Contents
This article will allow you to sample the content, structure, and format of the CSCS test. Before taking the mock test, we would encourage you to read the guidance notes below. This will offer some information on the organisations which sponsor this exam, its importance in the context of the construction industry, and the various types of CSCS tests available.
You have 45 minutes to answer 50 multiple choice CSCS Health, Safety and Evironment Test questions for Operatives and Specialists. You need to answer at least 45 out of 50 questions correctly to pass. Answers may be reviewed after each question or at the end of the test. Good luck!
B
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Explanation: If you notice something which seems unsafe, especially if it has gone unnoticed, it is your legal duty to report it.
B
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Explanation: A construction phase plan details the health and safety considerations associated with the construction phase.
B
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Explanation: You should attend a site induction every time you visit a new site.
B
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Explanation: Accident records and reports are made to monitor and improve safety conditions on site.
B
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Explanation: All parties are responsible for cooperating with investigations.
B
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Explanation: You should describe what you saw.
B
Explanation: Ill health as a result of occupational hazards is a greater cause of time off work than workplace accidents.
B
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Explanation: Solvents can affect you both immediately, and over time.
B
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Explanation: Lead can enter your body through inhalation and absorption through your skin - but not through your gloves.
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Explanation: Ventilation and carbon monoxide detectors will help keep you safe from exhaust if engine powered equipment must be used in confined spaces.
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Explanation: Silica dust is the second largest cause of health problems after asbestos.
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Explanation: Construction can create harmful dust that you cannot see.
B
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Explanation: Drowsiness can indicate vapour levels are at a dangerous level. You should stop work and inform your supervisor.
B
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Explanation: Electric shocks can be fatal to those who receive them.
B
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Explanation: You must wear high-impact eye protection. Anything less than this will not provide sufficient protection.
B
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Explanation: Large quantities of waste are produced when materials and resources are poorly managed.
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Explanation: Aggregate from the sediment may be reclaimed and reused.
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Explanation: You must report all environmental incidents. The consequences for failing to report an incident may be severe.
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Explanation: Always use the specified anchor point.
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Explanation: You must have Prefabricated Access Suppliers' and Manufacturers' Association qualification, or equivalent, to do this.
B
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Explanation: Vehicles should be unloaded on level ground.
B
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Explanation: Dermatitis is common among people working with concrete, mortar, and cement.
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Explanation: Your employer must provide a safe storage space for flammable materials.
B
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Explanation: A fire can break out if fuel, oxygen, and heat or ignition are present.
B
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Explanation: Your site induction will include information on where equipment is located.
B
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Explanation: Asbestos remains the largest cause of occupational deaths in the UK.
B
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Explanation: The law requires that any building built before 2000 be subjected to a survey. You must treat it as if it may contain asbestos.
B
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Explanation: You may notice an LPG leak through its particular smell.
B
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Explanation: Your employer is legally responsible for this.
B
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Explanation: You must leave by your nearest exit and make your way to the designated assembly point.
B
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Explanation: Working with cement puts an individual at high risk of developing dermatitis.
B
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Explanation: Allergic contact dermatitis can begin to exhibit symptoms a long time after contact with the substance was made.
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Explanation: Legionella is a kind of pneumonia.
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Explanation: Employers are permitted to test for drugs and alcohol, and may do so at random.
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Explanation: Over the counter hay fever medication may make you drowsy - if you need to take this medication, you must inform your employer.
B
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Explanation: Always inform a supervisor if you suspect someone may be under the influence at work.
B
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Explanation: You should not be operating machinery that you have not been trained to use.
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Explanation: Manual handling covers any way the body is used to move a load.
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Explanation: Warning signs take the form of yellow triangles.
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Explanation: This sign indicates no activated phones are permitted in the area.
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Explanation: Green and white signs are a general category of sign that signals safe conditions.
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Explanation: Pressurised gas should be signalled with a hazard sign with a cannister on it.
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Explanation: This sign tells you that harnesses are mandatory.
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Explanation: A skull and crossbones signals acute toxicity. This is different from corrosive, environmental, or severe health hazards.
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Explanation: Reversing creates a pedestrian hazard, and turning areas are a useful way of avoiding it.
B
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Explanation: Any gap under these circumstances that is 600mm or less should be blocked off.
B
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D
Explanation: Do not enter the crush zone. What seems like a short exit route may in fact put you in greater danger.
B
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Explanation: You should not act as a signaller without the correct training and competence.
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E
Explanation: In an emergency, you can take action to warn the operator and others nearby. You must still inform your supervisor of the incident.
B
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Explanation: This signal is used to show the amount of vertical distance.
What is the CSCS?
The CSCS test, or CITB test as its commonly referenced by sector stakeholders, is a tool used to determine whether a worker has sufficient health and safety knowledge to conduct their on-site role. It’s an essential assessment that the vast majority of construction workers will take on a semi-regular basis. This is because the test is part of the qualifying criteria for all CSCS cards.
The CSCS card programme is utilised by construction companies and employees alike, and serves to identify a worker’s experience, seniority, and capability level. The CSCS or Construction Skills Certification Scheme is an industry-recognised initiative. Therefore, when in possession of a valid CSCS card, you can be confident that employers will accept this as legitimate proof of your working credentials.
There is a range of CSCS cards available, supporting workers who are currently in training, all the way through to seasoned professionals. Each card has a list of qualifying requirements, which candidates must meet prior to applying for scheme membership.
Many trades adapt parts of the CSCS framework, in order to make it specific to their associated disciplines. In this way, many cards are linked to specific occupations, and demand holders to carry a defined skill set which equips them to successfully deliver their particular role. The more advanced or technically demanding the position, the more complex the card’s entry criteria.
The importance of CSCS cards
CSCS cards are important to employers for two key reasons. Firstly, it allows them to conveniently understand the merits of their respective workforce. With this information, site leadership teams can then effectively distribute tasks based on the skills and talents of individual employees. This means that works are allocated to those who are suitably trained to deliver on certain specifications. Each card, which is a specific colour dependent on the scheme it represents, offers a very visible sign of competency. Therefore, supervisors and managers are always able to identify workers for tasks with ease. This not only increases the likelihood of a better project finish, but also reduces the risk of harm or injury occurring on-site. Indeed, having untrained personnel performing complex construction tasks can often lead to dire consequences.
The CITB
Although this assessment is often referred to as the ‘CSCS test’, its official title is the CITB Health, Safety, and Environment Test. The CITB is the parent organisation of the CSCS, hence why these acronyms are sometimes used interchangeably. The CITB, or Construction Industry Training Board, is an organisation empowered to drive standards across the building and construction sector. It does this via supporting workers with learning resources and training courses. Furthermore, as is seen through the CITB test, it establishes industry-wide testing criteria, which measures whether workers have an acceptable level of knowledge and awareness to conduct the tasks their targeted qualification aligns to.
What are the different CSCS tests?
There are three versions of the CITB Health, Safety, and Environment Test. These are the ‘operative’, ‘specialist’, and ‘manager’s and professional’s (MAP) assessments. The exam you’ll need to sit will be entirely dependent on your card’s qualifying requirements.
Operatives test
The Operatives exam is the least challenging assessment, and is in place to ensure its candidates have at least the minimum required level of health and safety awareness in order to safely operate on a construction site. This exam is typically targeted at trainees and members of the general workforce. Therefore, if you’re either originally applying, or seeking to renew, either a green ‘labourer’ or blue ‘skilled worker’ card, or indeed one of the six red ‘training’ card programmes, you’ll likely be asked to sit this exam. The CSCS mock test above is an example of an Operatives test.
Specialist test
The ’specialist’ test is usually taken by gold card applicants, or workers engaging in a highly specific trade, such as plumbing or demolition & refurbishment, and targeting their discipline’s blue ‘skilled worker’ card. This assessment encompasses all the key themes covered in the Operatives test, but also includes reference to a separate set of unique questions. These will be based on the particular skills aligned with the applicant’s chosen card scheme. For example, those applying for a ‘supervisor’ gold card will need to provide answers to a list of ‘supervisory’ questions, whilst prospective plumbing blue card holders will address questions within the ‘plumbing’ section. Please note that you’ll only need to answer the unique questions relevant to your particular card programme.
The full list of topics addressed within these ‘specialist’ sets of questions are shown below, with their respective test codes:
- Supervisory (SUP)
- Demolition (DEM)
- Plumbing (JIB-PLUM)
- Highway works (HIW)
- Working at height (WAH)
- Lifts and escalators (LAEE)
- Tunnelling (TUNN)
- HVACR: Heating and plumbing services (HAPS)
- HVACR: Pipefitting and welding (PFW)
- HVACR: Ductwork (DUCT)
- HVACR: Refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAAC)
- HVACE: Service and facilities maintenance (SAF)
Managers and Professionals test
The Managers and Professionals assessment, commonly known as the ‘MAP’ test, is the most advanced exam within this testing series. The assessment is exclusively pitched at current and prospective black and white card holders. These are schemes reserved for highly technical or management-based employees, and require the candidate to have completed an extensive list of qualifications.
The ‘MAP’ test includes all of the items covered in the Operatives test, a cross-section of questions plucked from the various unique sections of the ‘specialist’ test framework, and developed focus on three specific construction-related subjects.
Questions in this additional block of testing will be suitably complex in nature, and test whether the candidate is knowledgeable and astute enough to operate in roles with high levels of accountability. This extra module will see delegates answer advanced questions on two of the specialist sections referenced above, namely ‘demolition’ and ‘highway works’. Furthermore, they’ll need to also demonstrate sound knowledge of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. In this part of the test, candidates will be probed on the regulations’ role and importance throughout the construction industry, and also be expected to explain what methods are used to enforce this critical piece of legislation.
Important points to consider
Please note that when both applying and renewing your membership to your chosen card scheme, you’ll need to ensure you’ve taken the appropriate CSCS test within two years of your application date. Most cards, with the exception of those which are not eligible for renewal, have a five-year validity period. Indeed, towards the end of this extended term, it’s likely that you would benefit from a re-assessment of your health and safety knowledge.
As CSCS cards will likely be a permanent fixture of your construction industry career, it’s conceivable that you’ll probably sit this assessment on multiple occasions. However, it’s important you don’t view the CSCS test as a tick-box exercise, and ensure you engage properly with this potentially fresh material each time you sit the exam.
The CITB regularly analyses the difficulty, credibility, and accessibility of this testing series. As mentioned above, this ensures questions remain relevant, and at pace with any internal sector developments.
What score do I need to pass my CSCS test?
The pass mark varies dependent on the version of the test you’re undertaking. The ‘operative’ and ‘specialist’ tests require candidates to answer 45 questions out of 50 correctly. Therefore, candidates must score at least 90%.
Unfortunately, despite the ‘MAP’ test carrying an increased level of difficulty, the pass mark is marginally higher than the other two assessments. If sitting this exam, you’ll need to provide at least 46 correct answers out of 50 questions. The minimum pass score is therefore 92%.
What CSCS test should I be sitting?
Before you can understand which version of the assessment you need to take, you’ll first need to be aware of the CSCS card you’re applying for. To ensure this is the right one, the CSCS offers an extremely helpful ‘Card Finder Tool’. Simply follow the link, type either your current occupation or the qualifications you’ve gained in the field provided, and answer any supplementary questions. You’ll then be directed to a page which highlights which card is most appropriate for you.
Should you then wish to understand your earmarked card’s qualifying criteria, please head to the CSCS ‘Types of cards’ webpage. This provides links to information on all of the CSCS’ wide range of card schemes. On these pages, you’ll be able to understand your targeted card’s qualifying requirements (including which CSCS test you’ll need to undertake), validity period, and the typical types of workers that are members of the scheme.
However, if you’d prefer to speak to somebody directly about which card or test you should be sitting, we would recommend you contact the CITB to discuss. A trained, reliable CITB advisor can be reached by phone on 0344 994 4488, or alternatively by sending an e-mail to citb.testingcustomerservices@pearson.com Please note that phone lines are open from 8.00am to 8.00pm, Monday to Friday, and 8.00am-12.00pm on Saturday mornings.
What does the CSCS test content, structure and format look like?
As you would expect, between its three detailed assessments, the CSCS testing series touches every element of the health and safety agenda relevant to construction sites.
The core content, which is included in each of the three tests, is based on five key health and safety focus areas. These are as follows:
- Legal and management
- Health and welfare
- General safety
- High-risk activities
- Environment
Without having suitable working knowledge of all the themes referenced above, you could significantly endanger yourself, colleagues or clients whilst working on a construction site. Therefore, all of these topics are comprehensively covered in the Operatives test. This clearly means that all workers, regardless of whether they’re in training or have been fully qualified in their roles for a number of years, will have a consistent, comprehensive understanding of these five core focus areas.
The CITB Health, Safety, and Environment Test, regardless of the version, will be in multiple-choice format. You’ll have 50 questions to answer within 45 minutes, leaving you with less than one minute per question for each response. Therefore, you’ll need to progress through the assessment with efficiency. However, don’t panic! There is more than ample time available to answer each question properly. Furthermore, rushing through your test may invite you to make silly mistakes.
Top Tips
We would also advise you to read each question extremely carefully. The CITB is not in the business of purposefully tripping candidates up, however, you may be asked some non-standard questions. These could include instructions to provide several answers at once, or require you to state something that shouldn’t happen, as opposed to something that should. Therefore, it’s always worth taking your time to understand exactly what the question is asking you to do.
We would strongly encourage you to answer each and every question. Indeed, it’s worth ensuring that you at least make an educated guess to a question, as you’ll often find that you’ve plucked some sort of useful information out when considering your answer. Do not leave your paper unfinished, as those additional one or two ‘guessed’ answers could ultimately be the difference between passing and failing!
How do I book my CSCS test, and how much does it cost?
The simplest way to organise your CSCS test is to book it online. To do this you’ll first need to register for a Pearson VUE account (Pearson is the provider of the CITB’s computer testing suite). Once this stage has been completed, you’ll be able to navigate to the booking page, and secure your testing slot. You’ll also be able to make your booking over the phone, by calling the number provided earlier, and following the instructions given. Booking your test directly through the Construction Industry Training Board will be the most cost-effective way to sit your assessment. The CITB charges £22.50 in order to take this test.
If you’re currently undertaking a training course with a private learning provider, your course facilitator may offer to book the CITB test on your behalf. However, please note that this service often comes with an additional charge. Nevertheless, this may form part of a separate support package, and therefore may be an option you’d like to consider pursuing.
The CITB has approved a number of Internet Test Centres (ITCs) to facilitate this assessment. Please liaise with your local centre to see if this is a test that they provide.
Additional considerations
Those who have contacted the CITB directly to book their test will be entitled to change their test booking, providing the organisation has been notified longer than 72 hours prior to the scheduled assessment. If you’ve booked through a third-party group, or locally with an ITC, you’ll need to speak to these organisations directly in order to understand their terms and conditions on adjusting testing slots.
Unfortunately, the CSCS test is not currently available online. Therefore, you’ll need to head to one of the CITB’s approved Pearson test centres in order to conduct your exam. A full list of participating test centres, which are located right across the length and breadth of the country, is available via the following link.
Lastly, on the day of your exam, please ensure you bring a valid form of identification to the test centre. This can be either a passport or driving licence, providing it’s no longer than six months beyond its expiry date. If you are not in possession of either of these forms of ID, please ensure you bring two alternate documents, one from each of the lists referenced below:
List 1
- Non-UK Driving License
- Passport without signature
- Work ID Card
- EU Country Card
- CITB Scheme Card
- Student ID card
- Citizen’s Card
- Trade Union Card
List 2
- Credit Card
- Debit Card
- Paper Driving License
- UK Travel Document
- Inland Revenue Card
- National Insurance Card (or HMRC letter with National Insurance number included)
- B79 Notification of Discharge Letter
- Bank Statement
- Building Society Passbook
- Cheque Guarantee Card
If you fail to provide suitable ID, you will be unable to sit your CSCS test, and your booking fee will not be refunded.
Special requirements
Please note that if you have any special requirements, such as reading and writing support, language translation, or specific accessibility options, then please speak to the CITB’s Special Assistance team and inform them of any additional needs. The CITB will always strive to meet your requirements, and have helpful colleagues on-site to assist you wherever they can. Please be aware that the Special Assistance advisor may ask for a doctor’s note or consultant’s letter to confirm a condition.
To speak to the Special Assistance team, please either call 0344 994 4491, or e-mail an advisor at citb.specialassistancetraining@pearson.com.
Summary
Hopefully, you now feel much more confident about the nature and scope of the CSCS test, and therefore are ready to conduct our mock test.
The CITB test plays an essential role in the construction industry, and will undoubtedly be something you’ll become extremely familiar with over the course of your career, as you’ll need to pass this test in order to acquire any CSCS card. Before sitting your test, ensure it features on your chosen card’s qualifying criteria. In any circumstances where you feel unclear on which CSCS card you should apply for, please refer back to the resources shared in the previous notes.
In order to book your test, we would encourage you to review the booking options, locate the test centre closest to you, and communicate any special requirements you may have.
Test considerations
Furthermore, we would also recommend that you absorb the key information relating to the content, structure, and format of this assessment series. Being aware of the types of questions included, the exact content you’ll cover, and the pass mark you need to get through the exam, will help you when it comes to test day.
For the same reason, we would strongly advise you to take the available mock test located above. Mock tests are a great way to experience some of the challenges you may come up against in the actual exam. Furthermore, although it’s difficult to generate the tension and nervous energy felt on test day, mock tests provide a great tool for us to partially tap into these emotions.
If you require any further support, then please liaise with a course tutor, or trusted industry professional.
Lastly, if you are due to imminently sit your CITB Health, Safety, and Environment Test, we wish you the best of luck, and hope that it helps you to acquire the CSCS card you’re targeting!
