TCCC Practice Test: MARCH Algorithm and Combat Lifesaver Skills
Quick, free combat lifesaver test to check your MARCH skills. Instant results.
This quiz helps you practice the MARCH algorithm in TCCC and make clear, safe choices under pressure. Work through short prompts on bleeding, airway, chest, circulation, hypothermia, and evacuation, then strengthen support skills with 9 line medevac scenarios, tune up basics with a free first aid quiz, and expand readiness with a cbrn practice test.
Study Outcomes
- Apply TCCC Protocols -
Use knowledge of Tactical Combat Casualty Care phases to select appropriate interventions during care under fire and tactical field care.
- Perform Hemorrhage Control -
Demonstrate life-saving techniques such as tourniquet application and wound packing to manage severe bleeding in combat settings.
- Assess Airway and Breathing -
Evaluate and address airway obstructions and respiratory compromise using TCCC best practices taught in the quiz.
- Prioritize Tactical Evacuation -
Make informed decisions on casualty evacuation timelines and methods to optimize patient survival under hostile conditions.
- Interpret Shock and Trauma Signs -
Identify early indicators of shock and other critical injuries to initiate timely interventions and improve outcomes.
- Self-Evaluate Combat Lifesaver Test Performance -
Analyze your results from the combat lifesaver test quiz to highlight strengths and target areas for further skill development.
Cheat Sheet
- MARCH Mnemonic for Prioritizing Care -
Before taking the combat lifesaver test, master the MARCH sequence (Massive hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, Head) to rapidly assess and treat casualties under fire following TCCC guidelines. This memory aid from the Defense Health Agency directs you to address life-threatening injuries in the correct order and keeps interventions systematic under stress.
- Rapid Tourniquet Application -
In a tactical combat casualty care quiz scenario, apply a tourniquet 2 - 3 inches above the wound and tighten until the distal pulse disappears, following Joint Trauma System protocols. Use the "High and Tight" mnemonic to remember placement and always note the time of application on the tourniquet strap.
- Airway Management with NPA -
During a combat lifesaver quiz, be ready to insert a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) in unconscious patients with an intact gag reflex, using water-based lubricant to minimize trauma and ensure patency. Verifying placement with bilateral breath sounds on auscultation prevents airway obstruction, as recommended by the Journal of Special Operations Medicine.
- Needle Decompression for Tension Pneumothorax -
Identify tension pneumothorax by tracheal deviation, jugular venous distension, and unilateral chest rise, then perform needle decompression in the 5th intercostal space at the anterior axillary line per Trauma Anesthesiology Society standards. Practicing on simulation manikins improves landmark recognition and speed during high-pressure scenarios.
- Fluid Resuscitation and Permissive Hypotension -
Follow the 1:1:1 ratio for plasma, platelets, and red blood cells or administer 500 mL of balanced crystalloids while targeting a systolic BP of 90 mm Hg, based on TCCC protocols from the Armed Forces Journal. Use the "TIP" mnemonic (Tiny Infusion Press) to recall permissive hypotension steps and prevent dilutional coagulopathy.