If you want to work on most UK construction sites, you’ll usually need a CSCS card. To apply for most CSCS cards, you need to have passed the CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test at the right level in the last two years. This guide explains the test and how to get ready for it.
Which version do you need?
There are three versions. The one you need depends on the CSCS card you’re applying for:
| Test | Usually needed for |
|---|---|
| Operatives | Labourer, Trainee and Apprentice cards, most Blue Skilled Worker cards and most Gold Advanced Craft cards |
| Specialist | The Gold Supervisor card and some Blue and Gold occupations |
| Managers and Professionals | The Black Manager card and the Academically or Professionally Qualified Person cards |
Check the exact requirement for your card on the CSCS website before you book.
How the test works
- 50 questions in 45 minutes, for all three versions.
- Pass mark: 45 out of 50 (90%).
- The Specialist test covers the Operatives topics plus questions on the specialism you choose.
- It costs £23.50 (from 1 April 2026).
- If you don’t pass, you can’t resit within 48 hours.
What’s covered
- Operatives: working environment, occupational health, safety, high-risk activities, and specialist activities.
- Managers and Professionals: legal and management; occupational health, wellbeing and welfare; general safety; high-risk activities; and the environment.
How to book
You book with CITB, not CSCS: online through Pearson VUE, or by phone on 0344 994 4488 (Welsh language line: 0344 994 4490). You can take the test at a Pearson VUE test centre or other approved test locations. Rescheduling and cancelling rules depend on how and when you change your booking, so check CITB’s booking terms first.
How to prepare
- Use the official revision material. CITB publishes it for each version (GT100 for Operatives and Specialists, GT200 for Managers and Professionals), as a book, app or download. The real test may word questions differently from the revision material, so learn the ideas, not just the answers.
- Study one topic at a time, starting with the areas that are newest to you.
- Aim well above the pass mark in practice. With a 90% pass mark, there’s very little room for mistakes.
- Take timed practice tests of 50 questions in 45 minutes.
- Check your card requirement again before booking, so you take the right version.
Practise with Tutwoo
Tutwoo’s construction safety courses cover the topics behind the test in plain English, with original practice questions and an AI tutor that explains your answers. The first lesson of every course is free.
Sources
- About the HS&E test
- Operatives test
- Specialist test
- Managers and Professionals test
- Prepare for the test
- CSCS: health and safety test
- CSCS: CITB price changes
- CITB booking terms (April 2026)
Tutwoo is independent and not affiliated with CITB or CSCS. Details from citb.co.uk and cscs.uk.com, checked 31 October 2026.
© 2026 Tutwoo UK Limited. This guide was created in-house by Tutwoo and is our original work. It is for your own learning only: please do not copy, share, record or resell it.