CSCS Practice Test

CSCS Exam at a Glance

Facts verified Oct 24, 2026 against CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme Ltd), which issues the card; the required Health, Safety and Environment. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.

Free CSCS Green Card Study Tools

Interactive CSCS Green Card resources on PracticeTestGeeks, free to start:

• CSCS Welfare Facilities 1 — 7 questions with answer explanations
• CSCS Green Card flashcards — review key terms and concepts card by card
• CSCS Green Card study guide — topic-by-topic overview of what the exam covers
• CSCS Green Card cheat sheet — one-page printable summary for last-minute review

What the CSCS is and how it works

According to CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme Ltd), which issues the card; the required Health, Safety and Environment, “Each of the Heath, safety and environment tests last for 45 minutes and contain 50 questions.”^[1] Practice with the free CSCS Green Card practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (7 questions with answer explanations).

CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme Ltd) issues the card. It shows that a worker has the health and safety knowledge expected on a UK construction site. The Labourer card, often called the Green card, is the usual starting card for site operatives.

What you need to apply. CSCS says you must pass the appropriate level of the CITB HS&E test within the last 2 years, or an approved alternative. You also need the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, or a recognised alternative. Have the CITB test ID number from the top of your pass certificate ready when you apply.

The test. The Operatives test has 50 questions and lasts 45 minutes. The pass mark is 90%, so you need at least 45 correct answers out of 50. The test costs £23.50. You take it at a Pearson Professional Centre or an Internet Test Centre, and CITB offers reasonable adjustments at Pearson centres.

The card. The card application fee is £36. A Labourer card is valid for 2 years on first application. After that, only workers who are still labourers can renew it for 5 years, and they must show evidence that they are employed in a labouring role.

We have not verified retake rules, booking lead times or the exact list of approved alternatives. These can change, so check them on the CITB and CSCS websites before you book.

Worked examples: how to reason through CSCS questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What are the requirements for segregating construction waste on site?

1. All waste can be mixed together in one skip
2. Construction waste should be segregated into separate containers for different waste streams (wood, metal, plasterboard, plastics, inert waste, hazardous waste) to maximise recycling and comply with the waste hierarchy requirements of the Waste Regulations 2011
3. Only hazardous waste needs to be separated
4. Waste segregation is only required on projects over £1 million

Answer: B. Construction waste should be segregated into separate containers for different waste streams (wood, metal, plasterboard, plastics, inert waste, hazardous waste) to maximise recycling and comply with the waste hierarchy requirements of the Waste Regulations 2011

Explanation:

B is correct. The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 require sites to apply the waste hierarchy, and separating waste on site is the most practical way to do that. When wood, metal, plasterboard, plastics, inert and hazardous waste go into separate containers, more of it can be recycled and less goes to landfill.

• A is wrong. Mixed skips are harder to recycle and cost more to dispose of. Some materials, such as plasterboard, must not go in with biodegradable waste.
• C is wrong. Hazardous waste must be kept apart, but the hierarchy applies to all waste streams, not just hazardous ones.
• D is wrong. The duty does not start at a £1 million project value.

Rule to remember: separate waste by type at the point it is produced.

Example 2

Question: Under CDM 2015, who is responsible for ensuring that a site induction is carried out for all workers?

1. The client
2. The designer
3. The principal contractor
4. The Health and Safety Executive

Answer: C. The principal contractor

Explanation:

C is correct. Under CDM 2015, the principal contractor must make sure every worker gets a suitable site induction. That includes employees and subcontractors. The induction covers site-specific hazards, site rules and emergency procedures.

• A is wrong. The client must make suitable arrangements for managing the project, but it does not run inductions on site.
• B is wrong. Designers deal with risk at the design stage, not with how workers are briefed on site.
• D is wrong. The Health and Safety Executive enforces the law. It does not induct workers on individual sites.

Rule to remember: whoever controls the construction phase, which is the principal contractor, controls the induction. If a question asks who organises on-site safety arrangements day to day, the principal contractor is usually the answer.

Example 3

Question: What is the primary purpose of installing trench boxes during excavation work on a construction site?

1. To store tools and materials underground
2. To prevent the collapse of trench sides and protect operatives working within the excavation
3. To channel rainwater away from the trench
4. To mark the boundaries of the excavation for surveying

Answer: B. To prevent the collapse of trench sides and protect operatives working within the excavation

Explanation:

B is correct. A trench box, also called a trench shield, is a structural support placed inside an excavation. It holds back the sides so they cannot collapse onto the people working in the trench. Any excavation where there is a risk of collapse needs adequate support.

• A is wrong. A trench box is not storage. Keeping tools or materials near the edge actually adds load and makes collapse more likely.
• C is wrong. Water control needs pumps or drainage. A trench box is not built to channel rainwater.
• D is wrong. Excavation edges are marked with barriers and signs, not with supports placed inside the trench.

Rule to remember: never enter an unsupported trench where the sides could fall in. Support first, then enter.

How to use these practice tests

Begin with the free CSCS mock test on working at height to get a baseline, with no notes and a timer running. Write down every topic you got wrong.

Then work through the topic sets that match your weak areas: PPE, first aid, asbestos awareness, COSHH, electrical safety, excavation safety, fire safety, manual handling, noise and vibration, environmental awareness, general site safety and welfare facilities. For every wrong answer, read the explanation and say the rule to yourself in plain words.

Use the official CITB revision material as your main reference. Our questions are practice, not the real test. When an explanation and the official material disagree, go with the official material.

Shortly before test day, take mixed sets under timed conditions. The real test gives you 45 minutes for 50 questions and needs 90%, so you can get very few wrong. Aim to score well above the pass mark in practice before you book. Keep your CITB test ID safe, because you will need it for the £36 card application.