What the CITB HS&E test is, the three test types, which one you need, the format, pass mark, cost and validity, and how to prepare.
The CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test is one of the most important steps to working on a UK construction site. It is a requirement for most CSCS cards, yet it is often confused with the card itself and with the safety courses. This guide explains what the HS&E test is, the three types, which one you need, how it works, and how to prepare.
The HS&E test is run by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). It checks that you have the health, safety and environmental awareness expected of someone working on a construction site. A pass is one of the requirements for nearly every CSCS card, alongside a relevant qualification. The test is taken on a computer at a Pearson Professional test centre, and it mixes knowledge questions with behavioural case study questions that ask how you would respond to real site situations.
There is not a single HS&E test. There are three, set at different levels of responsibility. You take the one that matches the card you are applying for.
| Test type | Who takes it | Cards it is required for |
|---|---|---|
| Operatives | Most site workers and operatives | Labourer (Green), Trainee, Apprentice, most Blue Skilled Worker and most Gold Advanced Craft cards |
| Specialists | Supervisors and certain trades | Gold Supervisor card, plus Blue Skilled Worker and Gold Advanced Craft cards in some occupations |
| Managers and Professionals (MAP) | Managers, directors and professionals | Black Manager card and the Academically or Professionally Qualified person cards |
Each test builds on the one below it: the Specialists and Managers and Professionals tests cover everything in the Operatives test plus extra material for that level of responsibility.
Of the 50 questions, 12 are behavioural case study questions. These are based on a set of behavioural principles and check how you would actually respond to health and safety situations on site, not just what you know. The remaining questions test your knowledge across the core construction health, safety and environment topics: your general responsibilities, health and welfare, safe systems of work, high-risk activities such as working at height and excavations, fire and electrical safety, and protecting the environment. The Specialists and Managers and Professionals tests keep all of the core content and add further questions for that level of responsibility. CITB publishes the official revision materials as GT100 for the Operatives and Specialists tests and GT200 for the Managers and Professionals test, and the questions in the test are drawn from that content.
Every HS&E test has the same shape: 50 questions in 45 minutes, with a pass mark of 90 percent, so you need at least 45 correct answers. The test costs £23.50. You sit it on a computer at the test centre and receive your result the same day. If you do not pass, you can rebook and try again, paying the fee each time.
The test result does not have a fixed expiry date, but it is treated as current for card purposes for two years. When you apply for or renew a CSCS card, your HS&E test usually needs to have been taken within the last two years, so it is best to sit it close to when you plan to apply.
The HS&E test is taken at a Pearson Professional test centre, part of the Pearson VUE network, with centres across the UK. You book a date online through CITB or Pearson VUE, or you can buy a test voucher in advance and use it to book. Bring photo identification on the day, such as a passport or driving licence, because you cannot sit the test without it. The test is taken on a computer at the centre and you receive your result before you leave.
Very few, and this is where many people are caught out. Holding an NVQ, a NEBOSH qualification or an SMSTS or SSSTS certificate does not exempt you from the HS&E test. The old exemption that let people skip the test if they had completed a construction NVQ within the previous two years was withdrawn in September 2019, so today nearly everyone applying for a CSCS card has to pass the test in addition to holding the right qualification. There are two narrow exceptions: apprentices who have completed the health and safety requirements through their apprenticeship managing agency within the last two years may not need to sit it, and the CIC Health and Safety Test is accepted in place of the Managers and Professionals test, but only when applying for an Academically or Professionally Qualified Person card.
CITB publishes official revision materials, and a preparation course for the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test takes you through the question types and the behavioural case studies so you walk in knowing what to expect. With a 90 percent pass mark there is little room for error, so preparing properly is the simplest way to pass first time and avoid re-sit fees.
It helps to keep three things separate. The HS&E test proves your safety awareness. A qualification such as an NVQ proves your competence. Together they earn you a CSCS card. The Site Safety Plus courses (such as SSSTS and SMSTS) sit alongside all of this: they are the safety training most contractors require, but they are not the test and not the card. For supervisors and managers, the route to a card is the right NVQ plus the right HS&E test, not the safety course on its own.
The CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test is a 45-minute, 50-question test that checks you have the health, safety and environmental awareness needed to work on a UK construction site. A pass is one of the requirements for most CSCS cards.
It depends on the card you are applying for. Operatives is the standard test for most site workers. The Specialists test is needed for the CSCS Gold Supervisor card and some skilled-worker occupations. The Managers and Professionals (MAP) test is needed for the CSCS Black Manager card. The table above maps each test type to its cards.
Every HS&E test has 50 questions and lasts 45 minutes. The pass mark is 90 percent, so you need at least 45 correct answers. The test includes knowledge questions and behavioural case study questions.
The HS&E test costs £23.50. You can book directly or buy a voucher of the same value to use at a test centre.
The test result itself does not expire, but when you apply for or renew a CSCS card your HS&E test normally needs to have been taken within the last two years. In practice that means you should take it close to when you plan to apply for your card.
The test is taken at a Pearson Professional test centre, part of the Pearson VUE network, with centres across the UK. You book a date online through CITB or Pearson VUE, bring photo ID on the day, sit the test on a computer at the centre, and get your result before you leave.
The test covers core construction health, safety and environment topics, including general responsibilities, health and welfare, safe systems of work, high-risk activities such as working at height and excavations, fire and electrical safety, and protecting the environment. It also includes 12 behavioural case study questions about how you would respond to situations on site.
No. The exemption for holders of a recent construction NVQ was withdrawn in September 2019. Holding an NVQ, a NEBOSH qualification or a Site Safety Plus certificate does not exempt you; you still need to pass the relevant HS&E test to apply for a CSCS card.
CITB publishes official revision materials, and you can take a preparation course for the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test that walks through the question types and the behavioural case studies. Preparing properly is the simplest way to pass first time and avoid paying for a re-sit.
No. The HS&E test is one of the requirements for a card, not the card itself. For most cards you also need a qualification (such as an NVQ) at the right level. Passing the test on its own does not give you a card.
SMSTS and SSSTS are safety courses, not the HS&E test. If you are applying for a CSCS card you still need to pass the relevant HS&E test (the Specialists test for the Gold Supervisor card, the MAP test for the Black Manager card) alongside the right NVQ.
You can rebook and sit the test again. There is no limit on attempts, but you pay the test fee each time, so it is worth preparing thoroughly before your first attempt.