What Is the CSCS Test Pass Mark?

Here's the breakdown across CITB HS&E test types:

• Operative test: 45/50 — for Labourer (green), Skilled Worker (blue), and most Red card applicants
• Specialist tests: 45/50 — for supervisors and high-risk specialist trades, combining the core questions with your chosen specialism
• Managers and Professionals (MAP) test: 45/50 — for Manager (black) and Professional (white) card applicants

Yes — before June 2023, the MAP test required 46 out of 50 (92%). CITB dropped it to 45/50 in the June 2023 MAP refresh, so all three versions now share the same pass mark. Plenty of older guides and training-provider pages still quote the 46 figure, which is why you'll see both numbers around.

A 90% threshold sounds brutal compared to school exams, but the test is designed to confirm you know how to keep yourself and others safe on site — not to rank candidates. The individual questions are straightforward if you've revised; the high bar simply means you can't wing it.

Industry estimates suggest around three quarters of candidates pass, and the most common reason for failing isn't difficulty — it's turning up unprepared or unfamiliar with the interactive question formats.

You can rebook and retake the test as many times as you need, but each attempt costs the full test fee (£23.50) and you'll need to wait for an available slot. See how to book your CSCS test for the booking process.

The cheapest strategy is to only sit the real test once you're consistently scoring 47+ out of 50 on realistic timed mocks. At that level, normal test-day nerves won't drop you below the pass mark.

The CSCS Mock Test app scores every 50-question mock against the real pass mark for your card type and tracks your results over time, so you know exactly when you're ready to book the real thing.