PALS students use the Pediatric Advanced Life Support Course Guide, Pediatric Advanced Life Support Provider Manual, and the ECC Handbook. The course guide features an instruction CD-ROM with practice exam questions, a pre-course checklist, and reference card. At many facilities, these materials are provided to you by your PALS instructor; however, if you need new copies, they can be purchased from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or the Channing Bete Company, the official distributor of AHA products.
There are many books on the market designed to help PALS students pass their certification exams. A few examples are "ACLS Review Made Incredibly Easy!" and "PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) Review "-- both retail around $25, as of February 2011. Keep in mind, however, that many of these books can be picked up free at your local library.
Websites such as ACLS.net and FastResponse.org have study materials available. Some sites charge a sign-up fee, but some also have free, downloadable study guides, quizzes, and review materials.
Some major topics covered on the PALS exam are drugs, algorithms, and interventions -- especially CPR (cardiovascular pulmonary resuscitation). Don't use your study cards to memorize facts and information, because the test utilizes scenario questions. With that in mind, it would be most effective to write a scenario on one side of an index card and the appropriate actions (i.e. drugs, interventions, and important steps) on the opposite side.
There are many organizations that offer PALS courses, but the official PALS certification card is only issued to individuals who successfully complete the AHA PALS exam. The student will receive verification of passing or failing on the spot. Certification cards are issued on the spot as well.