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A CSCS mock test is practice for the CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test, the test most CSCS cards need before you can apply. CITB owns and delivers the test; CSCS issues the card; this site is independent of both. The questions above cover the core site-safety knowledge the test is built on, each with an explanation, and the free mock-test setup times a run through them. Treat it as a mock exam: sit it cold, then work on what it shows.
CITB’s published figures, checked 23 September 2026. The operatives, specialist and managers and professionals tests share the format and the pass mark; confirm the details when you book.
The operatives test draws on five core knowledge areas: the working environment, occupational health, safety, high-risk activities and a specialist area. Specialist tests use the same areas and add questions on the chosen trade; the managers and professionals test adds legal and management duties and the environment. Every question now tests knowledge: the behavioural case-study questions the test used to include were removed in June 2019.
Identify the task and the hazard before choosing protection. Revise why different controls are used and where PPE fits into the decision. A question about a familiar tool may be testing the surrounding work area or other people at risk.
Connect PPE to the hazardPractise recognising when to stop, report a concern or follow the site emergency arrangements. Read who is affected and what is happening now before deciding on an action. Include site traffic and work-at-height risks in your revision.
Review safe working on siteChoose preparation that matches your intended card and occupation. General site safety knowledge is useful, but card requirements and specialist tests differ. Confirm the route before booking a test or paying for a course.
Find the relevant plumbing card routeWork through questions rather than reading revision material end to end, and read the explanation on every item, including the ones you guessed right. For each, say what the hazard is, who could be harmed and why the chosen action reduces the risk.
Spread your revision across all five knowledge areas instead of repeating the easiest questions. With 45 of 50 needed to pass you can afford five wrong answers, so one weak area costs more here than in most tests.
CITB publishes its own revision material for the operatives and specialist tests, as a book, a download or an app. CITB warns that the real questions are worded differently from those in its revision material, so learn why an answer is right rather than memorising the question.
CITB offers Operatives, Specialist, and Managers and Professionals tests. Choose your card route first, then confirm the test it accepts. For a Specialist test, check the exact specialism too.
The standard test fee is £23.50. Book through CITB’s Pearson VUE service or an approved Internet Test Centre, and check the confirmation carefully. Arrange any support when booking and check the ID policy in advance, including its alternatives if you do not have a passport or photocard driving licence.
Arrive at least 15 minutes early with the booking confirmation and accepted ID. Keep your score report afterwards. The booking guide above explains online versus home testing, appointment changes and resits.
Passing the test is one requirement for a card; the card also depends on your occupation and qualifications. The application costs £36, apprentice cards are free, and the test pass you apply with must be from the last two years. Some trades apply through a partner scheme that carries the CSCS logo, and plumbing, heating and gas cards come from JIB-PMES.
| Card | For | Main requirements | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green labourer | Labouring and other non-skilled site work | The operatives test, plus a Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment or an approved alternative | First card 2 years; renewals 5 years |
| Red apprentice | Registered apprentices | Registration on a recognised apprenticeship; issued free | 4 years 6 months |
| Blue skilled worker | Skilled trades | A recognised Level 2 occupational qualification, plus the test at the relevant level | 5 years |
| Gold skilled worker or supervisor | Advanced craft and supervisory roles | A relevant advanced or supervisory qualification, plus the test at the relevant level | 5 years |
| Black manager | Managers | A management qualification, plus the managers and professionals test | 5 years |
| White professional | Academically or professionally qualified people | A recognised qualification or membership, plus the managers and professionals test or an accepted alternative | 5 years |
JIB-PMES issues the cards for plumbing, heating and gas work, and accepts either the CITB specialist plumbing (JIB) test or its own online test for its trade, apprentice and trainee cards. The JIB-PMES test is taken at home with a live online invigilator: 50 questions in an hour, 45 to pass, £35. Mates and labourers can use the CITB operatives test or the JIB-PMES test.
Check the card first, then book the test it accepts. A pass on the wrong test is a pass nobody asked for.
Use this set for a timed site-safety practice run, then review the reasoning behind each answer. The real test is 50 questions in 45 minutes with 45 needed to pass, so aim for 90% here before you book. The practice set’s length and timer describe this revision exercise, not the test you book.
The free test offers 5, 10 or 25 questions from this same set, with an optional practice timer. In Test mode, answers and explanations appear after you finish. Repeated tests reuse this bank, so a higher score can reflect familiarity.
Set up a free Site health and safety testFifty multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes. The operatives, specialist and managers and professionals tests all share that format.
At least 45 correct out of 50, which is 90%, for every version of the test. Five wrong answers is the limit, so weak areas matter more than in most tests.
£23.50 since 1 April 2026, when booked through Pearson VUE for CITB. Third-party booking sites often add admin fees for the same test.
You can book online and revise at home, but the CITB HS&E test is taken at a Pearson Professional Centre or an approved Internet Test Centre. An Internet Test Centre is a venue you attend. JIB-PMES offers a separate test with online invigilation for eligible plumbing and mechanical-services cards, so check which test your card accepts before booking.
No. CITB removed the behavioural case-study questions in June 2019, so every question now tests knowledge across the core areas. Revision advice that describes them is out of date.
For a CSCS card application the pass must be from the last two years. When renewing a first labourer card, the original pass is accepted for up to three years.
You can take the test again after 48 hours, as a new booking at the full fee. Use the gap to revise the areas that let you down rather than resitting straight away.
No. It is a 25-question site-safety practice set, and the optional Test mode uses the same questions. The test you book is 50 questions in 45 minutes.
No. The test is owned and delivered by CITB; the card is issued by CSCS. You pass the test, then apply to CSCS for the card that matches your qualifications and role.
Yes. Both names mean practice for the same thing: the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test, which CITB owns and delivers. CSCS issues the card that a pass supports, so people search for either name. The questions above practise the core site-safety knowledge the test is built on.
Plumbing cards come from JIB-PMES, which accepts the CITB specialist plumbing (JIB) test or its own online test for most plumbing, heating and gas cards; mates can use the CITB operatives test. Check the card first, then book the test it accepts.
No. A practice score records performance on this revision set. A card application needs a recognised test result, qualifications and other evidence, so use the score to find subjects to revise, then follow the requirements of the card scheme.
With 45 of 50 needed to pass, the test rewards steady knowledge across every area rather than strength in one. PlumbRevise carries the wider site-safety material, and the plumbing and gas banks for the trade qualifications that follow.