Where your certificate is accepted
We'd much rather be honest up front than sell you the wrong thing. Whether an online certificate is right for you depends entirely on why you need it — so here's the complete, plain-English answer.
First, what you're getting: Modern CPR issues a Certificate of Completion for a lay-responder CPR, AED & First Aid course. It confirms that you learned the material — built on the 2025 ILCOR/AHA guidelines — and passed a real exam. Whether that certificate is accepted for a particular purpose comes down to who's asking, and why.
A great fit for
- Parents, families, and caregivers who want to be ready at home
- Community members, volunteers, and everyday Good Samaritans
- Many general (non-clinical) workplaces that accept online training
- Coaches, camp staff, and school groups where your state allows online training
- Refreshing your knowledge and confidence between in-person certifications
Not a substitute where a hands-on skills check is required
- Hospitals and most clinical or healthcare-provider roles
- Nursing school, EMS, and other licensed programs
- Any employer or state rule that specifically requires an in-person skills test
Why the difference?
It comes down to one thing a screen simply can't do: physically watch you perform. An online course can teach the knowledge superbly — the depth and rhythm of compressions, when and how to use an AED, how to clear an airway, how to stop bleeding. What it can't do is stand next to you and confirm your hands are in the right place and your compressions are deep and fast enough on a real manikin.
That hands-on skills evaluation is exactly what clinical and regulated roles require — which is why those roles need an in-person assessment. If that's you, think of Modern CPR as excellent preparation: a way to walk into a skills session already knowing the material cold, rather than a replacement for the check itself.
A blended option is on the way. For people who need an accepted card that includes a hands-on component, we're building a blended path: learn the knowledge online with Modern CPR, then complete a short in-person skills verification. It isn't available just yet — but it's coming, and we'll update this page the moment it is.
Before you enroll, confirm it counts
Requirements vary by employer, by profession, and by state — and they change over time. So the single most valuable thing you can do is also the simplest:
Ask your employer or licensing board what they require before you enroll. Specifically: will they accept an online Certificate of Completion, or do they require an in-person skills evaluation or a particular provider's card? A two-minute email now can save you from buying the wrong thing.
Our guarantee
We stand behind this. If a listed employer or program won't accept your Modern CPR Certificate of Completion, we'll refund you — just email info@moderncpr.com with the details. We can't guarantee acceptance for clinical or regulated roles on your behalf — which is exactly why we ask you to confirm first — but if you did your homework and were still turned away, you shouldn't be out the money. See our full Refund & Guarantee.