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

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.

In a Freedom of Information response in December 2023, CITB put the Managers and Professionals test's pass rate at 74% on average — so roughly one in four candidates fails. The most common reason isn't difficulty: it's turning up unprepared.

You can rebook and retake the test, 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.

The quickest way to find out where you stand is to answer some. There's a free CSCS sample test on the app's page — exam-style questions with the explanation after each one, and no sign-up.