The test people call the “CSCS test” is not run by CSCS. It is the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test — the HS&E test — owned and administered by the Construction Industry Training Board, a separate organisation. Passing it is one of the requirements for nearly every CSCS card, alongside a relevant construction qualification.
That distinction matters when you go to book, because you book through CITB rather than CSCS. This guide covers which version of the test you need, what it actually contains, how the pass mark works, and how to prepare so that you pass first time rather than paying twice.
The format, in one line. 50 multiple-choice questions, 45 minutes, and a pass mark of 45 out of 50 — that is 90%, so you can afford five wrong answers and no more. The test is sat on a computer at a Pearson Professional centre.
That pass mark is the thing that catches people out. It is high enough that guessing does not work and skim-reading the revision material does not either.
Which version of the test do you need?
There is not one HS&E test but three, set at different levels of responsibility. The one you sit depends on the card you are applying for.
Operatives
Labourer, Trainee, Apprentice, most Blue and Gold Advanced Craft
For general site workers and most trade routes. Covers five core knowledge areas: working environment, occupational health, safety, high-risk activities and specialist topics. If you are applying for a Green or Blue card, this is your test.
Specialists
Gold Supervisor and certain skilled occupations
Everything in the Operatives test plus additional material for a specialist area such as supervision or working at height. Required for the Gold Supervisor card, and for Blue Skilled Worker and Gold Advanced Craft cards in certain occupations. Check which version applies before you book.
Managers and Professionals
The MAP test — Black Manager and professional cards
Required for the Black Managers card and for academically or professionally qualified person cards. Builds on the Operatives content with material on managing risk and legal duties rather than only recognising hazards. Pairs naturally with SMSTS.
All three share the same format. 50 questions, 45 minutes, 45 out of 50 to pass. What changes between them is the syllabus weighting and the additional material, not the mechanics. If you are unsure which one applies to your card, use the card finder on the CSCS website before booking — sitting the wrong version means paying for it again.
What the test actually contains
Two types of question sit inside the same 50. The first are straightforward knowledge questions — safety signs, manual handling, working at height, hazardous substances, fire prevention, personal protective equipment, reporting duties. Most people expect these and revise for them.
The second are behavioural case study questions, presented as realistic site scenarios asking what you would do. These are not testing recall; they are testing judgement, and they are based on the principles set out in CITB’s Setting Out film. Watch it before you sit the test. Candidates who revise the facts thoroughly and skip this section are the ones who come out at 42 out of 50 and cannot work out why.
A small number of questions ask you to select more than one answer. Both selections must be right to score the mark, and there is no partial credit — a common way to lose points without realising it.
Nobody publishes the real questions. The live question bank is not released, so any site claiming to give you the actual exam questions is either mistaken or misleading you. What genuinely helps is CITB’s own revision material — the GT100 publication for Operatives contains the full body of content the test draws from, in question and answer form, and is available from CITB directly along with a revision app. Practice tests are for rehearsing the format and finding your weak areas, not for memorising answers.
How to prepare properly
Four things that make the difference between passing first time and paying the fee twice.
Work through the official material first
The GT100 and its equivalents cover everything the test can ask. Read it before you touch a practice test, otherwise you are guessing and then learning the answer rather than learning the subject.
Practise against the clock
45 minutes for 50 questions is about 54 seconds each. That is comfortable if you know the material and punishing if you are deliberating. Sit at least one full timed run before the real thing.
Watch Setting Out
The behavioural questions come straight from its principles. It takes under an hour and it covers a meaningful share of the marks that people routinely drop.
Chase your weak areas, not your strong ones
Repeating tests you already score well on feels productive and changes nothing. At a 90% pass mark, the topic you keep avoiding is the one that decides the result.
Practise under real conditions. Our preparation course for the CITB HS&E test runs 50 randomly selected questions in the same format as the live exam, with instant feedback so you can see which topics need more work before you book.
It is a practice tool rather than the official test — you still book and sit the real HS&E test through CITB.
Booking, cost and what happens next
You book through CITB and sit the test at a Pearson Professional centre. CITB list the fee at £23.50 per attempt (correct at time of publishing), though it is worth checking their site for the current figure before you budget. There is no limit on retakes, but a failed attempt costs the full fee again, which is the practical argument for preparing properly rather than treating the first sitting as a trial run.
Take photographic identification. Candidates get turned away at the door for this more often than you would expect, and the fee is not refunded.
Once you pass, you have two years in which to apply for your CSCS card. The pass alone does not get you the card — you also need the relevant construction qualification for the card type, such as the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment for the Green Labourer card, or an NVQ for skilled and supervisory cards.
How long the card then lasts depends which one you get. Most run for five years, but since February 2025 a first-time Green Labourer card is issued for two years only. Labourers still in the role at that point renew for a further five years by confirming they are employed as a labourer, and CSCS extend acceptance of the original test pass to three years for that first renewal. Check current requirements on the CSCS site before you apply.
Training that goes with the test
The test proves awareness. These qualifications are the other half of most card applications.
Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment
The qualification route to the Green Labourer card, taken alongside the Operatives test.
CITB Health and Safety Awareness
A one-day course covering the basics of site safety for anyone new to construction work.
The Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme, for those stepping up to supervisory responsibility.
The Site Management Safety Training Scheme, the standard requirement for site managers.
CSCS test questions
Is the CSCS test the same as the CITB test?
They are the same exam under two names. Its proper title is the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test, and CITB own and run it. It is nicknamed the CSCS test because passing it is a requirement for a CSCS card, but CSCS and CITB are separate organisations. Book through CITB.
What is the pass mark?
45 out of 50, which is 90%, and it is the same for all three versions of the test. Five wrong answers is the limit. That is a considerably tighter margin than most people assume when they book, and it is the main reason candidates fail a test they thought they had prepared for.
Does passing the test get me a CSCS card?
No — it is one of two requirements. You also need the relevant construction qualification for the card you want, such as a Level 1 Award for the Green Labourer card or an NVQ for skilled and supervisory cards. You then have two years from passing the test to apply.
Can I get the real exam questions in advance?
No, and be wary of anyone claiming otherwise. The live question bank is not published. CITB’s official revision materials cover the same body of knowledge the questions are drawn from, which is as close as legitimate preparation gets — and it is enough, because the test is checking whether you know the subject rather than whether you have seen the paper.
What happens if I fail?
You rebook and pay the fee again, and nothing about a resit is easier — the questions are drawn fresh from the same bank. Rather than rebooking straight away, use the time to work on whichever areas cost you the marks. If you need to move a booking you have already made, CITB allow free rescheduling online up to 72 hours before the test; inside that window you cannot change it and the fee is not refunded.
How long is the test valid for?
Two years, within which you must apply for your CSCS card. Leave it longer and you sit the test again. The card that follows is a separate matter: most CSCS cards run for five years, but a first-time Green Labourer card has been issued for two years since February 2025, renewable for five once you confirm you are still working as a labourer.
Related training and guidance
Our preparation course is a practice tool and is not the official CITB test. The Health, Safety and Environment test is owned and administered by CITB and must be booked and sat through them; CSCS cards are issued by CSCS. Test format, fees and card requirements are set by those organisations and can change. Envico is an independent training intermediary and is not accredited by or associated with CITB or CSCS.