Yea, I lifeguard during the summer. This job looks great on a resume, very responsible. I also instruct swimming lesson altough I prefer to just guard Umm... I didn't do it through the ymca and the lifesaving society proably has different requirements up here in Canada. But anyways we had to do something 25 laps (25 metres a piece) in 18 minutes and than we had to lift a 20 pound brick from the bottem of the pool. That was the most physically demanding componant of the course. Than when I took my instructors course there was not time limit but we hhad to have perfect form on all our strokes, I supose the logic is how can we teach them if we are unable to do them ourselves best advice is to get out to the pool and swim as much as you can before your test. Ask a lifegaurd to count laps for you and correct you (believe me it can get pretty boring up there, and if it isn't busy I am sure they will help)