& 
Red CSCS Provisional card
Someone brand new to construction who needs to get on site quickly while they sort out a qualification.
- Valid for
- 6 months
- CITB test
- Operatives
- You need
- You have never held a CSCS card of any kind before
- Renewable
- No
CSCS consulted the industry in April 2026 on allowing a one off renewal of this card. Nothing has changed yet and the published rule is still one card, six months, no renewal.
Card checker
Which CSCS card do I need?
Two questions. No sign up, nothing stored, and it tells you the qualification and the test as well as the card.
The pathway
How to get the Provisional card
-
1
Pass the CITB HS&E test
The Operatives test, passed within the last two years. That is the only qualification requirement for this card.
-
2
Apply to CSCS
You can apply once, and only if you have never held a CSCS card before.
Applying for the card
Apply on the CSCS website£36Paid to CSCS, not to us. Do not pay more than this: CSCS say the standard application fee is all it costs.
-
3
Use the six months to get qualified
The card is a bridge, not a destination. Most people use it to get on site while they do the Level 1 award for a green card, or start a Level 2 NVQ for a blue one.
You qualify for this card if
- You have never held a CSCS card of any kind before
- You are on probation, on a short work experience placement, or trying construction out
Course and test on the same day
We run our own CITB Health, Safety and Environment test centre, so you do not have to finish the course here and then go and find a test somewhere else. Course in the morning, test in the afternoon, one trip.
Renewal
When this card runs out
No. It cannot be renewed and it can only be applied for once, ever. Plan the next card before this one runs out.
The other cards
Other CSCS cards
Red Industry Placement card
A student or learner doing a work placement that forms part of a construction qualification.
2 years
Black Manager card
A site manager, contracts manager or project manager running construction work.
5 years
Green Labourer card
A general site operative doing labouring work. It is not for skilled trades.
2 years on the first card, then 5 years on renewal
Gold Supervisor card
A site supervisor, foreman or ganger running a team on site.
5 years
Gold Advanced Craft card
An experienced tradesperson who has taken their trade to Level 3.
5 years
Blue Skilled Worker card
A qualified tradesperson: bricklayer, joiner, plasterer, painter, glazier, roofer, tiler and so on.
5 years
White Academically Qualified Person card
Someone with a construction related degree, HNC, HND or an accepted NEBOSH or CIOB qualification.
5 years
White Professionally Qualified Person card
A current member, at a professionally qualified grade, of a CSCS approved professional body.
5 years
Red Trainee card
Someone registered on a construction qualification and working towards it. There are now two different routes with two different cards.
5 years on the competence route, 2 years on the non competence route
Red Apprentice card
Someone registered on a recognised construction apprenticeship.
4 years and 6 months
Red Experienced Worker card
Someone who has done the work for years but never got the qualification. This is the card that buys you time to fix that.
1 year
Red Experienced Technical, Supervisor or Manager card
An experienced supervisor, manager or technical worker who has not yet got the qualification to match.
3 years
Red CSCS Provisional card: common questions
Six months, and it cannot be renewed.
No. You can only apply once, and only if you have never held any CSCS card before.
A CITB Health, Safety and Environment test pass from within the last two years. There is no qualification requirement.
Decide which permanent card you are aiming at. For general labouring that is the green Labourer card, which needs the Level 1 award. For a trade it is the blue Skilled Worker card, which needs a Level 2 NVQ.
From the blog
Course guides and news
The latest plain-English guides to choosing the right course, card or qualification.