The SSSTS (Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme) is a two-day construction safety course administered by CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) in the UK. If you're a site supervisor or stepping up into a supervisory role, it's one of the most widely recognized safety qualifications you can hold — and increasingly required by principal contractors before they'll allow supervisory work on their sites.
This guide covers how SSSTS training online works, what's covered, how to find an approved provider, and how to prepare for the end-of-course test.
Partly. CITB-approved SSSTS training is traditionally delivered in a classroom setting. However, since 2020 many providers offer a blended learning format:
A fully online SSSTS course — including a remote exam — is not currently the standard CITB-approved format as of 2026. If a provider claims fully online completion with no in-person element, verify they're on the CITB's approved training organizations list before booking.
The two-day course is built around the key responsibilities of a construction site supervisor. Topics covered include:
The SSSTS assessment is a multiple-choice test taken at the end of Day 2. Key details:
The test isn't designed to trick you — if you've engaged with the course content over the two days, most candidates find it manageable. That said, the 80% pass mark is firm, and the questions do include specific legislative details (regulation names, numbers, specific requirements) that benefit from study beforehand.
Only CITB-approved organizations can deliver the SSSTS certificate. To find a legitimate provider:
Be wary of providers not on the CITB-approved list. Non-CITB SSSTS certificates are not recognized by principal contractors, and you'd have wasted your money. Always verify directly through CITB's official directory.
If you're employed in the UK construction industry and your employer pays the Construction Industry Training Board Levy (which most contractors with a wage bill above £80,000/year do), you may be eligible for a CITB training grant to offset the course cost. Grant amounts for the SSSTS course have varied; check the current CITB Grant Scheme rates at citb.co.uk/grants. Your employer's payroll team or training coordinator should be able to assist with the grant claim.
Two days isn't a lot of time to absorb the material and then pass an 80%-mark exam. A few prep strategies that work:
If your provider sends pre-reading materials or an e-learning module, do it before Day 1. Students who arrive familiar with CDM 2015 and the basic hierarchy of health and safety law get much more out of the two days and struggle less with exam questions.
SSSTS exam questions frequently reference specific regulations by name. The ones you must know:
The Hierarchy of Control appears in multiple exam questions in different contexts. Know the order: Eliminate → Substitute → Engineering Controls → Administrative Controls → PPE. Understanding why the order exists is more useful than rote memorization for applying it to exam scenarios.
Practice questions help you identify gaps and get comfortable with the multiple-choice format. Focus particularly on CDM 2015 roles, working at height requirements, and supervisor responsibilities under risk assessment legislation — these are perennially common exam areas.
Candidates often ask how SSSTS compares to the SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme):
The SMSTS is the higher-level qualification. Many construction professionals complete SSSTS first as a stepping stone, then go on to SMSTS when moving into management roles. Both certificates are valid for 5 years.
Once you pass the SSSTS exam, you'll receive:
If your certificate expires, you can take a 1-day SSSTS Refresher course rather than the full 2-day programme. The refresher also requires a passing exam score. Don't let your certificate lapse if you're actively working in a supervisory role — many contractors check certificate validity before site access.