BLS guide
Blended (HeartCode) vs in-person BLS: which format should you choose?
The American Heart Association offers BLS in two formats. Both end with the identical two-year eCard, so the choice comes down to how you prefer to learn and how much time you can spend in a room.
The two formats
- Classroom BLS: the whole course in one session with an instructor, video lessons, practice and testing all done in the room.
- Blended BLS (HeartCode BLS): the lessons and knowledge test are done online at your own pace, then you attend a shorter in-person skills session to practice and be assessed on a manikin.
The skills session is not optional. There is no fully online BLS card from the American Heart Association. Any site offering "100% online BLS" is not issuing an AHA card, and clinical employers know the difference.
Who blended suits
- Shift workers and students who cannot block out a full session
- Renewals, where you already know the material and mostly need the hands-on check
- Teams spread across sites, since everyone can do the online part separately and meet only for skills
Who classroom suits
- First-timers who want the instructor in the room for every step
- People who learn better by doing than by reading a screen
- Facilities running an onsite group class, where doing everything in one visit is simpler
What is the same either way
- The same AHA curriculum and the same skills standards
- The same skills assessment with an instructor
- The same BLS Provider eCard, valid for two years
Tell us your situation when you book and we will tell you which format is available for your class and which one fits, rather than the one that is easier for us.
Common questions
- Can I get BLS certified completely online?
- No. The American Heart Association requires an in-person skills session with an instructor for every BLS card. The blended format moves the lessons online, not the assessment.
- Is HeartCode BLS accepted by employers?
- Yes. HeartCode BLS plus the skills session produces the same AHA BLS Provider eCard as the classroom course, and employers cannot tell the two apart.
- Is blended BLS shorter?
- The in-person portion is shorter because the lessons are done beforehand online. Total learning time depends on how quickly you work through the online module.
Your Partner in Quality. Your Partner in Success.
Together, we can build stronger teams, safer environments, and a higher standard of care.