BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals have a duty to maintain basic life support (BLS) skills. This study aims to evaluate medical students' factual knowledge of BLS and the training they receive. METHODS:A cross-sectional, closed-response questionnaire was distributed to the fi rst-and fourth-year students studying at institutions in the United Kingdom. The paper questionnaire sought to quantify respondent's previous BLS training, factual knowledge of the BLS algorithm using five multiple choice questions (MCQs), and valuate their desire for further BLS training. Students received 1 point for each correctly identifi ed answer to the 5 MCQ's.RESULTS: A total of 3,732 complete responses were received from 21 medical schools. Eighty percent (n=2,999) of students completed a BLS course as part of their undergraduate medical studies. There was a signifi cant difference (P<0.001) in the percentage of the fourth-year students selecting the correct answer in all the MCQ's compared to the fi rst-year students except in identifying www.wjem.com.cn