Choosing your CPR level
What level of CPR do I need?
The short answer
CPR-C covers most jobs. CPR-BLS covers all of them.
All three levels cost the same here, so if you are unsure, book CPR-BLS. You can move down a level in class, but not up.
Most people arrive knowing they need a first aid certificate and not knowing which CPR level goes with it. The level is a separate choice from the course, and the wrong one means a certificate your employer will not accept.
There are three levels. They stack: CPR-C contains everything in CPR-A, and CPR-BLS contains everything in CPR-C. So the question is really how far up the ladder your requirement goes.
Requirements vary by employer, school and role, so confirm what yours asks for before booking. Not sure? Call us at 705-985-3478 or send us a message, and we’ll work it out with you.
The three levels
You do not pay more for a higher level
All three CPR levels are the same price on the same course at Barrie First Aid. Most providers charge a premium for CPR-BLS. Because there is no cost difference, the only reason to choose a lower level is if your requirement specifically names it.
CPR-BLS Recommended
Basic Life Support
The highest level of CPR training available to someone who is not a medical professional. It takes a little longer to learn and costs no more here.
What it covers
Everything in CPR-C, plus using a bag valve mask and performing CPR on someone who has been intubated by a professional.
Who usually needs it
Paramedics, doctors, nurses, dental hygienists, chiropractors and anyone working in a medical office. Also required for most post-secondary students before a clinical placement.
Available on: Intermediate First Aid, CPR & AED, and Recertification.
CPR-BLS in Barrie: who needs it, which course to book and how renewal works
CPR-C Most requested
Adults, children and infants
The level most employers ask for by name. If your requirement just says "CPR level C", this is it.
What it covers
Everything in CPR-A, plus helping an infant or child who is choking or in cardiac arrest.
Who usually needs it
Teachers, educational assistants and anyone working in a school, day camp staff, daycare providers, dance studio staff, and many volunteer organisations that work with children.
Available on: every course we run.
CPR-A
Adults only
The most basic level. It does not certify you for children or infants, so check your requirement carefully before choosing it.
What it covers
Helping an adult who is choking, chest compressions and rescue breathing, and how and why to use an AED.
Who usually needs it
People who will not be working with children and need cover for adult emergencies in their workplace, such as personal trainers.
Available on: every course we run.
Choosing CPR-BLS on a first aid course issues two certificates: a CPR-BLS certificate that renews every year, and your first aid certificate, valid 3 years, which shows CPR level C. CPR & AED taken on its own issues one certificate, at the level you choose, valid one year. CPR-A or CPR-C chosen on a first aid course is shown on the first aid certificate and lasts as long as it does.
Most people booking this course
Intermediate First Aid & CPR
You choose your CPR level when you book. If you are unsure, choose CPR-BLS: we can move you down a level in class, but not up.
Price
$138 + HST
Online at home
9 hours
In class with us
7.5 hours
CPR level
A, C or BLS
The online part is required and must be finished before your in-class day.
Pick a date and book
Booking is subject to our course policies: refunds, date changes, photo ID and what to bring on the day.
Need a different course? See all courses and dates, including Basic First Aid, standalone CPR & AED, and Recertification.
If you pick the wrong one
Tell your instructor on the day. If you booked a higher level than you need, we move you down in class rather than sending you away to rebook: the CPR-BLS online theory covers CPR-C and CPR-A as well.
It does not work the other way. The online theory has to be completed before the practical, and the theory for a lower level does not cover the higher one, so we cannot move you up in class. If you are unsure, book CPR-BLS. On Basic First Aid, where CPR-BLS is not offered, CPR-C is the higher level.
We also stand behind the training after you leave. While your certificate is still valid you are welcome to come in and sit in on a course again, free of charge, if you would benefit from going over any of it.
What an online-only certificate does and does not cover
The test is not online against in person. Our own courses put the theory online, and that part is genuinely useful: you work through it at your own pace before you come in. The question is whether a course includes the in-person practical hours, because for an Ontario workplace certificate that is where the requirement bites.
Two separate things have to be true, and a fully online course fails the second:
- The provider has to be WSIB-approved. Ontario’s first aid regulation, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 1101, requires at sections 8, 9 and 10 that the first aid station be in the charge of someone holding a named certificate “or its equivalent”. Those three words are what let a certificate from any WSIB-approved provider count. WSIB publishes the list, so you can check any provider yourself in about a minute.
- The course has to include the practical hours. CSA Z1210:24 clause 4.3 says the practical skills component shall include a minimum number of hours: 3.5 for the basic level and 7 for the intermediate level. Clause 4.3 Note 1 excludes the knowledge component, registration and breaks from that count, so those hours mean hands-on time and nothing else. A course with no in-person day has none of them.
The longer answer is in Is an online CPR or first aid certificate valid in Ontario?
Check it yourself
- WSIB: find your first aid training provider, to look up Assured Response, who hold the approval for the program we deliver
- R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 1101: First Aid Requirements, sections 8, 9 and 10, which still use the pre-2026 course names
Where an online-only course is still worth doing
If you want to understand CPR and have no workplace requirement to satisfy, a free online course is better than nothing and we would rather you did one than none. It will not produce a certificate that meets Regulation 1101, and it cannot, because there is no way to assess chest compressions through a screen. That is the whole distinction, and it is worth knowing before you pay for anything.
Common questions about CPR levels
Which CPR level should I pick if my employer has not said?
CPR-C if you work with or around children, CPR-BLS if you are in healthcare or heading into a clinical placement. If you are unsure, book CPR-BLS. Its online theory covers CPR-C and CPR-A as well, so we can move you down a level in class. We cannot move you up, and all three cost the same here.
Is CPR-BLS more expensive than CPR-C?
Not here. All three CPR levels are the same price on the same course, which is not true of every provider. So booking CPR-BLS when you are unsure costs you nothing extra.
How long does my CPR certificate last?
It depends how you took it. CPR & AED taken on its own issues one certificate, valid one year at any level, and you renew it by taking the course again. CPR-A or CPR-C chosen on a first aid course is shown on the first aid certificate and lasts as long as it does. Choosing CPR-BLS on a first aid course issues two certificates: a CPR-BLS certificate that renews every year, and your first aid certificate, valid 3 years, which shows CPR level C.
Can I take CPR-BLS with the Basic First Aid course?
No. Basic First Aid offers CPR-A or CPR-C. If you need BLS, take Intermediate First Aid & CPR, the standalone CPR & AED course, or Recertification.
Does a free online CPR certificate count for my job?
For an Ontario workplace, almost certainly not. Regulation 1101 asks for a first aid certificate from a WSIB-approved provider, and a CPR certificate on its own is not one, online or in person. Online theory is fine, and our own courses use it; it is the in-person skills day that matters.
What is the difference between CPR-A and CPR-C?
CPR-A covers adults only. CPR-C covers adults, children and infants, so it includes everything in CPR-A. A requirement for CPR-A is met by CPR-C, and not the other way round.
What does CPR level C mean?
Level C is the CPR level that covers adults, children and infants, with AED. CPR-C and CPR level C are the same thing.
Is CPR level C the same as BLS?
No. CPR-C covers adults, children and infants. CPR-BLS covers everything in CPR-C and adds using a bag valve mask and performing CPR on someone who has been intubated by a professional. If your requirement names BLS, book BLS.
My paperwork says HCP or BCLS. Is that BLS?
BLS stands for Basic Life Support and is the healthcare-provider level of CPR. Requirements are worded differently from one College, program and employer to the next, so if yours says CPR-HCP or BCLS, check with whoever set it, or call us on 705-985-3478 and we will read it with you before you book.
What if I picked the wrong level?
Tell your instructor. If you booked a higher level than you need, we move you down in class: CPR-BLS covers CPR-C and CPR-A. We cannot move you up: the online theory has to be completed before the practical, and the theory you completed does not cover the higher level. So if you are unsure, book CPR-BLS. And while your certificate is still valid you are welcome to sit in on a course again, free of charge, if you want to refresh anything.
Certifying a team?
We’ll run the course at your site on a date that suits your operation, or host your group at our Barrie centre. Group pricing starts at six people, and a smaller group is welcome at that rate. Mixed CPR levels in one group are fine. One invoice for the lot.