National CPR Foundation review
Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
National CPR Foundation pairs a $12.95 entry price with a course of 0.5 to 1 hours online, so it suits people who want a fast certificate rather than a long qualification. The trade-off is study length, because the course carries no practicum for supervised practice.
Key facts
- Best for
- Fast, low-cost online CPR certificates for people who can revise alone.
- Certification type
- Cpr (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price from
- $12.95 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Course hours
- 0.5 to 1 hour (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Teaching practicum
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Exam fee included
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Recertification period
- 2 years (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Money-back period
- 30 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- National CPR Foundation, LLC (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Delivery
- Online
- Official website
- nationalcprfoundation.com
Apps and profiles
- Elsewhere
- X
Pros and cons
Pros
- The $12.95 entry price sits below $14.95 at ACLS Now, $14.95 at American BLS and $14.95 at American CPR Care Association.
- The exam fee is included, so the $12.95 entry price covers the assessment as well as the course material.
- Study time of 0.5 to 1 hours suits a refresher, and the course is delivered online for people who cannot attend classes.
- It ranks at position 2 of 87 on entry price across the brands compared, so the low cost holds up in context.
- Only 20% of providers in this category offer in-person delivery, so an online course is the norm rather than a compromise.
Cons
- The course carries no practicum, so compressions and breaths are never demonstrated to an assessor.
- Support runs on email and help centre only, with no phone line or live chat for urgent questions.
- Study time of 0.5 to 1 hours is well under the 4 hour median for this category, so it suits refreshers rather than deep study.
Who it suits
- People who need a current CPR certificate and can revise in a single block of 0.5 to 1 hours.
- Budget buyers who want one clear figure, $12.95, with the exam fee included rather than added later.
- Learners comfortable studying on their own, since the course is delivered online and there is no practicum to attend.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone whose employer requires witnessed compressions and breaths, because the course carries no practicum, so American CPR Care Association is the alternative to weigh for a different setup.
- Buyers who want to talk to someone before enrolling, since support runs on email and help centre, so American BLS is worth checking for a different support mix.
Core features
The CPR course runs 0.5 to 1 hours and is the whole learning commitment, which suits a refresher rather than a full qualification and fits around a shift pattern. There is no practicum, so compressions and breaths are not demonstrated to an assessor, and anyone whose employer requires witnessed skills should know that before paying. The exam fee is included, so the assessment does not add a charge at the end. The certificate is good for 2 years, after which the same course is taken again rather than a shorter update, and the purchase sits inside a 30 day refund window, so a change of mind soon after buying costs little.
The company behind it
National CPR Foundation trades as National CPR Foundation, LLC, a limited liability company based in the US, so the payer and the certificate issuer are the same named body. Support runs on email and help centre, which means a help centre for routine questions about course access and the certificate, and email for anything longer. Readers who want a voice on the phone before enrolling should weigh that against a lower price, and anyone whose employer needs a certificate recognised outside the US should check their own requirements first.
How National CPR Foundation compares
9.5 vs 9.0
9.5 vs 8.8
9.5 vs 8.6
9.5 vs 9.1
9.5 vs 8.7
Frequently asked questions
How much does the CPR course cost?+
The entry price is $12.95 for the CPR course, with the exam fee included, so that is the figure to budget for rather than a base price with extras added later. It ranks at position 2 of 87 on entry price among the brands compared, which keeps it among the cheapest on the list.
Do I pay an exam fee on top?+
The exam fee is included with the $12.95 course, so the only outlay at signup is the course fee itself. Renewal comes round every 2 years, when the course is taken again, so the same figure returns at that interval.
How long does the course take?+
0.5 to 1 hours is the whole course, and it is delivered online, so a single sitting covers it. That sits well below the 4 hour median for CPR and first aid courses on the site, which shows how short these refreshers usually are. Plan the same block for theory and assessment.
Does the course include supervised practice?+
The course has no practicum, so compressions and rescue breaths are not demonstrated to an assessor. It is a screen-based online course that ends in an assessment, and the resulting certificate is good for 2 years. Employers who require witnessed skills practice will want a course that includes it.
When does the certificate expire?+
The certificate needs renewing every 2 years by taking the course again, so the $12.95 entry price returns at that interval. Recertification repeats the full 0.5 to 1 hour course rather than a shorter update, which keeps budgeting simple and keeps the study time identical to the first pass.
What is the refund window?+
Purchases sit inside a 30 day refund window, which matches the 30 day median for this category. The $12.95 entry price is small enough that a change of mind costs little either way, and the certificate remains valid for 2 years once issued.
Who runs the provider?+
Courses are sold by National CPR Foundation, LLC, a limited liability company based in the US. That named entity is the one to look for on an invoice and the one that handles refunds. Questions go through email and help centre, so this is a US-based company selling online courses.
How do I get help?+
Support runs on email and help centre only, meaning a help centre for common questions and email for everything else. Anyone who needs to talk something through before enrolling should plan to write instead. Those channels suit questions about course access and the certificate.
Sources
- nationalcprfoundation.com/courses checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Price from
“Standard - CPR /AED Only $12.95”
- nationalcprfoundation.com/courses/standard-cpr-aed checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Certification type
“In this CPR Certification Class you'll learn how to perform CPR”
- nationalcprfoundation.com/online-cpr-certification-2 checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Headquarters
“We're based in the United States”
- nationalcprfoundation.com/refund-policy checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Money-back period
“refund requests must be made within thirty (30) days”
- nationalcprfoundation.com/support checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Course hours, Delivery, Exam fee included, Teaching practicum, Recertification period, Support channels
“Courses range from 30 minutes to 1 hour”
- nationalcprfoundation.com/terms-conditions checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Legal entity
“NationalCPRFoundation, LLC provides the services”
Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Tutor support.
Related by the facts
National CPR Foundation
Fast, low-cost online CPR certificates for people who can revise alone.