CITB Operatives Test
The CITB Operatives test is the HS&E test for operatives, one of CITB's three papers: 50 questions in 45 minutes, drawn from five core knowledge areas, with 45 correct answers needed to pass.
Is there a free Operatives mock test?
Yes. The free CITB Operatives mock test below gives you 50 questions in 45 minutes and marks you at 45 out of 50, like the real test.
Free timed mock
CITB HS&E Operatives Mock Test (timed)
- questions
- 50
- questions
- minutes
- 45
- minutes
- to pass (90%)
- 45
- to pass (90%)
- Timed, exam conditions: answers are revealed at the end, like the real CITB HS&E test.
- A fresh set of questions every attempt, drawn across CITB's five core knowledge areas.
- The clock keeps running if you leave the page, as it would in the test centre.
- Every answer comes with a worked explanation.
Ready when you are
Find a quiet 45 minutes. The clock starts when you press start, and you see your score the moment you submit.
- Your result: your score out of 50, your score in each of CITB's five knowledge areas, and a worked explanation for every question.
- The test conditions: leaving the page does not stop the clock, you can flag a question and come back to it, and every blank answer counts as wrong.
- What is free: 1 full Operatives mock every 7 days without an account, or 3 with a free account. A paid plan gives you unlimited Operatives mock tests.
- Where the questions come from: they are written for practice, not copied from CITB, so learn the reason behind each answer. The CITB Practice Test Team writes and checks every question.
| Fact | CITB Operatives test |
|---|---|
| Questions | 50 |
| Time | 45 minutes |
| Pass mark | 45 out of 50 (90%) |
| Fee | £23.50 |
| Where you sit it | A Pearson Professional Centre or an Internet Test Centre |
| Voiceover | 14 languages; the on-screen text stays in English |
| Re-sit after a fail | Not within 48 hours |
Checked against CITB, 25 October 2026. How a real result is reported: CITB test pass mark.
Its full name is the Operatives health, safety and environment (HS&E) test. The questions come from five core knowledge areas: working environment, occupational health, safety, high risk activities and specialist. Start the free Operatives mock below to see where you stand. Every question has a worked explanation, so you learn why the right answer is right, not just which letter to press. Not sure this is your paper? Start from the CITB Practice Test and pick from all three. We do not book tests: you book with CITB.
Who needs to sit the Operatives test?
You sit the Operatives test when your card application asks for it. CSCS lists this CITB test for operatives with the Labourer, Trainee and Apprentice cards, most Blue Skilled Worker cards and most Gold Advanced Craft cards (cscs.uk.com, checked 25 October 2026).
CITB points you to the card finder to check which test your job needs. Check it before you book: CSCS wants a pass in the test that matches your card, and that pass has to be less than two years old.
Supervise a team? CSCS asks for the Specialist test with the Gold Supervisor card, so check whether you need the Specialist Supervisory paper instead. Managers and professionals sit the Managers and Professionals (MAP) test, which CSCS lists for the Black Managers card. Whichever card an operative applies for, the Operatives questions come from the same five areas.
What does the Operatives test cover?
CITB splits the Operatives test into five core knowledge areas: working environment, occupational health, safety, high risk activities and specialist. CITB names them in that order:
- Working environment
- Occupational health
- Safety
- High risk activities
- Specialist
Your mock result scores you in each of these five areas, so you can see which one cost you marks. Our 18 topic pages then split the areas into short drills. Each topic page has 10 free questions with worked explanations, then a quiz on that topic.
| Topic | Key law or guidance | QuestionsPractice questions |
|---|---|---|
| Buried Services QuestionsHSE HSG47, Avoiding danger from underground services | HSE HSG47, Avoiding danger from underground services | 110 |
| CDM Regulations QuestionsCDM 2015 and HSE L153 | CDM 2015 and HSE L153 | 110 |
| Confined Spaces and Excavations QuestionsConfined Spaces Regulations 1997 and HSE L101 | Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 and HSE L101 | 110 |
| COSHH QuestionsControl of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 | Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 | 125 |
| Electrical Safety QuestionsElectricity at Work Regulations 1989 | Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 | 125 |
| Environmental Awareness QuestionsEnvironment Agency and Defra waste guidance | Environment Agency and Defra waste guidance | 130 |
| Fire Safety QuestionsHSE HSG168, Fire safety in construction | HSE HSG168, Fire safety in construction | 138 |
| General Responsibilities QuestionsManagement of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 | Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 | 120 |
| Health and Welfare QuestionsCDM 2015 and HSE construction health risks guidance | CDM 2015 and HSE construction health risks guidance | 113 |
| Manual Handling QuestionsManual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (HSE L23) | Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (HSE L23) | 134 |
| Mental Health QuestionsHSE Management Standards for work-related stress | HSE Management Standards for work-related stress | 115 |
| Noise and Vibration QuestionsControl of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 | Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 | 112 |
| PPE QuestionsPersonal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 | Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 | 112 |
| Respiratory Hazards QuestionsCOSHH 2002 and HSE CIS36, Construction dust | COSHH 2002 and HSE CIS36, Construction dust | 114 |
| RIDDOR and Accident Reporting QuestionsRIDDOR 2013 and HSE HSG245 | RIDDOR 2013 and HSE HSG245 | 114 |
| Safety Signs QuestionsHealth and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 | Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 | 136 |
| Site Transport QuestionsHSE HSG144 and CDM 2015 | HSE HSG144 and CDM 2015 | 110 |
| Working at Height QuestionsWork at Height Regulations 2005 | Work at Height Regulations 2005 | 118 |
| All 18 topics | 2,146 |
Which languages can you hear the Operatives test in?
You can hear the Operatives test in 14 voiceover languages, but the on-screen text stays in English. CITB lists them as:
- English
- Welsh
- Bulgarian
- Czech
- French
- German
- Hungarian
- Lithuanian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Punjabi
- Romanian
- Russian
- Spanish
A British Sign Language (BSL) video is also available, and every test station has headphones for the English voiceover. Your language is not on the list? CITB's adjustments team can book a translator, a reader or a BSL interpreter.
These adjustments come with a separate room and extra time, and the wait for a date may be longer. Call the team (0344 994 4491) or email [email protected]. You can ask for an adjustment without having a disability under the Equality Act 2010.
CITB pays an interpreter's fee once. For every later test, including a re-sit, the interpreter's fee is charged (CITB booking terms, checked 25 October 2026). Our mock is English text only, the same as the real test's on-screen text.
What CITB revision covers the Operatives test?
CITB's Operatives test revision starts with the GT100 book, sections A to E, which CITB also offers as a DVD and as GT100 DL, a Windows download. CITB's revision for this paper comes in four forms:
- GT100 book: sections A to E for the Operatives test.
- GT100 DVD and GT100 DL: the same material on disc and as a Windows download.
- HS&E operatives and specialists app: voiceover in the 14 languages, plus what CITB calls "a realistic test simulation".
- Demo test: not scored, and shows the question styles.
CITB says the demo test "should not be used in isolation, but as part of your revision". You are tested on the most recent edition of the revision materials, and CITB may reword a question, "however the meaning will remain the same". For every CITB book and app compared, see CITB Test Revision.
Operatives test FAQs
Each answer below was checked against citb.co.uk on 25 October 2026.
Can you reschedule the Operatives test?
Yes. Online changes are free until 72 hours before your test, and phone changes cost £5. Inside 72 hours you cannot change it. A rescheduled test must be taken within 2 years of the original payment.
How hard is the Operatives test?
The Operatives test asks for 45 correct answers out of 50, so you can get only five wrong. Full timed mocks show you which of the five areas to revise first.
How many people fail the Operatives test?
CITB does not publish a pass rate that we have been able to verify, so we do not quote one. Your own mock scores are a better guide. After a fail, you can book again, but not within 48 hours.
How much does the Operatives test cost?
The Operatives test costs £23.50, the same fee as every CITB HS&E test. You can buy a voucher for that value ahead of time, but vouchers work only at Pearson Professional Centres and are never refunded, only rescheduled.