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The CSCS test is the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test: fifty multiple choice questions in forty five minutes on a touch screen. You need a pass from the last two years for any CSCS card, and you find out whether you have passed before you leave.
What the test covers
- Your legal duties and your employer’s.
- Health and welfare: dust, noise, hand arm vibration and other things that harm people slowly.
- General safety and high risk work.
- The environment: waste, spills and the ground you work on.
- Behavioural case study questions, which ask what you would actually do on site rather than what the rule book says.
Pick the right version
| Version | Who sits it |
|---|---|
| Operatives | The one most people sit. Labourer, trainee, apprentice and most blue and gold trade cards. |
| Specialists | The operatives content plus one specialist area, such as supervisory, demolition, working at height or highway works. Needed for the gold Supervisor card. |
| Managers and professionals | The operatives content plus what a manager is expected to know. Needed for the black Manager card and the white cards. |
The wrong version is the most common reason a card application stalls, and the test is not refundable once sat. Our which CITB HS&E test guide helps you choose, and if in doubt, ask us before you book.
How to revise
- Use CITB’s own revision material. The questions are drawn from it.
- Practise the behavioural questions. Think about what a careful worker would do, not the quickest option.
- Time yourself. Fifty questions in forty five minutes is under a minute each.
- Consider the one day Health and Safety Awareness course if you are new to site. It is not required, but plenty of people do both on the way to a green Labourer card.
On the day
- Bring photographic identification.
- Arrive a few minutes early: sessions run back to back.
- Read each question twice, especially the case studies.
Why people fall short
- Rushing the case studies. They describe a real site situation, and the safest sensible action is usually the right answer.
- Revising only the general section. If you sit a specialist or managers version, revise that part too.
- Booking too late. If your card is due, book the test early so a resit, if needed, still fits before the expiry date.
After you pass
Your pass lasts two years and your card application is checked against it, so apply while it is live. If you are going for a blue or gold card, you also need the NVQ for your trade, which we assess on the job. Our CSCS cards page shows what each card needs, and you can book your HS&E test at our Stoke-on-Trent centre, with sessions every fortnight.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the CSCS test?
Fifty multiple choice questions in forty five minutes.
How long is a CSCS test pass valid?
Two years. Your card application is checked against it.
Do I get my result on the day?
Yes. You are told whether you have passed before you leave.
Where can I sit the CSCS test?
At approved test centres, including ours at Trent House, Stoke-on-Trent, with sessions every fortnight.
Read the source
CITB published revision material for the Health, Safety and Environment test, and the Acadame HS&E test page. Facts checked on 23 October 2026.
Tell us what the job is
Say what the work involves and who is doing it, and we will say honestly which course or card it needs, including when the answer is that you do not need one.
Real people, quick answers. 0330 124 2165.
