Health and Safety Awareness (HSA) Mock Test

By the CITB Practice Test Team. Checked against citb.co.uk, 31 October 2026.

A Health and Safety Awareness (HSA) mock test is a timed practice paper built to CITB's July 2026 HSA exam: 25 one-mark multiple-choice questions, 20 correct (80%) to pass, in 30 minutes, closed book.

HSA is CITB's one-day Health and Safety Awareness course for people working on a construction site, and it ends with a 30-minute closed-book exam. CITB rewrote that exam in July 2026. It is now 25 questions worth one mark each, and you need 20 to pass. If a mock test or guide still says 30 marks or 83%, it describes the old paper. Our HSA mock follows the new rules, with a worked explanation for every answer. The HSA exam is not the CITB HS&E test. Every question is written for practice, and we do not run or sell courses.

Is there a free HSA mock test?

Yes. The free HSA mock test below gives you 25 one-mark questions in 30 minutes and marks you at 20 out of 25, the format CITB has used since July 2026.

Free timed mock

Health and Safety Awareness (HSA) Mock Test (timed)

questions: 25; questions
minutes: 30; minutes
to pass (80%): 20; to pass (80%)

Ready when you are

Find a quiet 30 minutes. The clock starts when you press start, and you see your score the moment you submit.

Timed and closed book like the HSA exam: 30 minutes, with every answer revealed at the end.
25 questions from all five HSA modules, each with one right answer from A to D. A fresh set every attempt.
We score every question as 1 mark, as CITB does on the HSA paper.
The 80% pass mark is CITB's 20 out of 25 marks, so you need 20 out of 25 here too.
Every answer comes with a worked explanation.

At the end you see your score, your marks by module and a worked explanation for every answer.
Each question has one right answer from A to D, with no writing, as on the real paper.
Every question is written for practice. None is a real or past CITB question. Why we never use CITB papers: CITB Site Safety Plus Mock Tests.

HSA sample questions with worked explanations

Here are 10 HSA practice questions from all five modules, each with the answer and a worked explanation.

Sample question 1 · Rules and responsibilities

In health and safety, what does the word risk mean?

Anything on site that has the potential to cause harm
The paperwork completed before a job starts
How likely it is that someone could be harmed, and how seriouslyCorrect answer
A rule that must be followed on site

Why C: HSE explains that once hazards are found you decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously: that is the risk. The thing that may cause harm is the hazard, so the two words do not mean the same.

Sample question 2 · Rules and responsibilities

On a project with a principal contractor, who must make sure every site worker is given a suitable site induction?

The principal contractorCorrect answer
The client
The principal designer
Each worker's trade union

Why A: HSE's CDM guidance (L153) states that the principal contractor must ensure every site worker is given a suitable site induction. Where the principal contractor has not given one, the worker's own contractor must provide it.

Sample question 3 · Health and welfare

A risk assessment shows you need PPE for a job. Who pays for it?

Your employer, free of charge to youCorrect answer
You, through deductions from your wages
You and your employer, half each
The client of the project

Why A: HSE says employers must provide PPE free of charge if a risk assessment shows it is needed, and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 bans charging employees for things the law requires. Taking the cost from wages would be a charge.

Sample question 4 · Health and welfare

Which of these is an early sign of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS)?

Ringing in the ears after work
Pain in the lower back
A dry cough that will not clear
Tingling and numbness in the fingersCorrect answer

Why D: HSE says early signs of HAVS include tingling and numbness in the fingers, and finger tips going white then red and painful in the cold and wet. Back pain is linked to whole-body vibration from driving machines over rough ground, not to hand-arm vibration.

Sample question 5 · Health and welfare

While drilling a wall, you uncover a material you think may contain asbestos. What should you do first?

Stop work immediatelyCorrect answer
Finish the hole, then report it
Wet it down and carry on
Sweep up the dust and bag it

Why A: HSE's asbestos essentials sheet EM1 says that if you find suspect material, stop work immediately, put up a warning sign, keep people out and report it to whoever is in charge. Finishing the hole first could release more fibres.

Sample question 6 · General safety

A fire needs three things to start. What are they?

Heat, fuel and oxygenCorrect answer
Heat, fuel and carbon dioxide
Heat, oxygen and water
Fuel, oxygen and wind

Why A: HSE guidance HSG168 says three things are needed for a fire to start: heat (a source of ignition), fuel and oxygen. Carbon dioxide is not one of the three; it is used in some fire extinguishers.

Sample question 7 · General safety

What should a dumper driver do before tipping a load?

Keep rolling slowly so the load spreads out
Stop, take it out of gear and apply the parking brakeCorrect answer
Leave it in gear so it can pull away quickly
Raise the skip while reversing towards the edge

Why B: HSE guidance HSG144 says stop the dumper, take it out of gear and apply the parking brake before tipping loads. Tipping while still moving, or with the dumper in gear, goes against this advice.

Sample question 8 · High risk activities

Before any work at height, what order of steps does HSE set out?

Avoid, prevent, minimiseCorrect answer
Prevent, avoid, minimise
Minimise, prevent, avoid
Avoid, minimise, prevent

Why A: HSE's brief guide INDG401 says first avoid work at height where you can, then prevent falls using a safe place or the right equipment, then minimise the distance and consequences of a fall. Minimising comes last, after avoiding and preventing.

Sample question 9 · High risk activities

While digging, you uncover a black plastic service and cannot tell what it is. How should you treat it?

As a disused service that can be cut
As a water pipe that is safe to move
As a land drain that can be ignored
As a live electricity cableCorrect answer

Why D: HSE guidance HSG47 says if any black plastic service is found, assume it is a live electricity cable. Where there is any doubt about an exposed service, treat it as an electricity cable or gas pipe until proved otherwise.

Sample question 10 · Environment

Where does water in a site surface water drain go?

To a sewage treatment works
Directly into the environmentCorrect answer
To a tank that a tanker empties
To the water company for cleaning

Why B: GOV.UK pollution prevention guidance says surface water drains discharge directly to the environment, so only clean water should go into them. Anything spilled into one can reach a river or the ground without treatment.

How is the CITB HSA exam set and marked in 2026?

The HSA exam is 25 multiple-choice questions worth one mark each, and you need 20 (80%) in 30 minutes, with no workbook or notes allowed.

Rule	HSA exam, July 2026
Questions	25 multiple choice, one mark each
Pass mark	20 out of 25 (80%)
Time	30 minutes, under exam conditions
Book	Closed book: no workbook or notes
Answers	Choose A, B, C or D. No full sentences
Before the exam	Pass the trainer review, which looks at how you took part in the mandatory exercises and in the course overall

Checked against CITB scheme rules Appendix A (version 01.06, July 2026) and CITB's HSA pre-course information, 31 October 2026.

What changed in the HSA exam in July 2026?

In July 2026 CITB cut the HSA paper to 25 one-mark questions with a pass mark of 20 (80%); the old paper had 25 questions worth 30 marks and needed 25 (83%).

Rule	CITB's February 2026 rules	July 2026 rules
Marks	20 one-mark and 5 two-mark questions, 30 marks	25 one-mark questions, 25 marks
Pass mark	25 out of 30 (83%)	20 out of 25 (80%)
Re-sit	19 or more out of 30	17 to 19 out of 25
To pass the course	Pass the exam	Pass the trainer review and the exam
Course book	Construction health and safety awareness (GE707)	The HSA workbook
Minimum length of a remote course	6 hours 30 minutes	7 hours 30 minutes

If a mock test or guide says 30 marks or 83%, it describes the old paper.

What is the CITB HSA course?

HSA (Health and Safety Awareness) is CITB's one-day Site Safety Plus course on the risks and hazards a construction worker may face on site, and it ends with the 25-question exam.

You attend for at least 7 hours 30 minutes, in a classroom or by remote delivery, or you take CITB's HSA eCourse online at your own pace. There are no formal entry requirements, but you need English at operative level. CITB calls the course "an ideal foundation for those wishing to obtain an industry site card". It is also an alternative route to the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment for the CSCS Labourer Card. The certificate lasts five years. HSA has no refresher, so you retake the course before your certificate expires.

What does the HSA exam cover?

The HSA exam covers CITB's five HSA modules: general rules and responsibilities, health and welfare, general safety, high-risk activities, and the environment.

Module	Topics
1 General rules, regulations and responsibilities	Main laws and duties, site induction, hazards and risks, accident reporting, behaviour, lone working
2 Health and welfare	Ill health, first aid and emergencies, PPE, asbestos, dust and fumes, noise and vibration, hazardous substances, manual handling
3 General safety	Safety signs, fire, electricity, work equipment and hand tools, mobile plant and vehicles
4 High-risk activities	Working at height and access equipment, excavations, confined spaces
5 Environment	Preventing pollution, waste management

Our mock draws 6, 8, 5, 4 and 2 questions from modules 1 to 5. That split is our design. Moving up to supervise? Try the CITB SSSTS Mock Test.

What happens if you fail the HSA exam?

If you score 17, 18 or 19 out of 25, you can re-sit the HSA exam once without repeating the course; if you fail the re-sit, you take the course again.

You must also have passed the trainer review.
You can re-sit on the same day, if you agree and have time to prepare. If not, you sit it at another course's exam or a standalone exam within 30 days.
The re-sit uses a different paper from the one you failed.
On CITB's eCourse, each retake costs £21, you have at most three attempts, and you must pass before your 12 months of course access ends.

Classroom HSA or the CITB eCourse: what is the difference?

Both routes end in the same style of exam, 25 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes with 20 to pass, but on the CITB eCourse you sit it with Pearson, online or at a Pearson test centre.

Point	Classroom or remote course	CITB HSA eCourse
Learning	One day with a trainer, at least 7 h 30	Online at your own pace, "in as little as five hours"
Exam	25 questions, 30 min, 20 to pass, at the end of the course	25 questions, 30 min, 20 to pass, "Online using Pearson remote invigilation" or at a Pearson test centre
Trainer review	Yes	Not stated by CITB
Retakes	One re-sit if you score 17 to 19, within 30 days	£21 a retake, at most three attempts, within your 12 months of access
Price	Set by the training provider	£99

Checked against CITB's eCourses page, 31 October 2026.

"HSA online exam" can mean either route, so check which one you are booked on.

Is the HSA exam the same as the CITB HS&E test?

No. The HSA exam is the end-of-course test for CITB's HSA course, and the CITB HS&E test is a separate test. CITB says a Labourer card applicant needs both.

CITB states: "The Health and Safety Awareness exam is different from the CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) Test for Operatives." To practise the HS&E test, use the CITB Practice Test.

HSA mock test FAQs

Is the HSA test hard?

The HSA exam asks for 20 correct answers out of 25, so you can get five wrong, and you cannot use the workbook during it. A full timed mock shows which module to revise.