While the focus of this site is ACLS recertification, we do get many visitors interested in earning their initial Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification as well. Initial certification is different than simply renewing an existing card, so we decided to create this main to go into a little bit more detail and hopefully clear up any misconceptions visitors may have about the two processes.

The difference between the two boils down to skills testing, which is the live test taken in front of an instructor where students demonstrate their knowledge of proper ACLS techniques, positions and responses. All mainstream programs that are accredited by real organizations, and not simply an organization owned by the same parent owner as the program, require skills testing for initial certification students.

Skills testing is important for students to demonstrate their real-world knowledge of the information contained in the written part of an ACLS course, either online or in a traditional classroom course. Because medical professionals and medical standards organizations understand this importance, it is an important and integral part of any valid certification program, regardless of where the program is taken. This is unlikely to change any time in the future, even as more medical education heads onto the Internet and students and organizations look for ways to make ACLS certification courses more convenient.