More people ready to help — that's the whole idea.
We built Modern CPR to make genuinely good, genuinely current lifesaving training something anyone can get: clearly explained, actually engaging, and honest about what it is and isn't.
Why we exist
Cardiac arrest, choking, serious bleeding, an opioid overdose — most of these emergencies happen far from a hospital, with an ordinary person standing closest. Not a doctor. Not a paramedic. Someone's parent, coworker, teammate, or teacher.
And the research is remarkably consistent: when a bystander recognizes what's happening and acts in those first few minutes, survival goes up dramatically. The problem is that most people have either never been trained, or were trained years ago on guidance that has since changed. We started Modern CPR to close that gap — to give everyday people the confidence and the correct, current knowledge to step in when it counts, without needing to take a whole day off or sit through a lecture that doesn't stick.
Where our content comes from — and who ILCOR is
When we say our course is "built on the latest guidelines," here's what that actually means — because you deserve to know exactly what's behind the training you're trusting.
The science of resuscitation is coordinated globally by ILCOR — the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Founded in 1992, ILCOR brings together the world's leading resuscitation organizations (including the American Heart Association, the European Resuscitation Council, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, among others). Its job is to review the best available evidence from around the world and publish a single, shared, international consensus on what genuinely works — formally called the Consensus on Science with Treatment Recommendations. That consensus is updated continuously and rolled up into a major, comprehensive revision roughly every five years. The most recent one arrived in 2025.
From that global consensus, national organizations write the specific guidelines used in their part of the world. In the United States, the American Heart Association (together with the American Red Cross for first aid) publishes the guidelines that hospitals, EMS agencies, and training providers follow. Those guidelines are then taught in courses — like this one.
So the path from evidence to your training looks like this:
ILCOR's global science → national guidelines (AHA, ERC, and others) → your Modern CPR course.
Modern CPR builds its lessons directly on the 2025 ILCOR consensus and the 2025 AHA guidelines, and reviews every module against those documents before it's published. It's the same evidence base the professionals learn from — we simply translate it into plain language and an experience designed for people who aren't medical professionals.
How we teach — and why it works
Reading a fact once and actually being able to do something under pressure are two very different things. That's why our lessons aren't videos you passively watch. You take part: you make decisions in realistic scenarios, practice the compression rhythm, and answer quick knowledge checks as you go. This kind of active, hands-on-your-keyboard learning is one of the most reliable ways to make skills stick — so that if the moment ever comes, you're not starting from zero.
At the end, a short exam confirms you've got it. You'll need 90% to pass, and you can retake it as many times as you need. When you pass, you earn a Certificate of Completion with a unique ID that anyone can verify online.
Who creates our content
Every lesson is written to the current 2025 ILCOR and AHA guidelines and reviewed for accuracy before it's published. Our goal is simple: teach the same evidence-based skills the professionals use, in language that's welcoming and clear for everyone else.
Our commitments to you
- We'll always be honest about what your certificate is. It's a Certificate of Completion for a lay-responder course — see our acceptance guide for exactly where it fits and where it doesn't.
- We're independent. Modern CPR is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, or ILCOR. We build our content on their published science; we don't claim to speak for them.
- We stand behind it. If a listed employer or program won't accept your certificate, we'll refund you.
- We respect your privacy. We collect only what we need to run your account and never sell your information.
Important: this training is educational and is not medical advice, and it does not replace an in-person, hands-on skills evaluation where one is required. In a real emergency, always call 911 first.