About the CSCS Operatives HS&E Test
The CSCS Operatives Health, Safety and Environment test is the most widely taken construction industry test in the United Kingdom. Designed for general construction workers, labourers and skilled tradespeople, this test assesses your understanding of the health and safety knowledge essential for working safely on a building site. Whether you are a bricklayer, carpenter, plasterer, plumber, electrician or general labourer, you will need to pass this test to obtain or renew your CSCS card.
The test is administered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and is taken at a Pearson VUE test centre. There are hundreds of centres across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, making it accessible regardless of where you live or work. The test costs £22.50 per attempt, and there is no limit on how many times you can retake it if you do not pass first time.
What the Operatives Test Covers
The 50 questions in the Operatives test are drawn from a broad range of construction health and safety topics. Each question presents a real-world scenario that you might encounter on a construction site, along with four possible responses. You must choose the single best answer. The topics covered include:
- Working at height — using ladders, scaffolds, mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs), edge protection systems and fall arrest equipment. Questions may ask about the hierarchy of controls for working at height, as set out in the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
- Manual handling — safe lifting techniques, the TILE assessment method (Task, Individual, Load, Environment), when to use mechanical aids and team lifting procedures.
- Personal protective equipment — selection and use of hard hats, high-visibility clothing, safety boots, gloves, eye protection, hearing protection and respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
- Fire prevention and control — the fire triangle, extinguisher types and colour codes, hot works permits, evacuation procedures and fire assembly points.
- Electrical safety — safe working near overhead power lines and buried cables, use of 110V equipment on site, RCDs, isolation procedures and PAT testing.
- Excavations and confined spaces — trench safety, shoring, battering, detection of underground services and permit-to-work systems for confined space entry.
- Hazardous substances (COSHH) — identifying hazardous materials, reading safety data sheets, exposure controls, dust suppression and the hierarchy of controls for substance exposure.
- Noise and vibration — exposure action values, hearing protection zones, vibration white finger, and how to reduce exposure through equipment selection and job rotation.
- Asbestos awareness — where asbestos may be found, what to do if you discover it, the legal duty on employers and why only licensed contractors can remove most types of asbestos.
- General site safety — safety signs and their colours, welfare facilities, first aid arrangements, accident reporting (RIDDOR), inductions and toolbox talks.
Test Format and Booking Information
The Operatives test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions to be completed within 45 minutes. You need to score at least 45 out of 50 (90%) to pass. The questions are presented on a computer screen, and you select your answer by clicking the relevant option. You can flag questions to return to later before submitting your answers.
To book your test, visit the CITB website at citb.co.uk or call their booking line. You will need to bring two forms of identification on test day, at least one of which must include a photograph. Acceptable forms of ID include a passport, photocard driving licence, biometric residence permit or national identity card.
Test Cost and Validity
The test fee is £22.50 per attempt. Once you pass the HS&E test, you can apply for a CSCS card, which is valid for 5 years. The card type you receive depends on your qualifications:
- Green Labourer card — for those who have passed the HS&E test and are registered for, or have achieved, a construction-related qualification at Level 1 or above
- Blue Skilled Worker card — for those who have passed the HS&E test and hold an NVQ/SVQ at Level 2 or above in their specific trade
Complete this full 50-question practice test, then review the questions you got wrong. Use our topic-specific tests to drill into your weak areas: working at height, manual handling, PPE and fire safety.
Operatives Test Revision Tips
With a 90% pass mark, there is very little room for error. Here are proven strategies to maximise your chances of passing first time:
- Read each question twice — many candidates get questions wrong simply because they misread the question or did not notice a key word like "not", "always" or "first".
- Eliminate obviously wrong answers — if you can rule out two of the four options, you have a 50% chance even if you are unsure between the remaining two.
- Think about what a responsible worker would do — in behavioural case studies, the correct answer is always the one that prioritises safety over convenience, speed or cost.
- Know your safety sign colours — red is prohibition, yellow is warning, blue is mandatory and green is safe condition. This knowledge helps with multiple question types.
- Learn the key regulations — you do not need to memorise every regulation, but you should recognise names like CDM 2015, COSHH 2002, Work at Height Regulations 2005 and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.