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Temporary Works Coordinator and Supervisor Mock Tests

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

The CITB temporary works coordinator (TWC) exam has 22 questions worth 27 marks and the supervisor (TWS) exam has 20 worth 25; you need 21 and 19, in 45 minutes, open book.

Site worker in a black hard hat, safety glasses and orange hi-vis vest climbing a guarded scaffold stair tower on a London project

CITB runs two temporary works courses under CITB Site Safety Plus. The two-day TWCTC is for people who manage temporary works, and the one-day TWSTC is for people who supervise them on site. Both exams let you use your course workbook and notes for the full 45 minutes, so practise finding answers fast. On the real papers, four TWC answers and three TWS answers are free text, marked by the trainer. Our mocks use questions with set answers instead. Pick the TWC or the TWS mock below. Every question is written for practice, and we do not run or sell courses.

Is there a free temporary works coordinator mock test?

Yes. The free temporary works coordinator mock test below gives you 22 questions in 45 minutes, and the supervisor mock gives you 20 questions in 45 minutes, the question counts and times CITB sets for each exam.

Free timed mock

CITB Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) Mock Test (timed)

questions
22
questions
minutes
45
minutes
to pass (78%)
18
to pass (78%)

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.

  • Timed like the TWC exam: 45 minutes, with every answer revealed at the end. Keep your workbook and notes beside you.
  • Questions for TWC and for both roles, a fresh set every attempt.
  • We score every question as 1 mark. A tick-two question needs both right answers for its mark.
  • The 78% pass mark is CITB's 21 out of 27 marks. Scored at 1 mark a question, it means 18 out of 22 here.
  • Every answer comes with a worked explanation.

Free timed mock

CITB Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS) Mock Test (timed)

questions
20
questions
minutes
45
minutes
to pass (76%)
16
to pass (76%)

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.

  • Timed like the TWS exam: 45 minutes, with every answer revealed at the end. Keep your workbook and notes beside you.
  • Questions for TWS and for both roles, a fresh set every attempt.
  • We score every question as 1 mark. A tick-two question needs both right answers for its mark.
  • The 76% pass mark is CITB's 19 out of 25 marks. Scored at 1 mark a question, it means 16 out of 20 here.
  • Every answer comes with a worked explanation.
  • At the end you see your score and a worked explanation for every answer.
  • CITB's free-text questions are worth one to three marks each on TWC and two or three on TWS. Your trainer marks them, and CITB does not publish the marking scheme. Our mocks replace them with questions that have set answers, including some tick-two questions, so use your score as a guide only.
  • Keep your course workbook and notes beside you, as you may in the real exam.
  • Every question is written for practice. None is a real or past CITB question.

Temporary works sample questions with worked explanations

Here are 10 temporary works practice questions for TWC, TWS or both, each with the answer and a worked explanation. Two are tick-two questions.

Sample question 1 · TWC and TWS

Which of these does HSE list as temporary works?

  1. Site hoarding and welfare unitsCorrect answer
  2. The finished building's structural frame
  3. Permanent drainage after handover
  4. Landscaping that stays after completion

Why A: HSE's list of temporary works goes beyond scaffolding and falsework: it includes site fencing and hoarding, welfare and office units, and stockpiles that will be removed later. The structural frame, handed-over drainage and retained landscaping are permanent works.

Sample question 2 · TWC and TWS

In temporary works training, what are 'the four Cs'?

  1. Control, checking, certification and compliance
  2. Communication, control, consultation and competence
  3. Co-ordination, construction, certification and care
  4. Communication, co-ordination, co-operation and competenceCorrect answer

Why D: CITB's course specifications stress communication, co-ordination, co-operation and competence, called the four Cs, as the techniques for avoiding temporary works failure. Checking and certification matter too, but they are not part of the four Cs.

Sample question 3 · TWC and TWS

HSE says that temporary works failures are often found to result from what?

  1. Members being over-designed and too heavy to erect safely
  2. Vertical loads being overestimated by the temporary works designer
  3. Loadings being underestimated, especially loads from the sidesCorrect answer
  4. Works staying in place for longer than the programme planned

Why C: HSE's temporary works FAQs say failure is often found to result from loadings being underestimated, in particular where loads from the sides are not considered. Over-estimating loads makes works stronger, not weaker, so it is not the cause HSE describes.

Sample question 4 · TWC and TWS

What does a higher temporary works design check category number mean?

  1. The temporary works can safely carry a higher load
  2. The permit to load for the works stays valid for longer
  3. The checker must be more independent from the designerCorrect answer
  4. The design can be checked by a member of the site team

Why C: CITB's glossary says the categories are 0, 1, 2 and 3, and the higher the number, the more independent the design checker must be from the designer. The category says nothing about load capacity or how long a permit lasts.

Sample question 5 · TWC

A small contractor says that because the law does not require anyone with the title 'temporary works co-ordinator', it need not manage its temporary works. What is HSE's position?

  1. Temporary works must still be properly managed to ensure safetyCorrect answer
  2. That is right, as temporary works fall outside health and safety law
  3. Only projects notifiable to HSE need to manage temporary works
  4. The client takes over every temporary works duty in that case

Why A: HSE's FAQs say there is no legal requirement to use the job title, but the party in control must still make sure temporary works are properly managed so that work does not create unacceptable risk. CDM 2015 regulation 19 applies to any temporary structure, so temporary works are not outside the law.

Sample question 6 · TWC

When procuring a temporary works designer, can you assume any structural engineer is suitable?

  1. Yes, all structural engineers can design temporary works
  2. Yes, provided the engineer is chartered with an institution
  3. No, the designer needs temporary works training and experienceCorrect answer
  4. No, only the project's principal designer may design temporary works

Why C: HSE's FAQs answer 'No' to whether all structural engineers can design temporary works: the temporary works designer needs temporary works training and experience. Chartered status alone does not show that experience.

Sample question 7 · TWC

As TWC, you are about to issue a permit to unload. Which two things should it confirm?

Tick two answers.

  1. The design checker has visited the site
  2. A safe system of work for dismantling is in placeCorrect answer
  3. The temporary works are no longer requiredCorrect answer
  4. The TWS has signed a new design brief
  5. The permanent works design has been revised

Why B and C: CITB's glossary says a permit to unload, also called a permit to strike or permit to dismantle, confirms that a safe system of work for dismantling is in place and that the temporary works are no longer required and are ready to be removed. A site visit by the checker is not part of it.

Sample question 8 · TWS

Building frame cross section: workers place concrete on a new slab held on falsework, with rows of props through the floors below

As the supervisor directly responsible for loading falsework, what must you have before any loading takes place?

  1. A verbal go-ahead from the concrete supplier
  2. A copy of the original design brief
  3. The permit to load, in your possessionCorrect answer
  4. The register entry for the falsework

Why C: CITB's permit to load template says the permit must be in the possession of the supervisor directly responsible for loading the temporary works before any loading takes place. The design brief and register entry come earlier and do not release the hold point.

Sample question 9 · TWS

As TWS, you reach a hold point in the erection sequence. What should happen?

  1. Work carries on as normal while the paperwork for the hold point is prepared
  2. Work carries on if the next stage of the sequence is low risk
  3. Work stops only if the TWC happens to be on site that day
  4. No further progress until the necessary permit or action is completedCorrect answer

Why D: CITB's glossary defines a hold point as a stage where no further progress is to be made until the necessary permit or action has been completed. Carrying on while paperwork catches up defeats the purpose of the hold point.

Sample question 10 · TWS

Which two statements about the temporary works supervisor are correct?

Tick two answers.

  1. The TWS is ultimately responsible for temporary works
  2. The TWS carries out the independent design check
  3. The TWS assists the temporary works co-ordinatorCorrect answer
  4. The TWS sets the organisation's temporary works procedure
  5. Not every site will have a TWSCorrect answer

Why C and E: CITB's glossary says the TWS is responsible to, and assists, the TWC, and CITB's flowchart notes that not all sites will have a TWS. The TWC is ultimately responsible, the design check is done by the TWDC and the procedure is set by the designated individual.

How are the CITB TWC and TWS exams set and marked?

The TWC exam has 22 questions worth 27 marks, with 21 (78%) to pass, and the TWS exam has 20 questions worth 25 marks, with 19 (76%) to pass; both last 45 minutes and are open book throughout.

RuleTWC exam (TWCTC and TWCTC-R)TWS exam (TWSTC)
Questions22, selected by CITB20, selected by CITB
One-mark questions18 multiple choice or multiple response17 multiple choice or multiple response
Free-text questions4, worth one to three marks each3, worth two or three marks each
Total marks2725
Pass mark21 out of 27 (78%)19 out of 25 (76%)
Time45 minutes, under exam conditions45 minutes, under exam conditions
BookYour course workbook and notes, for the whole examYour course workbook and notes, for the whole exam

Checked against CITB scheme rules Appendix L and Appendix M (version 02.06, February 2026), 31 October 2026.

CITB counts both pass marks in marks. Our mocks score each question as 1 mark, so the same percentages work out at 18 of 22 for TWC and 16 of 20 for TWS.

What is the difference between a TWC and a TWS?

A temporary works coordinator (TWC) manages the temporary works process on a project, and a temporary works supervisor (TWS) supervises the works on site and supports the TWC.

PointTWCTWS
CITB courseTWCTC, 2 days, at least 14 h 45TWSTC, 1 day, at least 7 h 45
Who CITB writes it forPeople with on-site responsibility for managing all forms of temporary works"those on site who have responsibility for supervising all forms of temporary works"
Role in CITB's learning outcomesDescribe the key roles, including appointing them; explain how design is managed and controlled; appoint competent designers and contractorsIdentify the key roles; explain how the TWS supports the TWC on design; help the TWC co-ordinate, supervise and check work on site
RefresherTWCTC-R, 1 dayNone: retake the course
Entry requirementsNone, but CITB expects a working knowledge of nine pieces of health and safety law, especially CDM 2015The same

CITB says these courses are not temporary works technical awareness courses, and that attendance "does not confer competency as a TWC". Competency comes from a mix of education, training and experience.

What are the four Cs of temporary works?

The four Cs of temporary works are communication, co-ordination, co-operation and competence, and CITB builds both the TWC and TWS courses around them.

  • Communication: designers, the TWC, the TWS and the people doing the work all get the information they need.
  • Co-ordination: design, checks, permits and work on site happen in the right order.
  • Co-operation: you work with the other contractors and duty holders whose work affects the temporary works, or is affected by them.
  • Competence: designers, checkers, supervisors and contractors have the right training and experience for the job.

CITB names the four Cs in both courses' aims and in the module on avoiding failure.

What do the TWC and TWS courses cover?

Both courses share five modules: what temporary works are, their history and failures, who is involved, planning temporary works, and managing erection and dismantling, built mainly around BS 5975-1:2024.

ModuleTWC (TWCTC)TWS (TWSTC)
1 What are temporary works?Types of temporary works and solutionsThe same
2 The history of temporary worksHistory and legal framework, causes and consequences of failure, avoiding failure through the four CsThe same
3 Who is involvedDescribe the key roles and responsibilities, including appointing key rolesIdentify the key roles and responsibilities
4 Planning temporary worksManaging and controlling design, key processes, procurement, risk classificationHow the TWS supports the TWC on design, key processes, implementation risk classification
5 Managing construction, erection and dismantlingCo-ordinating, supervising and checking work on siteSupporting the TWC in co-ordinating, supervising and checking work on site

Key roles to know:

  • Designated individual (DI)
  • Temporary works coordinator (TWC)
  • Temporary works supervisor (TWS)
  • Temporary works designer (TWD)

Key documents to know, from CITB's templates:

  • Design brief
  • Temporary works register
  • Inspection checklist and record
  • Design and checks certificate
  • Permit to load
  • Permit to unload

CITB's temporary works support materials also link to 11 key incidents and a glossary. SMSTS and SSSTS cover temporary works as one topic among many. For those courses, use the CITB SMSTS Mock Test or the CITB SSSTS Mock Test.

What happens if you fail the TWC or TWS exam?

You can re-sit the TWC exam once if you scored at least 17 of 27 (63%), and the TWS exam once if you scored at least 15 of 25 (60%); fail the re-sit and you take the course again.

  • You must also have completed the mandatory exercises and 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 on the final day of another course or at a standalone course within 30 days.
  • The re-sit uses a different paper from the one you failed.
  • Below those scores there is no re-sit. Failing the re-sit means taking TWCTC, TWCTC-R or TWSTC again.

How is the TWC refresher (TWCTC-R) different?

TWCTC-R is a one-day refresher with the same exam as TWCTC, 22 questions for 27 marks and 21 to pass in 45 minutes, open book, for people who hold a valid TWCTC certificate.

PointTWCTCTWCTC-R
Length2 days, at least 14 h 451 day, at least 7 h 45
Who can attendNo entry requirementsPeople who passed TWCTC or a later refresher and hold a valid TWCTC certificate
Mandatory exercisesFourTwo
Delegate personal reviewOptionalMandatory
Exam22 questions, 27 marks, 21 to pass, 45 min, open bookThe same

Checked against CITB scheme rules Appendix L (version 02.06, February 2026), 31 October 2026.

If your certificate lapses before you take the refresher, you must take the full TWCTC again. TWS has no refresher, so you retake TWSTC before your certificate expires. Site Safety Plus certificates last five years.

Temporary works mock test FAQs

Is the temporary works coordinator course hard?

The TWC exam is open book for all 45 minutes, but you need 21 of 27 marks (78%) and four answers are written in your own words. Practise finding answers in your workbook quickly, and use the timed mock to check your pace.

Do you need SMSTS or SSSTS before the TWC course?

No. SSSTS or SMSTS knowledge helps, but CITB says it "is not a mandatory pre-requisite" for the TWC course. CITB expects a working knowledge of the main construction health and safety laws, especially CDM 2015.