How to Pass the CITB Test

The questions cover everyday site safety, so the hard part is the bar, not the subject. At 90% you can only get five wrong. CITB also says real questions may be worded differently from the revision materials, though the meaning stays the same. That is why learning why an answer is right beats learning answers by heart. This guide covers how hard the test is, where people lose marks, a 7-day plan and how to pace yourself. For how the score works and what your report shows, see CITB Test Pass Mark and Results. Sit a free CITB Practice Test to get your score today, then practise the topic you score lowest on, such as Manual Handling Questions.

Checked against citb.co.uk, 28 October 2026: 50 questions, 45 minutes, and 45 out of 50 (90%) to pass, on every version of the test.

How hard is the CITB test?

The questions are about everyday site safety, but the pass mark is high: you need 45 out of 50, so you can only get five wrong.

That bar is the same on the Operatives, Specialist and Managers and Professionals (MAP) papers. Five wrong answers is one slip in every ten questions, so a score that feels close, such as 42 or 44, is still a fail.

Some papers ask for more. A Specialist paper adds questions on your chosen specialism, such as supervisory or plumbing, on top of the core questions. For MAP, CITB says the content is "wider than any previous versions" and is not tied to one role, so a manager can be tested on areas outside their own job. CITB does not publish a pass rate on its test pages, so we do not quote one.

Where do candidates usually lose marks?

Watch for four traps: reworded questions, rushing, the specialist section, and topics you skipped.

These are patterns to watch, drawn from how CITB sets and runs the test. They are not measured data.

• Reworded questions. CITB says test questions may be "worded differently to the questions in the revision materials, however the meaning will remain the same". If you memorised the wording, a reworded question can catch you out. Learn the reason behind each answer.
• Rushing. Once the test has started, it cannot be interrupted (booking terms 9.1). There is no pause, so set your pace before question one.
• The specialist section. On a Specialist paper, part of the test comes from your specialism chapter in section F of the GT100 book. If you only revised the core topics, those questions cost marks.
• Skipped topics. Your score report flags each subject where you did not answer every question correctly (terms 10.1). Any topic you skip in revision is one where every question is a guess.

What is the mock-first method?

The mock-first method means you sit a full timed mock before you revise, so your revision starts with the topics you actually get wrong.

1. Sit a 50-question mock with a 45-minute timer, with no notes. You cannot look at any document in the real test (terms 11.1).
2. List the topics where you dropped marks.
3. Practise those topics with worked explanations, until you can say why each right answer is right.
4. Sit a new mock and repeat until you reach 45 or more several times in a row.

CITB itself says its demo test "should not be used in isolation, but as part of your revision". The demo shows the question styles but is not scored. A scored mock gives you a mark out of 50 and a list of topics to fix.

What does a 7-day CITB test plan look like?

A 7-day plan gives you two full mocks, four days of topic practice and a final check the day before your test.

1. Day 1: sit a full timed mock and note every topic where you dropped a mark.
2. Day 2: practise your weakest topic, then sit a short mixed quiz.
3. Day 3: practise your next one or two weakest topics.
4. Day 4: practise the next one or two topics on your list.
5. Day 5: go back to Day 2's topic, check it has stuck, then sit a mixed quiz.
6. Day 6: sit a second full mock. If you score under 45, spend the evening on the topics it flags.
7. Day 7: light review only. Check your ID, your booking confirmation and your route, then get some sleep.

This plan is our suggestion, not CITB guidance. CITB recommends that you take a relevant training course and "work through all the sample questions in the revision materials" before you book. For CITB's own books and apps, see GT100 and GT200 revision. The plan fits our free allowance: a free account gives you 3 full mocks every 7 days and 30 topic quizzes a day.

How should you pace yourself in the 45 minutes?

You have about 54 seconds per question (45 minutes for 50 questions), so read each question once, fully, before you look at the answers.

• Take the tutorial first. Before the test starts you can sit a tutorial that shows how the test works on screen. CITB says "the tutorial is not a practice test" and strongly recommends it, because the test cannot be interrupted once it starts (terms 9.1).
• Use the headphones if reading is slow. Every test station has headphones for an English voiceover. Tell the centre staff when you arrive (terms 7.2).
• Check the clock at halfway. At about 22 minutes, you want to be near question 25.

The 54 seconds is our sum, not a CITB rule. Practise at that pace in your mocks, so it feels normal on the day.

Which topics should you practise first?

Start with the topics your first mock shows you got wrong; if you have not sat one yet, start with manual handling, safety signs and COSHH.

These three are a starting point, not a list of the hardest topics. Each topic page has 10 free practice questions with worked explanations, then a quiz on that topic.

• Manual handling: start from the manual handling page linked above.
• Safety signs: Safety Signs Questions.
• COSHH (hazardous substances): COSHH Test Questions and Answers.

If you do not pass, you can sit the test again after 48 hours (CITB booking terms 10.2).

Start the CITB practice test