SSSTS vs SMSTS: Which Course Do You Need?
SSSTS is the 2 day CITB course for supervisors. SMSTS is the 5 day course for site managers. Compare duration, cost and validity to pick the right one.
The short answer: SSSTS is the 2 day CITB course for site supervisors, and SMSTS is the 5 day CITB course for site managers. Both sit within the CITB Site Safety Plus scheme, both end with an exam plus a trainer assessment, and both certificates are valid for 5 years. The right course depends on the job you do on site, not on which title sounds better. This guide sets out the differences so you can book the right one first time.
| SSSTS | SMSTS | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Site supervisors | Site managers, agents and senior site staff |
| Duration | 2 days | 5 days |
| Certificate validity | 5 years | 5 years |
| Typical from-price | From £219 +VAT | From £399 +VAT |
| Refresher | 1 day, before expiry | 2 days, before expiry |
What SSSTS is and who it is for
SSSTS stands for Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme. It is a 2 day CITB Site Safety Plus course aimed at people who supervise others on site: gangers, foremen, chargehands and trade supervisors who direct work but do not run the whole site. The course covers your legal duties as a supervisor, risk assessments and method statements, and the practical side of the role, such as site inductions and toolbox talks. It ends with an exam and a trainer assessment, and the certificate is valid for 5 years.
If your day involves keeping a gang or a package of work safe and productive while reporting to a site manager, SSSTS is almost certainly the right course.
What SMSTS is and who it is for
SMSTS stands for Site Management Safety Training Scheme. It is the 5 day CITB Site Safety Plus course for the person responsible for the site as a whole: site managers, agents and others with management responsibility. It goes wider and deeper than SSSTS. You cover health and safety law, managing risk across a whole project, and the systems a site manager is expected to run day to day. Like SSSTS, it ends with an exam plus a trainer assessment, and the certificate lasts 5 years.
Many main contractors treat SMSTS as the standard qualification for whoever is running the site. If you are managing sites now, or about to start, this is the course to book.
The key differences
- Level of responsibility. SSSTS is pitched at supervising a team or a package of work. SMSTS covers managing the whole site and everyone on it.
- Time and cost. SSSTS takes 2 days and starts from £219 plus VAT. SMSTS takes 5 days and starts from £399 plus VAT, so it means more time away from site as well as a higher fee.
- What employers expect. On most managed sites, the site manager holds SMSTS and the supervisors under them hold SSSTS.
- Refreshers. SSSTS is renewed with a 1 day refresher, SMSTS with a 2 day refresher. Both must be completed before the certificate expires.
Which course should you book?
Match the course to your role:
- Book SSSTS if you supervise a gang, a trade package or part of the works, and report to a site manager.
- Book SMSTS if you run the site, or you are about to step into a site management role.
You do not need SSSTS before you take SMSTS. There is no formal ladder between the two, so if you are moving straight into site management you can book SMSTS directly. Equally, holding SSSTS does not shorten the SMSTS course: it is the full 5 days for everyone.
Cost and time off site
SSSTS starts from £219 plus VAT and SMSTS from £399 plus VAT on CourseGenie, with live availability and instant confirmation on both. Factor in time off site too: 2 days against 5. Both courses run in classrooms across the UK and as online instructor led courses, where a live tutor teaches over video call and you sit the same exam for the same certificate. For a full breakdown of SMSTS pricing, including live prices by format, see our SMSTS course cost guide.
Keeping your certificate valid
Both certificates last 5 years, and both have a shorter refresher course that must be completed before the expiry date. The SSSTS Refresher takes 1 day and the SMSTS Refresher takes 2 days. Each renews your certificate for another 5 years. If you let a certificate expire, the refresher route closes and you have to sit the full course again, so put the expiry date in your diary as soon as you pass.
Common questions
Can you skip SSSTS and go straight to SMSTS? Yes. SSSTS is not an entry requirement for SMSTS. Book the course that matches the role you are doing or about to do.
Do supervisors ever take SMSTS? Some do, usually when a move into management is close. If that step is still a year or two away, SSSTS is the better fit for the job you do now.
Is one harder than the other? SMSTS covers more ground over more days, and both end with an exam plus a trainer assessment. Turn up for every session, take part and review your notes, and either course is very manageable.
Booking for a team? For 4 or more people we can quote group rates. Request a group quote here.
Ready to book? Compare every SSSTS date and price here or every SMSTS date and price here, both with live availability and instant confirmation.