by repetition, and a class where a dozen people share two manikins gives each person a few minutes of practice. Asking how many manikins will be brought is a more revealing question than asking about class size, and providers who are confident answer it directly.
Groups that already work together get something extra from training as a unit. Emergency response depends on people coordinating quickly, and colleagues who have rehearsed together know who will call, who will fetch the defibrillator and who is comfortable taking over compressions. That coordination is the part that cannot be learned from an individual course.
Mixed experience within a group is an advantage if the session is structured for it. Pairing someone who has trained before with someone who has not gives the beginner immediate correction and the experienced participant a genuine refresher through explaining. Telling the provider the composition of the group in advance lets them plan for that rather than discover it.
Updated for 2026. Reviewed in 2026. The detail below is the current standard, and is worth reading alongside the article above.
No certificate is issued on online coursework alone, which is worth checking against any provider advertising a fully online card.
Taken as blended learning, the CPR/AED in-person session is 170 minutes (2 hours 50 minutes) on top of the online coursework. First Aid runs 240 minutes (4 hours) in the classroom and 120 minutes (2 hours) in person when blended.
Reviewed by Jackie Stern, Lifeguard Instructor, Firefighter and EMT. Jackie Stern has taught lifeguarding for more than 20 years and works as a firefighter, EMT and swim instructor. She reviews course content, prerequisites and rescue standards against current certification requirements.